Canning

[DrHenley]

It's the air in the container that is the problem.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I know this isn’t about canning, but hoping Ican get some feedback on Sun Ovens. All American makes a sun oven and I was wondering who has used them and kind of results they achieved?

 

[TexPrep]

It's the air in the container that is the problem.

So the steam forces out the air.

 

[Cindyd]

My pressure canner came in early! It was supposed to be here on the 27th..it was delivered Friday! I haven't even opened the box yet. I am getting a late start but today is the day! Will be my first time using a pressure canner. Gonna try potatoes to start with. Also, pulling out my dehydrator and think I will dehyrate some frozen vegetables. My big freezer needs room and the bags of veggies are taking up a lot.

 

[TexPrep]

My pressure canner came in early! It was supposed to be here on the 27th..it was delivered Friday! I haven't even opened the box yet. I am getting a late start but today is the day! Will be my first time using a pressure canner. Gonna try potatoes to start with. Also, pulling out my dehydrator and think I will dehyrate some frozen vegetables. My big freezer needs room and the bags of veggies are taking up a lot.

Funny you say that.
Ours was supposed to show up next Wednesday and they moved it back to today as well.
Supposed to be here before 8:00 pm.
While it's cool to get it early I dont think I'll be canning at 9:00 pm on a Sunday.

 

[Mountain trapper]

The wife has been pickling and fermenting tomatoes. I pickled some jalapeno and habanaro peppers. Yesterday I made a couple batches of ketchup, one mild for the wife and one hot for me.

 

[GaRp58]

I just canned about 12 lbs of tomatoes today with some onions with them and got 4 quarts of good stuff in the pantry. Do not have a pressure canner, just have to can hot and then boil them under water for another hour and hope for the best and they are sterilised...

 

[TexPrep]

Welp it's here.
Now to unpack it and mess with it.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I know this isn’t about canning, but hoping Ican get some feedback on Sun Ovens. All American makes a sun oven and I was wondering who has used them and kind of results they achieved?

A friend of ours uses a sun oven a lot. She loves it. I think she made it herself though. We have no shortage of sun here in the summer.

 

[GaRp58]

A friend of ours uses a sun oven a lot. She loves it. I think she made it herself though. We have no shortage of sun here in the summer.

I have plans for a sun oven and know it can bake bread without a crust, the funny thing is, I also have plans for a solar distillator for making drinking water from the atmosphere and they both almost look the same. Black inside, wood outside, glass on top...just the distiller has a glass bottom also and a collector drain on the slanted bottom to let the drops collect, run into a rain gutter and down into a the water tank. Both are good alternatives for BOL and daily use. For those who are thinking about these and want a short look how the look, work and such:

 

[Cindyd]

I love the new pressure canner! It is easy to use which I was glad since I was a bit intimidated at first. I did get 7 quarts of potatoes canned and then decided to can some hamburger meat with chopped onion and used beef broth for the liquid..I got 9 pints. I ended up dehydrating 9 trays of onion instead of frozen veggies since I still have the better part of 50 lb. Bag. Not sure that is worth the trouble. While pressure canner was working I decided to use up remaining cukes and made 2 quarts and 4 pints of bread n butter pickles, which I'm not crazy about but everybody else likes.

 

[Cindyd]

I have a question for you experienced potatoe pressure canners....as you may see in the pic...the water level went down in the potatoes after I took them out of pressure canner...is that some screw up I made? The water level was covering the potatoes in jar with 1 inch space from top when I put them in canner. I'm concerned water is not fully covering potatoes now, even though lida are sealed.

 

[Cindyd]

And yes, I pushed the air bubbles out of jars and topped off with more liquid before putting seals and rings on prior to setting in canner.

 

[GaRp58]

Made another 4 quarts of concentrated tomato paste and used the last of the white grapes to make 4 small jars of jelly. Evidently NOBODY around here has ever heard of making jelly or jam with grapes, as when I take one of the neighbors a jar for fun, they say: "what, grape jelly?", what is that? but, they liked it and asked how to make it.

 

[Dani]

Cindy, did your pressure fluctuate a lot? That can cause the liquid to seep out of your jars.

 

[Cindyd]

You know danil, now that you mention that, right before I put the hamburger meat in to can I caught a tid bit I missed earlier, in that the "jiggler" on top is only supposed to "jiggle" about 4 times a minute? and not constantly. I think when I had the potatoes in, it was "jiggling" too much (fairly constant) even though the pressure was showing on 10-11lbs. (I was hyper focused in the pressure gauge the whole 40 minutes since it was my first time using it). I did a bit more adjusting with the flame to find the sweet spot with the hamburger in...so it wasn't jiggling constantly. I didnt know leakage would be the result from that, but what you suggest makes sense, so I think that's what did happen.

