What are you canning now?

[Olive Hill]

*giggle fit* Bless your heart. Sorry my love of skinning tomatoes offends you! But it'll be all right! SMH!

If pointing out that "easier" may not be the way most would describe canning with cherry and grape tomatoes is being "offended" we're all in big, BIG trouble.

Also, I may be from the north, but I know what "bless your heart" means... and you can't even look that one up in a dictionary.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

I've never bothered to peel about anything because it takes too long, I've just learned to eat many things with the peel on. I even have my boys eating kiwis with the peel on--boy does that one save me time.

Love your idea for the tomatos! Generally eat the skin, too. Nice to know a quick method though just in case.

 

[rancher hicks]

Olive Hill - I love the name. We have a restaurant here called Pumpkin Hill. Well not in Syracuse, but in Aurora.

As I said earlier I grow a variety of tomatoes so as far as canning goes I just can what ever is ripe at the time. It may include a few Italian Ice tomatoes or some cherries too. Usually I freeze them but this year I plan to can them. DW uses them for chili mostly. Home grown tomatoes have more flavor than commercial I think.

I bought a food mill last year so I suppose that would make pureeing tomatoes for soup easier, right? I saw in magazine a new smaller canning rack for smaller batches that doesn't require a large canning pot. I hope to order it and see how it works out.

Now Olive I do have a few recipes for rhubarb + jams, not to mention rhubarb jelly. Many folks don't want to bother with jellies but sometimes I like to do them. I will say I don't always get the "set" I would like. Is there anyone who relies on a thermometer? I've tried the spoon and plate in the freezer but that didn't help. I do wonder if I'm getting things up to the right temp. Altitude does play a part doesn't it? Plus I think I read somewhere about the barometric pressure of the day. Is that right? I have decided to wait til rainy days to do jams. Is that a bad idea?


Back2 - I think offend might be too strong of a word. Me I work too hard to just toss tomatoes to the chickens. Even cherries and in this house they don't get eaten fast enough so I do them all together, so I completely understand your reasoning for doing them up. At my age time doesn't matter so much. I enjoy doing it so if it's takes me longer it just lengthens my pleasure.

How does that song go , "Folks here they don't understand meee, oh what hard luck stories they all hand me"....................

 

[Chicky Babe]

I have a question! If I ran my blackberries through a juicer, then strained the juice before making jelly, would it help as far as getting it as seedless as humanly possible?

 

[erinszoo]

We'll be working on peaches this weekend ... peach jelly is my favorite but there will be peach jam and sliced peaches canned up too. Still have blackberries to do up that I stuck in the freezer and to clear even more freezer space I'll be working up my elderberries from last year and my currants from this year. I think I'll try a peach and currant jelly.

 

[erinszoo]

I have a question! If I ran my blackberries through a juicer, then strained the juice before making jelly, would it help as far as getting it as seedless as humanly possible?

I don't know about using a juicer as I don't have one. I cook mine with a little apple juice until they are soft and then strain them through a tea towel (one I only use for jellies and such) in a colander. That said, my husband judges canning at fairs and shows and he says most judges like to see a seed or two because it proves it is actually blackberry and actually homemade. The other thing I do to get my jellies really clear from all debris is after I strain through the cloth, I put the juice in a pitcher in the fridge for a day and all the junk that's left settles to the bottom of the pitcher. Then I just pull off the juice from the top with a measuring cup, leaving the heavy solids in the bottom of the pitcher. Hope that helps.

 

[rancher hicks]

I don't know about using a juicer as I don't have one. I cook mine with a little apple juice until they are soft and then strain them through a tea towel (one I only use for jellies and such) in a colander. That said, my husband judges canning at fairs and shows and he says most judges like to see a seed or two because it proves it is actually blackberry and actually homemade. The other thing I do to get my jellies really clear from all debris is after I strain through the cloth, I put the juice in a pitcher in the fridge for a day and all the junk that's left settles to the bottom of the pitcher. Then I just pull off the juice from the top with a measuring cup, leaving the heavy solids in the bottom of the pitcher. Hope that helps.

I was going to suggest this very thing. I did it with my apples last year and got some really nice jelly. I hate to give it away but we'll never eat it all. I also did this with cranberries. Doing it this way gives me time to rest in between and heaven knows I need my rest.

 

[Chicky Babe]

My oldest and DH hates the seeds! Not planning on entering any competitions so I am going to try juicer then towel trick! I will let everyone know how it works out. Thanks gals!

 

[rancher hicks]

Chicky - I was just on a web site that sells a funnel with a strainer attachment. That might work and they also had a seed remover thing but only removed "all but the smallest" seeds. Kitchen Krafts.

Now I forgot to mention or ask, Does anyone here make "sugar free" Jams and Jellies? I have friends who are diabetic.

ta, ta for now,

Rancher

 

[3goodeggs]

I think sure jel has a sugar free packet.