A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2006 Canned Goods

And then maybe I can get some piece and quiet!!!!

That is tooo funny!!!
*I Like what Loz said too, my husband is always jokin' I need to get boyfriend, then he can do half the work around here that I want done...*
Toooo funny!!!

Um, it's unfilled now Pat...I emptied a few..
*it's a never winning battle with my mailbox around here, it's like shoveling snow in a blizzard..*

That really is some gorgeous work...

Next you need to get one of the "Air~sucker~outters" machines to do your freezing with... *I have one of those puppies,
and love it.*

We don't care for apple jelly...so instead I just can the juice, so we have apple butter, applesauce & apple juice. Apparently You & I use the same method to make our butter and sauce, taking advantage of every part of the apple, with very little waste.

Weezie, I love my air sucker outter machine!

I have one of those also, but it takes a time to get it down right.

I have found that after you blanch you have to drain REAL good, any water at all will not allow the bag to fully seal.

They recommend that you pre freeze real wet items, like greens, before using the Seal-A-Meal.

I think I just about have that part down. I do freeze some things like Brussels Sprouts, but almost everything is canned. (I need more jars.)

I 'may' try to make some Apple Cider this year, not the hard stuff, just plain Cider. The Apple harvest is a few weeks away.

It's nice having an Orchard just a few miles away.

My Grampy used to make Apple Cidar.
A longggg time ago..
He'd do it in a press and a BURLAP BAG..
*I can still taste that burlap bag..*
but Greattttttttt Memories...

That is verrrrrrrrrry true Pat...
I think I've seen a new machine, *I probably saw it on QVC or HSN, but it had a special button that said MOIST or something like that, and it sucked it a different way now for the really watery items*
I would like to have that feature...

Can someone tell me the difference between a pressure canner and a regular one? What cannot be done in a regular canner?

There are only 2 types of Canners I know of.

The first is a Pressure Canner. It is thick and heavy with a Lid that locks in place. It has a Pressure Guage, and a weight with a petcock on top. The really old one's like mine has an 'Automatic Air Vent' but on Presto Canners this was discontinued in 1974. The Canner I have is a "Maid of Honor" by Sears, but built by Presto, so Presto parts will fit it.

The other type is the Water Bath Canner. I use a large 8 quart stock pot for this.

With a Pressure canner I use 2 quarts of water on the bottom, with a Water bath Canner you have to completely cover the jars with boiling water.

Most fruits can be canned in a Hot Water Bath, but most Vegetables have to be canned with a Pressure Canner, it depends on the amount of acid the food has.

Tomatoes 'can' be canned in a Water Bath canner if you add some Lemon Juice or Vinegar. I perfer to Pressure Can everything I can.

Ok so the fruits I am planning to can are ok.

With salsa, is lime juice as good as lemon if I want to do the water bath kind?

I just got one of them so I would have a rack and want to make sure I can do salsa safely in it.

Lime juice should do it, just make sure you have enough, if you look up a few recipes you should get some idea how much to use.

If I Water Bath quart jars I use my Turkey Fryer, just fill the pot with water, and insert jars.

Works good for me.

Triss,
There's also some good pointers about canning if
you look up a member named Lucy Lou, she did
alot of it, and worked with the County Extensions...

Thanks both of you! I am doing the apples now, getting them ready for apple butter and the peels and cores for apple jelly. Only used 1/3 of the apples.

When I am not sure about canning something I look it up on the web and compare different methods and instructions, and look for the way that seems to be the best, or the easiest.

What's best for one is not best for all.

The first time I used my pressure canner I was a bit scared, after all it is a 1957 model, and it looks really bad from all the years of use. The instruction booklet talked about using this canner on wood and coal powered stoves!!!

(Yes I can still buy parts for it)

I brought the pressure up real slow, and placed a chair in front and didn't take my eyes off of it for the whole time. I was afraid the seals might be bad or something. Or worst that I would have green beans flying through the air!!!

But after using it a few times, anymore after I clamp the lid on, I crank the heat up all the way.

All stoves heat differently, I have a glass top stove and some manufacturers don't recommend using a canner on a flat top, due to the heat and weight. But the book that came with mine said it was ok.

I know of some people that go out the Farmers Market and buy a truck load of produce and put up 53 quarts of greens beans during the weekend. That seems like a TO much work for me.

I can small amounts, I like using my Pressure COOKER for this, yes you can use a COOKER as a CANNER. I have a 6 quart Presto Cooker and will hold 4 pints at a time. Look in the Recipe section for the instructions on how.

Canning can be a lot of work, but I enjoy doing it, you don't need any help, I do all of mine by myself.

You have some left for Apple Pie!!!

I was thinking that for Triss's post..
Gosh, apple pie sounds heavenly!

Darn....I can about all things, not fruit...my area is not to good for it> I dry them? good luck:-) sounds fun!

Boy, I love Applebutter. It's just not as good when you buy it in the store. I'm coming for breakfast.

Oh I made the apple pie first. Apple blackberry actually. Have not tried it yet though. Did get 6 -1/2 pints of the jelly and a crockpot full of the apple butter. It is so good. Gonna low cook it all night and can it in the morning.

Angie, I will trade you apple butter and jelly for salsa, ok?

I like to start my Apple Butter early in the morning and can it at night. But either way works good.

If fact I'm think I'm going to have some Apple Butter for Breakfast today.

P.S. You can also make Pear Butter as well, I 'may' try that this year, a guy at work is going to bring me some pears.

Alllllll this talk about Applebutter....
I had to go and buy some...
*we used to eat it as kids*

Do any of you ever remember eating something called "HONEYBUTTER"????
It came in the stores in a tub like??

Pear butter would be a huge hit with Patrick. He loves pears. Will have to look for those at the market as well.

Weezie, my parents used to make honeybutter all the time. Had them on sopapillas. Yummy stuff!

What do they do, put honey and butter together??

Yep, just soften a stick of butter and add about 1/4 cup of honey to it and mix it all up. Store it in the fridge in an old butter dish. Works with both butter and margarine.