Canning Session 10/23

[Jeepers]

I didn't get a lot done while in Indiana this last trip, but I did get some canning done. It has really been preying on my mind a lot lately. So I let everything else go and did a few canning sessions. I found it a little more difficult to can in my little galley kitchen but still doable. Main issue is sink is on the opposite side from the stove and fridge making it awkward and lack of useable counter space. All inconvenient but certainly not a deal breaker. I have only just started back to canning and have a lot more to do. I brought my canner and some jars back to Ohio with me and can, hopefully, fill some of the jars with some soups this winter. Have you priced the canning jars on Amazon lately? Something like $46.00 for 12 regular mouth Kerr quarts.     Kinda glad now that I over reacted and over bought at the beginning of covid. Even if they were a pain to move across state line. And back again.

 

Since I'm canning for one, I use smaller jars. I got 29 half pints of peas and 28 half pints of corn. They all came out great with no siphoning. I just put the veggies in the jar with no pushing them down or tamping the jars down. I just shook the jars a little to evenly distribute. I was going to do green beans but couldn't find the ones I wanted. I wanted the longer ones and not the small pieces. To be fair, I only looked at Meijers because of time constraints. I used frozen veggies and they turned out beautifully and sooo easy. No blanching. Yea. I just thawed under hot water first. 

 

I got 31 pints of bean soup. I used 1 scant cup Great Northern beans (fast soaked) 1 Tab. raw carrots, celery and 1 tsp. onion. Plus 1 Tab. of canned smoked ham in each jar. A scant 1/4 tsp. of salt and a dash of pepper.  After I was finished I thought that I probably should have omitted the salt because of the ham but there is so little ham in each jar that it probably won't matter. I think I over filled the jars a tad but there was no siphoning and I could still slosh the beans around in the jar after they were canned. In other words, they aren't a tightly packed glob in the jars. Next time I might back off of the beans a little. Maybe 3/4 of a cup. If I had, I could have gotten 32 pints. As it was, I used six 1 pound bags.  BTW, I got the Meijer brand beans and in all of the six bags, there wasn't one rock and they were very clean. I only discarded about a cup of broken or discolored beans. And I was being picky. (no pun intended) I will definitely buy them again. 

 

The tomatoes. Sigh I got 12 quarts. I de-bubbled and had the proper head space and they still siphoned pretty badly. Two of the jars didn't seal. I ran them through the canner again and they sealed using the same lid. But there was some black stuff on the inside of the jar. I assume they became over cooked? Don't know. But I discarded them anyway. They would have probably tasted burned. I used 3/4 of canned tomato bits to 1/4 tomato sauce. I was going for chunky tomato sauce for chili. I canned them like spaghetti sauce as they are that consistency. I don't remember right off but I think I did 90 minutes per quart. I'm not too sure about them. I'm hoping the jars are really sealed by canning and not by the lid being held down by the siphoned overflow. Suppose I'll find out in a few months if the lids pop. If even one does, then I'm pitching them all. What do y'all think?  

 

I only stacked them to take a picture. They will go back in the boxes. I wanted to show a neat drying rack I found. It is rubberized and it rolls up into a smaller size. I used to use an oven rack. But this not metal so, in theory, won't shock a boiling hot jar. I really like it a lot.

 

Also, these info leaflets came in the booklet with my canner. One says to not use a propane camp burner over 12,000 BTU's because it can melt or warp the canner.  And if you are processing something over 100 minutes, add an extra quart of water to prevent the canner from running dry. I assume they are talking about fish as that has a longer processing time. I know we already knew this but this info came with the canner and not from the internet.   

 

You may think I cheated by using frozen and canned foods. I wondered myself.  But at this time of year and having no kitchen in Ohio, it was the best I could do to get started filling my pantry back up. And truth be told, doing those frozen corn and peas were so easy. At my age planting and tending a garden big enough to can veggies, plus shucking and hulling and blanching... I'm sure I'll do them the same way in the future. 

 

Forgot to add. Now I get it about canning by the dial gauge verses the jiggler. I did not realize that the black knob thing that comes with a canner is not a weighted gauge thing. It is just a stopper thing that allows the pressure to build. CRIMONY! I had to stand over the canner continually adjusting the heat a fraction of a nudge to maintain 10-11 pounds of pressure. I had no idea how important (to me) that weighted jiggler thing is. I know I have an extra jiggler...somewhere but before I ever can again, I will either find one or go to Lehman's and buy another spare. I could not keep the pressure steady without sitting in front of that canner. No wonder new canning people get discouraged by using that black knob and relying on the pressure gauge. I use the gauge as a reference on how high to turn the heat on and then let the jiggler regulate it. Crimony, who knew.  I probably misused terms there. 

