Its official: I hate canning

[SugarDaisy]

I did a back of pickled beets and Im currently doing a batch of peaches. After this, I give up. I hate it. It takes forever to process the fruit, it takes forever for the canning water to boil (It really does take forever to get that much water to boil), Ive burned myself from the hot water and Ive broke numerous jars. Plus my neighbors hate me because I keep setting off the smoke alarm.

 

Canning has defeated me.

 

Side question - if the glass jars are in the water bath upside down, does that matter? Ive got a batch in the water that are not sitting upright but I burned my hand pretty bad and cant deal with digging around in the water trying to set them upright (that stupid jar lifter isnt much help)

[westbrook]

SugarDaisy,

 

I am so sorry you are having such a time canning! but... come on into ... http://www.mrssurvival.com/forums/ubbthrea...ge=1#Post223223

 

Come can with us! we can talk about all the problems and triumphs.

 

Some things are very time consuming and others are a snap.

 

We are going to start with preserves, them move on to pickling and relishes and get into pressure canning.

 

One step at a time... starting with easy things to can.

 

 

[westbrook]

put the lid on the canner to get it to boil faster... but the jars should already be in the canner.

 

Jar breakage may be from putting cold jars into hot water... everything needs to be close to the same temperatures. I lay out a towel on my counter so the jars aren't set on a cold counter.

 

Burn yourself on the hot water steam.... use an oven mitt on the hand over the pot.

 

The jar puller... awkward, yes... in time you get the hand of it.

 

If your jars are floating... you may be using too much water in the canner. I mean you only need to cover the lids with about 1-2 inches of water.

 

More detailed information will help to help you with better and more accurate answers.

 

I want everyone to enjoy canning as much as I do.. and I want to help others learn this almost lost technique before I die. Them more people that I can get excited about this the more memories they are creating for their children and grandchildren!

 

And don't forget to wear an apron! and that oven mitt... you make your own! you can make it as long as you want to! just ask me how! I sew too.

 

[Darlene]

What westie says is true...

 

Organizing a routine with which you can helps alot too. Little things like when I am heating up my seals and rings, I put a seal in each ring, then put them in a pot of water in an organized fashion and bring the water to a boil. I use tongs to lift each seal and ring outta the hot water to place on my jar, pouring out any excess water. It's just a one snap motion...the seals are already contained in the rings...

 

The jar lifter takes a little getting used to, but eventually you get the hang of it and it proves invaluable. I always looked at lifting the hot jars outta the canner with that thing like lifting a small weight lol...

 

If your jars turned over it's because they probably didn't have the other jars close enough together next to them for support. Perhaps in the future, just use a couple of empty jars to help fill the empty space and keep your filled jars upright...that'll help you with the aggravation. But the ones that flopped over will be fine.

 

I'm not sure what you're doing to have an excessive amount of jar breakage, but like westie said, when I take mine outta the canner, I place them on kitchen towels and they stay there untouched over night.

 

Put a lid on your canner when you're heating your water up. If it's taking an excessive amount of time, perhaps your heat source isn't as hot as others. I'm sure when you boil water to make spaghetti it takes a while too, but the lid will help trap the steam and force it to help the water heat up faster.

 

The processing of fruits and veggies can be time consuming...different varieties process different. Pitting cherries is really the pits, but so worth the trouble, as are all the other fruits and veggies and meals you'll do. There's the thrill and personal reward of taking something from it's natural state and preserving it without all the preservatives and garbage that the commercial canned products contained. You're in control, and the taste really is far superior.

 

Home canning is an art. It is an expression of love. It's an expression of our personalities, our likes and dislikes, preferences, the whole 9 yards. Every jar that I give away is like giving a part of me because of the time, effort and dedication I had in preserving that particular product. I believe in home canning with all that I am, and I'm willing to suffer with all the work involved because there is just something priceless about seeing that preserved food in that jar that *I* made.

