What are you canning now?

[mickey328]

Wow, that sounds yummy! DH had his mom's recipe for cranberry sauce and it turned out very good too...similar but with fewer spices. We don't eat it too often though, so I froze mine in half pint freezer containers.

Made my first "3 jar dinner" last night and it was good. I was working so pressed for time, but really, really hungry. Opened a quart of potatoes and put them to boil a few minutes to heat through. Opened a pint of cooked ground beef and put that on to heat. Opened a pint of green beans and put that in the microwave. When the spuds were hot, I drained and mashed 'em. Mixed up some Bisto and put it in with the burger to thicken. Then I plopped some mashed taters on my plate, spooned the beef/gravy over it and scooped up some green beans. Start to eat: about 10 minutes. Not fancy but it sure tasted good!

Note to self: never can spuds in anything smaller than a quart jar. We had about 3 servings of spuds and that killed the whole quart. LOL, it's going to be interesting later on...I ran out of quart jars after 6 and all the rest of my potatoes are in pints...for a decent meal, we'll probably have to open 3 at a time. I'm going to have to be collecting quart jars over the winter

 

[off-grid hen]

That cranberry sauce sounds good. So does that 3-can meal.

I'm trying to get ready for the holidays and have decided that I am not buying "stuff" for people this year except for the kids. I am making gift baskets for each family in the extended family, and for a few friends. ( I usually buy a little something, and give a loaf of bread or a jar of this or that to friends and family.).

For some reason this year, I am really cranky about buying (and being so wasteful) with "stuff" that people may or may not want or like. My family doesnt want for anything. I'm usually practical with gift giving, but I never really know if people like it. So I'm increasing the size of the baskets and loading them up with half pints and pints of wonderful homemade things. I already have some of the usual on hand-jams and jellies ( I didn't do pickles this year) and applesauce. I'm thinking of trying things like white chocolate/raspberry spread, blood orange marmalade, carrot jam, etc. I might boil some syrup down and make maple candies. Never done it with already bottled syrup, though. I wonder if it would work... if it doesn't, I'll make maple flavored lollipops. Or apple maple spread.

But I need more ideas! Do you make jars of anything special just to give out for the holidays that people really enjoy?

I've never made pumpkin butter or canned cranberry anything.

 

[mickey328]

Early on in my canning "career" I had quite the eye opening experience. I was invited to a Christmas party and was to bring a gift for exchange...$10 or less. It was one of those things where you draw a number then choose a gift...the next number can take a new gift, or "steal" one from another participant. I was rather embarrassed because I was too poor to afford anything. I stuck several half pints of home made jams and jellies in a shoebox and wrapped it up. LOL, they kidded me asking if I'd packed a brick in it cuz it was so heavy. At any rate, about the 3rd person got the box and from then on, every single person stole it from the previous person. I couldn't believe how thrilled they all were about getting home made goodies!

So, I started doing Christmas "baskets" from then on. Rather than an actual basket, I bought cheap sets of nesting plastic bowls with lids, pretty but inexpensive Christmas tea towels and used them. I'd use the towel as packing material and put in several quarter pints of different jams and jellies, some cookies or squares and/or some candies. With the smaller jars, I could give a better variety and in smaller quantities so that even people who didn't eat a lot of jam could use it and not have it sit in the fridge forever. They'd also have the towel as a little decoration and a bowl they could use for...well..whatever they wanted. I found it was a really nice sort of generic gift...pretty much everyone likes a few goodies now and then. The only thing "special" I did was put some of my jams in the wee jars...otherwise it was the same stuff I made for our own use. Can't say I ever gave one to anyone who wasn't really tickled to receive it

 

[Pozees]

Finally found some Cranberries at the store and made my first batch of Spicy Cranberry Conserve, I can't stand the canned sauce that comes out on Thanksgiving.
I must say that it is pretty darn good, even my finicky hubby likes it.

1 pound fresh cranberries
1 cup fruit juice (apple, pineapple or white grape) -- i used unsweet apple juice
1 stick cinnamon
1/4 tsp Fennel Seed
2 whole cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 orange
1/2 cup raisins
3 cups sugar
1 cup Broken Walnuts (optional) - i didn't use them because my hubby can't have nuts

Rinse the berries and pick over them for bruising and stems. Heat in 1 cup fruit juice until the burst; let boil 5 min. or so. Bruise the fennel seed & tie all the spices into a muslin bag. Add to the cranberries at once.
Wash the orange, slice thinly, seed and then chop it (here I cut the rind off and chopped the meat, then zested the peel, leaving out the bitter white); add it to the cranberries with the raisins. Add the sugar slowly, stirring until completely dissolved. Boil for 10 min before adding the walnuts, if desired; then continue boiling until set, but no more than 20 min. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes before removing the spice bag. If you have opted for Walnuts, let cool partially so the nuts don't float to the top.
Ladle into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean, put the lids in place, and tighten down. Invert the jars for a few minutes to complete the seal, then return to the upright and let cool completely (Here instead of flipping over I gave them a water bath for 20 min to make sure any germs are killed). Check the seals, label and store in a cool dry place.

