Canning Pics, Feel free to post yours!

[danip467]

Ya Clear Gel! My hubby calls it kitchen cocaine.. just because it looks like it and makes me so happy! Pie filling has never been the same. I ordered mine from Amazon from I think Glenda's kitchen?

Anyways, i would LOVE the recipe for plum sauce that you used, if it's similar to the store kind. Would also like the mandarin recipe, good time to do those! Thanks[

Great thread by the way, need much more time to read it. I buy my baby dills from the Hutterites or DJ Market located near Odgen, they've been in short supply in recent years though.

A couple days ago i found out that there are many canners on Smart Canucks! I understand how much hard work it is and wanted to give a place for us to not only show off some of our hard work but a place to inspire other canners to make something they may not have yet. So here we go with my pics... Please feel free to comment or jump on in and show us what you have been canning.

Attachment 146521
The Mandarins and Pineapple were done yesterday. I was aksed for a copy of the recipe for the pineapple jam so I am posting the link we used for it here. http://baking.about.com/od/flavoredb...eapple-Jam.htm

Attachment 146522 These were done a few months ago. I have lots more I can take pics of and I will probably stay with showing my water bath items for a bit so anybody can attempt to make them. Now that I showed ya mine... I double dog dare you to show me yours!

[NickiB]

Lesson #1 Learned... make sure you leave enough headspace otherwise your sauce will find it's way out under the lid... I know I read it requires more than water bath canning, but man oh man!

On a good note, the overall process of venting the canner, getting the pressure right, etc. was much easier than I anticipated... only had to make a few adjustments to the heat when the pressure started getting too high...

[cheekysaver]

Ya Clear Gel! My hubby calls it kitchen cocaine.. just because it looks like it and makes me so happy! Pie filling has never been the same. I ordered mine from Amazon from I think Glenda's kitchen?

Anyways, i would LOVE the recipe for plum sauce that you used, if it's similar to the store kind. Would also like the mandarin recipe, good time to do those! Thanks[

Great thread by the way, need much more time to read it. I buy my baby dills from the Hutterites or DJ Market located near Odgen, they've been in short supply in recent years though.

I got my plum sauce recipe from the Ball Canning book. It tastes most similar to the jared plum sauces except... LOL it tastes better. I found it to be very full flavored. I did add about 1/2 - 1/4 teaspoon of dried chili's instead of the chili's they recommend you cut up into it. I also stuck in a stick blender to make sure I got any chunks out of the batch. I ended up making 2 big batches of it because I am allergic to tomatoes and I use it in lue of ketchup.

The mandrin recipe is a light simple syrup. 2 cups of sugar to 5 cups of water. Here is a link showing the process http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZGa6LcGFIU I took off way more of the pift then they do... call it ocd or whatever. We sat around peeling oranges at night while we watched tv. It is very time consuming to get the pift off like we did so we kicked back and relaxed. We segmented our oranges because they fit in the jar way better and you use SOOOO much less of the simple syrup. I also seperated the segments because the thought of me trying to seperate sticky sweet segments later had me visualizing orange peices flying. The oranges need a 15 -20 min processing time. (side note here, not only is it cheaper to can your own mandarins... we also do not use lye to get the pift off like some big companies do) 10lbs yielded me 12 X 250mls and 2 X 500mls.

I have not purchased produce from the Hutterites in many years. How are they when it comes to cost? Just seeing Odgen made me think about my Grandpa.... his first and only house was there. I will have to check out DJ Market.

[cheekysaver]

Lesson #1 Learned... make sure you leave enough headspace otherwise your sauce will find it's way out under the lid... I know I read it requires more than water bath canning, but man oh man!

On a good note, the overall process of venting the canner, getting the pressure right, etc. was much easier than I anticipated... only had to make a few adjustments to the heat when the pressure started getting too high...

LOL I had some juice overflow the other day. I was canning ribs and I make a light sauce just to add a bit of flavor into them. It was a cold pack and that makes a difference and can cause a over flow... but everything sealed perfectly so it was no big deal. The same thing happened when I canned roast. It is certainly not the end of the world when it happens.

Here is a link showing how to can strawberry syrup but at the end she goes into head space and she shows how the hot liquid contracts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rArdLT9c-E

[cheekysaver]

Wonderful canning ladies! It's something I've always been interested in, but I'm just not ready to invest the money in getting started until I know more about it.

I have a few questions for you guys if that's ok.

What do I need to get started? About how much do you think it'll cost? (If I shop sales, etc.)

Is this a good way to save money? Or does it cost about the same as buying these things with coupons, etc.

Can you can pretty much anything?


Thanks!!

Please know I am taking time to think on this... Canning can be a great way to save money... but depending on what you can the start up costs vary in a pretty big way.

When you grow your own produce or when you find a screaming deal and know you could not use all the product in time that is when canning can be amazing. When I find products at the rock bottom price of the year I get enough to last.

Here is a example of canning that I did... I found apples on discount and I spent $1.80 and I know I got the apple juice that goes in it for free at safeway on a scratch card.. it also needed cinnamon and lemon juice and sugar and clear jel to thicken. I ended up with 8 X 500mls of pie filling and the cost per jar was under .60 cents. Not everything works out that good but I got the recipe off imstillworkin 's youtube channel and she says not only is it the best apple pie filling she has ever had... she had also won awards with it! The funny thing is... I am allergic to apples LOL... I made it for my Son so I can make him a treat when he comes to visit (he is 23).