 

I understand your frustration, I understand your impatience, I understand that it feels like you're trying to speak greek when doing this kind of work, but perhaps we can help share a few hints and tricks that we've learned along the way that will help make your journey a little smoother, and that will allow you to experience the rewards that you deserve with this work.

 

Besides, there just ain't nuffin like going and taking down one of those gorgeous glass jars in the month of January when the weather isn't condusive to growing much of anything and reaping the rewards with homemade fast food you prepared months ago. That always warms the heart.

 

Trust me.

 

[Vic303]

I agree with SD that waterbath canning is a PITA. Takes forever, is messy with all that water bubbling out of the pot and lifting the lid, heats the house up worse than the pressure canner.

 

I prefer pressure canning, at least in my limited experience.

[JCK88]

Yes, water bathing jars in hot humid summers and no ac is not exactly fun. I was fortunate to get addicted to home canning when I lived in a house with central air. But..now in the hot steamy summers of New England, I still find a deep sense of satisfaction in canning things--especially peaches.

 

If you have the proper tools for the job, a crushed ice drink handy to stave off the heat (0r to stick a burnt finger in quickly), you should be able to haul those jars outta there fine. The beauty of it is that once the water bath is boiling, the second batch will take less time. I make it a game to get the next batch ready while the first is in--and it seems less tedious that way.

 

If you are using an electric stove, consider getting a heavy duty burner for canning. It supports the pot and does heat faster. If you are using gas, turn it up on high to get it boiling..it shouldn't take all that long!

 

Less water in the canner...practice with the jar lifter a LOT without hot water so you know what you are doing. Wear the oven mitt but be careful if it gets wet with hot water!

 

Get the magnet thing that lifts the metal lids out of the hot water to put on the jars. It saves burnt fingers, it is cleaner, and it's kind of fun, like those fishing games at the carnivals.

 

Enlist a canning buddy so you don't have to prep all the food alone. ( I LIKE canning alone, I work faster, but some people need a group)

 

 

Once your water is boiling, you don't need to have it boiling furiously. It just needs to boil not boil over or produce enough steam to rival an old locomotive or to steam off the kitchen wallpaper.

 

Today, at the farm coop, I learned that the two lady farmers who started it have been working long hours and not eating right because they are so tired at the end of the day. It was a great privilege to go home, take some quarts of beef stew, bean soup, applesauce, peaches and home-canned turkey and bring them over. They were delighted, thrilled, touched--and allowed as how they, as farmers, want to learn to can their own produce. I have been invited to show them how in exchange for more produce!! I get to do MORE canning! LOL

 

Like farming, canning is not easy. But its rewards are many. Even if you hate it enough to not do it for now, it's a good skill to have. I hope you do it more, get familiar with it, and learn to enjoy it.

 

I just can't imagine not doing it. There is nothing like the satisfaction of knowing you can "manufacture" your own product at home.

Pressure canning is different for sure--the products can be more complex, such as beef stew or soups and meats. But something about water-bath canning is basic and good, like a memory of your mother in her apron. Also, it's a connection to the past in a real, tangible way. Home canning with the water bath goes back to the 1850's, and our foremothers from Colonial times would have given anything to have this method of food preservation. We've got it, and not much can be done to improve on it!

 

 

[brendajo]

There is something about canning that is soul satisfying.We all have those days when nothing goes right.I was canning turkey last week,had every thing ready to go,then realized I had sterilized the wrong size jars.It seems my favorite saying when I am canning is, OUCH THATS HOT.I always place my filled jars on a folded bath towel to cool and make sure the air condition vents are closed in my kitchen.Cold air and boiling jars don't mix.Thats a big OUCH!!!.But when it is all over and those jars are in your pantry ready to last for years it is all worth it.

[westbrook]

I hate canning as I am peeling tomatoes or peaches or pitting cherries!!

 

"why do I get myself into this????" I wonder. But when it is all over, I love canning!

 

 

[Jeepers]

Originally Posted By: westbrook

I hate canning as I am peeling tomatoes or peaches or pitting cherries!!