*I doubled everything and ended up with 9 8oz jars

Sounds yummy! I like the flavor combination of cranberry and orange too, and also zest the peel if I add orange, it really underlines the flavor.

 

[off-grid hen]

Exactly! The reason I'm doing baskets this year is because people commented on what they received. Did they comment on the thing I agonized over whether or not it was what they needed or wanted-no! They commented on the jars and breads. I like making them, THEY like eating them, so why bother with the other junk?

Do you have any recipes that you make just at Christmas time? The reason I ask is because many of them make their own jams and jellies, and I'm looking for something unique. or at least less common.

 

[Pozees]

That cranberry sauce sounds good. So does that 3-can meal.
I'm trying to get ready for the holidays and have decided that I am not buying "stuff" for people this year except for the kids. I am making gift baskets for each family in the extended family, and for a few friends. ( I usually buy a little something, and give a loaf of bread or a jar of this or that to friends and family.).
For some reason this year, I am really cranky about buying (and being so wasteful) with "stuff" that people may or may not want or like. My family doesnt want for anything. I'm usually practical with gift giving, but I never really know if people like it. So I'm increasing the size of the baskets and loading them up with half pints and pints of wonderful homemade things. I already have some of the usual on hand-jams and jellies ( I didn't do pickles this year) and applesauce. I'm thinking of trying things like white chocolate/raspberry spread, blood orange marmalade, carrot jam, etc. I might boil some syrup down and make maple candies. Never done it with already bottled syrup, though. I wonder if it would work... if it doesn't, I'll make maple flavored lollipops. Or apple maple spread.
But I need more ideas! Do you make jars of anything special just to give out for the holidays that people really enjoy?
I've never made pumpkin butter or canned cranberry anything.

I think this is a very logical approach to gift giving. Beginning several (maybe 10?) years ago I stopped buying things to send to except young children, and started sending cookies. I buy the cheapest food storage containers I can find that will fit into shipping boxes. Everyone I send to except one family is shipping distance away.
Anyway, every year I make chocolate chip cookies, and at least one other type of treat, sometimes two, depending on time and inspiration. One year I made mini pumpkin cheesecakes and froze them, then shipped, and my folks in NY said they got there fine; another year I made some little lemon tea cookies, one year peanut brittle, last year I made something so decadent everyone wanted the recipe and now I can't even think of what it was, only remember that it involved chocolate and caramel For home, I make cranberry sauce for spreading on toast, and I cut WAY back on the sugar, so you might try canning something like that, that can be spread on toast or poured over ice cream - as far as I can tell the trick is finding the 4 oz or 6 oz jars. I also make all my own bread - haven't had store bought since March of 2011 except one time when I was away on a business trip and Bob ran out and bought a loaf - and one nice thing about the bread maker is that you can make it do all the hard part, mix and knead and rise in a temperature controlled appliance, then pluck the dough out and split into small pans, or shape into a braid or other decorative presentation.
Anytime you take something you make yourself and turn it into a gift, just by wrapping or making it small, you are giving something no one else can give, and that is the best gift of all.

 

[mickey328]

None of the folk I gave goodies too made their own, so they were totally thrilled with the "regular" stuff I made...nothing "exotic", LOL. Here's a site with some different sorts if you want to have a look: http://www.food.com/cookbook/unusual-jams-jellies-58570

 

[kkcamiller]

I loved your pictures of what you canned. I'm very new to canning and would love to know what recipe resources you use. I have the Bell book but would like more. Can you share?

 

[mickey328]

Personally, I use a lot of the recipes in the pectin packages for jams and jellies. For other stuff, one site I use a lot is www.pickyourown.org Scroll down nearly to the bottom of the page and they give you great info on how to can just about anything. If I have specific things, I just google search them

 

[silkensunlight]

I use the Ball book (Bernardin here in Canada) but I have another really great book called Blue Ribbon Preserves by Linda J. Amendt that is awesome. It has recipes for water bath and pressure cooking and some recipes for things like pumpkin butter and many recipes for variations and specialty items that are great. Just love the versatility and details in this book. I got it on amazon but I bet you could get it at a library to check it out first.