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Yaya! I canned stuff again.

doobie

doobie

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It's been ages since I canned anything (probably about a year and a half).

But next time I need to think bigger...image (233k, 1536x1024).

Back left: 2 x 1 Quart: Marinated Mushrooms
Back right: 2.9 x 1 Quart: veggie soup/stock from liquid from Mushrooms with other veggies
Front left: 6 x 1/2 Pint Hot Pepper Jam (Portugal Hot and Habanero)
Front right (and off camera) 8 x 1 pint Goulash.

I need to think much much bigger next time. I wish I had 16 or 18 pints of the goulash. And like 6 quarts of mushrooms.

I really want to start canning at least two things a week. I think I spent about 5 hours prep+cooking+canning of everything. Cleaning is going to be another hour... *sigh* I hate cleaning.

Coming tomorrow: Blueberry jam and pickled cucumbers.
 
joehaus said:
Way to can. How long can that stuff last?
Click to expand...

I've recently eaten some chicken soup I made in 2005. Still tasted pretty good. Much of what I currently have is from 2004,2005,2006. It won't kill ya, but the nutrients break down after a year or so...but it also depends on how they were stored, etc.
 
Too funny, I canned some cold pack tomatoes yesterday myself. On the list for the next couple of months, is split pea soup, beef stew, chicken soup, salsa, mean sauce, Mrs. Wildweasel's famous marinara sauce, and if things go well this fall TONS of venison!
 
Adam_MA said:
Too funny, I canned some cold pack tomatoes yesterday myself. On the list for the next couple of months, is split pea soup, beef stew, chicken soup, salsa, mean sauce, Mrs. Wildweasel's famous marinara sauce, and if things go well this fall TONS of venison!
Click to expand...

Do post some recipes :) I'd love to have some venison recipes that can well.
 
In the last month I canned blueberry, strawberry and sour cherry jam.Waiting for bushel baskets of tomatoes at the Big Apple so I can put up sauce for the year. I am always nervous when I do it but never had a problem.
Now if I can find an old SS pressure cooker I will make some corn liquor[wink]
 
Yeasterday, we canned 9 quarts of spaghetti sauce, and 5 pints of beans.
I have been canning off and on as the garden comes in. I have made pickles, and pickled zucchini also. Saurkraut is also on my list this year.
 
doobie said:
I created a social group for canning/gardening if anyone is interested.
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I've been thinking about getting into canning. I've been reading up, but I really need to see it done to be confortable.

And I'd like that Marinara recipe, too ... I have one of my own that I'm still tweaking a bit. And when I make it, I make way more than I can use. If you can tomato products, do you have to pressure can it?
 
theGringo said:
I've been thinking about getting into canning. I've been reading up, but I really need to see it done to be confortable.

And I'd like that Marinara recipe, too ... I have one of my own that I'm still tweaking a bit. And when I make it, I make way more than I can use. If you can tomato products, do you have to pressure can it?
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As long as you add some lemon juice you can water bath can it.
 
MrsWildweasel said:
I'll see about posting it. We have tweaked it quite abit also. It is the base for our spaghetti sauce too.[wink]
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Thanks. You can post that at the "Cooking With NES" social group if you like.[wink] I use HM marinara for all kinds of things ... with breaded pork, fish ... I've always had a hard time with red sauces, though.
 
Okay here is the basic recipe....
Now you guys will have to estimate your batches.

pint jar
Tomatoes 1lb
olive oil 2 tablespoons
fresh basil 2 leaves
oregano 1/4 teaspoon
garlic 1 clove
salt 1/4 teaspoon
pepper 1/4 teaspoon
lemon juice 1 Tablespoon


quart jar
Tomatoes 2lbs
olive oil 1/4 cup
fresh basil 4 leaves
oregano 1/2 teaspoon
garlic 2 cloves
salt 1/2 teaspoon
pepper 1/2 teaspoon
lemon juice 2 Tablespoons

Blanch and peel tomatoes and then coarsely chop
Saute garlic in olive oil until soft
add chopped tomatoes, bring to a simmer
add all of the remaining ingredients and let simmer 10 minutes. You may simmer a little longer if you like a thicker sauce.
Canning use a hot pack pack method and leave 1/4 inch of headspace.
Process using water bath canner 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts.

Now like I said we have tweaked it and add jalepenos and red pepper flakes, plus onions.
This is a really good recipe for a base and you can adjust to your taste.
We turn this into our spaghetti sauce.
It took us tweaking it for 5 different batches to get it to the point we like.
Good luck everone and hope you enjoy it.
If you turn this into spaghetti sauce you will want to cook it until it reduces in the pot by half.
We run the tomatoes through the food processor also when making this into sauce.
 
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theGringo said:
Thanks. You can post that at the "Cooking With NES" social group if you like.[wink] I use HM marinara for all kinds of things ... with breaded pork, fish ... I've always had a hard time with red sauces, though.
Click to expand...

