What do you can?

[momto1]

I am new to the idea of canning items. My mom used to do a lot of it when I was growing up. Now I am considering it. Boy how I have changed! Anyway I was wondering if anyone else did this? If you do what are some of the things you do? Favorite recipes? Any help, advice is great! Supplies needed?

Thanks!


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[sdlee]

I've canned applesauce and applebutter. I usually freeze tomato sauce and other veggies. I have a pressure canner this year, so I may be brave enough to can tomatoes this year.

[3tbear]

I've never personally done this, but this web-site seems like it would have the information you'd need to do it. I hope it helps.

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[cata5]

I don't can, but my neighbor used to. She canned peaches that were soooo good in the winter! She also did various pickles and spaghetti sauce. She also froze corn and green beans.

[kat]

I can so much from our garden - fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce (meatless), pickles (b&b, garlic dill, regular dill), dilled green tomatoes, salsas, pumpkin & beans. We also pick apples in the fall, so I do applesauce & applebutter. I also freeze berries, corn on the cob, seeded & riced zucchini for bread, peas & baby carrots.

Most of the frozen items are easy. Berries I freeze individually for 5 minutes in ice trays and then pack them into quart size bags. This way they don't clump together so I can get what I need without defrosting everything later on. Things like corn & peas, I blanch and then immediately freeze in bags - then I microwave directly in the bag on medium heat when we want to eat them. It all tastes garden fresh, even 4 or 5 months later

We do eat most everything fresh during the summer but we also have a huge garden so I have LOTS of extras to put away for later. And, there's nothing like fresh strawberry pie on the table at Thanksgiving time

If there are any particular recipes you'd like, let me know. It's very easy to can - all you need are the jars, lids & seals and a large enough pot to cover them in. I have a stove top canner - it's just an oversized dutch oven and I do my canning in a hot water bath. I've never had a problem with anything I've canned, but I don't can meats because they can turn nasty (plus you have to double boil everything before you eat it & I don't trust my kids to remember that rule!).


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[cata5]

Kat, I would be interested in knowing what your routine is. Do you spend a whole day on one canning project or is it ongoing or what? Also, do you think it would be worth buying at the farmers market to can? That is what my neighbor did since there wasn't room for a garden.


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[kat]

With me, canning is an ongoing project during the summer. We have a LARGE garden. For instance, we have a total of 40 tomato plants - Romas, Beefstakes & Plums so it seems like there are enough different types of tomatos to can some every day

But, I do try to make sure that there's enough of a single item to run it through the canner or at least enough jars of items that need to stay in the bath for a similar amount of time. Today I put up a full batch (my canner takes 8 jars at a time) of tomatos & then I filled the canner with a mixed batch of garlic dill pickles and dilled tomatos since they both need the same amount of time.

Things that I blanch, like corn, I'll do when we're eating the same item anyway. Corn on the cob is blanched by sticking it in boiling water for 3 minutes and then it goes directly into the freezer bag & is put in the deep freeze. So what I do is husk an extra 6 ears each time we're sitting down to have corn and I grab those extras out of the pot and let the rest cook. That way there's really no "extra" work for me and by the end of the season, we have dozens of ears in the freezer for the winter.

I don't know how frugal it would be to buy things at a Farmer's Market - I think you'd have to check the prices in your area. To me, the fresh taste alone would be worth it - I hate the tinny taste that most commercial canned veggies have and good frozen can be expensive. I sell baked goodies at our Farmer's Market here (fresh breads mostly) and I think the prices are higher than the supermarket - and the supermarket buys from the same farmers, so why bother to buy there? But people do! Personally, I'd look into any pick-yourself places that might be close by - they're generally far cheaper than the farmer's market & it's relaxing to go and pick


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[momto1]

Kat,

Do you put the whole ear of corn in the freezer? I have done it where I blanch, cut off cob and then freeze.

Thank you all so much for your ideas and information. It looks like I will be starting next year since the only thing I planted was tomatoes and they are not doing so well this year.

Well, maybe I will "borrow" the apples off my neighbors tree and see what I can do from there.


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[cata5]

Originally posted by kat


I don't know how frugal it would be to buy things at a Farmer's Market - I think you'd have to check the prices in your area. To me, the fresh taste alone would be worth it - I hate the tinny taste that most commercial canned veggies have and good frozen can be expensive. I sell baked goodies at our Farmer's Market here (fresh breads mostly) and I think the prices are higher than the supermarket - and the supermarket buys from the same farmers, so why bother to buy there? But people do! Personally, I'd look into any pick-yourself places that might be close by - they're generally far cheaper than the farmer's market & it's relaxing to go and pick


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First, I am totally jealous of your garden and canning! We had a garden at our previous home and I gave lots of it to my neighbors. I should've experimented with canning! LOL

I have always wondered why people spend more at a farmer's market when grocery store prices are lower. SOME things do seem tastier from the farmer's market... My neighbor's peaches were to die for in the middle of winter so THAT I get. LOL Thanks for your info. I could definitely freeze some corn....

[kat]

I freeze it right on the cob - 6 ears seems to fit well into a freezer bag & if it was really work (like having to remove those kernals), I might not bother Anyway, having corn on the cob in the winter makes it even more of a treat than having niblets Even though you think your tomato plants aren't doing too well - remember that puny tomatoes that you would think were trash make good tomato sauce and green tomatoes make GREAT dilled pickles.

And cata - I love to cook & bake and yes, there is a major difference with homegrown vs commercially grown foods. Even my not-so-picky kids can quickly tell the difference between the two


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