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I just inherited my grandmother's canning set and a ton of jars - all this talk of canning is making me think I should try it while the produce season is still thriving! But I don't know where to start! :oops: Any ideas for a beginner?
 
Any one still hatching out chicks or have an overabundance? Looking to restart our flock before it gets too cold outside. :) Located in the West Chester area.
 
chickachickayea said:
I just inherited my grandmother's canning set and a ton of jars - all this talk of canning is making me think I should try it while the produce season is still thriving! But I don't know where to start! :oops: Any ideas for a beginner?
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I assume you are talking about a pressure canner. If you are completely lost, a pressure canner has locks on it. A water bath canner is just a pot with lid.
With a water bath canner, tomatoes are the best place to start.
With a pressure canner, I began with potatoes. I was happy to find out that if you leave the potatoes in the largest chunks possible (Whole if you are able), they stay firm enough to make good french fries.
Actually, you might want to start with broth. Even a vegetable broth. It is the cheapest thing to try in case you make a mistake.
I had not heard horror stories about canners exploding, but still spent the money to get an All American. I know Fisherlady has one too. They have so many locks, there is no way for anything to go wrong.
 
chickachickayea said:
I just inherited my grandmother's canning set and a ton of jars - all this talk of canning is making me think I should try it while the produce season is still thriving! But I don't know where to start! :oops: Any ideas for a beginner?
Click to expand...

I suggest starting with a few water bath recipes before diving in to pressure canning. While it's not hard, it's intimidating at first. Applesauce, sauerkraut, peaches are all great places to start. Potatoes are a good and simple one to try with the pressure canner the first time. We dice ours up before canning and they're half cooked when opened. PERFECT for fried breakfast potatoes! We often use this site when canning to follow directions: Www.pickyourown.org. They give step by step instructions with canning times and procedures.

chxmama said:
Any one still hatching out chicks or have an overabundance? Looking to restart our flock before it gets too cold outside. :) Located in the West Chester area.
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Check your l local craigslist and pennswoods.net for swaps and such. I know that there's a swap this weekend in our area and 1 next weekend nearby but they're probably the last of the season.
 
MotorcycleChick said:
I assume you are talking about a pressure canner. If you are completely lost, a pressure canner has locks on it. A water bath canner is just a pot with lid.
With a water bath canner, tomatoes are the best place to start.
With a pressure canner, I began with potatoes. I was happy to find out that if you leave the potatoes in the largest chunks possible (Whole if you are able), they stay firm enough to make good french fries.
Actually, you might want to start with broth. Even a vegetable broth. It is the cheapest thing to try in case you make a mistake.
I had not heard horror stories about canners exploding, but still spent the money to get an All American. I know Fisherlady has one too. They have so many locks, there is no way for anything to go wrong.
Click to expand...

It's a water bath canner, so I am safe from potential explosions! I'll have to ask my fiancée's dad if he still has some tomatoes leftover from his field to try out!

Auroradream26 said:
I suggest starting with a few water bath recipes before diving in to pressure canning. While it's not hard, it's intimidating at first. Applesauce, sauerkraut, peaches are all great places to start. Potatoes are a good and simple one to try with the pressure canner the first time. We dice ours up before canning and they're half cooked when opened. PERFECT for fried breakfast potatoes! We often use this site when canning to follow directions: Www.pickyourown.org. They give step by step instructions with canning times and procedures.
Click to expand...
Excellent! I love the instructions with photos! Oooh fresh applesauce made from local apples would be great! I would try sauerkraut since cabbage is readily available, but I am the only one who eats it :rolleyes: Plus my Aunt back home makes her own for New Years and I can't compete, nor want to :lol: :drool

This may be a mini project this week! :bun
 
Blarneyeggs said:
Love love love your photos, I have 1 million questions. How old were the calves when you got them? When will they be finished? Are you keeping them on pasture? Are you supplementing with alfalfa or grain? Did you get water run out to them or are you carrying it? Are you raising them for meat? Or are they pets? How did you get anabiotic’s, did you need to go through a vet? Ummm... that’s all I’ve got for now :oops:
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We got at a few days old (which we didnt really realize till we got them home. First one was kinda an impulse at auction. Had planned on waiting for spring) 12 to 18 months is what I understand depending on how much grain I want to finish them. The have hay, pasture and calf pellets right now. We're carrying water... yuck... but my arems are stronger then they were. Im kicking but in our bowling leage. We're raising them for meat. On is already sold. Two will get sold when they are older to cover our butcher costs. We got the meds at local co op. But the day I posted that all were happy and healthy we found a umbilical hemeroid on the one thats our actual meat cow. So have to call vet for this one. Ugh.
 
chickachickayea said:
I just inherited my grandmother's canning set and a ton of jars - all this talk of canning is making me think I should try it while the produce season is still thriving! But I don't know where to start! :oops: Any ideas for a beginner?
Click to expand...
Jam was any easy first one for me but it feels like as long as everything is clean and you follow directions its pretty easy. Im making watermelon jam today!!!
 

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