Shari

Yes, it is! I feel guilty for not using my little buddy, Dial Gauge Boy. He is a very old canner from my MIL. We ate years of delicious preserved bounty from him. I was looking at some You Tube videos of canning and saw the exact model as Dial Gauge Boy and the gal had converted hers to a weighted gauge. I will have to do this. The other problem with Dial Gauge Boy is, he takes forever to decompress. The new model cools down more quickly. Can't beat that! I, too, catch up on my reading during canning season!

14 quarts of beef stew pinging and cooling. The kitchen smells wonderful. Hubby ate the last of the stew that didn't fill a jar and approved of the batch. I love my weighted gauge canner! While the canner was rocking away, I cleaned up the kitchen. Until Darlene brought up weighted gauge canners, here, years ago, I didn't know such a thing existed. I pressure canned a lot and would be tethered to that dial for hours on end. Now, I listen and carry on. So, thanks, Darlene! I can really multi-task now.

This is not flour, I understand. But, here is the gluten free Wedding Cake I made for our daughter and son-in-law's Wedding a few weeks ago! Even the gluten eaters loved it! Sorry if the pic is too big. Have no idea how to shrink it.

This one Zucchini Spaghetti 3 lbs ground meat 2 heads (2 whole heads, not 2 cloves) garlic, peeled and pressed or minced 7 - 7.5 lbs fresh mushrooms, quartered or chopped 6 large zucchini (let them grow to 2-3 inches in diameter and 10-12 inches long) pureed with skins on until they are saucy 2 #10 cans tomato sauce (6lb, 10oz each) 4 Tbsp dried minced onion 4 Tbsp oregano 1 Tbsp basil In a large pot/pan, brown and crumble ground meat. After the first few minutes, but before meat is fully cooked, add in prepared garlic and mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink and mushrooms give off their juice. Stir in zucchini sauce (trust me; noone will know), tomato sauce and seasonings. Let simmer for 1/2 hour or so. Can in quart jars, processing as for meat at your altitude. Yields around 14 quarts. Comments are HSMom's

Our daughter just got married and used key limes in the centerpieces for the dinner tables. She had four pounds of key limes left over. One of her bridesmaids had lived in Turkey and suggested I make lime marmalade the way she learned to make it in Turkey. The limes are gently boiled in water four times. Dump the water after each boiling. This removes the bitterness. Cool the limes until easy to handle. Slice and remove seeds. (I removed the seeds and ran what was left through the food processor) For each cup of limes add 1 cup of sugar. Heat gently until sugar is dissolved then boil rapidly for about 15-20 minutes. Limes have plenty of pectin so none needs to be added. The mixture will start to jell - I used a cold spoon and the mixture will slide off the spoon like jelly. At that point remove from the heat, let stand 5 minutes or so. Jar it up and process. I processed for 10 minutes in a hot water bath. This made 12 half-pint jars. Delicious!

Thanks for all the welcomes! Three of the reasons why I became misty eyed for this place are my three Grandsons, my jarring partners. They asked when I was going to make that zucchini spaghetti again. I saved a recipe from here and use it yearly. I think it came from HSMom? Anyway, it is delicious and is the favorite spaghetti sauce at this house! I jar up a lot of stews in the fall, too! Best fast food in town for the rest of the year!

Don't just toy around with the idea - have some fun and do it!

Thanks! Did not expect a reply so fast! Looking for something else to "jar" before cleaning up the kitchen!

