What are you canning now?

[Jamsoundsgood]

I feel like such a slacker, I got all set up to can my two gallons of clams (yeah hubby and kiddoes!) into clam chowder and then remembered my mom was coming this weekend!

So, into the freezer go the clams, and I'll just make it fresh all winter.

Emily

 

[chicken_china_mom]

There are wild black raspberries growing around our town and I plan to go pick at least a 5 gallon bucket's worth so I can make enough jars to last the rest of the summer and into the winter. You have NO idea how much my older daughter LOVES her pb&j sandwiches! Kid can go through a large jar a week if I don't watch her! Plus we use raspberry preserves in our kolackes that we make around Christmas time. It's our favorite flavor. I don't have a lot of hand strength due to severe carpal tunnel so I can't turn over the soil on my own to plan a garden, so I didn't get to plant a garden this year. I really hope I can get someone to come help me turn the soil next year so I can have a nice garden. With as tight as money is, and as bad as the economy is, I will need to have my own fruits and veggies that I can do canning with. I want lots of fresh veggies for next summer. Wishing now that I had them cause we haven't had a lot of food the last few weeks with all the other bills and problems that have come up. I don't want to have to worry about food again if bills should come up. I am just biding my time now, waiting for the berries to ripen. But I have to get to them before my neighbors do, cause there are 4 other people that will pick the bushes clean before I can even blink if I don't hurry up and go get some!

 

[~*B*~]

i have a question-
can you use/reuse other types of glass jars for canning foods?
like old mayo or spag sauce jars from the store?
if i post a picture of some canning jars i bought can you tell me
if they are just old canning jars (they look different) or store
jars that can/cannot be used? i bought several dozen today
and dont think they are all true canning jars.
thx

 

[JennsPeeps]

~*B*~ :

i have a question-
can you use/reuse other types of glass jars for canning foods?
like old mayo or spag sauce jars from the store?
if i post a picture of some canning jars i bought can you tell me
if they are just old canning jars (they look different) or store
jars that can/cannot be used? i bought several dozen today
and dont think they are all true canning jars.
thx

Here's your answer: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/general/recomm_jars_lids.html​

 

[LA~Poulet]

Not canning but I'm sure some of you food savers can share my excitement... today DH picked up a commercial upright freezer that is going to fit in our laundry room-it is huge!

I'm so excited to have the space for freezing pecans, berries, meat, and other seasonal goodies! (Plus I can have room to freeze pre-made meals & soups which should tide me over until I can get a pressure canner for putting up my own)

 

[JennsPeeps]

Oh, I want a 2nd freezer for my garage!! My mom has been hounding on us for a while to get one (that, and produce a grandchild... the freezer is cheaper, easier, and can be left in the garage) but we'll only get one that's energy efficient.

 

[LA~Poulet]

we'll only get one that's energy efficient.

So I'm guessing the kid idea is out, then.

I have some major rearranging to do, we'll probably have to take the washer out to get the freezer in. It's bigger than I expected!​

 

[JennsPeeps]

Hehe... kids are in the picture, sooner rather than later, but not in the next few months.

My mom wants me to take my grandma's 20+ year old freezer that's just sitting empty. I don't want one that's going to cost a fortune to run, so we'll wait for now.

 

[~*B*~]

can you jar experts take a look at mine please??
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2468887#p2468887
thx

 

[JennsPeeps]

~*B*~ :

can you jar experts take a look at mine please??
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2468887#p2468887
thx

B - do canning lids & bands fit these jars? Did you read the recommended guidelines at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/general/recomm_jars_lids.html?

Regular and wide-mouth Mason-type, threaded, home-canning jars with self-sealing lids are the best choice. They are available in ½ pint, pint, 1½ pint, quart, and ½ gallon sizes. The standard jar mouth opening is about 2-3/8 inches. Wide-mouth jars have openings of about 3 inches, making them more easily filled and emptied. Half-gallon jars may be used for canning very acid juices. Regular-mouth decorator jelly jars are available in 8 and 12 ounce sizes. With careful use and handling, Mason jars may be reused many times, requiring only new lids each time. When jars and lids are used properly, jar seals and vacuums are excellent and jar breakage is rare.

Most commercial pint- and quart-size mayonnaise or salad dressing jars may be used with new two-piece lids for canning acid foods. However, you should expect more seal failures and jar breakage. These jars have a narrower sealing surface and are tempered less than Mason jars, and may be weakened by repeated contact with metal spoons or knives used in dispensing mayonnaise or salad dressing. Seemingly insignificant scratches in glass may cause cracking and breakage while processing jars in a canner. Mayonnaise-type jars are not recommended for use with foods to be processed in a pressure canner because of excessive jar breakage. Other commercial jars with mouths that cannot be sealed with two-piece canning lids are not recommended for use in canning any food at home.​