WHAT ARE YOU CANNING TODAY?

[lcertuche]

Young squirrels are good fried. Not so young ones make good squirrel and dumplings. Squirrel was my youngest daughter's favorite meat years ago and she would run and bring me the shotgun when she saw one. My son snared a young squirrel last year and I showed him how to skin, clean and cut it up. We fried it up and it was pretty good. I made him take down the snares because I found out they are most likely illegal, also downright torturous for the critter.

My watermelon jelly did not gel well. It is more of a syrup and taste like watermelon candy. I used the Certo instructions for jelly but added a couple of juice of limes for acid. If making again I might try adding half apple juice or more sugar and boil the crap out of it. The Ball instant pectin for freezer jelly didn't work either. I'm thinking watermelon just doesn't gel. If I get some Surejell I might try one last time.

The dehydrated watermelon was really good but the kids ate it up so fast I would never have any to put up considering the hours it took to produce I don't think it was worth it. Watermelon juice is easy. Just puree it in the blender and pour through a colander. Add some lime juice and a little sugar and it was pretty good.

Fresh eating is best if you get a good tasting melon but I haven't got a good one all year and these were the worst tasting yet. My son is eating it but I don't see how (it's that bad!).

 

[baymule]

@sumi one word about oven canning. Don't.

Stay on the safe side, either water bath or pressure can. That said, I packed dehydrated tomatoes in jars and oven canned just long enough to pop a seal on the jars. 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. But I would never rely on oven canning for my produce.

 

[CrealCritter]

I'm not crazy about any of it. Cantaloupe is my thing.

Me too - but I really like honeydew the best.

 

[CrealCritter]

Young squirrels are good fried. Not so young ones make good squirrel and dumplings. Squirrel was my youngest daughter's favorite meat years ago and she would run and bring me the shotgun when she saw one. My son snared a young squirrel last year and I showed him how to skin, clean and cut it up. We fried it up and it was pretty good. I made him take down the snares because I found out they are most likely illegal, also downright torturous for the critter.

My watermelon jelly did not gel well. It is more of a syrup and taste like watermelon candy. I used the Certo instructions for jelly but added a couple of juice of limes for acid. If making again I might try adding half apple juice or more sugar and boil the crap out of it. The Ball instant pectin for freezer jelly didn't work either. I'm thinking watermelon just doesn't gel. If I get some Surejell I might try one last time.

The dehydrated watermelon was really good but the kids ate it up so fast I would never have any to put up considering the hours it took to produce I don't think it was worth it. Watermelon juice is easy. Just puree it in the blender and pour through a colander. Add some lime juice and a little sugar and it was pretty good.

Fresh eating is best if you get a good tasting melon but I haven't got a good one all year and these were the worst tasting yet. My son is eating it but I don't see how (it's that bad!).

I have about 50 sugar baby plants - I already know there is no way we are gonna eat it all. That's why I asked about the jelly we will cut into cubes and freeze but I already know we will have too many.

 

[CrealCritter]

Somethings cooking wife sent me after 8 cases of pints and called in re-enforcements for help -:lol

 

[Beekissed]

I love it that you help her!!!

 

[CrealCritter]

I love it that you help her!!!

I like to help... yesterday I diced roma tomatoes with my pocket knife - a big huge bowl full. Cut in half, scoop out the seed pod, cut each half in 3rds, then cut across several times to make dices.

She also had me pack a bunch of hot pint jars with some kind of weird funnel thing that worked really well. Add 1 TBS of lemon juice, pack the diced tomatoes into the jars, then add a TSP of salt. I think she then added hot water to each jar and the put it in the water bather.

She was making squash & sweet relish at the same time in the kitchen.

Good thing I keep my pocket knife scary sharp

 

[Beekissed]

Never heard of adding hot water to tomatoes...that's a new one on me!

 

[CrealCritter]

Never heard of adding hot water to tomatoes...that's a new one on me!

I just do as I'm told... But here is a picture of a few of the jars - looks pretty good to me.

 

[lcertuche]

I like to cut my tomatoes in half, squeeze most the seeds out and blend. Heat up to a boil. After that I pack into jars. Even so there plenty of juice.