What are you canning now?

[Kacey's Krazee's]

Thanks Bee,
I am excited about the meats ! Now, back to finding more jars !

 

[rancher hicks]

Putting the fruit thru a FOley food mill will remove most of the seeds. You are right, soetimes there are just oo many darn seeds and it distracts from the wonderful jam texture.

If it is any consolation, I did once over cook cherry jam, and when it cooled it was almost a hard candy. Tasted great but Oh too difficult to get out of the jar. lol THis was in the 1970's . . . .lol

Thanks, I talked to a friend today and I feel much better. If practice makes perfect I've got a long way to go.

 

[WthrLady]

Pressure canning tomatoes.

I know the food preservation groups push for adding lemon juice or citric acid to tomatoes for canning, ALL methods of canning, but it doesn't make sense to me in the case of pressure canning.

The WHOLE POINT of pressure canning is so that you can preserve foods that do not have a high enough acid content (high pH number), beans, corn, meat, etch.

Adding lemon juice to pressure canned tomatoes seems redundant. I personally do not care for the taste of adding lemon to my tomatoes, and grow heirloom high acid tomatoes.

What's your thoughts on the matter?

If you are hot water bath canning, you should add the extra acid, but PRESSURE canning?!

 

[Beekissed]

Tomatoes are almost pure acid, so we don't see the point of adding anything to them and we certainly don't pressure can them. No need and we never have and it preserves them very well...we just used a jar of tomato juice put up in '07 and it tasted as fresh as the day it was preserved. Not typical for us to have canned goods on hand for that long but we use them anyway if they are still good and they were.

 

[rancher hicks]

Keep in mind that newer varieties may not have as much acid. I was surprised to read some advise adding lemon juice or citric acid. I mention this as I was adding yellow tomatoes along with the red only later to read about adding lemon juice.

 

[rides2far]

Since I'm a newbie to canning, I've only used the HWB & pickled some things. I have a large Sears pressure canner that was my husband's grandma's. No manuel came with it. Should I try to find a manuel on line, replace rings, & calibrate, or should I just purchase a newer model with manuel that is good to go? If so, what are some models you veteran canners prefer? Many thanks.

 

[rides2far]

Oops, I meant to attach picture of Grandma's canner.

 

[WthrLady]

I, personally, buy a new one.

Canners can get micro cracks over time and then they become dangerous. Newer models have more safety features. I LOVE my all American pressure canner. No seals to worry about cracking, or replacing. And I love the weighted gauge.

If you DO decide to keep it, most county extension offices have a canning department, and will test and calibrate pressure canners, some for free, some for a small fee.

 

[WthrLady]

Exactly. And if I were buying tomatoes from the mega mart or of unknown variety from the farmers market, I would add an acid. I am growing heirloom, high acid content, varieties.

But again, the pressure canner is so you CAN preserve foods that are lower in acid.

Oh well. I think I'll use citric acid instead of lemon juice.

 

[rides2far]

I, personally, buy a new one. 

Canners can get micro cracks over time and then they become dangerous.  Newer models have more safety features.  I LOVE my all American pressure canner.  No seals to worry about cracking, or replacing.  And I love the weighted gauge.

If you DO decide to keep it, most county extension offices have a canning department, and will test and calibrate pressure canners, some for free, some for a small fee.

Thank you