NwMtGardener
Garden Addicted
It IS meant to be, Mary!! Free fruit, and jars in the garage that you FOUND right when you needed them! 
good luck, and let us know how much fun you have!!
good luck, and let us know how much fun you have!!
I'm Scared!
- Thread starter ninnymary
- Start date
vfem
Garden Addicted
How awesome is that!!!!!!!!!!!ninnymary said:OMG!I went to talk to my husband who was in the garage replacing our water heater when I looked at a shelf with a box of mason jars! I wasn't sure if it had something else but no..it has 12 quart size jars!!! They must have been there 20 years or so from when I made applesauce. Now, there's no excuse, I have to make something. I can't believe my luck. Maybe it was meant to be.
JoJo no I don't have any freezer space. I have a side by side that doesn't seem to have a very big freezer. My preschoolers go through bread and tortillas like crazy so I stock up.
Mary
Veggie PAK
Chillin' In The Garden
You can do it! When you begin the first time, I suggest that you write down how long it takes to prepare the product for each step of the canning process. I say that because it will help you determine how many canner loads you will want to do in a particular day. It sounds trivial, but it is info you will be glad to have. You don't want to start more than you can reasonably finish in one day. Remember, this is supposed to be fun as well as productive, and it is! You'll see!
I canned 94 quarts of green beans this year by myself. You can see more about what I did with canning this year at my blog address below if you would like to visit it.
I canned 94 quarts of green beans this year by myself. You can see more about what I did with canning this year at my blog address below if you would like to visit it.
i_am2bz
Chillin' In The Garden
I sure wish I knew someone who would give me free fruit! Guess I know the wrong sort of people!ninnymary said:
- Thread starter
- #25
ninnymary
Garden Master
I_am2bz...I wished you lived close by so I could share! These people are actually friends of our best friends. They live 30 minutes away and I've been to their house twice. I never paid much attention to their fruit trees and the fruits just falls to the ground. I figured if I didn't can some I would still pick up boxes just to give to people I know. For the bay area they have a very large lot, maybe two acreas. I'm always daydreaming of what I would do with their place. Like, have bees, lots of chickens, hugh veggie garden, maintain the trees, etc. 
Didn't get to go this weekend, and probably not this Labor Day weekend either. Hopefully after that.
Mary
Didn't get to go this weekend, and probably not this Labor Day weekend either. Hopefully after that.
Mary
Lorelai
Chillin' In The Garden
Don't worry, the water bath method is super easy. As a newbie myself, I can say that. I really recommend beginning with applesauce, since you don't even need a recipe. Just peel and core your apples, fill a large, preferably stainless steel, stock pot, add about an inch of water to the pot, and boil the apples down into applesauce. I recommend starting at a higher heat and then reducing the heat so the apples don't burn to the bottom of the pot. It does take a bit longer to get the right consistency (some soft apple chunks are good, because otherwise, your applesauce might turn soupy, like my first batch). But, mine didn't burn to the bottom like DB's! Take that!
Prepare your jars by running them through the dishwasher. Bring your new lids to a boil in a small pan, then turn off heat and let them sit in the steaming water until you're ready for them. Begin heating your water bath canner... you want it to be boiling when you put the jars in. If you have one, use a canning funnel to minimize mess as you ladle the applesauce into your jars. Don't fill the jars to the top, otherwise you might end up with spillage! I find that just below the lowest thread (yup, technical term... yeesh, where is my brain this morning?!) is perfect. Once your jars are full, take a clean rag or paper towel and wipe the rim of each jar to make sure the lids have a clean surface to seal onto. Using your magnetic wand or your fingers, plop each sterilized lid into place and screw the rings on "finger tight." So, turn them about as tight as they can go, and then loosen them a smidge so they aren't impossible to open after the canning process. I used quart jars, and my water bath canning rack really came in handy. I filled the rack, and then carefully lowered it into the boiling water. Make sure that all of the jars are immersed under the water. Put the lid on the canner, keeping an eye on it until it resumes boiling. Once it does, start counting. I think you only need 10 minutes once it's boiling, but I was multitasking and erred on the side of 15. Once the time is up, turn off the heat and remove the jars carefully once the boiling has stopped. Let them cool on a cooling rack or something of that sort. You'll hear the lids popping as they seal. I did a few batches last week, and every one of mine sealed. Take that, DB (three of his are in the fridge)! :bun
I really do think applesauce is the best way to test the waters, since you need the least amount of ingredients and so there are fewer places to go wrong. I now feel confident with the water bath canner... but the 22 quart pressure canner I recently came into is quite another story!
Regarding books. I skimmed the rest of this thread and didn't see anything about your local library! Seriously, your library system will have books on canning. Being poor, it's my best friend for these kinds of things. Investigate! (So says the librarian..
)
Best of luck!
I really recommend beginning with applesauce, since you don't even need a recipe. Just peel and core your apples, fill a large, preferably stainless steel, stock pot, add about an inch of water to the pot, and boil the apples down into applesauce. I recommend starting at a higher heat and then reducing the heat so the apples don't burn to the bottom of the pot. It does take a bit longer to get the right consistency (some soft apple chunks are good, because otherwise, your applesauce might turn soupy, like my first batch). But, mine didn't burn to the bottom like DB's! Take that! Prepare your jars by running them through the dishwasher. Bring your new lids to a boil in a small pan, then turn off heat and let them sit in the steaming water until you're ready for them. Begin heating your water bath canner... you want it to be boiling when you put the jars in. If you have one, use a canning funnel to minimize mess as you ladle the applesauce into your jars. Don't fill the jars to the top, otherwise you might end up with spillage! I find that just below the lowest thread (yup, technical term... yeesh, where is my brain this morning?!) is perfect. Once your jars are full, take a clean rag or paper towel and wipe the rim of each jar to make sure the lids have a clean surface to seal onto. Using your magnetic wand or your fingers, plop each sterilized lid into place and screw the rings on "finger tight." So, turn them about as tight as they can go, and then loosen them a smidge so they aren't impossible to open after the canning process. I used quart jars, and my water bath canning rack really came in handy. I filled the rack, and then carefully lowered it into the boiling water. Make sure that all of the jars are immersed under the water. Put the lid on the canner, keeping an eye on it until it resumes boiling. Once it does, start counting. I think you only need 10 minutes once it's boiling, but I was multitasking and erred on the side of 15. Once the time is up, turn off the heat and remove the jars carefully once the boiling has stopped. Let them cool on a cooling rack or something of that sort. You'll hear the lids popping as they seal. I did a few batches last week, and every one of mine sealed. Take that, DB (three of his are in the fridge)! :bun
I really do think applesauce is the best way to test the waters, since you need the least amount of ingredients and so there are fewer places to go wrong. I now feel confident with the water bath canner... but the 22 quart pressure canner I recently came into is quite another story!
Regarding books. I skimmed the rest of this thread and didn't see anything about your local library! Seriously, your library system will have books on canning. Being poor, it's my best friend for these kinds of things. Investigate! (So says the librarian..
)Best of luck!
