What are you canning now?

[BoerneChickens]

Quote:
WOW! that is a lot of food to put up - I"m totally impressed!

I started canning last year - just a few jars of garlic dill pickles, a few other pickled veggies and green tomato chow-chow at the end of the season. This year my garden is three times as large so I am hoping to really up the canning and preserving this year. I know I will have more tomatoes than I can eat - what are your favorite canned tomato recipes? I would love to get some good ideas!

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Finally ordered my new 23 quart pressure canner today - now I all stoked to can some beans and get ready for the summer canning season. Think I'm going to break out the camping stove to use this canner on since I have a glass top stove and don't want to risk breaking it. I have used my 16 quart with no problems but this is an expensive stove and don't want to shell out the bucks to replace it. Plus want to get the camp stove thing down to use outside to help keep the heat out of the house in the summer

Wish me luck - when I grow up I want to be like Scoop and the rest of the power canners here

Sandee

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

to all the power canners, I love watching this thread. I still have a brand new All American pressure canner in the closet for over a year and have not had the courage to use it yet! I always talk myself out of it and pull out the WB canner

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Quote:
I had the same problem with my pressure canner but I think it was about 4 years - finally my husband took the bull by the horns and helped me - not bad and not too hard - get it and give it a try.

Sandee

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
The glass is not as strong and could crack or explode. We used them years ago also and I'm sure they were much thicker and stronger then, but I don't think they will hold up to several uses in a pressure canner. Nowadays, all you find anymore is plastic anyway. I'd stick with the canning jars, but that's me. Just be careful with the mayo jars!

I agree. I never pressure can with mayo jars. I do occassionally use them for WB canning, if my supply is getting low. My preferred use for them is to store mixes, dry herbs, use them for gifts-in-a-jar.

Quote:
I had the same problem with my pressure canner but I think it was about 4 years - finally my husband took the bull by the horns and helped me - not bad and not too hard - get it and give it a try.

Sandee

Go for the pressure canner. You can put a ton of "other things" on the pantry shelves if you use one. You won't be sorry! Imagine this - there is not a commercial can of any type of veggie, chili, etc in our cupboards. In fact, I can count on one hand what commercially canned items we do own - tuna, olives, cream of whatever soups (couple back-up cans cause I do these as a mix), water chestnuts, bamboo shoots....that's it. All of our beans, peas, meats, stock, salsas w/beans & corn, soups, chili, baked beans, V8 juice, peppers, tomatoes & okra, tomatoes/peppers/onion, veg-all mix, etc are homecanned in a pressure canner. Then of course the typical WB canned items - pickles, relish, jams, plain tomatoes, sauerkraut, fruits, etc.

Yesterday I canned turkey and turkey stock. DH & I pulled 3 turkeys about 15 lbs each out of the freezer and made ground turkey. I cooked the carcasses down - those made 8 quarts of meat & stock plus 1 jar stock only. I kept 6 cups stock and 4 cups meat to make a White Chili for supper - it was delicious! We kept one of the turkey breasts. I'm going to roast it today for sliced lunchmeat.

 

[jab91864]

I'm still trying to get thru reading the posts in this thread...lol.

Tons of wisdom here!!!

I'm looking at All American Pressure Cooker Canner 941 41 Quart. It's really expensive but I was thinking better that then buy one and want to go bigger next year or the year after... still undecided.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

To those that have a pressure canner and don't want to use please send it to me I will be glad to try it

I thought about asking DH to get one for me but then he bought supplies to build a new hoop house run and to remodel a 15x10 shed into a new coop for the gang. Maybe for Christmas....

 

[urban dreamer]

I bought my first pressure canner yesterday. Its bigger than I thought! I happy I got one, Zach's happy Im making apple jelly this weekend and the cat was happy becuase she got the box.

There is a great video on youtube that explains how to use it. It was all greek when I pulled out of the box, but now I think I will be ok. I needed to see someone do it. The only thing is her's had a needle (pressure) gauge and mine had weights. I not really sure what its supposed to look like when "the weight rocks back and forth". Dose it really rock back and forth or dose it have a little seizure-type fit?

 

[GardenWeasel]

It rocks. The trick is getting it to rock and finding the right heat to keep it rocking gentlely not manically which will take all the liquid out of your jars. I know this because... Question for Kim and other experienced canners- do you have recipes for baked beans and chilis in the pressure canner? I would like recipes in which the beans aren't turned to mush. Having a lot of fun and saving money with my new pressure canner but need to expand my skills.

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
The method I use for canning dry beans is here. Mine are never mushy. These are perfect to have in the pantry instead of commercially canned beans.:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2585172#p2585172 - Pressure can at 10 pounds pressure for 75 minutes, quarts for 90 minutes.

I follow this basic recipe for baked beans. We prefer the 'tomato sauce version 1' but I omit the cloves and add dry mustard. For the actual bean, I use navy beans. I use uncooked chopped bacon for the meat.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_04/beans_tomato_molasses.html

The recipe I use for chili is here:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_05/chili_con_carne.html

Also, look in the recipe index that Terrielacy maintains. It has links to other posts with canning recipes. Here's a link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=63116

If you use Manwich Sauce, then this is a good one to add to your collection:
Manwich Sauce

1 gallon peeled, cored, chopped ripe tomatoes
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped sweet bell peppers
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup (see note below for substitute)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 cup vinegar
Combine tomatoes and vegetables in a large kettle and cook down for about 30 minutes. Press through a food mill. Cook down until it is reduced to about half in volume. Add remaining ingredients and cook slowly until mixture is the consistency you want (about an hour). Stir more and more frequently as it thickens or it will scorch. Pour hot into hot jars. Process pints 20 minutes in a boiling water bath, quarts 35 minutes

Note: If you do not like to use corn syrup you can substitute
- 1/2 cup honey
- or 1/2 cup water and 2 Tbl sugar

You could add cooked drained ground beef to this and pressure can it. If you add meat, pressure can at 10 lbs, 75 min (pts), 90 min (qts)