What are you canning now?

[cravenchx]

"I'm new to canning and just want to make sure I don't blow a jar up"

Sometimes jars do break, doesn't mean you did anything wrong,
unless of course you are using recycled mayo jars. Don't do that.

 

[BarefootMom]

The old mayo jars are FINE I am so tired of people saying that they are not to be used for canning. Ball made most of them in fact most of them say BALL on the bottom of them. If mayo jars blow up and I better go buy a lottery ticket because every green bean I ever ate growing up was canned in a mayo jar! There is nothing wrong with RECYCLING! I have over 1000 jars to my name now, most all of them are pre 1970's and I'd say a third of them are mayo, coffee, and pickle jars! I also reuse Fluff jars and old spaghetti sauce jars. Have yet a jar to break.

To me the saying of don't use mayo jars is like putting a warning on hot Coffee... use the good common sense that God in Heaven gave you.

 

[cravenchx]

The old mayo jars are FINE I am so tired of people saying that they are not to be used for canning. Ball made most of them in fact most of them say BALL on the bottom of them. If mayo jars blow up and I better go buy a lottery ticket because every green bean I ever ate growing up was canned in a mayo jar! There is nothing wrong with RECYCLING! I have over 1000 jars to my name now, most all of them are pre 1970's and I'd say a third of them are mayo, coffee, and pickle jars! I also reuse Fluff jars and old spaghetti sauce jars. Have yet a jar to break.

To me the saying of don't use mayo jars is like putting a warning on hot Coffee... use the good common sense that God in Heaven gave you.

I do agree with recycling, but I will NEVER use a used jar from the store. You go ahead on,
but not me.

 

[Olive Hill]

It's true that store bought jars are often made by the same companies that make jars intended for home canning use. It's not true that they're the same thing. They're intended for one time use and made cheaper and less sturdy because of it. You're probably not going to die if you use mayo jars, but you are taking a bigger risk with breakage and sealing issues. Personally, I put a lot of work into growing and processing this food. Anything that makes it more likely some of it ends up waste isn't welcome in my kitchen. I value the contents of each jar too much. But... to each his own.

use the good common sense

That would work if so many people didn't lack it.

 

[cravenchx]

It's true that store bought jars are often made by the same companies that make jars intended for home canning use. It's not true that they're the same thing. They're intended for one time use and made cheaper and less sturdy because of it. You're probably not going to die if you use mayo jars, but you are taking a bigger risk with breakage and sealing issues. Personally, I put a lot of work into growing and processing this food. Anything that makes it more likely some of it ends up waste isn't welcome in my kitchen. I value the contents of each jar too much. But... to each his own.



That would work if so many people didn't lack it.

I so agree!

 

[BarefootMom]

It's true that store bought jars are often made by the same companies that make jars intended for home canning use. It's not true that they're the same thing. They're intended for one time use and made cheaper and less sturdy because of it. You're probably not going to die if you use mayo jars, but you are taking a bigger risk with breakage and sealing issues. Personally, I put a lot of work into growing and processing this food. Anything that makes it more likely some of it ends up waste isn't welcome in my kitchen. I value the contents of each jar too much. But... to each his own.

I do value too I have never had a jar break yet. But buying jars doesn't make good sense if you are canning to save money. Our monthly food budget for a family of 4 is less than $100 a month - In the summer that is easy, but not so much in the winter. If it wasn't for deer and green beans canned in jars we would be mighty hungry! My mom has canned for 30+ years and never had one break either- most of my mayo jars and such come from her.

Did you know that in other countries such as Australia, they can't get new jars so all they use are store bought ones? They buy new Lug lids mostly, but some reuse the LUG lids! A friend of mine uses beer bottles with new caps to can sauces and syrups in! It is amazing isn't how we Americans think that we have to have the absolute best and anything less would just be terrible.

For me jars are like this ( Bear with me here) Jars are like Tomatoes - if you grow tomatoes at home and have a lot of them, but most have cracks or little spots in them- do you just throw them out (You wouldn't buy a spotted tomato at the grocery store would you?) and buy new? Or do you work with what you have? I know I don't grow jars, but I do acquire many jars for free - I am not just going to throw them out because the general public would.

And to point out some- the era that my store bought jars are from WERE IN FACT made for uses to last more than once. In fact they started making the 63mm lids back then so more people could re-use jars! I know now that they have quit making the 63 mm lids (Which irritates me b/c I have about 10 dozen 63mm mouth jars!) but they did intend for jars to be re-purposed back then. Most things now can't be re-purposed because our stores are more into non reusable plastics... that have to be taken to a recyling unit IF YOUR COMMUNITY EVEN HAS ONE (which most do not...) so off in the dumps they go. Most of the plastic containers don't even burn well...so they pile up.

 

[JMidJr]

Just finished a batch of Pickled Collards. Think southern sauerkraut. Long and slow with some nice wild pork and cornbread....

 

[wekiva bird]

Thats sounds good .

How do you can it?

Just finished a batch of Pickled Collards. Think southern sauerkraut. Long and slow with some nice wild pork and cornbread....

 

[jcatblum]

Question for those that have copied all the recipes through the thread. Is there a way we could have a mod just sticky the recipes. I know there is a BYC recipe section. Could they be compiled & put in the recipe section (sorry only visited the recipe section once, not way familiar w it). Any thought on how to access the recipes & save them without taking a month to read the thread.

 

[mebberry4]

Woah...

I just read this entire thread start to finish. So many great tips and recipes! I first tried my hand at canning this past fall by making a batch of dill pickle chips. I'm embarrassed to say I have not tried any of them yet. I followed the recipe and canned them appropriately, but every so often I pull a few of the jars down to see if the lids have popped (none have so far). I'm sure they are fine, but since they are my first try ever I am nervous.
I also had a good amount of Roma tomatoes that I was going to can at the same time, but I ran out of time so into the freezer they went. I've been notified by my fiance that the freezer is getting a little (ahem) full so I will be looking into canning some whole or crushed and possibly canning some sauce.
Would I be better off just canning the tomatoes whole or crushed with lemon juice in a regular water bath or should I cave in and invest in a pressure canner? I know I want a pressure canner eventually, but not I'm just not sure if it is worth it to have for the current project.