Canned Nerd

Two pounds of pre-cooked (in oven) Turkey Bacon and another couple pounds of store discounted bacon scraps, also precooked, which are fast frozen so they don't stick together in the freezer bag.

I personally would turn it into a nice flower pot since it does not contain the safety features that exist on more modern canners. If you decided to try it anyway, you would need to get the Dial Gauge tested for accuracy before using. For a beginner and weekend home canner person, I would personally recommend the Presto 16 quart 'Rocker' Canner found in almost all WalMarts and similar stores for around $50-$70. Very easy to use and will hold up to 7 quart jars or 9 pints.

If he's from the South they are Butter Beans. Everywhere else they are Lima Beans, unless you are one to call them Madagascar Beans. Here's a possible recipe, but you will have to change the name. Lima Beans With Bacon Servings: 6 1 16 oz bag frozen lima beans 5 slices bacon 1/3 cup diced red onion 1/3 cup brown sugar salt and pepper 1. 1. Boil the lima beans according to package (about 10-12 minutes-I used pressure cooker for 5 minutes). 2. 2. While beans are cooking fry bacon in a medium frying pan on medium heat until crisp and drain. 3. 3. Add the red onion and cook additional 5 minutes. 4. 4. Add lima beans, salt, and pepper to pan. 5. 5. Sprinkle brown sugar and stir. 6. 6. Add a couple Tablespoons water for saucier texture. 7. 7. Serve. Prep Time:: 10 minutes

Small Batch of Pickled Beets. Decided to try preparing the beets in my new Electric Pressure Cooker. A couple experiments and it seems that 15 minutes is ideal for my cooker and skin almost fell off. Never again will I prepare beets using the *long* methods and I'm encouraged now to buy beets more often when they show up at my Farmers Market.

It's not just Oster blenders. My old Hamilton Beach had the same internal threads even though the the outside of the base was unique for that blender. Just just have to test with a canning jar.

A very old procedure for a new generation or two. It's so easy to forget things or pass on common shortcuts as the years passed. Oster blenders did this for years and even had small containers with handles and lids, which you can still see showing up on eBay. That's where I sold mine after I moved on to a Ninja and Ball had those plastic lids for the canning jars. My favorite mug is still the canning jar with a handle on it.

Since the soup is liquid, I would say yes, but it is no difference from any other veggie that has been previously frozen and added to the soup or stew.

Today it is celery, chopped and placed in pint FoodSaver bags for future soups and such.

Dehydrated a huge container of dill pickles since I wouldn't be able to eat them for awhile and didn't want them to go to waste. Interested snack. On Monday I'm going through Gastric Bypass surgery to lose weight. All the food and canning over the years have added up and this is my last resort to get back a life before the coffin closes on me.

You can, but I don't know how "leathery" they will come out due to the syrup they were canned in. I would still do it.

Sweet Pickle Relish Yield: 8 half-pints 4 cups chopped cucumbers, (about 4 medium) 2 cups chopped onions, (about 2 medium) 1 cup chopped green bell pepper, (about 1 medium) 1 cup chopped red bell pepper, (about 1 medium) 3 1/2 cups sugar 1/4 cup salt 1 Tbs celery seed 1 Tbs mustard seed 2 cups cider vinegar 1. Combine cucumbers, onions, green and red peppers in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. 2. Let stand 2 hours. Drain, rinse and drain thoroughly. 3. Combine sugar, spices and vinegar in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Add drained vegetables; simmer 10 minutes. 4. Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust 2-piece lids. 5. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. Source: Ball Blue Book

Some say this is available at Wal-Mart but I've never seen it in my location. A Google search on the subject came up with this great taste comparison over different brands of powdered milk. It might help people decide on what to find/look for. http://www.utahpreppers.com/2010/03/great-powdered-milk-taste-test-and-review/

You are the type of person I like to find at yard sales.....I can get a lifetime of cast iron for pennies, making both of us happy. I'm the same way with Silver. People toss out their oxidized silver pieces, not wanting or not knowing how to properly clean them, and I clean them up (and in some cases replate them) and sell them for a major profit. Each has their purpose in the world.

