why do you can food?

[TXQFMom]

 

See why I am cornfuddled!!!!!!???????

[Stephanie]

Alrighty then...I'm defuddle you....here's the scoop.

 

You've got alll kinds of canners...newbies(like me and you), go by the book (like Violet and C4C) and been doing it a hundred years (like Westie and Darlene)

 

Violet teaches food preservation and does her job well, explaining safety guidelines and proper procedure. I appreciate that very much.

 

On the other hand, there are some canners that have followed family recipes and techniques that are no longer (if ever) recommended in the official canning guides.

 

For instance, my grandma's pickle recipe does not follow the guidelines. We've eaten them for years, we love them, I'm still choosing to make them. But, I'm not recommending that you follow my grandma's recipe.

 

So, what you have to do is make some choices, hopefully educated and wise choices, along with experience. I have to admit, I was so looking forward to putting the leftovers in a can and now, I'm half scared...seeing as I'm a newbie and all.

 

So, what I'm doing is, learning, listening, taking the safe route for now, *except for grandma's pickles* and probably will get braver and do some other things later.

 

Please, nobody hit me on the hit with their large capacity pc...just try to defuddle a fellow newbie.

[Violet]

Yes, I do understand. Well, it used to be said that you could can things and use the longest processing time for the ingredient taking the longest time. Well, that doesn't hold true any more. It doesn't take into account the density of the final food. Plus, unless something is tested, the foods can and often do change ph as they sit. That is why the recipes from tested places do test them, over and over again. You have no idea what your own recipe will do as it sits in the jar.

Plus, too many folks do not take into account every ingredient, say, like seasonings from packets with starches or other thickeners. All those things are safety factors. Maybe your chili recipe is too thick and dense to be safely canned. Especially in quarts. The heat may not pentrate it properly to keep it safe. See what I mean ? Some chili recipes say in pints only, some are for both pints and quarts. Where would your own recipe fit in ?

Used to be folks used only fresh things from their homes, not adding packaged seasonings, etc. Plus, we are dealing with things not dealt with before in life.

How many of us would have ever thought we had to worry about salmonella or ecoli in our foods from the store ? Now it happens all to often.

So, this is why I stress using safety tested things.

 

[TXQFMom]

thanks Stephanie & Violet I think I got it and for NOW I will can ingredients and we'll see in the future...

 

I get so ill in pregnancy it would be very helpful to me to have some jars of soup and such put up... but I will skip that for now.

 

With the size of my family canning *meals* would not make much sense.

 

I NEVER NEVER use those seasoning packets... I buy all my herbs in bulk... I even mix my own spice blends and I never add thickeners to my soups... soooo maybe... SOMEDAY.

 

I will say it WOULD BE a blessing SOMEDAY to can up my Chinese Chicken soup...

 

A dear friend teases me a bit because I am very much a *rule follower* especially when I am new to something...

 

Thank you Darlene, Stephanie, & Violet for explaining it to me better!!

 

 

[MamaTiger]

Ferretmama, yes, my dh sells fruit to the public, buying in bulk for resale. What he has leftover is what I can up. It's a way of making do and using up what we have available.

 

 

[MamaTiger]

Oh and it is also a way for us to have apples or other fruits year round, even though dh only sells each item for a short time once a year.

[Ferretma]

Originally Posted By: MamaTiger

Ferretmama, yes, my dh sells fruit to the public,

I was thinking you were selling your canning to the public. I'd sure love to do that. It would add yet another dimension to why I can food - to make money! Oh well.

[JCK88]

To sell home canned stuff to the public, you need to have your kitchen certified to meet health standards, etc. Around here, if you have a farm, you can be certifies as a homestead kitchen so you can sell your baked goods and canned items.

[Darlene]

Well Violet, you know I luv ya and I understand what you're saying but I was kind of saying the same thing when I made that post.

 

I can my recipes according to the guidelines for safe home canning. I'm not going to use the Blue Ball's recipe for beef stew that I don't like, when I can make my own, in a similar manner that tastes better.

 

I don't use thickeners, I don't use packets, I don't use any of that stuff. I use water and fresh veggies, fresh meats, etc. And that's why I said to post recipes people are concerned about to make sure they aren't pushing any envelopes.