"why do I get myself into this????" I wonder. But when it is all over, I love canning!

I do the same thing!

Oh my back hurts, oh my feet hurt, my hands are getting sore, I'm hot, I'm tired, I don't wanna peel any more potatoes, am I ever going to see the last potato, I'm never doing this again, what was I thinking...

Then I hear PING! and lovingly line the jars on the counter and stare at them and run for the camera.

Year after year...the same routine.

[SugarDaisy]

I like the look of the peaches now that they are done, but it really was a chore.

 

I broke the jars trying to lift them out of the water bath. I had one almost out and it dropped back in, splashing hot water on my and breaking the jar it landed on (which was on its side because I had dropped that one too).

 

I did pickled beets a few weeks ago and peaches yesterday. Peeling and chopping both of those took forever.

 

I would love to have someone around that cans. Not necessarily to can with all the time (I work better alone), but I think it would be useful to do it once with them to see how its done. I dont know anyone that does it though. I have some friends that are trying to learn like I am, but no one that is a pro.

 

I thought the second time would be easier than the first but it wasnt at all. I really, really want to make pickles because I have a recipe I love but Im just not sure I want to go through canning again.

[Darlene]

Originally Posted By: westbrook

I hate canning as I am peeling tomatoes or peaches or pitting cherries!!

"why do I get myself into this????" I wonder. But when it is all over, I love canning!

You really nailed it on the head there westie lolol...

Before I start to can, I'm all gun ho and think I can capture the moon and the stars...400lbs? NOT A PROBLEM!

In the middle of processing 'whatever' I swear I'll never do that much again...what was wrong with me, why did I ever jump into this project...I'm nuts, this is ridiculous, I need medical help, etc etc etc...

And then, like you say westie, when the jars are all sitting on the counter cooling and I begin to count how many jars I actually got processed, I'm like a new mama telling anyone who's around, "are they just SO PRETTY?!?". My heart bursts with pride, I feel a genuine love for doing it all and I'm grateful it's all over.

Within a few days, my mind starts to play tricks on me and I think, that really wasn't SO bad...maybe I'll only do 300lbs instead of 400lbs next year and it'll be much easier...

It's like having babies...you never actually truly remember the pain of childbirth. You know it hurts but if you're like me, you just do it over and over again (I had 4)...lol

I just had my youngest daughter out picking wild blackberries that I'm going to make into jam/preserves. She wasn't real happy about having to pick all those blackberries. I got a pot full and that was probably only 5% of what's still ripening on the vine. She made a point of showing me the little scratch she got on her finger from the prickers, and I made a point of acting 'oh so concerned and sympathetic'...lol

She's going to have a FIT when she gets to actually taste the jam/preserves and she'll forget all about all her little boo-boo's lolol. She ate a bunch of them too while we picked and in the end, she followed me around, holding the pot so that I could dump the ones I was picking, while she ate the blackberries, one at a time...lol

I'm going to make some ciabatta bread today and some preserves...I really look forward to eating that later today.

[SugarDaisy]

I gotta admit the jars do look nice sitting on the counter. I dont know that they are nice enough for me to try this again. Ugh.

[serendipity]

Ha..I can soooo relate to this! I hate canning too, although I am slightly addicted to making my own preserves (yum).

 

My dd's and I tried to do up 2 lugs of peaches yesterday. Beautiful fruit! Only problem was that some were very ripe and ready, and some weren't, and it was hard to tell which was which. The pits simply would not come out of some, which of course meant they were pretty smushed up. We changed courses midstream and made peach butter instead (mmmm.....).

 

I was pretty aggravated though, and I have been canning forever, lol.

 

I prefer to dry and freeze as much as possible. Thankfully, dh loves to can or our freezer would never have any room.

 

Hang in there sugardaisy. Some things really are worth your time to can and some aren't. The trick is finding out which things are best for you and your area.

 

And it really does get to be easier as you get used to it more. Still a lot of work, but it develops into a rhythm of its own.

