WHAT ARE YOU CANNING TODAY?

[CrimsonRose]

I sorta just winged the pumpkin butter recipe when I made a small batch a few weeks back... but I made it basically just like I do with apple butter...

put pureed pumpkin in your crock-pot and cook it down a bit
(you can blend it a little apple juice to thin it out some if you get it too thick) then add some honey and sugar to sweeten it and add your spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice... using about double the cinnamon as you do the other spices...

it doesn't take half as long to make the pumpkinbutter as it does to make the applebutter since their are not as many juices to cook out... I used my hand blender to make sure it was good and creamy

And boy did it taste good... just like pumpkin pie!

Then I just water bath canned it just like the apple butter (but not sure if this is ok or not since pumpkin puree is a big no no to can and you are supposed to pressure can it) But I canned it while it was still hot from cooking so figured all the germs were cooked out plus the honey and sugar will help preserve it...

 

[Farmfresh]

Finally got my new pressure canner yesterday. Been saving for it for ages. So excited!

First project with it. today I'm going to cook and can some homemade chicken soup. That way, I will no longer be the only member of the family that doesn't get homemade chicken soup when I catch a cold.

After that, I'm thinking bbq sauce, chili, beef stew and applesauce & apple butter. I've got about 20 pounds of apples sitting here that need to be used soon.

Remember to can everything EXCEPT for the noodles. Noodles will not hold up well to the canning process.

I am Gluten Free so I know what you mean about always getting left out when it comes to soups! When you are ready for your soup just pour out your canning jar and begin heating then add your noodles at the last 10 minutes. Perfection!!

 

[Farmfresh]

I canned 4 quarts of spaghetti sauce with meat.
I did not enjoy standing in the kitchen for 90 minutes watching that pressure gage. I was afraid if I left for so much as a peek at the computer that I would get side tracked and the pressure would go way up, ....or down
So I read a book.

I know I will appreciate the sauce this coming winter though.

That is why I usually make MY spaghetti sauce without meat! I brown the meat when I am making the meal and add the Water Bath canned sauce to it then!

If I want an even faster meal, I have been known to brown up several pounds of meat (seasoned with garlic, onion, salt and black pepper of course) at a time. Then I drain it well. Pack it into Ziplock quart freezer bags and store.

That way a spaghetti dinner only takes as long as heating the water and cooking the noodles!

 

[The_Realistic_Optimist]

Doing more apple butter today. The guy that sells fruit & veggies at our local farmer's market has agreed to buy it from me. He says if it's homemade, he can sell it. Now I have to figure out appropriate pricing.

Also, doing some big cooking today, so I'll be putting up jars of soup & stew. It'll be nice to have easy "heat & eat" food that's free of chemicals & additives, but is ready at hand in case of power outage or late work hours.

 

[TanksHill]

Would you re can tom sauce from a #10 can??? I have several large #10 cans of tomato sauce. I would like to re-can it in more friendly usable pints. I really don't think this is a problem if I bring it to a boil and water bath again. I even thought about adding a bit of lemon juice to bring up the acidity.

What do you think?

g

 

[murphysranch]

Absolutely, Gina. I made more spaghetti sauce with a couple of cans of pizza sauce. I still have a full case of #10 cans of diced tomatoes to redo, before the cans get puffy.

 

[TanksHill]

thank you!!

I thought so. My Auntie says the Amish near her buy everything in bulk and break it down and can for storage. I actually bought a case of this fab marinara sauce in Mo. at an Amish store. It was 6 # 10 cans. I think I paid 6 or 8 dollars for all of them.

I already have my pints in the water bath sterilizing and the sauce in on the stove.

Whooo hoo!!!!

 

[yardfarmer]

DW and I just finished with 12 pints of beef broth made from bones from this years 1/2 beef. Boiled roasted bones for about 12 hours, strained the stocked through cheese cloth, and 20 minutes at 11 lbs. pressure. DW makes the best beef barley soup.

Now if I could just catch a salmon. There's nothing like salmon canned in jars instead of metal cans.

 

[TanksHill]

That beef broth sound heavenly. Definitely something I would love to make.

 

[ksalvagno]

I canned today for the first time. Canning really seemed overwhelming to me but I had bought some canning jars and there was a recipe for fruit juice jelly. So this was extremely simple but I think it turned out ok. I used cranberry juice.

I do have a question though. How do you sterilize your jars and have them hot and ready to go? I was trying to time the sterilizing with when the jelly should be done and ready to go. But it didn't quite work out. Do you use more than one canner? It seemed to take forever for the water to start boiling again. Also, how do you sterilize the lids and then not touch them? It was just confusing what should and shouldn't be done for sterilizing. Luckily the recipe only makes 5 eight ounce jars of jelly so if I messed up, not a big deal.