What are you canning now?

[ChikeeMomma]

Did up 6 quarts and a pint of bread and butter pickles.

Had some cukes left so finished up four quarts of dill.

 

[bockbock2008]

ok, got a dumb question for y'all.....

In all the years I've planted a garden, my carrots have never done well. Most years they never even germinated. If they did, I got these fat little stubs (gotta love all the sand and granite in NH!). This year they are doing AWESOME!. They germinated, there are a lot of them, and when I thinned them out, they were already looking nice and long (just really skinny). So since I've never had carrots make it to harvest time...how do I know when they are ready? It's not like an onion that I wait for the tops to go brown right? So how will I know?

And this is also the first year I planted beets. I don't even know if I like beets LOL, but the jars I see every year of pickled beets look so darned purdy!

How do I know when those are ready?

Sonew, I might just have to invest in one of those cherry pitters...not sure I could do very many right now with my regular pitter. My carpel tunnel is flaring up again.

Good to know you like it.

For beets, just pull them when they are the size you want them. My grandma likes to pickle them small and whole so she pulls them small. I like to slice beets so I let them get a little bigger like 2" in diameter.

 

[aceschix]

31Qts of pickles today.

7 dill spears
9 bread and butter
15 kosher dill

1little pint of dill

My feet hurt, but feels great!

 

[sonew123]

31Qts of pickles today.
7 dill spears
9 bread and butter
15 kosher dill
1little pint of dill
My feet hurt, but feels great!

Yeah April!

I redid my pie fillings ...they finally thickened...i dont like the mrs wages mixed berry pie filling mix;( i done two batches and both batches flopped!

The second batch when pulled our of canner had thousands of air bubbles! And the seals didnt take as it was almost exploiding of of jars? Wth? Oozing dangit!

 

[Zgoatlady]

so has anyone used the wax stuff in jam jars? I found a whole box of jars that lids dont match so Im thinking thats what they were used for. They came from my mom the paper they were wraped in was 1995. I sure dont want to toss them..

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Currently canning 7 pints of whole blueberries in medium syrup and then 7 pints of whole blueberries in a light syrup (figured they'd be better for kid lunches).

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Question! I just made some whole canned blueberries. I processed them as directed. I waited to remove them for five minutes after processing to avoid boil over. Well, they did still boil over a bit. It looks like they've all sealed -- won't know for sure until I can test tomorrow night. They are just fine to eat as long as they seal properly, right? Thanks!

 

[Carols Clucks]

I have 5q salsa and 5q of tomatillo salsa for tonight.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

Quote: Yup totally agree.

I'm still catching up after a week at VBS.

THe sad thing I find is my kids are the only kids in the whole school that live on a farm. THe other students can't relate to their tales about horses, sheep or turkeys and chickens. A teacher once verified that we had 4 dogs.

My kids do chores, and lots of them. Yes, it does take loads of extra time to train them and I could do it faster. But it is well worth the effort when they can to the work with just a few reminders and a little supervision while I too am working. It's a skill to avoid the flogging rooster, corral the wayward ducks, and knock jumbo flies off horses. Or stand in a corner out of the way for as long as it takes while mom and dad help a ewe with a dystocia. Just not sure where it applies at school right now, but they have to think, plan, execute and fail, new plan, success. Dirty clothes and dirty hands don't bother me--they are working. ANd I can always find a way to increase their language, a spelling lesson or math lesson. Teach them medicine, microbiology and so much more. I figure as much as school teaches them it's not everything they need to know; it's my job to do that. ANd inspire them to learn.

My oldest can cook a little. Started him as a 3 year old making homemade brownies standing on a kitchen chair!! Today he made scrambled eggs for his dad. He and his younger brother can get their own meals if need be, and do laundry. It helps to have a dad that can do it all, too; he's a good example for them to follow. ANd they are learning more about tool from me as we build pens and coops for the chickens, or creep feeders for the lambs.

Just wish I knew more about cars than to drive one.

 

[KDbeads]

Sheesh you guys are making me jealous this year!!!! I'm still waiting on my garden! The first one we put in early didn't take at all other than the tiny turnips and the second one is slow to grow in due to the heat and lack of rain. We replanted last week of June.... I hate waiting. UGH!!! It just doesn't feel right to sit here and have nothing to can/freeze/dehydrate!

Hoping the 3 rows of various squash, massive row of cukes, all the beans/peas/butter beans, okra, tomatoes, peppers and pumpkin keep me busy enough not to really notice all the blackberries and blueberries dried off in the lack of rain or that my pear trees died! Only fruit I'm getting this year is muscadine.

Have several rediscovered family canning recipes to try.... spiced pickles, Christmas pickles, squash pickles, pickled okra, my grandmothers kosher dill and regular dill plus a few more I've dug up.........And I can't wait to try canning my quail once they get up to the right weight.