[Shandy]

The first year will be the hardest, SugarDaisy. After that, like the other ladies said, you'll learn your routine and the little tips that make the canning go faster.

 

I just finished up a few batches of jam...which are the easiest and most fun and prettiest things to can. It heated up our house, but everyone...and we had lots of visitors hanging out here today...everyone came into the kitchen and gazed at the jars.

 

A tip about the water bath: I always fill the water bath half way first thing and set it on a burner. I also fill a teapot and boil the water in it and set it aside in case I need more water in the bath as I'm progressing thru different batches.

 

Then I turn on the water under the water bath, and bring it to a boil while I'm getting everything set out on the counters or floor (buckets of sugar) that I will need.

 

When the water is boiling in the water bath, I turn it down to simmer. Then it will come to a boil soon after I get the jars in there.

 

Keep the jars and lids hot or very warm. I do mine in the dishwasher and leave the dishwasher closed and that keeps my jars hot. My lids sit in a big pan of hot water on the counter.

 

Do you have one of those thingies that you lift the jars out with? Or are you trying to do it with some other utensils?

 

When you set your jars in the rack, have the rack *up* on the edges of your water bath. Put the jars in and *then* lower the rack into the water. Use the "thingie" that I mentioned in the paragraph above to push the jars outward again. If the jars get in there upside down, lift the rack up and out and try again to set the jars in correctly.

 

After doing this a while, you'll get to know your tools so well that your burns will be few and far between.

 

It isn't fair really that some of us got to learn to can as we were growing up and some of us have to learn on our own as adults. I do wish you lived in my neck of the woods. Showing someone how to can is such a wiz, and it's a pleasure when that someone has enough confidence that she just cans on her own, and then calls you later to tell you about it.

[Shandy]

Oh yes. Reading some of the other ladies' replies here reminded me: I was raised to *always* put in 7 jars. If I don't have enough produce for the last jar or two, I fill up the jars with hot water from the teapot, put lids on them, and process the water. Which I dump out later when I need the jars.

 

 

[HSmom]

Originally Posted By: Vic303

I agree with SD that waterbath canning is a PITA. Takes forever, is messy with all that water bubbling out of the pot and lifting the lid, heats the house up worse than the pressure canner.

I prefer pressure canning, at least in my limited experience.

I agree. Take, for example, pears vs. hamburger.

I buy a 20lb box of pears, and some juice (or make a sugar-water syrup) in which to can it. I have to peel and core the pears; they're very slippery. They will also turn brown, whilst I am peeling and coring their neighbors, so I have to find a way to mitigate that. Then, I have to put them in a pot with the juice/syrup, bring it to a boil, then transfer the hot sticky mess to already-hot jars. Add lids and rings, then process. That 20lb box makes 7 quarts (but boy, are they delish!)

Otoh, I can buy 9 pounds of hamburger, brown and crumble it in my big skillet. Then I spoon the meat into already-hot jars. I use my tea kettle to pour boiling water over the meat in the jars. Add lids and rings, then process...I get 9 pints (yes a smaller jar, but pints are the right size for my family). I could stack the jars in my canner and do 18 pints, but my big skillet ain't that big.

On yet another hand, we have raw pack canning. It goes something like this: Run to grocery store after dinner for wine, as husband is snarky and kids won't settle down...find chicken marked down with "use by" date of tomorrow. Buy all there is. Bring it home. Pull canner (which holds rings and tools, like the jar lifter, funnel and the magnet thingy for lids) down from top shelf. Place on stove with water. Add 7 quart jars with some water and turn burner to high. In a sauce pan, place rings/lids in an orderly fashion (see Darlene's earlier post). Bring to a simmer over medium or medium-high heat. Cut up raw chicken (if purchased whole). Stuff into hot jars (from the canner which is now boiling away merrily). Top with a hot lid/ring. Return to canner. Repeat for all jars and process according to type of meat and bone-in or bone-less status. While canner is boiling away for the correct time (over an hour, no matter what), sip wine and browse internet. Make sure to thoroughly clean hands and areas touched by raw meat.

