What are you canning now?

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
I tried making spaghetti sauce from scratch last year. It was too much work for the quanity received.
I wasn't even canning it . . .. just wanted some for then and some to freeze.

This year I went after salsa.... it was not as bad as the sauce. You don't have to let it cook forever.
I would can plain tomatoes or salsa, not spaghetti sauce.

It is a lot of work to peel tomatoes and then chop them. After you have done it a few times you will develope a system.
It helps a lot if you have a child to help..... My daughter and I developed our system.....

She rinses the tomatoes, I mark them with an X and drop them in the simmering water for 4 minute.
I take them out of the water and put them in a cold water bath.
My daughter takes them out of the cold water bath and peels them.
I take them from her and chop them.

We set up 4 bowls and three work stations.
One bowl for of ice water. One bowl for peeled tomatoes. One bowl for chopped tomatoes. One GIANT bowl for scraps, peelings, and extra juice.

I have found a way to chop them without getting juice all over the counter.
Put the cutting board inside of a cookie sheet with a lip. The extra juice will run into the cookie sheet ( instead of the counter) and it is easier to pour the juice into a bowl from the cookie sheet.

Very organized - and great tips for a canning newbie (canning illiterate...lol) like me!

Kismet - I like your idea for all the tiny tomatoes! I have bunches of grape tomatoes and little sweet baby girls - wasn't sure what folks did with them besides salads and such...

 

[chicken stalker]

Found this site the other night when looking for a recipe. Didn't find the recipe I was looking for but found a whole lot that I'm going to "need"

http://canning-recipes.com/

 

[3goodeggs]

Wow. that is a good link. Green tomato relish sounds good.


so, the following note is merely a warning, so you all can prevent it from happening to you:

The top shelf of my pantry gave way. The little metal rods that hold up the shelf slid out on one corner.
the shelf was supposed to hold up to 120 pounds, um...no.
30 quart jars of tomatoes, peppers, pickles, and salsa fell on 12 quarts of lemon juice, homemade vinegar,
and pickle brine. It looked like a giant threw up in my utility room.

Today, all little pegs get removed and strips of wood are being screwed into the plywood cabinets and the shelves will be permanently affixed at one height forever. I decided that I do not need as many choices as I thought I did.

Beware of pre manufactured cabinetry and the pre drilled holes.
Nothing that my husband made ever did that to me.

...the worst part is losing the glass jars. All of those wide mouth quart jars...

...shattered. We will be finding glass forever.

 

[KenK]

Yuck. That kind of thing makes me want to just run away from home.

 

[chicken stalker]

Quote:
That's horrible! Sorry for your loss

 

[KenK]

With the last few posts in mind I noted the time when I started processing tomatoes this morning. From the time the blanching water came up to temperature until I had the jars loaded in the canner was 45 minutes.

7 quart jars and the tomatoes were cut into quarters/eights. Oh, and another quart of Roma tomatoes that my lovely wife is going to use to make some sauce today.

 

[Terri O]

Just though I'd pop in for a minute and tell you how I cut my tomatoes. (since it is WAAAAY too hot to do any kind of canning here I am just reading about it!) After having them in the boiling water and skinning them I take them in my left hand over the simmering pot and cut one way with a knife and then perpendicular to that cut again--right in my hand. Then drop them into the pot. I use a very sharp French chef knife or Santuko knife for the cutting. Very simple and no mess at all! The big pieces cook down a little so they are not a problem even when pretty large.
This keeps all the juice and at the end you can strain it to take out the seeds and can it up, or boil it down and make hot sauce. HTH somebody! Terri O

 

[KenK]

That's just what I do except when I take it out of the cool water I core, peel and cut up without ever putting it down.

Just got the tomatoes out of the canner and put five pints of creamed corn back in. I was going to freeze it but changed my mind and decided to try it canned.

 

[KDbeads]

My cherries from the other day:
http://strayneedle.blogspot.com/2011/07/cherries-anyone.html

 

[KenK]

Just emptied my five jars of corn into the garbage. I cooked the corn just like I were making it for dinner, with butter and milk. Was going to freeze it but decided at the last minute to put in jars and process. The corn turned brown, I guess it got hot enough to carmelize the sugars. One jar didn't seal so I gave it a taste and betweeen the taste and appearance it was a no go. Very disgusted with myself.