Canning and Home preserving

[BigBlueHen53]

See?! I need to can espresso, and send it to you!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I've just poured my hot Pero... I'll be up and running here by the time the sun peers feebly through the clouds.... although my canner still won't be; I haven't ordered its parts yet!

 

[hispoptart]

this gal is funnier than heck...

great tips on quite a few things.

in this video she tackles her pantry

deb

This is an awesome video. Reminds me of when I first started canning. I canned anything and everything I could get my hands on because I wanted to learn. Learning is great, but we never even ate 1/4 of what I canned. I wasted so much money on all of that stuff, so now 3-4 years later guess who needs to follow her first advice and clean out my pantry Every winter I tell myself I am going to get it done an never do. I have off Monday so I am going to make this a priority. While embarrassing I will take a pic of all the jars to share as an example to all of you just starting out canning on how not to do it

 

[BullChick]

I noticed she mentioned the new one year recommendation. Our parents and grandparents would have died laughing at that. My oldest jar is sauerkraut at about six -years, and meatloaf only a few months fresher.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So we WON'T die if we eat jellies and jams from two or three years ago? Whew!

 

[BullChick]

I thought I had worded my post differently. I certainly am not criticizing anyone that tries to stick with the one-year rule!

 

[microchick]

I have canned pears from 4 years back. Still look good. Seals are firm so yep, I'll eat 'em.

Learning what is practical to can is the first lesson in canning. No need for me to figure out how to can Brussels sprouts as DH and I don't like them. Same with pickles. I love them, DH doesn't so no use in canning a lot as I eat about a big jar of dill slices in two years. shame as I have a killer recipe for refrigerator bread and butter pickles.

But I have found that there is a monetary factor to consider when it comes to canning. Now don't get me wrong, I fully uphold and support knowing what goes into what you eat and having control over it but I can remember sitting and figuring out how much a can of peaches costs compared with how much it costs to 'can' a jar of peaches and was astounded that the cost came out just about equal. Maybe a penny or two difference when you consider time and work involved in processing, cost of fuel to power the canner, labor involved, etc.

My mother always thought she was saving money canning her own peaches. Nope. But she did have the satisfaction of knowing what went into the jars she canned...to a point. She had to buy a bushel of peaches in order to can them and had no idea the chemicals that went on them in order to grow them to maturity.

It's a complex problem at best. For me, being unable to garden and grow my own food due to degenerative arthritis forces me to buy my produce to process for us to eat so it's a roll of the dice at best so I'm careful just to buy and process what I know we will eat.

BTW. Have any of you heard of brine canning pickles? The neighbor gave me a quart of what looked like dill slices for hamburgers. I was thrilled until I opened them and discovered that they were simply brine canned and VERY salty not to mention vinegary. No flavor at all over and above the 'salt'.

Is there any way to salvage them? Or are they a lost cause?

 

[BullChick]

Is there any way to salvage them? Or are they a lost cause?

You just reminded me about the 7-y-o bread and butter pickles I used a few months ago.
I think if you just add some dill weed and maybe some mustard seed to the brine, you should be able to salvage them. I have not canned pickles in a while, so I cannot remember what all goes in the different kinds. Just add the spices, and refrigerate a few days.

 

[BullChick]

I love making pickled jalapeño quail eggs. What I don’t know is, can I actually pressure can them?

 

[microchick]

I was wondering if that was the 'cure' @BullChick. Thanks.

When you pickle your eggs, do the yolks come out 'chalky?' We have a friend who is trying to create the 'perfect' pickled egg and keeps coming up with chalky yolks.