What are you canning now?

[ducks4you]

I'm seeing a lot of things go out of stock/into high demand that normally do not. I buy my vegetable seeds primarily from individuals (via Etsy) and am seeing shops post that they are stopping sales to catch up with unusually high demand. Coupling that with the run on flour and yeast (neither of which I've ever seen out of stock everywhere in my life until now) I'm suspecting there are a large number of people who are looking to improve their self-sufficiency a bit. I wonder how many are first-time bakers or canners or vegetable growers. I'm trying hard to make an attitude adjustment and prepare myself to accept that it may not be too long before convenience items I'm accustomed to having will either be unavailable out of my price range. Leave it to me to buy a house six months before a massive recession kicks in. My brother bought his house in early 2008. Maybe we are genetically predisposed to poor real estate decisions.

I wonder if these people know that flour doesn't keep, like a canned good. Self sufficiency for those haven't even Tried it?!?!? Do they think they are slumming?
You made a good move with your 5 acre property!! You will be amazed at your freedoms.

 

[ducks4you]

I didn't mean to react, but I hate waste, especially when there are regular customers losing out. I meant to write that I had, in the past successfully canned watermelon pickles. The smell of the spices is heavenly and they were delicious and pretty easy to can, if you have never tried it.

 

[TwinCitiesPanda]

Self sufficiency for those haven't even Tried it?!?!?

That was my thought. I hope its not all going to waste. Now that I'm out in the countryside I doubt folks here are as far removed from baking their own bread as say my former neighbors in SoCal (obviously generalizing). I'm looking for the silver lining and thinking home gardens, self-sufficiency, and home baking will see a big uptick from this rough time. The longer its been since an adverse event, the less equipped we are to deal with them. Both of my 90-year old grandmothers have a lot of frugal and waste-reducing behaviors they've carried with them since the Depression. A lot of hard times will come from all of this, but another generation will certainly learn how to get by with less and appreciate bounty when we have it.

 

[ducks4you]

This:

What to Plant in a Victory Garden

Victory Gardens continue to flourish! What is a Victory Garden? How do you grow a victory garden? What should you plant a victory garden? Let's get started!

www.almanac.com

...is the 3rd article THIS week about Victory Gardening, including canning.
I see botulism cases in the near future.
I also see gardens started, people ripping up their suburban lawns, and not maintaining them after the stay-at-home orders are lifted. Maybe some landscapers will get some work.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I'm re-processing some home made jelly. It never quite set a few years ago and with each move, I always threaten to throw the 9 pints away. But I braved the outside world yesterday, went and bought some pectin and will redo all of them this afternoon.

 

[ducks4you]

I gotta ask, does anybody here can for jelly withOUT pectin?
Success rates?
I have read recipes for grape jelly that don't use pectin and I have 2 1/2 jars of grape juice from 2019 grapes.
Thanks!!
Also, I have apple juice stored that you could made in jam or jelly.

Simple Blueberry Jam - 3 ingredients, no added pectin!

Simple Blueberry Jam has a depth of flavour you will never experience from shop bought jam. This 3 ingredient, no added pectin recipe is a sure fire winner!

www.fabfood4all.co.uk

 

[ducks4you]

ALSO, this:

Concord Grape Jelly (pectin-free) - SugarLoveSpices

Concord Grape Jelly (pectin-free), has that plum, immense deep , sweet mistic grape flavor . a perfect breakfast accompaniment, or perfect with cheese!

www.sugarlovespices.com

Is the lemon juice a new thing bc of keeping the product from going bad?

 

[TwinCitiesPanda]

I gotta ask, does anybody here can for jelly withOUT pectin?
Success rates?
I have read recipes for grape jelly that don't use pectin and I have 2 1/2 jars of grape juice from 2019 grapes.
Thanks!!
Also, I have apple juice stored that you could made in jam or jelly.

Simple Blueberry Jam - 3 ingredients, no added pectin!

Simple Blueberry Jam has a depth of flavour you will never experience from shop bought jam. This 3 ingredient, no added pectin recipe is a sure fire winner!

www.fabfood4all.co.uk

I usually do not use Pectin. In a pinch I once used gelatin. Not even plain, I had box of strawberry Jello and tossed a bit into my mixed berry jam because it didn't seem to be setting. I usually try to use a fruit naturally high in pectin to mix into whatever my main fruit is. I've also boiled down apple peels to extract pectin from them. Look up a fruit pectin/acid chart for some inspiration. Generally I just cook down the fruit to the desired consistency. I'm not sure that officially jam, but it spreads great and tastes yummy.

 

[TwinCitiesPanda]

This:

What to Plant in a Victory Garden

Victory Gardens continue to flourish! What is a Victory Garden? How do you grow a victory garden? What should you plant a victory garden? Let's get started!

www.almanac.com

...is the 3rd article THIS week about Victory Gardening, including canning.
I see botulism cases in the near future.
I also see gardens started, people ripping up their suburban lawns, and not maintaining them after the stay-at-home orders are lifted. Maybe some landscapers will get some work.

Hopefully those who would not be canning safely will be too inept to grow anything to can . Have you seen those awful 1-minute videos showing people how to grow veggies from their grocery vegetables? Theres one that shows them potting half a bell pepper full of seeds. Enjoy your pot of rot. Should we invest in pressure canning or canning jar company stock?

 

[Zeedman]

It will be interesting to watch the panic if garden stores remain closed, due to being declared "non essential". The farm & fleet stores will most likely be the big winners if that happens.