What are you canning today? Part 8

[euphrasyne]

Everyone I know is sad that Bennet's Creek closed.  The collards have been mentioned by many.  Even my therapist brought up how sad he couldn't have them for Christmas so I gave him my recipe.  I use onion, bacon, ACV among other things.  Sometimes I do green beans the same way and it is really good.  I think that the only reason I'm less sad about the closing is that I'm a good cook and do most things myself.  They were really good by anyone's standards.   

 

We use too much sugar and not enough honey.  I'd be more upset, but DH is down over 100 lbs since last year (he is now about 160 and 6' tall) with our current diet and wants to put on more muscle mass.  I'm super proud of him, but a little jealous.   I now outweigh him by about 20lbs.  We both need to make some dietary and exercise changes.  I'm too fat and he needs more muscle.  We are both middle aged with limited mobility so that makes a difference.  

 

Dh's work has been doing potluck type food since the beginning of the month.  I sent Italian beef to work with DH on Friday and they ate 100% of it; there were no leftovers.  Score.  He is slight on the praise, but says everyone says they liked it.  I told him that women want more details than that, but he is a man and doesn't understand.  I plan to make spinach nuggets for Monday and a few loves of bread for Tuesday.  I explained that praise = more things made and no praise means less things made.  Hopefully that will rouse his memory.  

Edited December 16, 2023 by euphrasyne

[Littlesister]

My DH's recipe though this is for 6 bushels. I am in process of breaking this down. But not there yet.

Wash collards 3 times. This is Market policy. Cook the jowl meat while collards are cooking. Remove the fat from the meat but save the drippings.

Bring pot of water to boil. Add collards and cook until almost tender. 

Add the jowl meat, not the fat. And the liquid from the meat into pot of collards. Let cool down.  Then add Minors chicken base (can be bought at BJ's wholesale club).

Add salt to taste and add just enough tabasco sauce but not enough to taste it in the collards. Finish cooking down the collards till done. 

All this is done by taste. 

The secret ingredient is the tabasco sauce. So now my DH will have to kill me for giving out the secret ingredient. Yep, he told that to anyone wanting to know how he cooked them. The Market sold them by the quart. And those quarts added up to cooking well over 300 bushels of collards for Thanksgiving alone. Couldn't keep them in the store. 

The jowl meat was weighed out to 6lbs. per 6 bushels of collards. So only 1 lb. needed for 1 bushel of collards the rest I am working out for one bushel.

The chicken base was 2 and 1/2 containers per 6 bushels. 

Chicken base is not the same as chicken stock. It is a much stronger taste to it. 

[Necie]

42 minutes ago, Littlesister said:

Chicken base is not the same as chicken stock. It is a much stronger taste to it. 

I learned this about beef stock/base doing venison. I always put a bouillon cube in quart jars. Doing pint jars, I decided to do beef base— 1/2 tsp. TOO STRONG! So I cut it to 1/4 tsp. 
 

Same with using garlic, which we use A LOT! So much difference in strength between fresh, jars of minced, paste, BTB, granulated, powder, etc. 

[Jeepers]

Midnightmom, That turkey broth looks delicious! Good to know about the smooth sided canning jars. I think they started making them with crafters in mind. The last time I was at Hobby Lobby had single wide mouth quart Ball canning jars for around $3.50 PER jar. I wasn't in the market but they were by something else I was looking for.  Sheeesh.  

[Midnightmom]

2 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Good to know about the smooth sided canning jars.

I retuned the second case. Just couldn't take the chance of the jars getting slippery. 

[Littlesister]

I haven't seen the smooth jars here yet but only been looking at them in the grocery stores. Will check that out on next trip to store. I can see why they would be hard to grab hold of from canner.  With my hands I would have dropped one. 

[euphrasyne]

That looks like a good recipe, Littlesister.  I agree that hot sauce definately makes a difference.   I've been making greens in the following manner without a written recipe for longer than my oldest kid has been alive--its how my Papaw taught me and we always used fresh greens from his garden:

 

Collard, Mustard, or Turnip greens or any mix thereof:

Dice bacon and onion.   Can use any fatback, ham, or pork product on hand.  Sauté in pot with garlic.  Wash and tear or chop greens depending on level of involvement.  Sauté leaves down a bit.  Add chicken base or bullion, ACV, a good dash of hot sauce, (we like the cayenne based Louisiana or such better), a small spoon of brown or white sugar, and water to top of greens. Season with salt & pepper.  Cook for a couple hours.  Serve with hot pepper vinegar or spiced cane vinegar if you don't make your own hot pepper vinegar.  Green beans can also be done in this method to a good result, but do not need to be cooked as long.  

