What are you canning now?

[Momagain1]

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I am growing my collection of old blue ball jars... and I keep the perfect ones out for canning... isn't it cool...even though it makes the food inside look strange? I love it though. I want your neighbor for my neighbor...and a farm and more old jars... lucky you...

and don't feel bad about bragging, it is soooooooo amazing to be able to whip up a meal that came entirely from your hard work and time... Your kids better understand the rare and amazing gift that those meals are! My goal this summer is to celebrate my husband and my birthdays (both in august) in one party and serve food only from our backyard...except for the meat part...next year I'll do the same but I'll have the chickens to round out the meal! I'm investigating growing wheat but I don't think I have any room to commit to that venture! Keep in mind I have a 25x60 foot back yard... so it will be a challenge to cook for 30 people out of that!

fewer and fewer women cook or do domestic things...so keep it up and if you have girls...train them well! I intend to have a large family so I can raise them with just such care & they can offset the growing unskilled, uneducated, uninformed population...I've been planning this since I was 8-canning and raising poultry are just steps 1,027 and 1,028.

we have li'l aprons for my girls..and I plan on using canning this summer for a homeschooling "science" class for our 13 yr old son...he'll be in charge of the pressurizing etc..and keeping the pressure stable..timing etc...and I'll have him record his outcome...

 

[Acre of Blessings]

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Forgot to tell you....check out www.freecycle.org and find the area where you live. I have found many canning jars that way and also, do you have a Goodwill thrift store or a Salvation Army thrift store...youcan usually get them cheap, cheap in there. I can buy them here for 35 cents a jar in Goodwill or SA. Hope this helps.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

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Well I can chicken and it takes 75 minutes in a quart jar....so take that 75 and cut it in half which will be 37.5 minutes (38 rounded up) and then add 38 to 75 which then give you 103 minutes. And add the meat, I have a friend that cans venison and she says she loves it. I think she adds a little beef broth to sorta kill the gamey taste but I think 103 minutes would be sufficient for canning in half gallons. I have used them before to can just veggies (like green beans) and I think I processed them for 95 minutes or so, and they were fine. Mmmmm good. Hoep this helps.

 

[3goodeggs]

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I agree. The blue jars would be beautiful for displaying things that do not need to be pressure canned.

I use my 1/2 gallons to store my dried foods in, and my pastas, rice, bulk nuts, and things. I purchase the plastic screw on lids to make snitching a few nuts easier, Half a gallon of food is a lot to open and use at one time anyway.
I am glad grama's jars made it back home to be used again. You have a cool neighbor. what a great find.
i would love to see some pictures of the blue ones. you mean the old light blue, not cobalt, correct?

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

I would not recommend using the 1/2 gallon jars other than for dry good storage and canning juices. They are not considered safe for food other than juices due to large size not heating the food hot enough in the center.
I pay 6.80 for 6 half gallons when they are on sale and less than 7 for regular mouth jars by the dozen, wide mouth are under 10. This is in AZ maybe it would be worth a road trip to get cheaper jars, I cannot imagine paying 18.00 or so!

 

[draye]

Pickled Eggs,
Trying to get them to peel just rught so that I can show them at the county fair this year.

 

[Chickangel79]

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I had trouble with that until I learnt you should save the eggs until they are at least 5 days old. I did and I had perfect peeling eggs !!!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

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Make sure your water is at a full boil before adding farm fresh eggs. And only boil them for 12 minutes. Then peel.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

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I also store dry noodles and beans in 1/2 gallon jars, but I have never had a problem with canning with them. Would it not say "Not ecommended for canning" on the box if you couldn't can in them. I love seeing the green beans/wax beans mixed in these huge jars. THey make the large jars for large families. Also using the 1/2 gallon jar I only have to open one for a potluck dinner instead of 2 or 3. I love using them.

 

[pinkwindsong]

are there better freezer bags than others? this is our first year to caning and freeze.. we have a very large garden and chickens for the first time.. very excited and looking forward to this new indever.. least to say I am really gathering some great food recipes to use eggs and veggies in...

smiles and blessings
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