What are you canning now?

[vfem]

Left this morning at 7:30 to go pick blueberries, got to the farm and they were closed!

My day off and I got up early for nothing. So I have tomorrow off, and I have to get up early again rather then sleep in like I hoped I could.

However, the strawberry farm was open, and my plants are done so I swung by and picked up a bucket for $10 should get me at least 16 jars & 2 loaves of strawberry bread before I call the season done. When I got home I noticed my neighbor had a TON of the wild bramble blackberries ripe on their back fence. She's been screaming about ripping them out and told me to pick whatever I want or could use. She even suggested I moved them to my property if I really wanted!

These tiny things were ALL over... so daughter and I picked them until we bled. Only ended up with 2 cups of berries after all that!

Well, I squished them and jammed them without pectin. Only made 2 8oz jars, but it set nicely. Giving one to the neighbor since they came from her plants... and since I'm not removing them for her, this will be my thank you!

 

[Sore Thumb Suburbanite]

Quote:
OK, I am also interested in the freezer bag answer... Or even a method to use with freezer bags to combat freezer burn! Its sooooo annoying! Nothing like taking a bite of something that tastes like the bottom of your freezer to make you cringe. Especially if your husband fishes and keeps tuna heads in there for lobster chum...cack!

On my progress with this thread... I'm on page 42... I was really ambitious to think I could do this in a morning let alone a day, let alone a week! Yikes~~~I think there should be some kind of system that logs away each year in a file for reference after each june or something.

 

[KDbeads]

On the freezer bags........... I must admit I've had a foodsaver for 13 years now. I use it for allllll my seasonal type freezing. I love it. Though if I'm doing a lot of small serving sized portions I use the snack sized store brand bags, fill them, push out all the air/seal, then place a bunch of them in a gallon sized store brand bag. Usually no problems.

 

[BarefootMom]

I want a food saver so bad! We put up a lot of wild game so that would be so handy. Last year we used the Ziploc brand of the vaccum pack bags-they come with a little pump- worked pretty good for the deer. Put it up in November and just got the last out a few nights ago- no ice and no freezer burn.

For everything else I use the store brand freezer bags. Just be sure to get all the air out. I usually close it until there is just a little space and use a straw to suck all the air out.

 

[vfem]

I picked myself crazy this morning. 5 lbs of blackberries and blueberries. Yesterday was almost 5 lbs of strawberries. I was able to can 27 jars of jam today... and I am WORN out. Hubby agreed to go back on Saturday and pick me another 5 lbs of blueberries. I need to do syrup next.

Ok, going to start dinner... then eat... then SLEEP!

 

[caspernc]

Things that are soft like berries are best to freeze first the use the food saver. Even if you stick them in the freezer for an hour or so. I do love my food saver. Did you know flour will last 4 years or more if stored in a cool dark place if you vacume pack it! I thought that was GREAT!

 

[mom22alcorns]

Just got home and had a chance to catch up on all the new posts. On freezer bags, I use my food saver when I plan on keeping it up to a year, like when I have a hundred ears of sweet corn

But for things I know will be gone in 6 months or less, like peaches for pies, I use the Glad freezer bags from my local Family Dollar. I can get a box of 80 for 5 bucks. I just make really sure to get all the air out.

As for canning today, I didn't get to

I had to work. But I did enough this past weekend to hold me until tomorrow. Tomorrow I am doing more strawberry Jam as my patch is still crankin em out, and hopefully my black rasberries and black berries will be ready by the next weekend so I can make triple berry jam. YUMMO!

I have a question for those of you that make syrup...When I make mine, it comes out pretty thin no matter how long I cook it down before canning it. Do any of you have a method that makes a thicker syrup? FYI--My hubby and I are diabetic so all of these things I make are no sugar added. Thanks for any advice!

 

[3goodeggs]

could you try a thickener, like agar or gar gum?
I use them for things to get a nice clear thickening, but I do not know how they will hold up under canning heat or time.
Maybe google around a bit and see what you find on them. I have used tapioca powder to thicken the pear pie filling, and it worked..but isn't as clear and pretty as you would want for syrup.
they say there is a substance called 'cleargel' but no one in my part of the world carries it.

 

[Momagain1]

Quote:
are you using the NO SUGAR ADDED/NEEDED pectin??

 

[delfargo]

excuse me for my ignorance, i know nothing about canning, but my wife does a good amount of it. she wanted me to ask if any of my chicken friends were also canning experts, as she has a question.
she has tried twice now to can strawberry/rhubarb jam and both times the jam has "seperated" when it cooled off. it's like all the fruit goes to the top and the "gel" part stays at the bottom of the jar. she was wondering why that is happening. she says she's following the directions to the letter, but this keeps happening. any thoughts?
thanx alot.