 

This flavor is fairly common in Mississippi and Alabama.  Most folks use a very similar variant of the recipe and I saw it at every BBQ, school function, or church potluck ever when living down there.  

Edited December 18, 2023 by euphrasyne

[Littlesister]

That sounds like a good one also euphrasyne. I will have to try it your way. 

Though the recipe from DH was not hot sauce but Tabasco sauce. Tabasco is not hot but does add good flavor. 

I want to hit the farms next year for some good fresh greens. Going to cook up some collards for the freezer and would also like to find some turnip greens as well. I usually put them in 1 qt freezer containers and set in freezer till ready to use. 

[Homesteader]

I've been steaming fruit juices and canning fruit jams/butters/sauces this past month. Most of the gift baskets are done for Christmas.    I like to make a few smaller baskets for friends and neighbors who drop by during the holiday season.   The baskets usually include a bottle of our honey, fruit juices from our orchard, and jams/butters/sauces from the fruit bushes in our garden. I use the frozen gallon fruit bags from the freezer for the canning process. I think we collected 7 gallons of raspberries, alone,  from our bushes this past summer.

 

We try to have one glass of fruit juice each day. We're hoping it helps with colds/flu this winter. All of this canning takes a toll on our mason jar stock, though. I have SIL on a constant look-out for used jars at St. Vincents and Goodwill. It's difficult because we're in Amish country. 

[euphrasyne]

The big debate down in the deep south over tobasco vs cayenne usually is that tobasco adds heat without any flavor and cayenne adds heat with flavor, so you are changing the seasoning and the heat level with cayenne but only the heat level with tobasco.   Never heard it the other way around.  Interesting.  I do know that it is a big debate down there and most people feel very strongly one way or another.   Both peppers run 30k-50K scoville, so they are about the same amount of heat in general.  

 

If you want to make something hot....DH works with a guy from Nigeria.  His wife grows hot peppers and gives us some.  In return, I send a few hotter dishes their way.  I have scorpion pepper, Carolina reaper, and ghost pepper that I either froze or put up  in the last 2 years.  Since they grow the hot peppers near the milder peppers, they cross pollinate and I do get a few hotter cayenne and bell peppers every now and again.  

 

I made Red Headed Chili (it is crazy hot and will mess with you) with some of the scotch bonnets and reapers awhile back and was told that it was delicious, hotter than H E double hockysticks--officially the hottest chili several of the 'yankee' coworkers had ever had, and please make more.  

 

Necie, there is never an upper limit on how much garlic goes in a dish.   We eat a ton of it on everything.  

Edited December 18, 2023 by euphrasyne

[Littlesister]

DH's collards were never hot from the tabasco sauce. It just gave them that little bit of a kick to them. I don't do hot anymore due to reflux. Hot and reflux just don't mix. But then he only used a quarter cup per 6 bushels of collards. You could go a half cup but then you had to much of the tabasco taste and most people didn't care for that. 

[Necie]

8 hours ago, euphrasyne said:

Necie, there is never an upper limit on how much garlic goes in a dish.   We eat a ton of it on everything.

Yup. I use tons of it and keep different variations for different uses. We (my kids and I) always say “There’s no such thing as too much butter or too much garlic.”  I was absolutely floored when DH (D isn’t always for dear) told me there was too much garlic in my canned venison this year.  Especially when it’s EXACTLY the same as any other year! 

[Jeepers]

 

1 hour ago, Necie said:

Yup. I use tons of it and keep different variations for different uses. We (my kids and I) always say “There’s no such thing as too much butter or too much garlic.”  I was absolutely floored when DH (D isn’t always for dear) told me there was too much garlic in my canned venison this year.  Especially when it’s EXACTLY the same as any other year! 

 

Necie, just give your DH a knowing look and pat him on the head and tell him you understand. Old peoples taste buds change when they get to be that 'certain age' and you will try to be more mindful of his special needs. 

 

Or maybe not... 

[Mother]

6 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Necie, just give your DH a knowing look and pat him on the head and tell him you understand. Old peoples taste buds change when they get to be that 'certain age' and you will try to be more mindful of his special needs.

That is the best come back I have heard in ages. 

[Ambergris]

Garlic is a vegetable.  

