What are you canning now?

[KentuckyMom]

10 pints of applesauce. Apples from the tree in the yard so no idea what kind they are. Might get another batch or two out of the tree. Need at least three more batches that size. Just need to find an orchard in the area.

Going to try some sassafras jelly tomorrow. Will be imitation though.  Using the liquid concentrate. Unfortunately we have no sassafras trees on our property. Going to have to remedy that.

My friend has a bunch of sassafrass trees. How do you make sassafras jelly? Do you boil the leaves or what? Just curious if this is something else in God's creation that I can use.

 

[hogster160]

I've done tomatoes and apple sauce this week. Need to finish pulling up the potatoes and do those. Then open the garden to the chickens to prep it for winter cover.

 

[dkosh]

She does have a pressure canner that she just got. I will let her know. Wow, I've been water bathing my green beans all my life. We always lost a few but I never gave it much thought. We will start pressure canning them now. Thanks!

 

[WYNot]

My friend has a bunch of sassafrass trees. How do you make sassafras jelly? Do you boil the leaves or what? Just curious if this is something else in God's creation that I can use.

Sassafras jelly can indeed be made. But, not with the leaves.

Start with a batch of strong tea using the roots.

To make one gallon of tea:
Get about 4-5 average size roots, preferably young roots, wash in cold water, peal and cut into pieces. Boil in one gallon of water for about 20 minutes. Strain, sweeten with sugar or honey and serve hot or cold.

Use 8 cups of sassafras tea. Mix one package of Sure-Jell (powder) with 8 cups of tea and bring to a hard boil, stirring occasionally. Add 8 cups of sugar and bring back to a full boil. Boil this for one minute, stirring constantly. Skim off the foam and pour into jelly (half-pint) jars. Process the jelly jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
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The leaves are actually used for something else... Filé powder also called gumbo filé, for its use in making gumbo, is a spicy herb made from the dried and ground leaves of the sassafras tree.

 

[WYNot]

She does have a pressure canner that she just got. I will let her know. Wow, I've been water bathing my green beans all my life. We always lost a few but I never gave it much thought. We will start pressure canning them now. Thanks!

Glad to be of some help. I've grew up canning all sorts of things with my mom and grandmother. Got back into it about 6 or 7 years back after our freezer had died for the second time. First time I lost about half a deer plus other misc stuff. Second time we caught it before it was too late and canned the venison and beef that was rescued from the freezer. It may be lots of extra work but I enjoy the peace of mind of not worrying about the freezer dying or the electric going out. At any given moment we've got about four large shelving units loaded with canned goods. Soups, stocks, meats, veggies, jams, jellies, sauces, fruit, etc. Personally I treat canning like I do reloading; always follow the directions and keep lots of up-to-date reference material at hand.

 

[MandalaMaMa]

Has anyone ever made dill green tomatoes on here? Found a recipe in my canning book to use green cherry tomatoes. Sounded interesting. Also how about pickled zucchini?

 

[WYNot]

Has anyone ever made dill green tomatoes on here? Found a recipe in my canning book to use green cherry tomatoes. Sounded interesting. Also how about pickled zucchini?

Not I. I've got about a dozen or so jars of pickles (slice, chunk, and spears) on the shelf but since wife is the only one that eats them, they last a while.

 

[MandalaMaMa]

Question - I'm going to can some pizza sauce today, can I give the mashed tomatoes skins and seeds to my chickens? They are 29 wks and 26 wks old and not laying yet.

 

[WYNot]

Question - I'm going to can some pizza sauce today, can I give the mashed tomatoes skins and seeds to my chickens? They are 29 wks and 26 wks old and not laying yet.

Yes. They love them.

 

[KentuckyMom]

Sassafras jelly can indeed be made. But, not with the leaves.

Start with a batch of strong tea using the roots.

To make one gallon of tea:
Get about 4-5 average size roots, preferably young roots, wash in cold water, peal and cut into pieces. Boil in one gallon of water for about 20 minutes. Strain, sweeten with sugar or honey and serve hot or cold.

Use 8 cups of sassafras tea. Mix one package of Sure-Jell (powder) with 8 cups of tea and bring to a hard boil, stirring occasionally. Add 8 cups of sugar and bring back to a full boil. Boil this for one minute, stirring constantly. Skim off the foam and pour into jelly (half-pint) jars. Process the jelly jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
*******************************

The leaves are actually used for something else... Filé powder also called gumbo filé, for its use in making gumbo, is a spicy herb made from the dried and ground leaves of the sassafras tree.

Thank you!