What are you canning now?

[rancher hicks]

@rancher hicks
I made apple syrup one year out of a batch of apple jelly that I couldn't get to set. It was delicious.My kids were hoping I'd "mess up" with more jelly so we could have more syrup for pancakes and waffles!
I use knee hi pantyhose to strain jelly juice. The mesh is finer than cheesecloth and it stretches over my old aluminum jelly strainer (that I got from my husband's grandmother.) The knee hi's are cheap and easy to find too.
I made jelly from red and white seedless grapes a few years ago . I remember it being quite the process, but well worth it. I am looking forward to the more intense flavor of the Concord grapes.

I have grapes from last year in the freezer. Next up is Gooseberry jam and Black currant Apple jam. Then I think I'm done for awhile.

 

[KentuckyMom]

@WYNot
Mmmmmm.....cherries in amaretto syrup sounds heavenly.
We had to cut down an old sour cherry tree when we moved here. It was bug-infested and was so rotted out it could mostly just be pushed over. But, it was loaded with cherries. I should have made cherry jelly; I made cherry jam and the skins made it bitter, even with lots of sugar. Lesson learned. I had made jam with sweet cherries before successfully but wasn't thinking that sour cherries are another story altogether.
My daughter bought a small orange tree in a pot to keep in the house a few years ago, but so far, no oranges. I think it is more ornamental than anything. Oranges in Ohio or Kentucky would be nice...not likely...but it WOULD be nice.

 

[1FlewOver]

Yep. That is what it is, cane sugar has no sugar beet in it.

Nope....sorry, Google some more....Granulated sugar can....(and usually is) made from sugar cane...the difference is Pure Cane sugar is kind of a misnomer...it should be called whole cane sugar....the difference being granulated sugar is refined....like getting gasoline from crude oil...

So....you may wonder why "Pure" or whole cane sugar would cost more than granulated when it takes more processing to make granulated?

The answer is: price a jar of molasses!

That's one of the by-products of the refining process and there are probably others...

I can't say for sure there isn't beet sugar in there....but I don't think so....beet sugar is more often used in other processed foods as an ingredient...

Meanwhile....I'll Google some more as well.....

OOPS! Don't listen to this ^ guy....I was confusing Pure Cane Sugar with Sugar in the Raw.....indeed...3 goodeggs is correct....it's not required to disclose on the label the source of the sugar and sugar refineries don't have a set amount of which they choose to use of each....putting "Pure Cane Sugar" on the label guarantees it's 100% cane sugar...

For most intents and purposes...it doesn't matter....but when it comes to carmelizing for certain desserts and such....chefs do not want any beet sugar....otherwise....go for the cheap....

To quote 'Curly Bill' in 'Tombstone': "Don't mind him,......he's just drunk, ...ha ha!"

 

[KentuckyMom]

@rancher hicks
You are making my mouth water...thoughts of homemade biscuits, butter, and gooseberry jam.
Are currants easy to grow?

 

[rancher hicks]

You can also avoid the straining mess by just using 100% juice. Made orange jelly, cherry jelly, and apple jelly that way before. Not as quite as good as the real thing but tough to grow oranges here in Ohio. hehehe And using fresh apple cider just means someone else gets to deal with the mess. Besides I'd rather use my apples for applesauce and pie filling.

I do applesauce too. I buy only juices like Pomegranate. The idea is to grow and not buy. If I ever get things growing I can trade or sell extra.

 

[rancher hicks]

Will definitely know better this fall. Wasn't thinking there would be enough juice left in the peels and cores to make jelly, gave it to the chickens too soon I guess.

Ok. You solved that resource waste... now get to working on developing an orange tree that will grow and bear fruit here in Ohio.

As for the cherry juice jelly, they were out of season at the time and I had a hankering for it. Earlier that year all our cherries got processed as pie filling, whole cherries in light syrup, and whole cherries in amaretto syrup.

if one has a Solarium it can done. Though it doesn't take many Oranges. Lemons would be better.

 

[rancher hicks]

@rancher hicks
You are making my mouth water...thoughts of homemade biscuits, butter, and gooseberry jam.
Are currants easy to grow?

they say they are,but I've had a hard time of it. A few bushes is more than you need. The work to clean them is what deters people I think. Black and red are different enough. J o s t a berries are a cross. Goose and Currant.

 

[MarcoPollo]

I was wondering if any of you know what I did wrong here. I am used to canning pints and have had pints of pickles turn out great. For the first time about a month ago I canned a few quarts of dill pickles. I am just now eating them and they have turned to mush. Not appetizing at all. Did I boil them too long maybe? I am wondering if maybe they took too long to come up to boil since I have a glass top stove. I bought a new canning pot that was big enough for quarts. When I put the jars in the boiling water, it stopped boiling and took forever to get back up to boil.

 

[rancher hicks]

I was wondering if any of you know what I did wrong here. I am used to canning pints and have had pints of pickles turn out great. For the first time about a month ago I canned a few quarts of dill pickles. I am just now eating them and they have turned to mush. Not appetizing at all. Did I boil them too long maybe? I am wondering if maybe they took too long to come up to boil since I have a glass top stove. I bought a new canning pot that was big enough for quarts. When I put the jars in the boiling water, it stopped boiling and took forever to get back up to boil.

did you use the same kind of cucumbers?

 

[1FlewOver]

Actually....there is only one thing that could have went wrong...and I'm sorry....but you overcooked them.....

Remember that as that water heats back up to a boil.....it's cooking the contents.....