 

Eat your vegetables, dear.

[Necie]

13 hours ago, Jeepers said:

 

 

Necie, just give your DH a knowing look and pat him on the head and tell him you understand. Old peoples taste buds change when they get to be that 'certain age' and you will try to be more mindful of his special needs. 

 

Or maybe not... 

 

Oooh, nooooo... not for the reasons you might think. He would EAT THAT UP!! Go into his whole “Jeremiah Johnson” routine.  Then I’d have to kick him in the shins!!  Nope... you can never let the “King” think that he’s being catered to.  

[Midnightmom]

Working on some Navy Bean soup. Should have it done by the end of the day. 

[euphrasyne]

Soo many leftovers I made 4 quarts of beef broth/consommé.  I started a quart of pickled cucumbers, made 3 pints pickled pear relish, and mixed up a batch of 8dzn apple oatmeal cookies.  Half of which are in the oven tonight and the rest are being flash frozen in shape for later.  It has been an exhausting, productive day.   

 

Fresh pickles are fun, but does shelf stable mason jar pickling count as canning or does it need another thread?  That being said, do we need separate threads for dehydrating, etc? or does 'canning' count towards all preserving?

Edited December 19, 2023 by euphrasyne

[Littlesister]

I would think it would count as all preserved food. 

You have been busy Euphrosyne. 

I have done a lot of pickles and would definitely say yes on the pickles as that would be a part of food preparations. I might make some next year when cucumbers come in. I like the bread and butter pickles the best. But also do dill. I also make pickle relish as well and can it. 

[Midnightmom]

11 hours ago, Midnightmom said:

Working on some Navy Bean soup. Should have it done by the end of the day. 

 

This soup has been a series of disasters: the biggest one being that my canner would not come up to pressure, so I stopped it. Now I have to wait for the jars to cool off so I can put them in the fridge and deal with it when I get back from my Dr appt. (But I may not feel up to it as my appt is for a Nuclear Stress Test.) 

 

ETA: I decided it was best to re-process the soup while it was still hot rather than trying to do it once the jars were cold, so I replaced the sealing gasket and the overpressure plug and am starting again. (I used my coffeemaker to get hot water to put in the canner.  )

It is a good thing that I was PREPARED for this problem! (had the parts on hand) 

 

Problem solved!!! It is running now and I am not getting the water oozing out of the canner below the lid like I was previously. The old gasket didn't look damaged, but I thought that the gasket might be the issue so that is why I replaced it. 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Midnightmom

[Midnightmom]

8 hours ago, euphrasyne said:

Fresh pickles are fun, but does shelf stable mason jar pickling count as canning or does it need another thread?  That being said, do we need separate threads for dehydrating, etc? or does 'canning' count towards all preserving?

 Maybe one of the "changes" that @Darlene should make to the forums is to change the name of this category to - "What are you PRESERVING today." 

[Mother]

I added a TAG!  That should cover quite a few things though you might also look for particular threads as well.  I’m pretty sure there is a dehydrating thread. 

[snapshotmiki]

Good idea to use the coffee maker @Midnightmom!  I just replaced the gasket on one canner and ordered 2 replacement gaskets.  Trying to stay ready!

[Jeepers]

Midnightmom, I hate when that happens. I've had it happen to me before too. Usually if I take the lid off and let it cool down enough to handle, I remove the gasket and run it, and the inside of the canner lid lip, under water and get them both wet and replace the gasket and then it holds pressure. Something about both the gasket and inside the lid being wet seems to work for me. It's aggravating and a big time waster. I usually replace the gasket after that. I need a couple more extra to have on hand too. I try to get as many years out of a gasket as I can. But the water trick has worked well for me a few times. 

 

Good luck on your test today!  

[Littlesister]

Midnightmom, hoping all goes well with your stress test. I had that done about 2 months ago. I really didn't make me tired or anything so hoping it won't affect you in anyway as well. 

I have 2 extra gaskets and was thinking about getting a couple of more. But as it turns out no one is selling the Mirro parts any longer. So, will be investing in an all-American canner in the near future. I will use the Mirro's as long as they hold up. Hoping for many more years out of them. But I think I better get a backup just in case. Anything happens to one of the Mirro canners now I won't be able to get parts. 

Jeepers, I do the same thing. I take the gasket and run it under water to clean it in case something might be stuck on it causing it not to hold up. Then wipe down the edge of canner with vinegar water to make sure that is clean and start again. It works for me also.