# Canning!



## MamaHen (Apr 15, 2013)

Any other canners out there? What are your favorite things to can? If you do peaches, what kind of peaches do you can? I love canning up my garden and eating throughout the year. Sometimes I buy a bushel of local apples or peaches too to supplement my own garden. any comments would be appreciated.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

We've always canned up the gardens, fruits and meats. Most of my life was lived off foods out of the cellar!


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## MamaHen (Apr 15, 2013)

Wonderful! I did Autumn gold peaches (I think that's what it was) last year and didn't like them. What peaches do you do? Are your veggies hot pack method? How long do you heat them for? I want them so they don't go mushy but aren't hard when you open them. Last year I did 5 min and they were a wee a bit mushy for me, do you think just 2 min would be ok? Hoping yet get hot enough for packing after 2 min. 

Have you ever canned butternut squash soup?


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

MamaHen said:


> Wonderful! I did Autumn gold peaches (I think that's what it was) last year and didn't like them. What peaches do you do? Are your veggies hot pack method? How long do you heat them for? I want them so they don't go mushy but aren't hard when you open them. Last year I did 5 min and they were a wee a bit mushy for me, do you think just 2 min would be ok? Hoping yet get hot enough for packing after 2 min.
> 
> Have you ever canned butternut squash soup?


This is the first year we had peaches and there weren't really enough to can, but they are a white cling peach, very sweet. We've canned apple sauce and juices, blackberry jams, apple butter, etc.

We cold pack veggies and can some in the pressure canner and some in hot water bath. Not sure what you mean by 5 min. or 2 min. but usual canning time for anything is much longer than that...anywhere from 45 min. to 90 min.

Nope, never canned butternut squash soup.


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## MamaHen (Apr 15, 2013)

Bee said:


> This is the first year we had peaches and there weren't really enough to can, but they are a white cling peach, very sweet. We've canned apple sauce and juices, blackberry jams, apple butter, etc.
> 
> We cold pack veggies and can some in the pressure canner and some in hot water bath. Not sure what you mean by 5 min. or 2 min. but usual canning time for anything is much longer than that...anywhere from 45 min. to 90 min.
> 
> Nope, never canned butternut squash soup.


I have canned both yellow and white peaches before and white is definitely best fresh...so good! I'm still going to hunt out the best canning peaches! As for the green beans, I don't process for 5 min, I just meant heat them up before canning but you answered my question by stating you cold pack them, I'm going to try that this year, I haven't done cold pack before. 
What's your apple butter recipe? Sounds delish! This will be my 5th year canning. I love it and am always looking for new ideas and recipes! Just last night I finished canning marinara sauce and BBQ sauce, yum!


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

We don't really have recipes...I think I've had a total of 9 recipes in my recipe box all my life.  We just season it to our taste with cinnamon and brown sugar. Doing some again this year in Grandma's old copper kettle....love that thing!


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

I think my favorite right now is pickling eggs. I may end up making some strawberry jam this week. They have strawberries on sale at the store this week. 3 quarts for $5 I can make a lot of jam with 5 quarts.


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## MamaHen (Apr 15, 2013)

Oh, do share your pickled eggs recipe! Thank you!


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

MamaHen said:


> Oh, do share your pickled eggs recipe! Thank you!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


Sure:

1 to 2 dozen boiled eggs peeled,placed in jars. Normally I can do 2 dozen with this recipe.

2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Boil together, and pour hot liquid over eggs. Make sure to keep jars in a cool place for up to 3 months before using. The longer they sit the more pickled they get. I have had some for over 6 months and very pickled. But we hardly ever get to keep them that long.

Makes 2 quarts.


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## ifyousaygo (Mar 24, 2014)

I haven't canned before, but going to try this year! My grandma used to can everything from her garden and I LOVED it! I want the same experience for my kids.


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

ifyousaygo said:


> I haven't canned before, but going to try this year! My grandma used to can everything from her garden and I LOVED it! I want the same experience for my kids.


When my garden comes good we are always canning, and dehydrating foods. However lately the garden hasn't been to good, so instead I go to local farmers and buy home grown foods and can it.


