The Front Porch Swing

[Blooie]

We almost have to do the water bath up here. The boiling point is lower so even if you boil the jam the required 15 minutes, it's not as hot as it would be down at s lower altitude. So better safe than sorry.

 

[KentuckyMom]

I have always canned my jams using the water bath method, rather they are strawberry, grape, peach, apple, etc. I have tried freezer jam, but I like the consistency of the canned jam better. As far as flavor, in my opinion, I think the flavor of the canned jams, as well as the color, is more intense.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I tried out a recipe for Sunshine Rhubarb Juice and canned it. It is really good with some Bacardi Orange rum and tonic water. It is made from rhubarb, orange zest, orange juice, lemmon zest and lemon juice. It will be really good when I sit out on the front porch and read this summer. Or in front of the fireplace during a snowstorm - a taste of summer and all the memories to go with it.

We buy our milk in returnable bottles at the local grocery store. Turns out it is the same dairy that used to deliver to our front stoop when I was a little. Did I ever mention that I now live 30 miles from where I grew up?

 

[LBejaran]

All this talk of jam gave me a hankering for cherries!

I had a bag of frozen sweet cherries and a couple nice Mexican limes, so I made a cherry sauce to put on top of the last slice if cheesecake. It's delicious!

 

[wyoDreamer]

Yummy! cherries are my favorite!

 

[LBejaran]

I love them, too, but they have to be a bit tart or I'm not as find of them. The Mexican limes gave these a nice pucker.

 

[drumstick diva]

Blooie your daughter/granddaughter I forget which, making the jam, looks so much like my niece did when she was young. Can't get over it. My niece will be 49, in a few days and her sister just turned 50. Oy oy oy, am I old. I had my son late in life, he'll be NOT 30 in fall. . He said he decided to be 29 every year. I didn't know you could that.

 

[perchie.girl]

when I use lemon zest in cooking I peel all the lemon zest off and freeze it... then i freeze the lemons cut in half.

I found that I can take those lemons out an grate them on a cheese grater and you get a little pile of lemon juice crystals... for tossing to brighten up the flavor of ... what ever...

The large pieces of zest can be grated too to get that zest flavor...


I betcha the same would happen with your used liimes...

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I want to can fish and meat and non acidic things.... But after reading some I find out that you can water bath can right in a pressure canner ... just dont lock down the lid.

I am going to be 60 in three days and I have NEVER pressure canned. I took a single class for water bath canning... we did pickles. So I know the process... I havent done more than that one day but it seems pretty simple

So I am thinking of just getting a small pressure canner for my first go round.

I want to make and can

Ghee (clarified butter has a very long shelf life and can be canned)
Bone broth
fish stock
chicken stock
beef stock
Connsomme

Pickled things

Beets
carrots
green beans
eggs
garlic
onions
Giardiniera (pickled veggies for antipasto)
bread and butter pickles

I have had homemade canned tuna and it ruined me for the grocery store stuff... I want to pressure can that... The tuna I had was a gift and it was canned in oilive oil with little slivers of garlic and bits of dill.... Me wana do that.

But I also want to try canning chicken and beef... With some herbs and olive oil.... somewhat like the canned tuna... maybe sear it on the outside on the barbeque and then pack it and can it to cook the rest of the way... give it some smokiness.

Oh and I also have some ideas for canning tamales.

deb

 

[wyoDreamer]

For water-bath canning, you need to have 1" of water over the top of the jars, and the jars need to be put on a rack so they do not sit on the bottom of the pot. Make sure you get one of the deeper pressure canners or you will only be able to water-bath pint jars in it.
However, you don't have to use a special canner for water-bath canning. I use a stock pot on occasion for my water-bath canning, especially if I am only doing a small batch of something. The 7 half pint jars of rhubarb juice fit nicely into it.