This one is easy. If you don't use fresh basil in it you can also use dried basil in it.
Also if you are going to make it into spaghetti sauce add some tomato paste to it just to thicken it a bit.
 
Hmm ... looks simple enough. I've never processed the tomatos from scratch ... just used canned. This is the foundation for my marinara experiments:

MARINARA SAUCE:

10 cloves garlic, chopped finely
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp rosemary
dried red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
1 large onion diced
1 carrot diced
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes (I put these in a bowl and smoosh them with my hands)
2 tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
1-4 tbsp sugar (this is to taste. Start with one and taste and add as needed)
salt/pepper to taste
1 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil

Start with a heavy bottomed COLD pan. Pour in the olive oil, spices and garlic. Slowly warm (I do this on med-lo heat) until the garlic is very very fragrant. At this point, add the carrots and onions and turn the heat to medium. Add a pinch of salt. Sweat the veggies for around 10 more minutes. Now you're ready to add the tomatoes, vinegar. Turn heat to almost High and bring to a low boil. Turn heat back down to medium and cover. Cook for about 10 mintues. Now taste and add the sugar, salt/pepper and fresh herbs.
 
It's easy processing tomatoes from scratch, you may even find they taste better too.[grin]
We've had a rough year though with our tomatoes this year. too much rain for them.
 
Never heard of that... In fact this is a recipe from The National Center for Home Food Preservation

Spaghetti Sauce without Meat
30 lbs tomatoes
1 cup chopped onions
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped celery or green pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
4-1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oregano
4 tbsp minced parsley
2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
 
Small amounts (like the recipe that Adam posted ) are fine. I guess it is larger amounts that are the issue. I read about it on one of the forums I read. (I figure I can always add a little when cooking it.) I will see if I can find the source. I misremembered... DUH! the article I read is about canning things IN oil. Like dried tomatoes in olive oil. It does not adequately preserve in just oil. SO Keep adding normal amounts to your sauce.

Our current recipe is nothing like the one I started with that the wife posted. I will post it if I find time.
 
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Wildweasel said:
Small amounts (like the recipe that Adam posted ) are fine. I guess it is larger amounts that are the issue. I read about it on one of the forums I read. (I figure I can always add a little when cooking it.) I will see if I can find the source. I misremembered... DUH! the article I read is about canning things IN oil. Like dried tomatoes in olive oil. It does not adequately preserve in just oil. SO Keep adding normal amounts to your sauce.

Our current recipe is nothing like the one I started with that the wife posted. I will post it if I find time.
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Ahhh cuz I just did marinated mushrooms in vinegar and olive oil... there is a lot of oil in there though, maybe 1/2 to 2/3.
 
doobie said:
Ahhh cuz I just did marinated mushrooms in vinegar and olive oil... there is a lot of oil in there though, maybe 1/2 to 2/3.
Click to expand...

As long as it is from a recognized recipe source then I wouldn't worry too much, Is it for long term storage or just use in a month?
I guess it is Botulism that is the issue, the oil promotes it. I will do some checking with the extension services.
 
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Wildweasel said:
As long as it is from a recognized recipe source then I wouldn't worry too much, Is it for long term storage or just use in a month?
I guess it is Botulism that is the issue, the oil promotes it. I will do some checking with the extension services.
Click to expand...

I'll probably use it in the next month or so. I was going to wait a week to open the first can.... that will last like a week...the the second will be after that...so less than a month. I'll have to look into that issue too.
 
I am a little more careful as of late, I got a Really bad case of food poisoning this year, (ecoli and Listeria ) from a bad burger in a Burger king. was in the hospital ER two days in a row before I got a good doc.

As in any canning go by the times from the ball book or recognized sources and you should be fine.
 
I'd recommend the hell out of this book. Although I haven't tried any of the canning myself (first year gardener here - tomato crop sucked, cukes sucked just a bit less...) just yet, the book comes highly recommended by both my mother and grandmother, the latter of which cans occasionally, the former being what one might describe as "mildly obsessed."

http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Food-Plume-Janet-Greene/dp/0452268990
 
Wildweasel said:
I am a little more careful as of late, I got a Really bad case of food poisoning this year, (ecoli and Listeria ) from a bad burger in a Burger king. was in the hospital ER two days in a row before I got a good doc.

As in any canning go by the times from the ball book or recognized sources and you should be fine.
Click to expand...

Yikes! That's terrible. How did you determine the source of the food poisoning? Have enough proof to sue them?

I usually use Ball Book for my recipes, though I tend to change them slightly (usually spices/veggies used in some of the soups/stews).

This is supposed to be a good book. I'm planning on buying it when I buy a new canner. I need something that will can a lot... my current canner will only do 7 quarters or 16/18 pints. The one I want will do 32 pint jars or 19 quart jars
 

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