What are you canning today? Part 8

[Ambergris]

I was watching someone can chicken over a propane fire today and had one of those huge OH! moments.

 

When pressure canning, I had always filled my canner with water to just cover the jars.  This lady put in about two inches.  I looked it up.  The instructions I'd read a dozen times said "two to three inches."  So where did I get the sure knowledge that I was to cover the jars? .

[Canned Nerd]

There should be just enough water to maintain the steam during the canning process.  2 to 3 inches is a good approximation, but you should pay attention to how much water is left when the lid is opened.  Do NOT fill over the height of the jars since the jars will not vent properly.  You only need to cover when you are doing water bath processing.  Hope this answers your question

 

[snapshotmiki]

My presto says put in 3 qts.  Has always worked and is probably about 3".  

 

Good to see you, Canned Nerd!

[Canned Nerd]

22 minutes ago, snapshotmiki said:

Good to see you, Canned Nerd!

Turned 74, all alone now.  Traded most of my canning to working on getting through far too many medical issues, including nearly dying from complications of gall stones, removal of gall bladder, pancreatitis, and a bad heart.  Lots of experimentation on medicines to keep me earthbound and this week has been my best is a long time.  May show up occasionally to say hi.

[Mt_Rider]

  Canned Nerd.  We've been talking about all those we miss.  Your name came up.  So sorry to hear of medical issues...been having some here too, DH and I.  All came out ok for us....this time.  But slowed us down considerably.  Gettin' old...it ain't for sissies!   

 

Hope you do show up more often....and right in time to support Ambergris' new revelation.  

 

Isn't weird to discover something that's been right under your nose, Ambergris?  It's been so long since I've canned anything, I would have to read each step of instructions VERY carefully.  I get too mixed up now....so DH helped the last couple times we did water bath pickled beets. 

 

I had an unpleasant ah-HA moment recently too....  If we end up going back to Maui...and I think we will....they have really stringent rules about bringing food in.  I *think* the factory packaged grains might be ok.  Sure would have to eat up home-canned goods...which isn't much.  {but one can only eat so many pickled beets at a time}  LOL  Do we really want to pack commercial canned goods?  For sure the freeze dried/dehydrated food in #10 cans would be ok...and a lot lighter.  I am not moving again in a couple of suitcases.  Did that START OVER too many times!!  {please, God?}

 

MtRider   

[Jeepers]

Canned Nerd!!!

It's so good to see you. I think of you often. You have been missed.

Sorry you have been ill. Kinda goes with our age doesn't it. You have a lot of company in that area.

 

 

Yes, you only cover the jars with water when you water bath can. That's probably where it got stuck in your mind. An easy way to remember might be to think;  Water bath = lots of Water.    Pressure = Steam so you don't need much water. Sheesh, I just made that up. Might want to let that little gem go.

 

I always put a little more water in my pressure canner than it calls for. Usually about a quart (maybe a little less) more. I think about what if I didn't put in enough water and it goes dry and the lid fuses on and ruins my canner and everything inside it. It's rare but it can happen and I have a hard enough time getting the lid off as it is. An extra splash of water and a couple glugs of vinegar helps ease my mind.

 

Edited September 23, 2018 by Jeepers
Used the BOLD option

[Annarchy]

Nice to see you, Canned Nerd. Welcome back.

[snapshotmiki]

I hope you can get back often, Canned Nerd, meaning that your health improves significantly!

 

And Mt. Rider, Maui???  Big changes!

[Mt_Rider]

10 hours ago, snapshotmiki said:

And Mt. Rider, Maui???

 

 

  Hmmm....haven't I mentioned that here?  That change of our EVENTUAL plans came when DH got the blood clot in lung last year.  ....if that clot had gone to brain or heart, I'd have been alone.  I realized that even if I have to spend most of my time on Maui INDOORS IN AIR CONDITIONING....    ...I really have to set up where the kids can help when that time comes.  There is no way they can help if I'm not there....  Kind of a no-brainer....right, Jeepers?  And I think we've missed enough of our DD's and Grkids already!!!    DH won't mind Maui's heat at all and should be there if I pass on first. 

 

We just always thot we'd have some in between place for a while....and when we got OLD, we'd return to Maui.  {....pssst, we ARE old } 

 

We left Maui for less heat, better medical care for MS, and less expensive (tho not much less expensive in CO).  We stay in CO cuz of my folks.  When that time is done...we'll go back to Maui unless God has some other [as yet unimaginable] plans for us. 

 

MtRider  .....still up here on the mountain at least one more WINTER..    ...which is sneaking up on us quicker than I'd like. 

Edited September 24, 2018 by Mt_Rider

[Jeepers]

On yes. I can attest to the fact that you need people who care about you in your senior years. And they really do need us too. Whether they know it yet or not. 

 

It's bad enough to be alone when your loved ones are far away but if they were permanently gone and you were left alone...well that's a hard lonely life. I only hope I "go" first.

[kappydell]

On ‎4‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 8:46 PM, kyles mom said:

Kappydell - I have never had boiled peanuts.  Are the commercially canned kind you buy at Wal-Mart good?  Wondering what the texture is like, are they soft?