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## Artemis_MA (Apr 20, 2014)

hildar said:


> Sure:
> 
> 1 to 2 dozen boiled eggs peeled,placed in jars. Normally I can do 2 dozen with this recipe.
> 
> ...


 Is sugar essential for this recipe? I'd rather not use it. Eggs do NOT need to be remotely sweet for gustatory pleasure. But if not using it will mean dire (or semi-dire) health issues, I'll either use it, or not make it. Or eat the eggs a lot earlier on.


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

I always use it because it was the way my mom did it, however many people don't use it.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

I don't know what it is used for in that recipe, but I was always told to add a pinch of sugar to my pickling, or stuffing, or whatever, to keep it from "coming back on you" as those sorts of treats are known to have some burpy properties. I have no idea what - if any - scientific proof this has behind it, but you do not taste the sugar, and it seems to work for us.


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## Artemis_MA (Apr 20, 2014)

Thanks. I haven't had any burp issues with things I've canned, so it doesn't seem that I need to add the sugar. (There's so much sugar in all the processed foods I might buy, one reason I do can or preserve myself is to avoid unwanted ingredients where I can.)


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

I really don't think that 1 tsp of sugar would kill anyone in 2 quarts of pickled eggs but you never know. I know I eat them with no issues and I have type 2 Diabetes. But that tiny trace of sugar isn't effecting me a bit even the doctor said it was ok to have it.


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## anakonia (Mar 23, 2014)

I did a batch of Jalapeno Jelly (for biscuits) with a friend a while back, but haven't done much else want to start doing more. Wish I had a canning buddy. 


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## Artemis_MA (Apr 20, 2014)

*More on the sweet stuff...*



hildar said:


> I really don't think that 1 tsp of sugar would kill anyone in 2 quarts of pickled eggs but you never know. I know I eat them with no issues and I have type 2 Diabetes. But that tiny trace of sugar isn't effecting me a bit even the doctor said it was ok to have it.


Naw, it ain't going to kill anyone, but I simply choose not to use when I don't have to. My mileage apparently varies... 

I hope to can pear slices this year, and I understand for a crunch, some sugar is necessary. For that, I'll use the minimum.

For applesauce (or if I were to make pear sauce, which I haven't attempted yet), I wouldn't use. In fact, with the applesauces I've made over the past two years, my absolute favorites are those from those most-tart and less-sweet apples available -- a couple of varieties of which recommendations were to NOT make applesauce from them, especially without adding sugar. (Yes, some people do look at me strangely, but... hey.)


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

It looks like we will be having pears and peaches this year. I keep an eye on my peaches daily to make sure my little squirrel enemy isn't stealing them again. So far so good. I plan on canning what I pick this year. I also bought some pepper plants today I plan on getting them planted Saturday and the zucchini, and canning that. I can't wait.


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## MamaHen (Apr 15, 2013)

I never use sugar when canning pears, peaches, or applesauce. Pears and peaches get canned in a very light syrup made from local honey (low glycemic index and its a raw food: win-win). 

Now, my habanero jelly on the other hand...it gets some sweet put into it 


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

Today is my day to work in the garden while we await the chicks. I sure hope these eggs hatch out. Could use some more laying hens around here.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

Lucky you! I'd love to work in the garden. I tried to turn up some soil yesterday and we've still got frost in the ground. 

If I ever get this garden started, I am canning beets, chow, relish, pickles, and salsa this year. As well as anything else I find a good recipe for! 
A dear friend of the family gave me 12 jars of his cucumber chow (usually made with green tomatoes) oh my heavens is it ever good! Will be trying my hand at that this year.


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

I would love to have some pickles this year but my kids eat the cucumbers as soon as they are big enough to eat, so usually I am lucky to get 1 or 2 for eating rather then making pickles. I have beans to get in today at some point. I finally got what I wanted for bean seeds this year.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

Get pickling cukes, they are weirdly spiney and only grow a couple inches long, not great eating off the bush.


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## Artemis_MA (Apr 20, 2014)

This past year I canned up some tomato sauce, pickles (okra or cuke, and I have done string beans in the past), and apple sauce. I've got loads of apple sauce from several different varieties of apples, just to see which ones I like best.


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