Southern Gardener
Deeply Rooted
Here they are. Can you tell the mistake I made? I didn't pack the jars with enough veggies. I suppose they will be ok - all the lids sealed.
10 Pints Peppers
- Thread starter Southern Gardener
- Start date
HunkieDorie23
Deeply Rooted
Did that with green beans the first year I was canning. I think everyone does it at some point. They were OK.
NurseNettie
Garden Ornament
Did you blanch them first,or pack them raw? I know that if you blanch or precook a bit, it takes some of the oxygen out of them, or some chemical reaction-thingy-whats-it, that makes them pack tighter. Packed raw, any veggie or fruit will seem to float up like that and look like you didn't pack tight enough (when, in fact, you probably jammed them in quite tight when raw!)
4grandbabies
Deeply Rooted
I could just snack on a jar of those right now...right along with a pot of beans.. ummmm!
I have had things do that also.. they will be fine.
I have had things do that also.. they will be fine.
Kim_NC
Attractive To Bees
Yum, they look delicious!
lesa
Garden Master
Nice job! What a great feeling, growing and preparing your own food!
- Thread starter
- #7
Southern Gardener
Deeply Rooted
I opened a jar of the peppers I canned last night - they had a very good flavor, but they were mushy. What can I do next time so they won't be?
simple life
Garden Ornament
I have had that happen too. I am not sure what can be done but I know with pickles they make something to help them stay crisp.
I saw it in Walmart one day and thought hmmm where was that when I needed it.
I still haven't tried it since I haven't started canning yet this year but I wonder if you can use it on other things like the peppers.
I love those jars of sweet pepper rings but the ones I buy are never really crisp so I wonder if that is just the way it is with certain types of peppers.
Well congratualtions on it anway, I say anything we are able to preserve deserves a pat on the back.
I saw it in Walmart one day and thought hmmm where was that when I needed it.
I still haven't tried it since I haven't started canning yet this year but I wonder if you can use it on other things like the peppers.
I love those jars of sweet pepper rings but the ones I buy are never really crisp so I wonder if that is just the way it is with certain types of peppers.
Well congratualtions on it anway, I say anything we are able to preserve deserves a pat on the back.
Kim_NC
Attractive To Bees
I use Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) to keep pickled things crisp in the jar. It's a salt, a compound of calcium and chlorine. It's widely used in the pickle industry and other food applications.
I buy it here, in a 16 oz bottle. Plenty to do a year's worth of pickling and get you started next year too. You only add 1 1/2 tsp per quart or 3/4 tsp per pint jar.
http://shop2.chemassociates.com/shopsite/Chemassoc2/ggcs.html
Other places carry it, like bulkfoods.com. If you have a small local shop with brewing supplies, they often carry it. Be sure to get food grade, no matter where you buy it. (The non-food grade is used to melt icey sidewalks, control dust, etc.) There used to be a product called Pickle Crisp by Ball that's no longer available - it was Calcium Chloride.
I buy it here, in a 16 oz bottle. Plenty to do a year's worth of pickling and get you started next year too. You only add 1 1/2 tsp per quart or 3/4 tsp per pint jar.
http://shop2.chemassociates.com/shopsite/Chemassoc2/ggcs.html
Other places carry it, like bulkfoods.com. If you have a small local shop with brewing supplies, they often carry it. Be sure to get food grade, no matter where you buy it. (The non-food grade is used to melt icey sidewalks, control dust, etc.) There used to be a product called Pickle Crisp by Ball that's no longer available - it was Calcium Chloride.
