First canning attempt

[AnnaRaven]

Thank you all for your very helpful advice. Comes to show me what I didnt know yet. I dont think I have any 5% vinegar in the house so canning is off for tonight. I may stop by the farm store and see if they have a starter kit for people like me who are not very good at cooking or any sorts of food preservation but freezing

Bottled lemon juice works fine.

 

[AnnaRaven]

I started with lacto fermenting and last night I did my first canning. It was pretty fun. I recommend finding someone who knows what they are doing and offer yourself to help out

Hey Abi,

I hear you. I wish there was somebody out there that could show me physically how it's done but I am out in nowhereland. I even had to teach myself how to butcher a chicken. I thought canning would be a bit easier but sounds like it is not. Sounds like I need to go back to freezing for tonight.

It's really not that hard. It's just easier with the right tools. Use a bit of lemon juice or vinegar if you have it to increase the acidity. Then you'll be fine.

 

[valmom]

I just do jams and jellies so far, and just use a big stock pot. I ALWAYS forget to put the dishtowel in the bottom!! And the canning racks don't fit a stock pot. And- buy the canning "kit" rather than pieces- I bought myself a jar lifter and funnel first and always wanted one of those magnetic wands that lifts the lids from the boiling water that comes in the kit- but not enough to buy a whole kit since I have the important things. (I found a stainless steel canning funnel when we were in Amish country in PA a few years ago on vacation- I like it so much better than plastic!)

I have really really terrible luck with tomatoes- I don't know why they don't grow for me- so I havent done tomato anything yet. This year was going to be the year to can crushed tomatoes for pizza sauce. The plants did even worse this year than ever

 

[abifae]

Auntie Zilla walked me through my first canning.

me: Auntie, I'm going to make jam!!

Auntie: Okay, what recipe are you using?

me: I'm doing ginger peach!

at the store.... auntie: how many peaches do you need?

me: how many?

Auntie: what did the recipe say?

me: I sorta made one up! Hey, I have ginger, limes, and peaches! Do you think I need anything else?

...

At home we did look up a recipe for proportions and then we winged it

Worse case scenario: it doesn't fully set and I have ginger peach sauce.

And now I'm more comfy with it and have a list of new things to try. I just need hand holding the first time I do new stuffs. LOL!!!

 

[Avalon1984]

I just do jams and jellies so far, and just use a big stock pot. I ALWAYS forget to put the dishtowel in the bottom!! And the canning racks don't fit a stock pot. And- buy the canning "kit" rather than pieces- I bought myself a jar lifter and funnel first and always wanted one of those magnetic wands that lifts the lids from the boiling water that comes in the kit- but not enough to buy a whole kit since I have the important things. (I found a stainless steel canning funnel when we were in Amish country in PA a few years ago on vacation- I like it so much better than plastic!)

I have really really terrible luck with tomatoes- I don't know why they don't grow for me- so I havent done tomato anything yet. This year was going to be the year to can crushed tomatoes for pizza sauce. The plants did even worse this year than ever

Ok, I will check with the farm store tonight. No...it's farrier night till 9pm. Store closes at 8pm. Tomorrow...no, I need to inspect bee hives. Farm store will be closed by then. Wednesday. phhheewww. Hope tomatoes and peaches will be good till Wednesday. Why do I manage to make this so difficult all the time

If it makes you feel any better, my tomatoes were great but everything else pretty much failed. Corn stopped growing at 3ft. Not a clue why.

 

[Avalon1984]

Auntie Zilla walked me through my first canning.

me: Auntie, I'm going to make jam!!

Auntie: Okay, what recipe are you using?

me: I'm doing ginger peach!

at the store.... auntie: how many peaches do you need?

me: how many?

Auntie: what did the recipe say?

me: I sorta made one up! Hey, I have ginger, limes, and peaches! Do you think I need anything else?

...

At home we did look up a recipe for proportions and then we winged it

Worse case scenario: it doesn't fully set and I have ginger peach sauce.

And now I'm more comfy with it and have a list of new things to try. I just need hand holding the first time I do new stuffs. LOL!!!

Hey, that's how I thought it was going to work. Mix same tomatoes with some onions and spices and here I go. Oh well, I think I better find me some good recipe. The good news is I have lemon juice.

 

[abifae]

Have fun with it

Once I get past the scary "new" part and have done something, I get pretty comfy with it.

 

[moolie]

I hear you. I wish there was somebody out there that could show me physically how it's done but I am out in nowhereland. I even had to teach myself how to butcher a chicken. I thought canning would be a bit easier but sounds like it is not. Sounds like I need to go back to freezing for tonight.

Don't give up just yet

It all sounds complicated when you first read through it, but it's really easy (and quite addictive!) once you get the hang of it. Check out the youtube video and website I linked to, along with Tankshill's link--there's tons of info out there that will help.

If you can pick up a canning kit from your local hardware store today or tomorrow or even the next day, you can still can those tomatoes--they won't go off or get overripe that fast, so no need to give up and just freeze them unless you need to get them put up today due to your own schedule

Plus there's tons of great advice above, and if you don't have vinegar (most store-bought vinegar is 5%--it's standard) you can use bottled lemon juice as noted above.

 

[valmom]

No- don't give up yet! It is easy once you do it once I missed the part about no vinegar. What do you do without vinegar?? I use it for everything! I even have white vinegar just for cleaning and soaping emergency lye spills, and home made apple cider vinegar to eat.

 

[Avalon1984]

No- don't give up yet! It is easy once you do it once I missed the part about no vinegar. What do you do without vinegar?? I use it for everything! I even have white vinegar just for cleaning and soaping emergency lye spills, and home made apple cider vinegar to eat.

Miss I want to be self sufficient but I havent got the kitchen for it yet (which is me) has not had any formal uses of vinegar for a while, scary as it may sound. I used to get by with Rhamen Noodles and pizza. So that should give you an idea of my inventory. Since then my inventory has increased to Apple Cider Vinegar for the chickens. I just need to learn more and get better at what I do. It is pretty sad that my barn is better equipped and organized than my kitchenbut hey.its the first step in a longlong path. Rewarding one I hope. I have got the freezing of things down really good but now since my freezer is very very full, I need to look for alternative methods to store my many pounds of tomatoes. And then husband really wanted the get bushel of red haven peaches and left for the week, leaving wify with bushel of red haven peaches to eat or can before they go bad.

Thank Godness this site exists or I would probably starve to death with a cabinet full of food. When I am done with my chores tonight I will be sure to check out the youtube videos. Cant do that at work right now. Pssst. Dont tell anybody