Canning

[Guest guest]

Hey Joe!

I want to learn canning too! Maybe we can learn together. Or do we have a

topic for our Aug. meeting? Garden tomatoes should be ripening by then...

I also noticed in the latest newsletter that the co-ops (or at least Mississippi

Market) is offering time and space for groups of like-minded individuals to get

together. I thought it sounded like a great opportunity, but I also don't feel

ready to take them up on it right at the moment.

Kathy

[Guest guest]

I would really like to learn canning as well. Or how to properly freeze or dry

excess vegetables over the summer. Maybe we can learn together or get together

to can the end of the season?

I stopped by Lynne's to pick up some eggs this weekend. She has a beautiful

daughter and 3 VERY cute goats. I am so glad I found this group. So interesting

and such a warm grouop of people.

Thanks Will for starting this.

Jeanne

[Guest guest]

Or do we have a

> topic for our Aug. meeting? Garden tomatoes should be ripening by

then...

That is a SUPER idea!

I found a book on canning and got a bunch of jars. It's all sitting

around waiting for me. I have a friend who remembers how to do this,

and we've chatted a bit about (re)learning the method.

Anyone here already know how to can?

~Joe

[Guest guest]

Joe (and all),

Thanks for the welcome. I would definitely be interested in canning.

I've been collecting jars, but I have no idea how to do it.

Gwen

inishglora wrote:

>

> Or do we have a

> > topic for our Aug. meeting? Garden tomatoes should be ripening by

> then...

>

> That is a SUPER idea!

>

> I found a book on canning and got a bunch of jars. It's all sitting

> around waiting for me. I have a friend who remembers how to do this,

> and we've chatted a bit about (re)learning the method.

>

> Anyone here already know how to can?

> ~Joe

>

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> *

[Guest guest]

I can a gazillion jars of tomato sauce/soup base each fall. For most vegies

(corn, beans...)

a prefer to freeze them since I think they taste better that way and it's much

easier to

freeze in smaller. more frequent batches.

For canning you need to start with canning jars- usually quart or pint size. A

lot of older

ladies used mayo jars, but they aren't as strong or quite as reliable. Garage

sales are a

great way to find jars. You need lids- they come in two parts: the flat disk

and the band

that actually screws onto the jar. A large kettle big enough to completely hold

the jars

when they are covered with water can be used in place of a canning kettle- I

got mine at a

garage sale. Ball and Kerr are the two big canning companies and they both put

out books

that explain the process. There are a number of other little gadgets that are

very nice/

helpful, but aren't necessary like tongs, funnels, neat little magnets for

picking up lids out

of hot water.

You can either can with the water bath method or pressure cooker. I use the

waterbath

and have only used the pressure cooker when I tried to can some chicken last

summer

(you can't waterbath any meat).

I would recommend getting a canning book and going from there. Tomatoes and

vingar

based pickles are the easiest. I just blend my tomatoes in the vitamix, along

with the

other goodies I add like onions, cook it down (takes a number of hours and

smells

wonderful!) before I add it to my jars. My mom always canned tomatoes and it

brings back

good childhood memories and just smells like fall. I hope will feel the

same as I do

when she's grown.

Lynn

[Guest guest]

--- lhackbarth <lhackbarth@...> wrote:

To add a few items to Lynn's good advice:

There are a number of

> other little gadgets that are very nice/

> helpful, but aren't necessary like tongs, funnels,

> neat little magnets for picking up lids out

> of hot water.

Although not necessary, I'd be lost without my tongs &

funnel. Handy when working with such hot stuff.

>

> You can either can with the water bath method or

> pressure cooker. I use the waterbath

> and have only used the pressure cooker when I tried

> to can some chicken last summer

> (you can't waterbath any meat).

Per my favorite book, Stocking Up III by the Rodale

Press, only high-acid foods like pickled veg, fruits &

tomatoes should be canned in a hot water bath. For

other foods, boiling isn't a sufficiently high temp to

kill bacteria. Now, my grandma cans everything in hot

water & has had no problems, but that's a personal

choice.

What I like about Stocking Up is that it covers

canning, freezing, drying, homemade butter & cheeses,

sprouting, etc etc.

I am always on the lookout for old Organic Gardening

magazines. I recently found a few from the early

80's. There was an article about community canning

centers, where for a nominal fee you could bring in

your own produce & cans & make use of commercial size

canning gadgets, cutting processing time to a fraction

of what it would take at home. I haven't heard of

these & I'm wondering if they are now extinct. Too

bad.