 

                                             Peas.                                                                                                Corn.

     

 

                                         Bean Soup.                                                                                      Tomatoes.

     

 

                                      Rack.                                                           Making Vanilla Sugar. Really freaked family out at first glance.

     

 

                     Outside Canning BTU's warning.                                                                Over 100 minutes warning.

     

 

                      One label on upside down.

 

 

[Mother]

You did great, Jeepers.  👍

[Littlesister]

I agree. You did really well.  I have that same rack. I love it. I can put it over half of the sink to dry dishes on it like a draining board. It has a lot of uses. Canning frozen peas and corn is a great idea. I don't plant those two things as I really don't have enough garden room to do it. So might just try that myself. I am starting to use the 1/2 pints for veggies as it is just me now. But on the soups, I will still use the quarts as I just eat the other half for lunch the next day. I am thinking of making the spaghetti sauce in the half pints as well and just a few in pint jars for when GS is here. He loves spaghetti. 

[Jeepers]

Thanks Ladies. I've been itching to can for over a year now. I don't have enough room for corn either. The one time I grew and canned peas it was a disaster. By the time I got enough peas to can, I think they were too mature. They turned out with sediment (starch?) all in the bottom of the jars. They were down right cloudy. I rinsed them and used them in casseroles but I wouldn't use them as a side dish. All of that wasted time and energy. They weren't appetizing at all. The frozen canned peas look just like the peas you get in a can. I'm hoping the corn isn't overly processed. It looks good and sturdy though. I bought four big bags of each but I don't remember what size they were. 3-4 pounds maybe. I got them at Meijers and will look the next time I go over. There is a Meijers both here and in Indiana where I go.. 

[Mt_Rider]

 

I should .....with all the spare energy I have........dehydrate more frozen veggies.  That's easy too. 

 

MtRider 

[Midnightmom]

13 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Have you priced the canning jars on Amazon lately? Something like $46.00 for 12 regular mouth Kerr quarts.   

They are back in stock and at "pre-Co v id" prices at Walmart and most grocery stores. As a matter of fact, they are in abundance at my local Wmart because I think the pandemic scare (or was it boredome) is over now and people aren't buying them up like they used to.

I do meats in pint jars and soups in quart jars- prepared as ready-to-eat - not "concentrated."   Any veggies I have are in store bought cans. Much cheaper than using canning jars and already packed for long term storage.  

Edited October 25, 2023 by Midnightmom

[Jeepers]

Neither of my Wal-Mart stores have any canning jars left. They even sold out of the little 4 oz. jars a couple of months ago. If I buy canning jars I buy Kerr. I like the shape better. They are slightly squared and seem to stack (side by side) better. And they don't have all of that writing embossed on them. Only trouble is we can't get them in my area. I THINK mostly Ball is sold east of the Rockies and Kerr out west. I could be totally wrong on that one. Just an observation. But if I'm going to have to buy jars, I'm going to get the kind I want. A permanent investment for me. All of those Kerr jars lined up with the Kerr name facing forward and the lids all facing toward the front of the jar is a thing of beauty. Little soldiers. I do line the lids up before I put the rings on. Sigh. OCD works for me.    Fortunately I have about a pallet full of wide mouth Kerr pints. I rarely use quarts but I only have 4 cases of those so was checking out the price. I passed. 

 

Even the Kerr regular quarts are $41.43 at Wal-Mart online.

Kerr Canning Jars, Regular Mouth Quart (32 oz.) Mason Jars with Lids and Bands, 12 Count - Walmart.com

 

I trust glass jars over metal cans for long term storage. Especially tomato products. Some of the cans now are so thin I can actually squeeze them and they 'give'. Also be aware of the pull top lids now. The food in them doesn't last nearly as long in them as the cans made for a can opener.  

 

Which reminds me, I bought this Swing Away can opener a year or two ago and I really like it. It opened my cans very easily. I have never had any luck with electric/battery openers. 

