What "meals" do you can?

[peteyfoozer]

I got stuck on canning tomatoes, green beans, jams, broth and the like and it hadn't occurred to me that I can put up stew, chili and non cream soups too. Duh. What do you can besides the typical garden fare??

 

[digitS']

You are up early, Petey.

You must be talking about "canning, canning." I try not to have anything to do with canning, anymore. I used to help Mom quite a bit with canning fruit every year. I had 2 chest freezers full in October - does that count?

In the "meal" category, I suppose that the many quarts of spaghetti sauce counts. There are a few variations to the theme .

I'm curious, Petey. I've been to Denio . . . can't deny it. Do you live "close" by?

Steve

 

[Ridgerunner]

I can soups. This year I did vegetable soup, corn and potato chowder, and leek and potato soup. You can add the milk or cream and cheese to the chowder after you open it so you don't have to can milk products. For those days you need a quick easy mean, just open a jar of soup and make some sandwiches.

Others won't consider this unusual, but I canned sweet potatoes for the first time. They grew really big this past year, bigger than we need for a meal since there are only two of us. And they were so big my wife had trouble cutting them up. Canning them worked out pretty well. It's so convenient I'll probably try regular potatoes this year, both because they store better and because of the convenience of using them.

I canned dried beans, not from the garden but from the store. My wife found a recipe where you don't have to precook them but you do soak them really well. Again, it is a convenience thing. Instead of having to cook beans all day, you just open a jar.

 

[peteyfoozer]

Why yes, Steve! We are 15 miles up the dirt road from Fields. Alvord Ranch. LOVE IT HERE!!
Now admittedly Burns is considered a town, and its only 2 hours away, but after going there and finding they were OUT OF LETTUCE then another time when they had NO GREEN ONIONS, we started driving to Nampa/Boise to do the grocery shopping.

 

[peteyfoozer]

oh! that is VERY good to know, ridge runner! That helps a lot. I think I am gonna have to find a new place for all my milk jars so I'll have room for all this stuff. I might try the potato thing too, I really like that idea, as a lot of them go bad in the ranch walk-in. Too much humidity, i think. I wish the old root cellar hadn't collapsed.

 

[digitS']

Really, close. The pictures on your website had that look to them. I like the desert communities. Of course there are miles and miles of miles and miles, between them. Rocks tho' - rocks are really something that adds to the landscape .

After all those miles - I have especially enjoyed arriving at Jordan Valley! Crossing the Jordan has a good feel to it, even if isn't a river and only a crick.



Steve

 

[peteyfoozer]

Jordan Valley is always a welcome sight when we go to town...especially after a couple of cups of coffee.

 

[cityfarmer]

If freezing counts, spagetti sauce, soups, and chili.

 

[peteyfoozer]

Actually, freezing doesn't because we are 5 hours from shopping and freezer space is at a premium, but those would be great meals to can! I can make more pantry space, just not more freezer space...plus we had a freezer failure last year and I would hate to lose EVERYTHING in it again!

 

[Ridgerunner]

One trick to not necessarily lose everything in the freezer is to have a full freezer. If it is not full of food, maybe fill milk jugs with water and freeze them. My freezer is getting a little empty this time of year and the critical time of year for power outages are getting here, so milk jugs with water are going in. I know you said freezer space is at a premium but maybe something to consider.