Violet

Use 135 for better results. I would use the mesh sheets for faster drying.

Please, do not follow the canner booklet. You must vent a full 10 min. not 7. There is still too much air inside the canner at 7 min. and your gauge can register incorrectly, leaving your food underprocessed. It should be a steady stream of steam, it usually is quite strong. Run a string or something through the vent pipe first or a pipe cleaner and be sure it is really good and clean before you put the lid on.

Be sure you put in a depth of 3 inches of water before the jars go in, too. Some books say only 2 or 3 quarts and you can run your canner dry with such a small amount.

The AA canners just jiggle every once in a while, not steady like the Presto do.

They just mean to lift up on the weight slightly in case there is still pressure. You want to put it back down if it still hisses from steam.

You can do either way with the meats, but you will have moister meats and a nice broth to use if you can with broth. I suggest that method.

I would store the Velveeta for a while, but not much longer than the date on the boxes.

This person says they will dry meat.... uh, I hope they know unless it is jerky done with enough salt that it can kill them.

Please, do not experiment with preserving foods !

You could dry beans if they were just plain cooked, or with just some spices added.

There are many foods that are not safe to dehydrate, so be careful to whom you follow.

Rice and beans should be fine, as long as they are just plain. Not adding any butter, etc. to the rice or other things to the beans other than dry seasonings when you cook them.

There are some real crazy ideas about drying out there. No hamburger rocks, eggs, cheese, leftovers, etc. Just because you read it in a book doesn't make it so.

No, not quarts. 3 inches, 3 quarts is not deep enough .. no wonder it was low. Three inches before the jars go in.

I diluted it with some oil. Thanks for the reminder, though.

Still will be fine. Did you start out with at least 3 inches water ?

Too dense to get the heat all the way through, just like some other quarts of foods. They can mold if you don't get it hot enough in the center for long enough. Also, can break the gel, I was told, in the larger jars.

I am just starting to lear about essential oils. I did not think they could work, but I tell you, they have been helping ! Especially lavender and peppermint rubbed on my cheeks and forehead. Think I will order some larger bottles. My understanding is they are not all created equal, but I would think that any would be better than none. I am using doTerra brand. You order them from a distributor. Not cheap, but I think worth storing some.

Half pints are best, but pints can be used. Quarts are not recommended.

It can go over the tops. Same processing time as pints or half pints.

I guess I did well with the 50 lb. of Russets for $3.99.

If you are not against using sugar free gelatin or strawberry gelatin, use that for flavor. Here you can also buy strawberry extract. Either would work.

You can also use the jam for filling in those breakfast bars, like nutrigrain bars. That or in thumbprint cookies. Add to smoothies. Flavor cream cheese.

Mix with pancake syrup.

Peppermint is soothing for all sorts of things. I just got some doTerra oils. I thought this stuff was sort of voodoo, lol ! However, one use of the peppermint and lavender oils and I was amazed ! Been suffering from sinus issues so badly again. My dd came to stay for a few days. She told me to try the oils. I was on the computer ordering them a few hours later ! So, I would also grow lavender.

I am going to order larger bottles of oil ! I am horrid with plants.

Making shampoo/soap bars. Ordered some more pretty molds instead of just cutting into random bars. Sewing aprons, cloth Christmas napkins that are double sided, round, and when you fold they are trees ! Then, making quilts, oven mitts that are like big cupcakes. Embroidered flour sack towels. I don't know what all I have made and will make. Oh, and some pretty laminated tags.

I may post some pics of things to sell.

Uh, you better handle carefully. Wrap tightly, wear gloves as you do. It may have potential botulism since it has oil in it. If not that, it is at least fermented and needs to be tossed asap !

Lumabean, I was thinking of you and praying for you during the storms ! I was hoping you were protected. So glad to see you posting.

We keep getting just things from NY, NJ, and CT. here. It is so surprising to see how awful the damage is. Sad, since there are still people in New Orleans and North Dakota living in FEMA trailers. I know of a gal from a forum that is still living in one in ND.

I still stick by my original answer, it would not be considered safe to can. Again, do at your own risk. There is no way I could guarantee it's safety.

I don't have any recipes that are tested for canning any lacto fermented foods. Regular sauerkraut is not lactofermented.

Where did you find your information ?

You are welcome. I just got a recipe yesterday for homemade tater tots, too.

As long as you follow the guidelines for the other cooked meats, size of peices, adding the water, etc., it will be fine. I agree, take off the fat. We are supposed to remove any visible fat anyway.

I would say no. It is totally unkown and a guessing game. That, and it is a dairy product. It would be at your own risk.

Lumabean, the peeler/slicers are worth it ! I suggest the one with the suction cup on the counter, not the clamp type. The one that clamps was letting all the juice run on the floor, making a huge mess.

Here I can find them sometimes at the thrift stores for a few dollars. If you have any around, you may want to check there.

I don't pretreat my apples, but we don't care if they turn a bit brown. Later as they sit, often you cannot tell the ones that were pretreated. I have a bag of things in my office with a variety of methods done to the dried foods. The apples all pretty much look the same after a few months.

double post... sorry