There is no way to ruin a cast iron pan, unless you break it. It just needs some elbow grease to clean it up and then re-season it. Too bad you can't get your children to do the labor. Removing rust from cast iron pans

I like these references: Botulism - Colorado State Univ Ext. Botulism - Mississippi State Univ Ext. CDC - Foodborne Botulism in the United States, 1990–2000 NCHFP - Historical Overview of Key Issues in Food Safety

Retorting basically means canning foods. "Retorting is a food processing method normally used for cans, glass jars, trays and pouches, where the food is packaged first, and then heated at high temperature in a retort sterilizer to sterilize it with an outstanding level of process safety."

ClearJel® is modified from the cornstarch family, but that's where the similarity ends. It is resistant to break-down under high temperature and low pH conditions. This product is bland with essentially no cereal or starch taste. In retorted foods, it provides high viscosity, good clarity, and excellent sheen. ClearJel® contributes to the shelf life stability of canned foods. Canned products retain a smooth texture and show no liquid separation upon storage. It is the only thickener approved for canning purposes by the USDA/NCHFP.

For Rhubarb, slice in 2" pieces and blanch first, using only young tender stalks. Grind to a powder and use it fruit punches and leathers. Source: Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrating Cookbook, pg 62.

Eggs should never be dehydrated because of the danger of salmonella poisoning. Stick with commercial egg powders if you need it. Dehydrated products can be stored in ziplock bags or other containers to keep them away from moisture. There are new warnings out about dehydrating meats, especially ground beef, which has been discussed at length that somebody can perhaps post a link to. I love just about all "leathers" and they don't have to limited to fruits. Experiment. And yes many items can be ground down to powders and placed in the spice cabinet. My favorites are onion, celery, and tomatoes. Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook is the best book in my opinion.

To Dehydrate: Wash and remove tough ends. Steam blanch for 3 minutes. Drain. Dehydrate at 100 degrees (F) for 35 hours or until dry and brittle (to avoid them molding in storage). To rehydrate, soak in hot water for 30 minutes and drain. Stalks will likely remain a little tough. Dried asparagus is best used in soups, casseroles, or dishes that require mashed asparagus. When canning you might try a 'raw pack' with the spears or pieces very cold from being packed in ice and then also add a small amount of Calcium Chloride (formerly known as 'pickle crisp') to each jar. Both the cold and the CC will help maintain the cell structure better during the processing.

To give you more information/confidence in dehydrating different food items, you might want to get a copy of "Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook." Onions will become crispy dry and can be stored in a bag or jar almost indefinitely as long as it is away from bugs and moisture. I now use the ziploc seal vacuum bags for storing my dried stuff and that seems to work quite well and I can open a bag for what I need and then reseal it. Onions I will powder in the blender and add to my spice rack, along with minced and chopped onions. I've been thinking of putting chopped dried onions in the oven to roast them a bit to see how the flavor comes out, but haven't done it yet.

I will dehydrate the peel for zest, but I usually freeze the lemon slices to use in drinks or recipes. You could dehydrate the slices and then grind to a powder to use as a flavor enhancer.

You might like to try this recipe in the slow cooker for lima beans: Barbecued Lima Beans 1 pound dried lima beans -- (baby or regular size) 1 onion -- chopped 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 Tbsp mustard 2 tsp cider vinegar 3 Tbsp molasses -- (3 to 4) 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp chili powder 1 Tbsp brown sugar Soak beans overnight. Drain, reserving 2 1/2 - 3 cups of the liquid from the beans. Combine all ingredients in Crock Pot including water from beans. Cook on low 8 hours.

Three trays of sliced mushrooms. I want to try drying commercially canned new potatoes that have been diced. I've been using them fresh for breakfast hash, but dried might make a good addition for a soup mix.