Amazon.com: Swing-A-Way Easy-Crank Can Opener with Folding Crank Handle, Black, 3.50 x 4.50 x 10.50 : Home & Kitchen

 

[Littlesister]

I haven't looked at canning jar prices in a few months now. Like Jeepers, I loaded up on them while the price was low and before it got hard to find them. I should be good for a while.  I to need to get back to dehydrating veggies. Just too much going on right now. But I need to finish getting that freezer emptied. I will get there if other things stop popping up. It's been one of those years. Looking forward to next year being better as GS should by then be in coast guard. He will be out of my way then and I will be able to get so much more done. Though he has finally learned if you want your bills paid while looking for a job and to eat then you best be doing a lot of work around the house. So, he is learning a lesson. I hope. If you want something bad enough you have to work for it. And if you want to buy something you want then to learn to save money for it. Not spend money on junk. 

I am in the process of moving all my empty canning jars to the shelving unit I moved to other side of garage. I have the top shelf full and still a lot more of them in the shed. Hope to get them moved later in week. 

Jeepers, you did really well to get that much canning done while in Indy. Good start. I don't plant peas as it just takes too much space to have enough to can. But maybe for dehydrating would be better than canning.

[Jeepers]

I dehydrated a lot of frozen veggies too. I can't remember everything but I know I did green beans, corn and carrots. And probably peas too. I don't remember if I did a frozen veggie mix or not. I think I did. I know I did fresh red/yellow/orange/green pepper mix. I bought some potatoes and tomatoes already done. It's been a couple of years since I did them. I have them stored away for a dire emergency. I imagine frozen and dehydrated hash browns would be nice too. I did see some of the jars way back in a corner in my spare garage in Indy. One good thing about them is they should be okay out in the garage during winter. I vacuum sealed them in half gallon canning jars and put them back in the box they came in. It's hard to tell what all I have. 

 

I remember my first jar of carrots went bad on me. They turned a very dark brown in the jar. Either they weren't dry enough or had too high of a sugar content. I don't know, but they were nasty. They didn't smell the best either. I turned my raspberries into dust. Expensive red dust. Sigh. I've had a lot of trial and error. Wish I had a freeze dryer but that is out of the question $$$  Wish they would get some competition so the prices would come down. 

 

I just canned some easy stuff to start with. I haven't been able to can in so long, I had to really refresh myself on what to do. And not having a weighted jiggler didn't help. I don't remember how to use my Insta-Pot so I need to study up on that. I usually pressure cook my beans in it before canning but didn't trust myself remembering how to use it. And I didn't have a lot of time to experiment. I pressure cook my chicken in it before canning it too. I'll probably never find the instruction book so will have to Youtube that too. "Use it or lose it" really applies to me. What I really want to can is chicken veggie soup, regular veggie soup and some sausage/potato/green beans. I eat a lot of that especially in the winter. Also some spaghetti sauce. I had also forgot how long it takes to run a canner load of food. Heating up the canner, venting, building up pressure, canning time and letting pressure come back down took hours.

[snapshotmiki]

4 hours ago, Jeepers said:

I bought this Swing Away can opener

I love mine!  I like that drying rack, too.  Will look for one of those.

 

 I had also forgot how long it takes to run a canner load of food. Heating up the canner, venting, building up pressure, canning time and letting pressure come back down took hours.

Amen to that @Jeepers!

[Midnightmom]

1 hour ago, Jeepers said:

And not having a weighted jiggler didn't help.

Send me your mailing addy and I will send you a jiggler. I have one to spare.  

[Littlesister]

Canning is a long-drawn-out process but that is what makes it so satisfying. And the food is so much cheaper and fresher when you take it from garden to canning and then table. 

Jeepers, I have canned about everything you mentioned above except the one with sausage. I also can veg. beef soup and beef stew. I have dehydrated mixed frozen veggies, and they came out really well. I have used some of them in my vegetable soup. Need to dehydrate more of them. I think I will start dehydrating frozen peas to see how those turn out as well. 

I would love to have one of those freeze dryers but is beyond my pay scale. Maybe one day in my dreams. 

[Jeepers]

Midnightmom, thank you so much! I will probably be down Lehman's way before I get to can again. But I will let you know. My kitchen was going fast and now it seems at sort of a standstill. I think they are doing other work like painting now. I want to go back to Amish country soon to visit a little bookstore down there. I have lost some of my Amish/German books and want to replace them while the store still exists. I saw where the owner died not too long ago and I have no idea how long the family will keep it open. The elderly owner put out an almanac every year that is full of interesting information. Raber's Almanac. I hope that will continue. 