 

I think I'm vocal enough about being safe and have ticked off enough people to convey that I don't take canning my own recipes lightly. I can with the same care, whether they're 'approved' or not, and have run recipes by you at time, just for confirmation that they are safe.

 

Safety is first.

[Tracie]

Okay, here's a great example of why I can:

 

yesterday I took two pint jars of salsa that I canned that I didn't want to use as salsa because it had too many peppers and onions/not enough tomatoes for my liking and I dumped them in the crock pot. To that I added 2 pint jars of ground beef I had canned, plus one can of pureed tomatoes, spices and some pinto beans that I had rehydrated and simmered. 1 quick stir, and dinner was ready to go (well after sitting in the crock pot on high for 3 hours).

 

Easy peasy dinner. I canned fresh, nutritious food when I had time/resources. I opened jars when I was busy.

[Crazy4Canning]

Why do I can? Because I CAN !

 

Okay, old joke that others have used, but it's so true!

 

Well, as a teenager, I fell in love with my grandma's canning closet, for one. I remember my mouth hitting the floor at the BEA-uuuu-tee-ful jellies, fruits, james, conserves, etc. I also have fond memories of remembering my mom and her mom can pickles, relish, jams, etc. I also made tons of jam for YEARS growing up because we always had a surplus of berries.

 

My true catalyst came this summer when I was given a pressure canner and so I took a class from my local extension service (where I met Violet - yes, she is a TRUE LIVING person!) and learned MUCH more!

 

I can because I love it! I so enjoy taking food, putting it by without any preservatives, thickeners, artificial flavors, additives, sweeteners, etc. I have a great supply of herbs and spices so I can add whatever I want as I eat it.

 

I can't tell you how many times already this summer I've come home exhausted and grabbed a pint of chicken or beef off the shelves, turned it into enchiladas or a salad or a sandwich. My DH LOVES the canned beef on a sandwich with cheese and mustard.

 

I find canning uses SO MUCH more of the food than buying something off a shelf. If you peel apples for dried apples or pie, use the peelings and the cores to make apple jelly. Use the leavings in the compost bin (worms or regular compost). The 'recycling' goes on and on. At it's very basic, canning is providing for your family in a nutritious and wholesome way.

 

I did have to spend about $100 this year on replacing parts on the 3 pressure canners I was given. BUT - now I won't have to do that again for quite a while!

 

I also can to save money. I can buy bushels of fruit and put them up in pints & quarts FAR EASIER and more nutritious than opening a can...I also HATE that metallic aftertaste that professional canning leaves. I'm also able to do VERY low sugar fruits for my DH who is a diabetic.

 

SO many reasons, but I also find that I love the romance of it. Sorry of some of you think this is weird, but canning connects me with my grandmothers and other 'strong women' in my life who are gone. I can often feel them with me, like angels, looking over my shoulder, smiling that their 'tradition' isn't lost.

 

I love the way women bond through doing kitchen chores - there is indeed strength in numbers and many hands do make for a light task. The comraderie and laughter is music to my soul. This connects me and grounds me in my living. It gives me a touchstone that causes reflection, remembrance, and gives me a belonging place.

 

When I share my canning skills, I pass on a bit of these women and values of another time and place, making it live for a bit again.

 

 

[Violet]

Darlene,

I do understand what you are saying. My point, and I know you agree, is that some people think when they start canning that it is OK to just take any leftovers and can them. later, they find that isn't true. I like to explain why things are done as they are, so there won't be confusion. I think it really important to set good guidelines for especially new canners. I don't want them guessing at what is safe and what isn't. I know you agree with this.

Foods just are not what our grandparents ate. They didn't have drive in restaurants, no frozen stew things you throw in the crockpot, not even frozen French fries.

Canning was much more basic then, just a jar of beans, a jar of carrots, whatever. My grandma never canned Beef in Wine sauce, LOL.

I so enjoyed reading Crazy's post about her mom and grandma. I also have the best memories of my mom and I canning away, many, many hours. It was such a joyful time !

Happy Canning to All !!!

[Darlene]

Yes Violet, I totally agree with you...

 

Perhaps we can find a way to teach and educate others here how to translate some of their special recipes into a safely preserved one. It feels overwhelming when I think about that because there are so many details that go into making that decision, and then again maybe it's just cause I'm tired at the moment and everything feels overwhelming lol.