Thank you for that!

 

[dirtdiva]

You know danil, now that you mention that, right before I put the hamburger meat in to can I caught a tid bit I missed earlier, in that the "jiggler" on top is only supposed to "jiggle" about 4 times a minute? and not constantly. I think when I had the potatoes in, it was "jiggling" too much (fairly constant) even though the pressure was showing on 10-11lbs. (I was hyper focused in the pressure gauge the whole 40 minutes since it was my first time using it). I did a bit more adjusting with the flame to find the sweet spot with the hamburger in...so it wasn't jiggling constantly. I didnt know leakage would be the result from that, but what you suggest makes sense, so I think that's what did happen.

Thank you for that!

Cindy as you become more familiar with your pot and the techniques of canning you will get better at adjusting your temperatures and holding them.

 

[dirtdiva]

Canning last week more taco soup to use up tomatoes and this week I am going to chunk up butternut squash with some onions and garlic and cover with chicken broth and pressure can for 75 minutes. I take this and open it and use my immersion blender to puree it then add cream for a butternut soup. My husband likes when I add small chunks of ham to it also. Can do the same with yellow squash.

I have started dehydrating figs and okra again. I am up to 40 quarts of okra in the freezer in vacuum bags for oven roasting this winter. That new to me variety of okra called "Heavy Hitter" has really produced for me and it is even heirloom and open pollinated. I see it is even now available at Bakers Creek seeds. When I bought mine I had to buy it from the guy that developed it straight from his farm. Seems it has caught on!

I have 4 gallon of figs in the freezer to make fig preserves also when I get a minute to free up some freezer space. Variety called "Chicago Hardy". Blackberries are still coming in and with a couple gallons in the freezer again I think I will make some more quarts of blackberry pie filling canned. Great for over ice cream and making quick cobblers.

I also still have some blueberries frozen left over from last year still that I will make some jam with for Christmas gifts and save the ones from this year for protein smoothies. I have plenty dehydrated blueberries in storage so I won't do them this year.

Morning temps in the 30's this morning so garden is definitely winding down so maybe I can catch up on some canning then.

 

[user 7704]

Must be in the air today! I've been online reading about pressure Canner's trying to decide on which to buy. I was planning on posting here to ask for recommendations. I admit, I was looking at the cheaper Presto 23 gallon. Which was only $130 ish....I'm not opposed to more expensive if they are indeed worth it. I've also been watching you tube videos on and off all day on canning, but not regarding pressure canning. I do know I need a pressure canner. Help!

I have the Presto and it works great. I did purchase weighted gauges because I cannot sit there watching the pressure gauge.

 

[user 7704]

I canned 7 qt and 1 pint of kraut this morning. After we got hair cuts and went to get the rock for the stove floor.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I canned 7 qt and 1 pint of kraft this morning. After we got hair cuts and went to get the rock for the stove floor.

Youve been a busy busy girl!! Did you can Kraft cheese?

 

[user 7704]

Youve been a busy busy girl!! Did you can Kraft cheese?

Never canned cheese. Hahaha kraut not kraft. Autocorrect

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

It is easily canned. I never want to run out of cheese? LOL.

 

[user 7704]

You mean like Velveeta box cheese?

 

[Dani]

I’ve made cheese whiz out of velveeta type to can.

 

[Cindyd]

How do you can cheese? I'd like to learn!

 

[Dani]

Put 1/2 pint jars into a pot that has water onto the stove on medium low. Add in little cubes of cheese to let them melt. You may need to add more water into the pot as you go to get all the cheese melted. Up to a 1/2 inch. Stir to remove air bubbles. Water bath for 40 minutes.

 

[Dani]

Put 1/2 pint jars into a pot that has water onto the stove on medium low. Add in little cubes of cheese to let them melt. You may need to add more water into the pot as you go to get all the cheese melted. Up to a 1/2 inch. Stir to remove air bubbles. Water bath for 40 minutes.

Wanted to add in this is not an approved method of canning so you assume your own risk.

 

[user 7704]

I have to admit, the canning of cheese scares me. Especially water bathing rather than pressure Canning. I have water bathed veggies aaaand felt confident.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I have to admit, the canning of cheese scares me. Especially water bathing rather than pressure Canning. I have water bathed veggies aaaand felt confident.

Everyone needs to only can what they are sure will not harm those who are going to eat it. I tested my first canning of butter out on a couple of chickens. LOL. That was years ago and I’ve canned it many times. Would not keep it longer than 2 years…in a dark always cool <65 environment.