We've started our Fall/Winter canning season and I thought it might be worth posting about. We use both hot water bath and pressure type canners. All the stuff that we just canned went through a pressure canner. Anyway, if you're thinking about starting to do canning, it's pretty straight forward if you follow the guidelines. So I encourage you to try it. It's a useful skill and not nearly as scary as it can look. It's usually possible to find food preservation classes at your local AG Extension. I took one years ago and realized the practicality of the process. BTW, It's also not always cheaper to can your own stuff, but you know exactly what you're eating. A local grocery store has a Thanksgiving sale that when you buy a Smithfield spiral sliced ham you get a "free" 10/12lb. turkey. So I bought the deal and we had some nice ham for a few days. Then my GF made ham broth from the bone and scraps and then canned the left over ham in the broth and also canned some straight ham broth. We also had homemade bean soup last week, so she canned a bunch of that up as well. Yesterday I cooked up a small barrel of tomato sauce and then let it cook overnight in a low oven and she canned up nine quarts this morning. Today she'll brine the turkey and cook and can most of it tomorrow. I'm also going to pick up another ham/turkey deal before the sale ends and we'll do it again. (Hat tip to Jackie Clay of Backwoods Home, etc. for the oven idea.)
ive used the oven for small batches, and the Dishwasher is the absolute best if u use HOT cycle for mass sterilization for large batches. i love canning tomato sauce that is preseasoned for marinara i add Fresh thyme, basil, oregano and garlic in the last hour of the slow cooker when i am reducing. The best part of this is you can use it on pasta, pizza, or bolnaise, so its versitiel .... i do add canned tomato paste if i want it thicker and i buy the tomato paste because its not worth the time and effort for me to reduce it and can it.. its just cheaper and easier to buy canned tomato paste in bulk this year i am trying canning pickled jalapeno's, carrots and onions because i love thes as a snack and i had a batch of jalapenos i 'll let you know how they turned out because ive just bought them in the past
There was a Mexican restaurant I used to go to that had the best pickled jalapenos and vegetables. They also made the world's greatest wet carne asada burrito.
I bought a turkey just before this last thanksgiving. I ended up with 24 pints of turkey soup.then i canned 24 pints of chicken soup.i canned my first 9 pints of sliced jalapeños the other day.they turned out great. now I'm working on a big Ole batch of chili with beans. Im hopeing for at least 34 pints with it.gonna go with a thick chili.so i can use it for chilli dogs.frito chili pie.or eat it as is.