Have fun learning!

Dawn

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Correct me if I'm wrong. From what I understand, totally fresh produce would

have the most nutrients, lacto-fermented next(in some cases more), freezing,

then canned (since you have to cook it before canning). I assume that you

would only can if you couldn't ferment or freeze or wanted a longer shelf

life or some special taste.

I once took a class on canning at the Wedge. The woman who taught it was

from the U extension, so she knew a lot. If we really wanted to learn about

it, I bet we could contact her for one of our swaps or something.

Therese

[Guest guest]

Therese,

I would say you are exactly right!

The reason that I would like to learn to can is to have an alternative to

fermenting and freezing. Even Sally says that the cooking process, although it

destroys some nutrients, can make others more bioavailable. Besides, I have

a big pantry that is virtually empty!

And I also have a romantic view of some canned foods. I used to date a guy

whose family (from Kentucky) used to can the best green beans from their

huge garden. They were flavored with salt and bacon grease. They also used

to do creamed corn which was equally fantastic. They always had a pot of

cooked pinto beans on the stove or in the refrigerator to be heated up and

would eat them with cornbread and lots of onions. But I digress...

I have also had the chance to try canned tomatoes, peaches and even

chicken and I think the taste can't be beat. For me, it would be fast food.

Kathy

[Guest guest]

I generally prefer the water bath method since I usually only can tomatoes,

pickles and

jelly. Pressure cooking is generally not as good since it can mess up the

proteins, and not

many people have a pressure cooker. I freeze all of my other vegies. But I

also put up

food with older techniques like drying (I dried about 5 or 6 gallons of apples

alone last

year) and I've tried more and more lacto fermented things. There are pluses and

minuses

for each method and one of the nice things about canning is the storage

component. I

tend to kill myself in the fall trying to keep up with all of the things

involved with my

garden and putting up food, but it really makes it nice the rest of the year and

I do save a

lot of $$ by having my own garden since I buy very few vegies.

Lynn

>

> The reason that I would like to learn to can is to have an alternative to

> fermenting and freezing. Even Sally says that the cooking process, although it

> destroys some nutrients, can make others more bioavailable. Besides, I have

> a big pantry that is virtually empty!

>

> Kathy

[Guest guest]

I also do lots of canning- mostly tomato sauce/soup base. I tried canning a

little bit of

chicken last year which worked pretty good. I know that for canning meat you

have to use

a pressure cooker to be considered " safe " for storage. I don't know if broth

would be the

same or not. I always freeze my broth in pint size portions.

Lynn

> I do a lot of canning and even can my broths. It is so nice and easy to just

pop open a

jar and heat it up. I also use the broth to make quick healthy soups.

>

> Can any one see a reason why it would be bad to can our broths please let me

know.

Anyways, I would like to chat about canning.

>

> Kimi

[Guest guest]

Bee I wanted to get your opinion on canning food at home. I am getting

the fermenting going but cool storage is limited so i wanted totry my

hand at canning.

Thanks

Kara

[Guest guest]

>

> Bee I wanted to get your opinion on canning food at home. I am

getting the fermenting going but cool storage is limited so i wanted

totry my hand at canning.

==>Hi Kara. It is very good to can your own foods. I've done a lot of

it. When I was growing up we had a hugh garden and canned a lot of

vegetables.

Luv, Bee

[Guest guest]

> ==>Hi Kara. It is very good to can your own foods. I've done a lot

of

> it. When I was growing up we had a hugh garden and canned a lot of

> vegetables.

>

> Luv, Bee

>

I guess what I did't know is weather canning is consider

pasturization? and I know come comerically canned foos containing

mold/yeast growth and did not know if that happens also when doing

small scale home canning?

Thanks

Kara

My garlic is fermenting as we speak!

[Guest guest]

>

>

> > ==>Hi Kara. It is very good to can your own foods. I've done a

lot

> of

> > it. When I was growing up we had a hugh garden and canned a lot

of

> > vegetables.

> >

> > Luv, Bee

> >

>

> I guess what I did't know is weather canning is consider

> pasturization? and I know come comerically canned foos containing

> mold/yeast growth and did not know if that happens also when doing

> small scale home canning?

==>Hi Kara. No, canning is not pasteurization. The food is cooked

or steamed but not heated it as high as pasteurization. Canned foods

can contain molds, but if you follow the directions carefully they

will be better than commercial canned foods. Canned foods contain

poor quality foods to start with too.

> My garlic is fermenting as we speak!

==>Yippee!

Luv, Bee