 

They reminded me of cooked dry beans in texture.  They are salty, at least the ones canned from Walmart are, but they are pretty comparable with what I have bought at the stands.  For me they are addictive!  I imagine when edemame is cooked in the pods and served with beer it is a similar texture & taste - you open the shells with your teeth and tease out the beans/nuts with your tongue.  Yummy enough that I was delighted to find out how to can them.  

 

Hi Canned Nerd!   Hope you get better enough to do a little canning, it is enjoyable (for me anyway).  I had to get a smaller canner, (orthopedic & neirological  issues) but am still at it.  

 

 

[Canned Nerd]

20 minutes ago, kappydell said:

 

They reminded me of cooked dry beans in texture.  They are salty, at least the ones canned from Walmart are, but they are pretty comparable with what I have bought at the stands.  For me they are addictive!

I bought some at Walmart to try them.  After a few days most of the can is still there.  They are good but may be an acquired taste snack.  I can't eat the shell so I have to break open like a regular peanut to get to the meat.  Hands get messy fast.  I've heard that home canned have a better taste.

[Twilight]

Never cared for boiled peanuts and the only kind I ever ate were home made.

I think indeed it is an acquired taste.

I would rather make peanut butter out of peanuts.

 

Today I made 3 1/2 quarts of ginger syrup that I saved off the candied ginger.

Still a couple of pounds left to work up, want to mix with apple maybe for jelly, maybe a couple of jars of pickled ginger. Want to plant some too...

[Cowgirl]

We went from needing the air conditioning to needing the furnace within 2 days. Bizarre weather. I hate climate change.

 

But fall is finally in the air. Yippee!

 

Our orchard is still very young. This is the first year we got enough apples to call a harvest. It was modest, but something to celebrate. Our little trees were bowing from the weight of the fruit. We have been eating apples and I turned about 6 pounds of the apples into 14 half pints of apple butter. That will take us through about 1 year of eating plus a couple for gifts. It turned out sooo good.

 

I saved the apple scraps from that project for chicken food. I froze it in small batches to be doled out to the birds over time. They love it.

[Twilight]

Apple grape jam + and ginger syrup. The ginger syrup did not set, but it will be excellent in recipes calling for ginger. It really has a bite to it. Interesting addition to coffee.....

[The WE2's]

Put up 8 pints of spiced pears.  Love them but they require so much work to process.  I've got enough for now so won't be doing any more pears for a while.  Apples and oranges are the next on my list.  

[Jeepers]

Are you going to can your oranges? I saw where a couple of people canned the little ones and they turned out very bitter. They decided that you have to remove the outer casing and not just the pithy white part. They said the Mandarin oranges we buy in a can have been chemically treated to remove that "shell" for lack of a better word. What's that called anyway. 

 

i can't remember who all did them. It might have been Linda's Pantry or Kneady Homesteader. I'm sure it was Noreen's Kitchen though. I'd check it out but I'm on the Kindle. 

 

I wanted to do some of those little 'cutie' oranges but I'm not up to peeling each section. Maybe some of the bigger oranges. Maybe add a couple of grapefruit slices to the mix. I really miss my canner! 

 

Anyway, anyone doing citrus fruit be sure to remove the little bag around the sections very well before canning them. 

 

Bag, sack, shell, membrane, cover, pulp holder...what the heck is that thing called?!

 

[The WE2's]

Jeeps...Last year I jarred up the mandarin oranges, apples and grapes for a version of fruit medley, used heavy syrup (which I normally don't do...I normally use a light syrup) and they were fine.  The cuties are pretty easy to peel and remove the membrane (for lack of a better word?) and again, I use a heavier syrup and prefer to mix them with apples and grapes. 

[Ambergris]

membrane

 

[motherearth]

I CAN MOST OF WHAT WE EAT AND HAVE BEEN MAKING APPLE JELLY FROM SKINS AND CORES OF THE APPLES THAT I MADE DRIED APPLES FROM AND 300 JARS OF APPLE SAUCE SO FAR'

 

[Jeepers]

Membrane...sounds good to me. 

 

Wow Motherearth, 300 jars! I'll bet that is a thing of beauty. I love looking at jars of home canned food.

 

So much hard work, nourishment, love and contentment contained in one little jar of food. Pretty awesome. Sigh. I can get pretty emotional over a jar of home canned food.

[Virginia]

Canned some boneless pork chops for son=in-law last night.  We have just about done all the canning we need to.  Makes DH nervous.

[snapshotmiki]

I canned 18 pints of dog food a few days ago.  9 with Burger and 9 with Chicken.  Will be adding bone meal and a vitamin supplement.

[Jeepers]

Yummmm, pork chops. I like to eat mine with Heinz 57 steak sauce.

 

Adding bone meal sounds like a good idea. If you have a Sams or Costco card you can get the generic Tums supplements in bulk pretty cheaply. Same ingredients.

[Cowgirl]

For calcium, you can also use eggshells. Bake them until dried and then grind them. Feed at a ratio of 1 teaspoon per pound of meat.

 

That is not the same as bonemeal. Bonemeal is better as it is more than just calcium. But in a pinch eggshells are better than nothing.