Don't give up Sugar Daisy. My motto is "Don't work harder, work smarter."

[Andrea]

(((SugarDaisy)))

 

Canning isn't my favorite method of preserving food, because as everyone has pointed out, it's a LOT of work!

 

Start small and take baby steps. You'll get the rhythm down, it just takes time. And besides looking pretty, those jars of homecanned food are a much better method of preserving food for longer term storage than your freezer or dehydrator. Believe me, read some of my older posts, I felt the same way you do now! But once I bought myself a smaller canner (I have this ancient monstrosity that I can barely lift empty, let alone full!) and started mastering recipes other than salsa and jam, it has become second nature.

 

You can do this! But be patient, there is a learning curve and learning takes time! (Oh, and don't ever try to can 400 lbs of something in one go! I respect and admire Darlene but just between us, sometimes I think she's either a bit crazy when it comes to canning or has some sort of SuperHero canning power! )

[Darlene]

Originally Posted By: Andrea

I respect and admire Darlene but just between us, sometimes I think she's either a bit crazy when it comes to canning or has some sort of SuperHero canning power! )

lol

I love doing it...I love anything to do with foods, so all the work is a labor of love.

I'll be getting 10 gallons of blackberries next week over and above the thousands I need to pick here on my property. Once I get those preserved, I'll get another 10 gallons and I should be good to go for a little while.

So hush lolol...the way I see it, if I'm going to work, then I might as well WORK and get it over and done with for a long, long time. No 2 pints of this, 3 quarts of that for me!!!! lol Gimme TONS of pints and quarts!



lolol

[SugarDaisy]

Thank you everyone for the encouragement. It has really helped me to hear that everyone has their moments. I thought everyone else was enjoying it and singing in the kitchen and I couldnt figure out why I was so miserable. So now, Ive got it in my head that its a "chore" so Im more realistic about the process.

 

I'm canning pickles right now! Just eight pints, but I really think I need to stick to small batches for now.

[PoGo]

SugarDaisy, like with anything, there is a procedure to follow. Some parts of the procedure will be enjoyable, some will not be enjoyable. It's all relative to ones own personal likes and dislikes. At the end of it all, you call it a job well done and satisfaction results for what you've accomplished.

 

Thinking of the parts that you don't enjoy doing as a chore, is a good idea.

 

SugarDaisy, you're doing great! Those that canned huge batches didn't usually do it alone, they had help. Small batches are just fine.

[BiscuitMaker]

Darlene I remember reading that you ordered jars from the factory one time how many jars did you get at that time.

I think your answer will be real scarey-------------

[Darlene]

Well Bis, they came on pallets...

 

I never thought to count how many, but a whole pallet is alot and just to scare you just a little bit, I really do have literally a couple of thousand jars.

 

Ok, so I'm nuts. But I really love canning.

[HSmom]

I have a couple more tips to make canning less unpleasant.

 

* Start with a clean kitchen; consider having dinner in the crockpot.

 

* Get out all your supplies before you cut any food or turn on a burner.

 

* Place a table-top fan on the floor, so it blows at your feet and legs; it make you a lot less hot. But you don't want the fan to blow on your canner as that will make it harder to stabilize the heat/pressure in the canner.

[Tracie]

Absolutely, HS mom!!! I have to start with a clean kitchen or it's overwhelming. And I only do one batch at a time. It's not as hard, and then you can sit back and relax and feel good about it

 

[ScrubbieLady]

Well, I like the suggestions. I have been water bath canning for a few years and was just recently GIVEN a pressure canner. Checked out and everything. Friend is going to come over and supervise my first time or I will go over there and help and learn.

 

Darlene, love the suggestion of putting rings and lids into the water together. I always fight getting the lids apart and that is when I burn my fingers.

 

HSMom, I never thought of storing my rings and jar lifter in my canner, duh! Now, my funnel, that is a different animal. I use it all the time.