WHAT ARE YOU CANNING TODAY?

[Lazy Gardener]

An old trick is to put a bit of baking soda in the cook water for beans. It makes them soften and cook extra fast. But, I have heard that it inactivates the B vitamins. So... what you gain in ease of cooking, you loose in nutrients. Beans are also hard to cook if you have hard water, so in MY case, the baking soda can make the difference between an edible product, and crunch city.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Wish I was canning some cucumbers right now for pickles but sadly our seed all went bad at some point, so basically nothing save two corn stalks and one watermelon came up. (Of course, the gourds came up on their own again for the fifth year in a row by the shop!) I love putting up just plain dill pickle slices - get them and fry them the next year for a wonderful snack.

 

[Rammy]

Got only 3 quarts of tomato juice yesterday. More tomatoes to pick soon since they are starting to ripen now. Pulled up the beets since they didnt do well this year. Green beans are pretty shot already. Think its the heat and lack of rain. Picked a bunch at my aunts house and Mom canned 14 quarts, 8 pints so that was good. If the beans dont do any more than they have been they are getting pulled up and something else can be planted there. Can you do corn this late?

 

[BarredBuff]

8 pints of Salsa
9 quarts of Spaghetti Sauce

Peaches, beans, and more tomatoes this week...

 

[BarredBuff]

8 pints of Salsa today

Tomatoes tomorrow

 

[BarredBuff]

7 pints of tomatoes
7 quarts of beans (not the best)
8 pints of tomato juice

I also processed a batch of puree for spaghetti sauce on Thursday...

 

[Rammy]

Todays haul. 11 quarts 1 pint tomato juice.

 

[Mini Horses]

Think its the heat and lack of rain.

It is here!!! Those tomatoes are cooking on the vines out here.

Can you do corn this late?

Here, yes. I'm planning/hoping to 2nd crop some green beans since mine shriveled into "not worth it". Fortunately my growing season is good thru October most years. Then some cold/frost hits but the winter stuff....greens, some root things....we're good thru December.

 

[Mini Horses]

Ya'll got me chewing at the bit! I canned dry beans so they'd be ready to use. 7 pints kidney cooling & 8 pints great northern are in the canner. I've always just cooked dry but, realizing how easy to have ready, I canned!! Thanks to those who brought it up.

Of course it's handy to have them cooked but, I also felt I had to be looking at cost. Buying only 2# bags cost more but, it came out to 26 & 31 cents per pint, including the lid as we need to replace each time. That's in the vicinity of a 50-60% savings per jar, for store brands. More for name brands. If you can buy the dry in bulk, it would be better pricing. I'm ok with this price. Saving 50% on each item is fantastic. Plus in winter, heat & eat.

Tomorrow I plan to go to the veg auction and HOPE to get about a bushel of tomatoes at a good price. If there are other things I feel I can use & going well, I'll raise my hand! I'd like some fresh corn to can. Things I've gotten there before have been good items & better than store prices. They are farm fresh...local growers. Never know what will be brought. Last year a couple told me they quit the work of gardening & just buy there to can. Of course, they had to buy fertilizer & never stated own plants....so economical, too.

Probably salvage enough sad plants to give me tomatoes for fresh eating, if this heat breaks. Some plants will be ripped out. So...buy tomatoes The plants started so well, I feel I've let them down.

 

[BarredBuff]

12 pints of tomatoes today