Canning
Posted By: jss on 2008-08-27
In Reply to:
I canned some tomatoes in their own juice today for the first time. I used the Ball Canning recipe and guide. There is about 1/2 inch to 1 inch of water at the bottom of the jars. I'm wondering if this is normal. Maybe I crushed too many of the tomatoes for juice? Anyone done this before?
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Also new to canning
My tomatoes do the same thing, and I had a friend tell me it was because I left the seeds in. ???? They taste the same.
This is the first year I have canned, although I grew up on canned food. I have done a boatload of tomatoes, some kraut, some dill pickles, some pickled beets. Those were store-bought canned beets so we will see how well they turn out. Also have frozen some corn, and now have more corn and some green beans to process.
Just a note, from what I have read if the food is low acid, such as beans or corn, you have to process it differently.
Good luck to ya!!
HC
Canning tips.
I see that you'd like to learn to can. I do a lot of canning. In fact, I have a weird little room between my kitchen and dining room that I call "the pantry". We put shelves up on all the walls. One little shelf unit along one wall is my office. (I call the place the Pantroffice. :) The rest of the shelves, floor to ceiling, are filled with canned items. It's more of a hobby and a way to ensure that I know what is going into the cans. I can't say that it is necessarily cheaper than buying canned goods at a store.
If you are interested in learning, I highly recommend the latest edition of the Ball Blue Book. It costs about $5 or $6, and includes recipes and basic guidelines for canning. It's updated regularly, so find the most recent version. The Ball Blue Book will tell you when it's safe to can using a hot water bath, and when you must use a pressure canner. For years, I only did foods that required hot water canning, because that was the cheapest way to go. Several years ago, I invested in a very large pressure canner. Now I can can my own broths, soups, stews, and much more. It makes for quick foods at times.
It is something of a science, and lots of guidelines have changed from the days our grandmother's canned food. You certainly don't want to poison anyone! You need to know how to can the modern way.
If you want to know more, feel free to email.
Just a silly story about canning
When my brother and I were growing up we did not have a meal at home without applesauce. (He and I are both still a little that way) My mother decided to make homemade applesacue and can it to save money. Well canned applesauce certainly doesn't taste like White House. We hated it but we learned to love it. When we ate it all we begged for more but my mom hated the process of making it and canning it so much she refused to make anymore. When then had to go back to White House and it took forever before we learned to like it again. LOL!
Watermelon rind preserves? I'm canning like mad today!
Who has made this? I'm a canning fiend right now. I did 20 pounds of tomatoes last night and want to do the watermelon rind preserves. I found this recipe in my Ball Blue Book. I'm curious as to how they taste. I've got my watermelon rind doing a long soak in salted water right now. It sounds gnarly but hey, it's free, right?
I'm making some pumpkin/zucchini soup right now to freeze in my new chest freezer. It's to die for. Well, maybe. I've never used zucchini in it, but what doesn't taste good with a little zucchini?
Okay, babbling over.
I took home ec too, but did not learn about canning. The Ball Blue Book gets my vote too...
Mine gets replaced every year also because the pages are all stuck together, stained, and otherwise show signs of major use. LOL. It is my bible for anything that can be canned or frozen or otherwise preserved.
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