WHAT ARE YOU CANNING TODAY?

Acre of Blessings

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farmerlor said:
freemotion said:
Do a batch of water or dry beans (gotta pre-soak, should be directions in your booklet.) This way, you are not wasting valuable food on the first attempt, and will feel much more comfortable with the process when you actually can something.

You have to get to know your stove with your canner, too, as I discovered. My two large burners don't heat the canner in the same way or at the same speed, nor do they maintain the pressure in the same way.

I was a nervous wreck my first time, visions of exploding canners and shrapnel everywhere! I did a batch of black beans, which was useful in so many ways. And it only cost me a couple bucks for two pounds of the dry beans. You will love it!
Y'know, I've discovered that I really, really like black beans. I'm going to have to can some soon.
I only by the dry beans and can them. From Pintos (fat meat added), Navy, lentil, Northern to Kidney, Black, & the 15 bean soup (gotta add ham with this) YUMMY!!!!

I actually have one of those little plastic 3-drawer thingamagigs in my kitchen just for all my dry beans. You can buy them dry a whole lot cheaper than you can already canned.

I usually can the dry beans during the winter (off-season) just to give me wsomething to do on cold, wet days.
 

freemotion

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How about some recipes? I've just done plain black beans, which we use a lot of, and the bean soup with ham and of course, chili. DH would be ecstatic if I did more with dry beans!
 

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freemotion said:
Can I have your recipe for Beep Soup? ;) :D

You got up at 4:30 to can? :ep :bow
O.K. here goes..... for sufficient canning I use 1 cup each variety.

Pinto
Great Northern
Black Beans
Lite Red Kidney
Large Limas
Small Limas
Blackeyes
Garbonzas
Navy
Green Split (peas)
Yellow Split (peas)
Lentils

You can also add any other bean that you like to this list. ;)

When I can them, I have chunck of cooked ham to stick in the beans. What I do is put a couple scoops of beans in the jar and then add a chunk of hot cooked ham and then fill it the rest of the way and then add the hot liquid. It is so good. I don't add salt as it's already in the ham.

Happy Bean Soup Canning!!!! :weee
 

Acre of Blessings

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freemotion said:
How about some recipes? I've just done plain black beans, which we use a lot of, and the bean soup with ham and of course, chili. DH would be ecstatic if I did more with dry beans!
I usually just add fat meat or bacon to the all the beans that I can for flavoring. When you add the fat meat or bacon.....don't add any extra salt. It will be to over-whelming. For pints I add 1 slice of bacon or fat meat and for quarts I add 2 to 3 slices.

You can buy just about any bean on the market and can them. :cool:
 

TanksHill

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I did strawberrry jam yesterday. I am trying to psych myself up for the pressure canner this weekend. I am so scared of it. I need to figure it out asap. My carrots will be ready in the next couple weeks. UGGGGGGGGG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

freemotion

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Be brave! Can beans or water....you can do it!!!!

Don't leave that canner for a minute the first time, find stuff to do in the kitchen, until you know your stove. Mine goes over the pounds very quickly, so I have to constantly adjust the heat. I have relaxed enough to try to just stay within a pound of the required pressure, never under, but sometimes over. If it goes way over, some of the liquid boils out of the jars. Not horrible, just a quality issue. I have to add some moisture to some of my goofs when I open the jar, mostly the catfood, not a big deal.

I'll be rooting (carrots :p) for you!
 

TanksHill

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Thanks free, I think it would be best to use the canner with no one around. Not that it's dangerous, I know with 3 kids I would get distracted. Water? Now I should be able to do that,
 
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