What are you canning now?

[CarolJ]

I picked several pounds of muscadines on Sunday. Anybody have any great recipes for jam or jelly? Or anything else?

 

[breezy]

i would love to hear how it works!

Its pretty simple. You mash up your fruit with a potato masher. Put 3 tblsp of pectin in the bottom of the pot. There is a paddle in the pot.Add your crushed fruit ontop of the pectin add 1/2 tsp of butter and press the jam button. The paddle stirs the stuff mixing it. In 4 minutes it beeps and you add the sugar. Put the lid on and wait till it beeps again. When it does, unplug the machine,remove the paddle, ladle your jam into jars and then process as usual. Jelly is similar except you whisk the pectin into the juice before it goes into the machine. I made a batch of black pepper strawberry jam using 3 1/2 cups of mashed strawberries 2 cups of sugar and the pectin. I got 4 8oz jars and 1 4 oz jar. Took 22 minutes to make it. Super simple, super easy, nice to use, and easy to cleanup. I know it doesnt make large batches but for me making smaller batches more rapidly and leaving me to do other stuff is more important.

 

[mickey328]

I canned so much last year that the only thing we need this year are more tomatoes. I only plant a few for fresh eating so we usually get a bushel or two from local farmers.

After checking the Lehman's catalog, I decided the next canning session would be using the Roma Food Mill. No peeling required! I don't care if there are seeds, but the skins have to go and if this puppy works as advertised (and the customer reviews are great) I'll be as happy as chicks in a field of grasshoppers. I also ordered the accessory screens because I like my tomatoes a little chunky. It should arrive this week and then we'll grab tomatoes and get right to it.

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Kitche..._Food_Mills___Roma__Food_Mill___070801#070801 is what it looks like, if you're interested.

I'm also thinking of canning some mushrooms. Has anyone done this? I had thought that since they need to be pressure canned, I could slice them and do a cold pack, but all the sites I've seen say to cook first and do a hot pack.

Thanks!
Mickey

 

[bockbock2008]

I canned so much last year that the only thing we need this year are more tomatoes. I only plant a few for fresh eating so we usually get a bushel or two from local farmers.

After checking the Lehman's catalog, I decided the next canning session would be using the Roma Food Mill. No peeling required! I don't care if there are seeds, but the skins have to go and if this puppy works as advertised (and the customer reviews are great) I'll be as happy as chicks in a field of grasshoppers. I also ordered the accessory screens because I like my tomatoes a little chunky. It should arrive this week and then we'll grab tomatoes and get right to it.

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Kitche..._Food_Mills___Roma__Food_Mill___070801#070801 is what it looks like, if you're interested.

I'm also thinking of canning some mushrooms. Has anyone done this? I had thought that since they need to be pressure canned, I could slice them and do a cold pack, but all the sites I've seen say to cook first and do a hot pack.

Thanks!
Mickey

I have one of these ( mine is called a sauce master but same thing) and love it. I bought the salsa screen but even when you are using romas or another type of paste tomato, it still comes out pretty juicy. I strain the pulp out and can the juice seperately so I don't have to cook it down since my DH likes thicker salsa. It takes more tomatoes to make the recipe but I've got 'em! Skins and core come out one side while the good stuff comes out the chute. If you use the juice screen, it will take the seeds out too.

 

[mickey328]

Thanks for the input! I don't make a lot of salsa but I like to add the tomatoes to chili (of course) and some other things and also to make spaghetti sauce. The way I've done it in past years (dip in boiling water, peel and quarter, cook down a bit and can) leaves them fine for chili but too watery for spaghetti. I was really, REALLY not wanting to cook the water out because I have a tendency to scorch it and have ruined too many pots of otherwise good stuff, LOL. Once you've used the mill with the salsa screen, what do you use to strain? Just a mesh strainer? This would be great since I'd like the thicker stuff for use in cooking and DH likes tomato juice on its own.

 

[bockbock2008]

Thanks for the input! I don't make a lot of salsa but I like to add the tomatoes to chili (of course) and some other things and also to make spaghetti sauce. The way I've done it in past years (dip in boiling water, peel and quarter, cook down a bit and can) leaves them fine for chili but too watery for spaghetti. I was really, REALLY not wanting to cook the water out because I have a tendency to scorch it and have ruined too many pots of otherwise good stuff, LOL. Once you've used the mill with the salsa screen, what do you use to strain? Just a mesh strainer? This would be great since I'd like the thicker stuff for use in cooking and DH likes tomato juice on its own.

Yes, I think its from walmart or target but its like a bowl made from screen. I set it in a bowl and get most of the juice out. For spaghetti sauce, since I don't like chunks, I wash, core and then run them through the blender. All of the whole veggies get liquified.

 

[Happy Chooks]

No canning here. It's just too darn hot - 108 yesterday. I don't even feel like cooking.

 

[mickey328]

Awesome, I have several of those in varying sizes. I use them for making herbal tinctures and straining my wines/meads. I love it when I don't have to get new equipment Can't wait for it to arrive now! LOL

I rather like small chunks in my chili but prefer my spaghetti sauce smoother. I do find tho that after cooking down the sauce most of the lumps tend to cook down. When you can after using the mill, do you do a hot or cold pack?

Mickey

 

[Darklingstorm]

No canning here. It's just too darn hot - 108 yesterday. I don't even feel like cooking.

We are eating a lot of sandwiches here because of the heat, but I so want to can

 

[mickey328]

I hear y'all on the heat...sandwiches and cereal are our mainstays lately. What little (well, lots of jars, but just tomatoes and mushrooms) I do this year will be in the pressure canner, so that'll help reduce a little bit of the heat and humidity. Plus I plan to do it in the evening when it's a tad cooler.