I have not posted in years. I've slipped in once and awhile to check on things. Every time I haul my canning supplies out, I think of this place and say a prayer for all of you. My little side kick canner, who was just three when I joined Mrs. Survival, is almost thirteen! He still insists that I call the process 'jarring' because I put the stuff in jars not cans. He still enjoys helping even though I have to promise him extra time on the electronic gadgets. He has two little brothers who like to harvest and help, too. During the intervening years, we closed our business and I went back to school and am an LPN. I have a great job at a short term rehabilitation unit. 'My' people are recovering from various surgeries, replacement parts surgeries, strokes and the like. They go through PT, OT, and other therapies and return home. Years ago, Mrs. Survival helped push me out of my comfort zone of only canning jams, jellies, fruits and a few pressure-canned veggies to canning meats, stews and all manner of good things. Today, I made sixteen half pints of lemon verbena jelly and decided I really missed this place as the kitchen resounded with pings all over the place. Just wanted to say "Hi!' And, I am going to stay around awhile! Hugs! Shari

It took me twenty minutes to regain my composure after reading the ad for the "brief safe!" Oh! My goodness! I still have tears of laughter running down my face! Will be checking out the thrift stores for undies now. Everyone on my Christmas list is getting one (a pair?) of these! I can see the egg nog flying already as my loved ones open their gifts!

Count me in as an INFJ. Joe Butt's description of an INJF explains one thing. Why I appear to be "aloof" when I am thinking. He wrote it is because I am "hard at work and focusing energy into this less efficient tertiary function." Explains why, when the family finds me being quiet, they all yell "Look out! Mom's thinking again!" Yep! They know! LOL

I froze all of my salmon last fall and didn't can it until February when I had time to deal with it. Still turned out to be wonderful!

100 minutes did seem rather daunting. My gas stove is very touchy so I have to keep my eyes glued to the pressure gauge. I sat in front of that stove through 2 batches! But, oh, my goodness, I have never tasted anything so good! Besides, while doing all that watching, God was giving me His undivided attention - amazing how prayer can make a canning project speed by! Hugs1 Shari

Hi, cleanheart! Try this! Great with cream cheese and any kind of cracker. My sisters sampled it and ate a jar apiece! Turns out very solid compared to store bought! Fileted and skinnned salmon Salt White vinegar Tomato ketchup Wide mouth pint jars (Ive used regular but harder to pack) For my altitude - 12# pressure for 100 minutes but worth it!!! Put 1 tablespoon of white vingar and 1 tablespoon of ketchup into each jar Cut salmon in pieces and pack into jars leaving 1/2 headspace. (Don't have to precook) Using your fingers, gently push down on salmon to remove air bubbles. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each jar. Place heated lids and rings on - per manufacturer instructions. Process at pressure for you altitude for 100 minutes. You may use trout and steelhead as well. Can be used in any recipe calling for canned salmon or tuna. We love it on crackers with cream cheese, as I said. Definitely worth the time to process!!

Oh! Yes! Major Victory Dance, Cookie Jar! For two reasons - lotsa dance moves because I got the jars! Then lotsa dance moves cuz Hubby found them and said "Good job!"

Read this and took off to the local Salvation Army Store and bought almost all the canning jars they had - 7 1/2 dozen - the rest were cracked, chipped or icky. I felt I better catch up to the rest of you! Besides, Hubby isn't home to see me drag them all in here! He can't understand why I just don't go buy all new ones. Sheesh!

Two favorite "poverty" foods at this household. Potato soup and the cheapest boxed mac'n'cheese avaialble. I would make mac'n'cheese alot especially during those seasons when the budget got broke with antibiotics to treat the kids' ear infections. They call it earache food that made them feel better. I won't tell them that it was the antibiotic that I had to force down their throats! One daughter grew up to become an exchange student in Germany. Her first request when she got there was to ask to have as much mac'n'cheese sent to her as I could! Potato soup could be stretched to serve the neighborhood! We are expecting one of our exchange students who is from Denmark, after Christmas - haven't seen her in years. The first thing she asked for, when she called to say she was coming to visit, was a batch of "Tater Soup!"

Will this take this back to the top for new member, huronscoot?

Thanks!! That's what I figured but needed reassurance! Hugs!

This sounds great. I like the idea of zuchini in it! Does anybody know if it is ok to use ground turkey or ground chicken in recipes like this? 150# hubby is on a cardiac diet and needs to watch the beef intake. I can't seem to find any info on canning ground poultry. Thanks and hugs!