 

Think about it and maybe we can figure something out. One of my major concerns with teaching a group of people is that everyone 'hears' a little differently and processes knowledge a little differently, and I don't want anything to slip through the cracks.

[Darlene]

That was a beautiful post C4C...thank you for sharing your heart.

 

If you don't mind though, since you've met Violet, you'll hafta tell us all about what a brat she is.

 

You can pm me the details.

 

 

j/k

 

lololol

[Violet]

Ohhhh, who you callin' a brat ???? LOL !

I can't WAIT to hear what Crazy has to say about me !!! She will probably say I am too strict.

Right now I am trying out the BBB Beef in wine sauce. I think it will be pretty good.

 

 

[Darlene]

Originally Posted By: Violet

She will probably say I am too strict.

That's good.

I can be innocent and you can be strict.

Sounds like a plan to me...lol

Beef in wine sauce sounds awesome!

[Violet]

Yeh, right !!! Sure thing !

The beef in wine does taste pretty good. The canner weight is jiggling away. Only an hour and 10 min. to go.

 

[brendajo]

Darlene I love the Preserving the Harvest recipes.Your chicken soup is awesome.I know it would probably be a lot of trouble and time comsumeing but maybe you and Violet and others who have been canning safely for a long time could add some of your home made recipes.Things you have changed that are still safe.I use the BBB but to be honest there is a lot of things in there my family would never eat.I am not talking canning butter here just good home canned cooking.Pictures would be nice to.( hint hint)

[westbrook]

canning beats the alternative...

 

the fruit rotting on the ground! the vegetables falling off the vines... meat in my freezer already a year old getting older!

 

I can to preserve my abundance. ... . and take advantage of seasonal items and foods on sale!

 

 

[Crazy4Canning]

Who's a brat, too strict? Lady Violet? Never. :ROFL: I must tell a story. Okay, two.

 

When I had a canning class with her, one of the first things we made was pie filling. I was in charge of measuring the ingredients. Because one of the ladies was constantly chatting to me, I forgot the sugar. As another lady was stirring it, she yells, "Hey, something's wrong here! It looks like glue!" Violet runs over to check, pulls a gloppy spoon from a pan and this voice floats across the kitchen, "CrazyGirl, DID YOU ADD SUGAR?" I looked at her blankly, "Ummmm....no. Why would I do that? I never cook with sugar." Shaking her head, she scoops the right amount of sugar into the pan, adds some water, and beats the life out of the thing, saving the day.

 

Approaching me later, she says, "You do know that sugar is necessary in some recipies don't you?" I must have turned fifteen shades of pink and laughed,assuring her I DID know about ratios, volume, etc. I was so distracted that I forgot it, something I never do. Now, ask me if I EVER forget to double-check the recipies and add sugar?

 

Another one....when we were pressure canning (in our last class), since I had never pressure canned before, I got the 'honor' of putting the weights on and watching the pressure. As ladies are apt to do when together, we got to chatting and the pressure was climbing. Suddenly we hear this voice, "LADIES, WATCH YOUR PRESSURE!" All of us scurry over to the stove and one of the ladies with longer arms reaches around this huge canner to turn down the heat. Violet explains simply, "It's not necessary to have the burner glowing red after you reach your pressure. The kettle is UNDER PRESSURE. It is constant. It's okay to turn it down, all you're doing is wasting energy and heating up the kitchen. Just make sure the weight is still jiggling."

 

Such simple wisdom borne of experience.

 

Brattiness? Never. Strictness? Appropriate, always tempered by a smile and a laugh.

[Violet]

Well, you made me laugh !!!

I think I usually say GIRLS, not ladies. Other than that, you have it just about right, LOL !

I do remember saying that we would have NO MISTAKES with the pressure canners. I was left in charge and there was no way I wanted "my Girls" to mess up. Not when I had to report to the Extension Educator how things went !!! I didn't want any of us to look bad, but perfect in every way !

(My husband says I smile even when I am mad. I normally do, I guess.)

It is rather fun to see what you look like to others. I actually enjoyed the stories, Crazy !!!

We get along really well. I think she and I have rather kindred hearts when it comes down to it.

Thanks for sharing the stories. I should copy them and keep them !

You just made my day, thanks !

[Crazy4Canning]

Girls, ladies, as I teacher I think of adult girls as "ladies"...I even respond to HEY YOU!