What are you canning now?

[breezy]

Ok great canning gurus of the forum.... I had some leftover Christmas ham I used to make split pea soup. I followed the directions in the Ball Blue book for canning it and for some reason the jars all came out an inch lower than they were when they went in. There is no indication that the jars leaked, the water in the canner was clear and the jars arent covered in anything.I filled them leaving an inch headspace went around the inside of the jar with a knife to remove bubbles and then sealed and processed for an hour and 15 minutes. I havent done pea soup before. Where did I go wrong to make the jars come out looking only partially filled?

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
I read your question this morning and had to think about it. It's been on the 'back burner' most of the day. And mind...the Ball Blue Book is 2nd only to The Bible for me...LOL...so I really had to think it over. I even read the BBB recipe twice.

It's most likely the liquid to pea ratio. Peas and beans tend to absorb more moisture and thicken as they process - especially those that started out as dried ones. A thicker product is denser and packs more tightly in the jar. Next time, make it more "soupy' (thinner) than you want the final product.

The extra space in the jar won't hurt your soup though. As long as the jars are sealed it should be fine.

ETA: not that I'm a 'great canning guru'

 

[Kim_NC]

LOL, Breezy.

I'm going to try a couple jars of mixed citrus tomorrow. Pink grapefruit, tangelo and oranges. Just a couple pints, in very light syrup - which I'm going to chill for us to try right away.

We have a farmers market friend (fellow vendor) who brought a truckload of fresh citrus up from FL this week. We bought some from him and it's wonderful. If we like it canned, I'm going to get more when we see him Saturday, then can a bunch next week.

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

We made 8 pints of cocktails onions. Got some tri colored onions from Trader Joe's so they look really nice in the jars. We will give some to friends and family since 8 pints will last us quite awhile. The recipe same from our Ball canning book.

I had to laugh when watching the Iron Chef this weekend. The chefs were using pressure cookers all over the place in order to get things done within the hour. One of the judges commented that she had never used a pressure cooker since she was afraid of them exploding!!

So even the professional foodies are afraid of them. However, she was encouraged to go home and try using one.

Sandee

 

[Kim_NC]

Sandee, would you post the recipe for your cocktail onions? That sounds good!

I did 10 half-pints of Orange Marmalade today, and 2 pints of grapefruit and orange sections for testing as I mentioned in yesterday's post. Going to try them out with breakfast. We'll see, hopefully it'll be worth canning more.

 

[kimnkell]

Quote:
Kim, If you don't mind me asking, how do you can your grapefruit and orange sections? I have never canned them before but I think we would like them.

Thanks
Kimnkell

 

[ScoobyRoo]

This is a suggestion for everyone with a pressure canner/cooker. Take it to your local extension office and they will test your gauge and inspect your canner. Mine does it for free. You may have to leave it or if you're lucky they will be there in the office. I have mine checked every year or two. I have an old presto and my only concern is that it has large pits inside on the bottom of the canner. I have replaced the gauge once and the gasket several times. Remember to oil the gasket before storing your canner. Having the gauge tested will assure no explosions if handled properly.

 

[SportTees]

I have a question about canning- Last summer we canned tomatoes and stored them in a cool dark place. The lids all remained sealed but we pulled a can out and sit it on the counter. The lid popped by itself after a few minutes. Anyone have any idea why? I was thinking maybe the temperature change did it? We threw it out but would it still be safe to eat?

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
Hmmmm......are you sure you didn't knock it hard enough when setting it on the countertop to break the seal? I cant imagine why else it would unless the seal was poor to begin with. Check the others in the same batch (if you know which ones they are) and see if they are sealed good. Turn the jars upside down and it will show bubbles if it is not sealed.

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
Kim, If you don't mind me asking, how do you can your grapefruit and orange sections? I have never canned them before but I think we would like them.

Thanks
Kimnkell

I WB canned them per the NCHFP website guidelines. Here's a link:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_02/grapefruit_orange.html

BUT I also added some fresh pineapple to mine, so I increased the time to 15 min (for pints). Pineapple instructions are here:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_02/pineapple.html

We didn't get to try mine this morning with breakfast. Planning going to open a jar later today regardless, just so I can taste it and know if I'm interested in doing more.