What are you canning now?

[Dragonfly Ranch]

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Forgive my ignorance here, Sandee, but how do you do a rapid cool down? I would love to do some ribs. Can you tell a newbie to the pressure cooker how step-by-step? LOL

Sure no problem - they are best in our book. This is for one rack of pork baby back ribs. You can do more just make sure your pressure cooker is not more than 2/3 full. The water and cooking process would be the same for more ribs, again just staying at the 2/3 full mark.

1) To prepare the ribs remove the "silver skin" if the butcher has not already done so.

2) Either use your favorite dry rub or salt and pepper on both sides of the ribs.

3) Cut a rack into 4 equal size pieces.

For pressure cooking:

1) Put 2 cups water pressure cooker. Place ribs pieces on top of the pressure cooker rack. They can overlap or stand on edge to get more in - again just mindful or the 2/3rds thing.

3) Seal pressure cooker and cook on high heat

4) When the pressure rocker starts - time for 20 minutes.

5) Immediately remove pressure cooker from the heat and place in the sink and run cold water over the top of the pressure cooker until the all the pressure release values drop - wait about 30 seconds and remove the rocker and open pressure cooker.

6) Remove ribs carefully since they will want to fall off the bone. Transfer to a plate and coat with your favorite BBQ sauce. Grill on a hot grill just enough to heat the BBQ sauce until lightly caramelised.

The serve hot with a big ole pile of napkins and be prepared to eat them all they are so good.

If I wasn't clear on something please ask - I tried to explain but sometimes my translation ain't so good.

Enjoy

Sandee

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

We have three Mulberry trees on our property and only one gives off fruit. When we were kids there was one in our neighborhood - other than that I have never seen another. My understanding is that they were hybridized many years ago not to bare fruit and widely sold as fast growing shade trees. But we are sure glad a fruiting one found its way on to our property.

The piegons and Cedar Wax Wings love them and usually clean out the top of the tree (its about 60 feet tall). We even had a fox one year that came one year and enjoyed himself. The chickens love them too.

Sandee

 

[vfem]

Quote:
Nice! I learned you can add a dab of butter (not margerine) to the jam batch and it leaves a lot less of the skim stuff on the stop. I hate scraping mine off too, its a waste of some tasty stuff!!!

 

[chicken stalker]

Quote:
do you have a no sugar/sugar substitute for strawberry rhubarb?

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
do you have a no sugar/sugar substitute for strawberry rhubarb?

I do the exact same thing for strawberry/rhubarb...just use 1/2 strawberries (2 cups) and 1/2 rhubarb (2 cups) with the 1 cup apple juice and the no sugar pectin.

 

[yotetrapper]

For everyone making the clover jelly... I looked back through 20 or so pages, and didnt find a specific recipe, but did find one for the honeysuckle, and I believe it was Kim said it works for the clover as well. So, as I would like to make this tomorrow as my clover is in full bloom, my question is, do I need just 2 cups of clover blossoms, or more?

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
Just 2 packed cups of blossoms...same as the honeysuckle...and you can do the same with other flowers like lilac.

Happy jelly making!

 

[vfem]

OH NO! (pardon my mellow drama) But my strawberries have fizzled out!!!

Now, there are like a couple handfuls still ripening... and they are sending off runners for a new bed... but its not enough to do any more canning with this spring.

However, I just talked myself down because these are Everbearing strawberries and I another batch will come full on in a month or so... and then I get HUGE harvests in the fall... all the way to November.

But now, I must find something else wonderful to can?!

My honeysuckles aren't blooming because of the rain, strawberries are done, my peaches all fell off the tree due to the high winds we'd had, raspberries have awhile still.... Hmph?! Whats in season?

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

SAFETY QUESTION OR OPINION - Last night I opened 2 pint jars of tomatoes that I canned during the 2009 season. (First time I had done tomatoes and only did a few jars) The lids had a nice pop and the seal was tight. However, I could tell that they had boiled up and there was tomato under the rubber seal on the edge of the jar. I went ahead and threw them out since everything I have read is that if the seal is not clean then there can be problems. I'm proud to say that I have since learned that I really watch my fill levels and have not had other problems.

But wondering what you experienced canners think about jars like that. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Sandee

 

[vfem]

I wanted to share that I am now a vendor at our local "Sustainable Living Farmer's Market" in town! I'm very excited! I'll be selling cut flowers, herbs and jam.

I filled out all my stuff as not to get into trouble with other vendors and to stay out of their way... all items are approved and so prices stay set no one takes over our territory. Which mean I am the only one with jam and cut flowers. Several people have different cut herbs and the market sets the price for the day which I'm fine with.

Remember, in this market one has to sell organic, pesticide free, or sustainable foods only! If they have reason to believe otherwise you go!

I really hope they stick to that, as the other farmers markets around here have so many shipped in items no one can compete. Not to mention the market sets prices for everyone. If a tomato at one stand is $3lb... EVERYONE's tomatoes have to be $3 a lb whether yours is organic and certified and theirs are not. I really have come to dislike that market....

Anyways, thought I'd share since it was the amount of canning I've been doing that got me interested to even look around to see what I could do.