Calling All Canners I Need Your Help

[BirdBoy88]

Morning everyone

I am getting my list ready for when i go to the flea market on Saturday .. i plan to stock up and CAN!

So what do you think i need to add to my list to can for this beautiful fall season?

I already have apples on my list i plan to get a 50lbs bag of apple for apple butter and apple sauce and apple pies and apple tarts and fried apples

And i have strawberries on my list for jams

but what else is there i need????????

i plan to shop till i drop so all your input will be big help

 

[Farmer Kitty]

It really depends on what you like and what is in season there.

 

[BirdBoy88]

Quote:
I like pretty much anything and anyways when it starts getting cooler then cold i pretty much eat anything Lol

I'm not good at knowing whats in season or not but i sure would like to know

 

[Farmer Kitty]

You'll find out at the farmer's market. Just go and look. Pick up what you want to try canning. But, remember that things are best canned when fresh so, don't over do it.

 

[PeeperKeeper]

This is late in the season but its a great time to pick up on things that are being cleared from this past summers gardens like; green tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, cabbage. Its a good time for making the old fashioned chow-chows (relishs) and ketchups. Cold crops are being grown right now like kale, cabbage, turnips, beets, cauliflower and broccoli. A lot of these things are more generally blanched then frozen for later use. A lot of the fall squash, pumpkin and gourd types are stored as they are in cool dry ventilated areas.
Last year I grew kale all the way through to spring!

 

[punkin]

Now is a great time to pick up the little "pie pumpkins". The are very easily baked, scraped out and then frozen. That would be great for pumpkin pies, muffins, breads, etc. Also great for doing pumpkin butter. The seeds are good for you roasted, too. Oh, and chickens love the stringy mess.

 

[spook]

Like I wrote in the other canning conversation is that with berries, you can gather them even at intervals through the season, clean and freeze ASAP, then you can go back and make jellies and jams later in the fall when things slow down, any left overs such as peelings and pulp, your chickens will love.
Canning can be great, just remember that freezing squash/pumkin in 2 cup bags, smoosh flat, then you can pull 1, 2, 3 servings according to your family, its also ready for pumpkin/squash pie. (Don't add flavorings)
Apples, a lot of folks are doing apple sauce, pie filling and that stuff, I freeze mine as I do not have the ability to can it correctly...(My issue).
I freeze a lot of things, make sure you mark date things, freezer or canned, if canned make sure your jar pssssts really good when you lift that cover.
Good luck to you and remember, pickles and acid foods are easiest to can...Tomatoes are a great canning item, they can be used with American Chop Suey, maccaroni and tomatoes, chili, and as a side dish. Run (after cooking) tomatoes, celery, onions, garlic, carrots and what ever you like, through a food mill and then you can jar like that, you can drink it like V8 juice, toss in a can of paste, oregano, meat and then you will have a nice pasta sauce.
The food that you buy should be fresh, almost at its peak of ripe, few fruit flies, bruises, and something you are going to eat.
Good luck and you can everything. Look at the old timers that didn't have refrigerators.

 

[setter4]

You're getting kind of a late start to find fresh strawberries, or a lot of other stuff, here on the east coast.
You might still find some nice corn but I'd rather freeze that than can it. In fact I think most of what's in season now is better frozen (IMHO) than canned.
Maybe still some tomatoes for sauce or stewed tomatoes.
Good luck. Hope you find lots of goodies.

 

[BirdBoy88]

Yea i know i am late on the canning.. but i have been so busy taking care of my army of chicks and i have had a few mishaps along the way with things so i figure it's now or never...this weekend is the BIG sell out for things that's why i want to get there to make my dash for victory..lol

I went out the other day an got 10 boxes of zip lock bags ( all sizes) to freeze a lot of my foods for the winter i clean out my freezer to make more room i plan to stock up ALOT this year on food so i don't have to rush to the grocery store every week

I love all your ideas and again as many ideas as you have please do tell

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I would recommend a good vacuum sealer too. Ziploc bags will allow freezer burn faster. Things that are juicy or would pull when vaccuumed I just fold the end over and clip with a clothes pin. Then freeze. After frozen, vacuum seal.

And yes, date mark everything. I will also make a note of the batch number if I have more than one batch of something on the same day. That way you not only know how old it is but, if something turns out wrong you will know which ones it is. Hate to do 3 batches of something in one day and have one bad batch but not know which one it is and have to toss them all!