What are you canning?

[lcertuche]

Watch Linda's Pantry canning videos on YouTube. It's not me, a different Linda. She gives very easy, precise directions. Watch a few videos and you will realize how easy it is.

 

[journey11]

I was given an old National #7 pressure canner that is about 60 years old. It sat on the shelf and waited a couple years for me to work up the courage to use it. Now I use it all the time and I'd much rather pressure can because it is quicker and easier than setting up my water bath which I have to do on a propane burner outside. The pressure canner has a flat bottom, so I can use it on my ceramic top stove. Anyhow, don't be afraid of it. Even my old one has safety features so it will not blow. As long as you follow the directions and don't be dingy and wander off and forget to keep an eye on it, nothing bad will happen!

I put up 7 quarts of green beans last night. We ate some fresh for dinner and I did have 1 quart's bottom break in the canner. I've been using a few of my jars to make milk kefir and yogurt in, so I must have damaged that one somehow. It is a bummer to open it up and find beans floating in the water.

Today I do pickles. I need my fridge space back. I have about a bushel of cukes crammed in there!

 

[lcertuche]

If I get some cucumbers I'm going to have to make bread and butter pickles. The Wildbunch has ate through half of mine already.

 

[ducks4you]

Ducks, even though it is new I suggest you talk to your county extension office about getting it checked out. I also have a Presto, it uses the gauge instead of the weighted rocker. Your extension office should be able to test that gauge for you to make sure it is reading correctly. They'll also look the the canner to see that the gasket is still good and everything in undamaged and in working order. Maybe that will give you a little more confidence.

When you are ready to use it let us know. Maybe we can help talk you through it and make sure you have the right accessories. Once you learn the procedure it's not hard. But you do need ot follow the procedure.

Thanks, I should really do that, but I never would have thought to do so. We have the NICEST people on TEG!!!

 

[ducks4you]

If I get some cucumbers I'm going to have to make bread and butter pickles. The Wildbunch has ate through half of mine already.

I have made three batches in the last year bc MY crew ate through them, too. They all put them on their hamburgers, ignore the onions so that I can eat them.

 

[ninnymary]

Ridge, that jelly has such a pretty color. Almost fuchsia

Mary

 

[Nyboy]

@ninnymary how was vacation ?

 

[ninnymary]

@ninnymary how was vacation ?

It was amazing! Definitely worth the long flight.

Mary

 

[ducks4you]

Consider every post above that I didn't make to be "LIKED". Making the mad dash of closing down the garden beds and getting ready for the Holidays.
I have been cutting and dehydrating sweet peppers since last Friday night. Here are some pictures:

Biggest Giant Marconi sweet pepper and several quarts processed...

Brought one jar over to DD's house and they were snacking on them!! VERY happy me, bc I thought I had burnt them.
Right now, 5 quarts and counting. Each jar contains about 15-17 sweet peppers for cooking, and, I guess, snacking, too.

I am harvesting the jalepanos today, too. Don't wanna mix the two!

 

[flowerbug]

Mom has oven canned her whole life.

we've done thousands of jars over the past ten years.

mostly tomatoes, pickled beets, bean salad, dill pickles, bread and butter pickles and salsa.

i no longer make cooked strawberry jam since i've been making freezer jam instead and i also freeze fresh berries for making short-cakes on the off-season if we have extra. this past year we didn't have extra and i barely have 9 pints of freezer jam.

i also freeze roasted red peppers. i try to put as many of those in the freezer as i can since they are my tomato substitute for making sauces and other things.

over the years we've had one jar break in the oven and a few jars didn't seal, but that is it. not bad at all really. bad lids caused some troubles a few times, but i just got replacements and things went fine.

i should note that because everything we do is acidic enough i don't worry about the oven canning. if we were doing a lot of low acid or non-acidic foods canning then i would want to get a pressure cooker. in comparison i do thing BWB is a lot more work than oven canning, but you do have to have a decent oven.