 

Miki, those racks are really nice for putting hot jars on. The 'rods' on them are firm. I don't know what they are made from but sort of like metal coated rubber. And it rolls up for storage. Littlesister is correct, they are really made to be used over a sink as a drying rack for washed dishes. I don't remember where I got mine. Probably Wal-Mart in the kitchenware department. Or when Bed Bath and Beyond was in business. I have two of them but to honest, by the time the next canner load is finished doing it's thing, the previous jars are cool enough to pick up and set them on the regular countertop. That is unless you have a really big canner. Mine held 16 wide mouth pints, double stacked.

 

Littlesister, I really like the little smokie sausage links, potatoes, onion and green beans canned together. I don't really care for the texture of the meat but it makes a really good seasoning for the potatoes and green beans. I still eat the meat because I don't like to waste food but it's the grease from the meat that makes the veggies taste so good. If you like that sort of thing. Almost close to home cooking. 

[Littlesister]

Thank you Jeepers, I have some little smokies in the freezer. I will try that when I get back to canning again. It sounds good.  

I am getting a little antsy to get back to canning and getting the freezers emptied as I don't want to get caught with no current and a freezer full of food. 

[Jeepers]

The little sausages are about the size of a little finger. I cut mine in half or thirds. I can't remember which. They taste okay but the texture is sort of dry and grainy. I would never can them alone because of that. 

[snapshotmiki]

I have  canned  them in BBQ sauce and they  were  great!

[Jeepers]

Good to know! I never thought to can them in BBQ sauce.  

 

The sauce probably keeps the from drying out as much.

[Midnightmom]

On 10/24/2023 at 3:30 PM, Jeepers said:

I'm hoping the jars are really sealed by canning and not by the lid being held down by the siphoned overflow. Suppose I'll find out in a few months if the lids pop. If even one does, then I'm pitching them all. What do y'all think?  

If you are unsure that the seal is proper and not just "stuck" because of siphoning, you can wait until the jars are totally cooled and you have removed the bands. Then, tap the lid of each jar. You should hear a "high pitched" ping. IF you hear a "dull thud" they are NOT properly sealed and should be used or refrigerated w/in the 24 hr window as recommended by the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

This is also the way you can check the jars you've had on the shelf for awhile to make sure they didn't unseal then "seal" again. I did this a few months ago and found several jars that "thudded." It was quite the experience disposing of them correctly and not letting any botulism spores out into the air. I think I posted about it back then - I will try to find the link and add it here. 

 

ETA Link: 

 

 

On 10/25/2023 at 10:21 AM, Jeepers said:

What I really want to can is chicken veggie soup, regular veggie soup and some sausage/potato/green beans. I eat a lot of that especially in the winter.

Soups

Vegetable, dried bean or pea, meat, poultry, or seafood soups can be canned. These directions are intended for use with ingredients that already have separate canning recommendations for those foods. Also, jars should only contain up to 50% solids. (National Center for Home Food Preservation)

 

 

5 hours ago, Jeepers said:

I never thought to can them in BBQ sauce.

I would try only one, or perhaps two jars just to make sure the BBQ sauce doesn't burn due to it's high sugar content.

 

On 10/25/2023 at 10:21 AM, Jeepers said:

I pressure cook my chicken in it before canning it too.

You can raw pack chicken and other meats! It's sooooooooooooooo easy to do. Just cut up the meat, stuff it into the jar, put on the lids and bands, and put the cold jars into cold water and then close up the canner and process for the recommended time for the size of your jar at your altitude. No cooking, no broth, no hot water - just MEAT! (It makes it's own broth)

 

Selecting, Preparing and Canning Meat

Raw pack – Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart, if desired. Fill jars loosely with raw meat pieces, leaving 1-1/4 inch headspace. Do not add liquid.

