What to can?

[Guest Guest]

Ok ladies, I'm sitting here thinking about the huge variety of things we can home can, and don't know where y'all would like to start.

 

I had originally thought of starting with apple butter, but ran into problems when life interrupted me and I was unable to do that at the time. (sorry Rita )

 

A general list of things we're gonna learn how to can could be posted as follows:

 

Simple Fruits

Simple Vegetables

Simple Meats

Jams, Jellies, Pie Fillings

Entrees

Soups, Chowders and Meat Stocks

Vegetable based Pickles, Salsas and Relishes, etc

 

And a few more that I'm not thinking about at the moment. If anyone has a burning desire to start with something particular, let us know here. Otherwise, you'll be at my whim and whatever I'm in the mood for at the moment.

 

 

lol

 

 

DARLENE

[mk7925]

I was thinking about some shephards pie done in pints.

 

Ground beef cooked with onion, garlic, maybe mushrooms, and tomato sauce, maybe green beans (or maybe add a can or jar when ready to serve) not sure. Ground beef is on sale here for 1.69 when you buy 10 #.

 

Goal is to can the 10 # a week that is loss leader sale at one particular store in my area. They always have one or two fantistatically low priced meat a week. Goal is 100 jars of meat. Next will be veggies that will ripen around July 15. Give me advice or ideas please.

[momahen]

My vote (for whatever it's worth):

 

Baked Beans

Entrees

 

Those are the things my pantry is screaming for. Personally, I can handle the directions in the Ball Blue Book for simple veggies/fruits/meats. What I'm looking for are some tried-and-true recipies that would be convenience meals on the pantry shelf.

 

The only thing I've found so far that has met this criteria is Goulash (not sure if it's from the Ball Book or from Stocking Up). It has beef and veggies. All I have to do is heat it up, add a glug of ketchup and serve it with boiled noodles. Very nice to have on hand for "one of those days". And keeps me from wanting to get take-out (which makes me sick and costs too much).

 

Keiko (sleep deprived and therefore posting more than I normally do)

 

[shamrockus]

I have "heard" that it is not "safe" tho cook bean soup in a pressure cooker, Is the same true for pressure canning it?

[Bamboo]

I can my bean soup in my pressure canner without any problems. What was supposed to be unsafe? You do need to leave a bit more headspace (or at least I do), but I've never had any problems and the soup is awesome.

[shamrockus]

I'm not sure that I remember, my ex-mil told me years ago. I think it had something to due with the "gassy" effect, that hte beans "explode "under the pressure and clog the steam valve.

[thesimplelife]

I like the idea of “instant” food too Keiko but instead of pressuring it all together I do it separately and then mix what we’re in the mood for. For instance I’ll have vegetables (green beans, corn, beats, peas), meats (pork, beef, chicken), potatoes, tomato juice, salsa, tomato sauce all in my pantry in jars.

 

If I’m really in a hurry I’ll grab a jar of meat add a little ketchup, brown sugar, onion and heat it on the stove. While it’s warming up I also have a jar of potatoes opened and browning in a skilled with a little butter. A jar of green beans opened and warming up too and I can have supper ready in 20 mins.

 

If I have a longer period of time I might make vegetable soup with some of the above ingredients.

 

I buy canned chili beans but if we want chili I use the canned beef and tomato juice or salsa I’ve canned. Doctor it up and voila chili in no time.

 

The canned chicken makes wonderful chicken and noodles.

 

Anyway, just a few ideas of “mixing and matching” instead of canning it all in one jar.

 

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Winkie...that's a very good point, and one I do also. That's why in my original post I had stated it as *simple meats, simple veggies, etc*...cause I do can plain beef, plain chicken, plain tomatoes, plain corn, etc...along with the entrees all put together. I'm like you, I like variety, and I like the flexibility of either putting it all together at a later date, or having it all ready to go.

 

I'm gonna be making 2 things today to prepare for my canning, and I'll post those in a seperate post here in the kitchen.

[Guest Guest]

Safetylady...hang in there, I'm gonna be sharing alot of the different things I home can with meat. The *simple meats*, like just beef, or chicken, or pork that I can alone, we can come up with some ideas on what to make with them later.

 

Keiko...I have a recipe for baked beans that I'll post...I'm exhausted now, so I'll hafta find it, but I made it from navy beans and then processed it in the canner and it came out beautiful! Not to worry about entrees either, I have a slew of those that I do. Please remind me though, if I forget about the baked beans...I'm feeling fuzzy headed at the moment, but am sure happy as I sit here listening to the *ping ping ping* of my home canned split pea soup jars!

 

 

DARLENE

 

 

 

lol