First canning attempt

[Avalon1984]

You need to check abi's peach, Ginger, lime jam recipe. It is totally NOM!!!!! She posted it in the recipe section. It only calls for 10 peaches so you will still have 40 left to eat.

Yeah. that sounds like a plan! Thank you! I don't know how many more peaches I can eat. They wreak havoc on my system. Ate 6 yesterday. Ate 4 already today. Oh, husband will pay for this one!

 

[Avalon1984]

Just stick with the tomatoes and spices the first time. If you add onions, you'll definitely need a recipe because that changes the acidity and you have to be careful to have enough acidity to avoid botulism. Tomatoes are fine, particularly with lemon juice added. Onions and other veggies, not so much.

Hah! I didn't know that. Glad you told me because I always add onions to my tomato sauce. I went shopping yesterday and got canning jars but that's about all they had. Must go to another store tonight and see what they have. In the meantime I will toss the tomatoes in the freezer.

Yeah. You want to get yourself a copy of Balls Blue Book of canning. Or just use the online USDA Complete Home Canning Guide for recipes and tips to start.

Believe it or not, I actually picked one up at the store yesterday and when I got home it was not in my shopping bags and I was not charged for it. Must have gotten lost on the conveyor belt- or somebody else saw it and took it :/ I will definetely check out the recipes and then take a picture of my sucess.

 

[Avalon1984]

Ok, here is my update. I made tomato sauce yesterday (minus the onions) and it is in the fridge. It will be another long night unfortunately but I'd like to really get going on the canning thing. I have a recipe and all. The only thing I am lacking is the little device that lowers the cans into the pot and keeps them away from the bottom of the pot. I was thinking about the towel idea, but what about grabbing some little rocks from the driveway and use them on the bottom, then just set the cans on it so they aren't directly on the bottom of the pot?? Would that work? Do I make sense? If I can figure this out I could finally finish this project which would be great.

 

[k15n1]

Ok, here is my update. I made tomato sauce yesterday (minus the onions) and it is in the fridge. It will be another long night unfortunately but I'd like to really get going on the canning thing. I have a recipe and all. The only thing I am lacking is the little device that lowers the cans into the pot and keeps them away from the bottom of the pot. I was thinking about the towel idea, but what about grabbing some little rocks from the driveway and use them on the bottom, then just set the cans on it so they aren't directly on the bottom of the pot?? Would that work? Do I make sense? If I can figure this out I could finally finish this project which would be great.

Yes, that would be fine. Just make sure you can set the jars so they're level. If food gets in the seal, it might not hold.

Do you have a jar lifter? It's almost required. Should be 5 bucks or less.

 

[Emerald]

If you have extra rings-just lay them on the bottom-one in the middle and 6 around the edges-preferably the small ones... I've used that trick and it keeps the jars off the bottom really well.

 

[TanksHill]

Do you have a round wire cake rack?

Be careful if you don't have a set of jar tongs. Those buggers can be very slippery and the splash would hurt. Don't ask me how I know.

By the way, I use a sauce recipe where you add onions.

g

 

[Avalon1984]

I will be sure to be very careful. I have some very trusty tongs that I used when I did my first attempt a long while back so I will be using those. The idea with the rigns is great, I may do that instead! thank you!

 

[moolie]

With regular tongs, wrap rubber bands around the ends that you will grab the jars with--more grippy than just regular tongs

 

[Emerald]

Another nifty trick that I learned in the restaurant business was to take those white cotton gloves or the brown jersey type gloves(you need two pair) and a big pair of latex or other rubber type glove.. you put one glove on the left hand and then you put another glove on the left hand and then have someone help you put the latex glove over that... leave other hand free to work tongs. When you pull the jar out of the water with your smaller tongs(the rubber band idea is just outstanding!) you only have to get it just up out of the water enuf to grab with the padded/waterproofed left hand.
When I had to pull stuff out from under the big salamanders constantly I had to do something cuz the towel was always getting damp and damp towel vs. super hot ceramic food dish causes instant steam burn thru the towel..
But we would sandwich the rubber glove between the gloves..(dry work). but pulling stuff out of water you want the rubber glove on the outside to keep glove from holding boiling hot water next to your fingers.
My mother always kinda thought that all those years working in restaurants was wasted time... she never realized how much "real life puzzles" get worked out there and help so much in the home.

 

[Avalon1984]

I am soooo excited yall!!!! I canned my tomato sauce last night! My set was rather.jerry rigged (My husband said since I am German I can say that  ). I found one of those grill plates from toaster ovens that fit (almost) perfectly into my big pot and I was able to place the jars on it evenly. I filled the jars up, added vinegar, got the air out, cleaned them up and put them in. I actually used ( do not try this at home) a potato masher and my tongs for transportation. This way the jars were sitting on the potato masher and the tongs were holding them there. I did 5 jars. Then I did some really ripe peaches with granulated sugar, let the sugar melt , boiled it all up (it is midnight now) and canned them also since everything was sitting out still. I havent got a clue if this is the way to do peaches but it was either that or leave them to rot. I figured if it goes bad I can still feed it to the chickensmaybe?

Also, I placed the jars in the bed room on a towel to rest. I heard a bit of popping from the lids overnight. Does that mean my experiment failed?