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_05/chicken_rabbit.html

 

raw pack boneless/skinless chix breast

 

 

 

 

Cooked (from raw) chix - aka: "Ugly Chicken"

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Midnightmom

[Jeepers]

Midnightmom, I know all about doing that test. I do it all the time with my fingernail when I'm doing a random check of all of my jars and right before I open a jar. And I have heard that dull thud. Once you hear it you remember it. It happened to me with a jar of pickles once. The lid  looked like it was still pulled down but I heard the thud and it came right off. BUT, I forgot all about that! THANK YOU for the reminder! By the time I get back over there it will be a couple of months since I canned them and it will be a good time to test them. I treat all of my jars sort of roughly the next day. I remove the rings and wash them with soapy water, under a running water tap, all around the neck of the jar with a dish rag. If a lid is going to pop I want it to happen right away. Not fool proof but just a step I take. Surprising how much you forget when you haven't canned anything in 4-5 years. 

 

I have heard of jars of food tasting burned due to high sugar content too. There is a recipe in the newest Ball Blue Book that has had a lot of complaints tasting burned. I think it is the sweet and sour something. Can't remember right off now what it was. Lots of people do baked beans and don't seem to have an issue so who knows. 

 

BTW, the powers that be have now decided that we can add smoked meats like ham etc. to soups and stews as long as it is in small amounts. That is according to Sutton's Daze. I did it anyway even before they said it was okay though. I was a mini rebel. 

 

I can't do the ugly chicken. It's just too...ugly. LOL. All of that white stuff stuck to the jar. Shudder. I'm not a big meat eater to begin with so it had better look pretty. I can't even eat chicken off of the bone. I have to remove the skin, pick the meat off of the bone, discard the skin and bones in the trash out of sight, pull the meat into bitesize pieces and then eat it. And only breast meat. A piece of fat in my mouth will send me into a frenzy. I'm a real joy at a picnic or family reunion. But other than that, I like chicken. 

[Midnightmom]

2 hours ago, Jeepers said:

BTW, the powers that be have now decided that we can add smoked meats like ham etc. to soups and stews as long as it is in small amounts. That is according to Sutton's Daze. I did it anyway even before they said it was okay though. I was a mini rebel. 

I think that stems from the 50% solids content that I mentioned above. I might "rebel" a bit and jar up some shredded corned beef in a lot of liquid.   

[Jeepers]

I did corned beef a long time ago and it turned out great. It was a pain in the rump for me though. Because if my fat issues, I went through the entire slab of meat shredding it and picking out the little pieces of fat. . I canned the meat in half pint jars to use for Reuben sandwiches.  Also to use in some corned beef and cabbage and potatoes. I put the cooked meat in the jars and covered with water. Very good. In the end it was worth it. It even got the approval from our Violet. But an all day process for me. 

[Littlesister]

I always check my cans like that to make sure they are ok. 

 

The chicken I can is all breast meat, no skin or anything. So, there is no fat residue in the jars. It comes out looking a bit like the canned chicken you buy in the store. I do have some but very little of the fat so that does not bother me. 

And now I am wanting some cabbage and corn beef for dinner. Not happening tonight though. This is left over night. 

[Jeepers]

Sometimes I have a little bit of fat in my jars too. It's usually a small globule floating in the liquid at the top of the jar that is easy to spoon out. Mostly when I can beef chunks. I buy lean hamburger and rinse it before I can it but there is always a ring of fat on the inside of the jar. 

 

I am thinking about canning some cabbage. They say not to because it can become strong but I really like cabbage I don't think it would bother me. I like it boiled and seasoned with bacon grease. 

 

Please don't tell me bacon grease is really fat. I don't want to hear it!  I need to believe it's just magic vegetable juice.  

[Midnightmom]

45 minutes ago, Jeepers said:

Please don't tell me bacon grease is really fat. I don't want to hear it!  I need to believe it's just magic vegetable juice.  

 

Hot Bacon Fat "Magic Vegetable Juice" Dressing  

• 1/2 cup of bacon fat
• 3 to 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
• salt
• pepper
• sweetener to taste (7 liquid drops sucralose or 3 tbsp granulated sweetener to start)

Heat the bacon fat in a small pot.  Whisk in the ACV, mustard, and other ingredients and pour it warm over the spinach.  Taste first for sweetness.  I like a lot of ACV and a lot of sweetener for more tang.

 

[Jeepers]

Yum. That sounds like a dressing my grandma used to make. She poured it over shredded lettuce. She fried and crumbled some bacon and added vinegar and sugar. She poured it over the lettuce and added a chopped boiled egg on top. She called it wilted lettuce and only served it a couple of times during the spring. Dandylion leaves may or may not have been involved. I can't remember. But probably since it was a rare springtime delicacy of hers.