I will work on prices for you... and most things can be canned... things like cheese and broccoli and cauliflower are not cannable items.

[2010ontest]

Cheekysaver broccoli or cauliflower are cannable, but they just don't taste good for long time. Flavor change after 3 month or so and come flavor-less and/or to much bitter.

But cauliflower made very good fermented veggies or is yummy marinated with jalepeno

[cheekysaver]

Cheekysaver broccoli or cauliflower are cannable, but they just don't taste good for long time. Flavor change after 3 month or so and come flavor-less and/or to much bitter.

But cauliflower made very good fermented veggies or is yummy marinated with jalepeno

Cauliflower is so yummy in pickle mixes.

[NickiB]

Ok Cheekysaver... you've got me hooked on the You Tube canning videos now... I spent a good part of Sunday afternoon watching videos on pressure canning meats & veggies! And I'm soooo going to do Bacon next time it's on sale!

My newest wishlist item is the Tattler lids... however, still having a hard time with the price & shipping...

[sweetproserpina]

Ok Cheekysaver... you've got me hooked on the You Tube canning videos now... I spent a good part of Sunday afternoon watching videos on pressure canning meats & veggies! And I'm soooo going to do Bacon next time it's on sale!

My newest wishlist item is the Tattler lids... however, still having a hard time with the price & shipping...

Try lehman's if you're looking for tattler lids- I bought my roma food mill there and other odds and sods and was super impressed with their shipping..

[RSAS]

I just made canned some homemade mustard! Hope its going to be okay...I kind of forgot to add the salt...

[NickiB]

I just made canned some homemade mustard! Hope its going to be okay...I kind of forgot to add the salt...

Congrats on the mustard.. I had made some last week from scratch, and wow, spicy stuff!

Question for the pros... I've been wanting to try bacon jam and thought it would be a great thing to give as gifts at Christmas.. but having a hard time finding a recipe for canning. Do you think this is something that can be pressure canned? Anyone try this before?

[bekki3]

Today I bought 15 brand new jars at a second hand store (the medium sized ones). I paid $4 for the box... is this a good price?! Does anyone know what the jars cost in the stores?

When we moved a bunch of years ago I got rid of all my canning stuff but thought I would pick these up to try to start again after reading everyone's posts.

[cheekysaver]

Today I bought 15 brand new jars at a second hand store (the medium sized ones). I paid $4 for the box... is this a good price?! Does anyone know what the jars cost in the stores?

When we moved a bunch of years ago I got rid of all my canning stuff but thought I would pick these up to try to start again after reading everyone's posts.

That is a good price! Any time you can pick up jars for $5 a case or less you have found a deal. I have picked up about half of my jars used and half at discount. Watch out for the jem jars... they sometimes have glass lids in them ... they require not only the new lid you need to buy anyways but they require a ring that converts it to the snaplid's lower profile. These rings can be expensive if they don't come on the jars. I do not store my jars with the lids on .... I picked up 2 sets of rings at discount and some of the people I got mine from had a few conversion rings on the jar... they look just like the rings with the glass in the middle.... but they have a shorter height.

It is not a "recommended" practice to use the gem jars.... LOL and I do it anyways... It is my preference because the jem jars are far easier to get my hot lil paws on. I have had one jar fail in the pressure canner... the glass broke... it is best not to use them inside a pressure canner.

[cheekysaver]

Ok Cheekysaver... you've got me hooked on the You Tube canning videos now... I spent a good part of Sunday afternoon watching videos on pressure canning meats & veggies! And I'm soooo going to do Bacon next time it's on sale!

My newest wishlist item is the Tattler lids... however, still having a hard time with the price & shipping...

LOL Tattler lids are on my next years list. There can be lots of cost involved when your getting together your investment peices in canning and I think for the first year snap lids are a good option too. It gives you a chance to see how much you love it without investing too much off the get go.

As for canning bacon... bacon must be done in your pressure canner and nobody on youtube (in my opinion) explains this as well as Bexarprepper. She shows you comercially canned bacon, Bacon strips done in parchment paper and bacon crammed right into the jar. Some slightly cook their bacon to shrink it and have it come out more cooked like the canned bacon. How you do it is up to you.

This is Bexar canning bacon with parchment in the jars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNffeMeJTxI

This is her bits and peices that get crammed in the jar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La1Rn_C4GMw

This is her review of all 3 bacon's a year later. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQs4OCK8jH8

These are the only way I know to can bacon. Good luck and I hope it helps!!!

[Kitty77]

Just checked amazon.ca and they have the Tattler canning jar lids available for $12.99 for a package of 12, imagine there is shipping and of course taxes. First time ever looked these up, don't know if this is a good price or not.
Still, use my Grandmother's old canning jars, so neat as some are dated on the bottom, and many are from the 1930's. My Mom came across a thrift store that had the glass lids for sale, they had a regular buyer for the old canning jars, the lady was making candles in them, but didn't want the glass lids, good for me. In southern Ontario they still stock the metal lids and rubber rings, so these are readily available at many stores, am stocked haven't noticed them here in Alberta, so hope they have them here as well. Happy Canning Ladies, always enjoy reading your posts!!!