Health Whos canning and what?

energy_wave

energy_wave

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Well, it's been a good year and I've canned a shitload of food so far. Pickled beets, dilly beans, dill pickles and tonight sweat pickles until around 3:00am and I mean a lot of pickles. Amish farms are close by and fresh food is easy to get and dirt cheap.

Still want to do a few varieties of hot peppers, then some eggs and hot sausage.

Finally got my brother interested in canning and he has had a vegetable stand for years. He finally figured out he can can his over stock so it doesn't go to waste. Looks like maybe 75 to 100 qts of tomato sauce this year.

So, are you canning and what?
 
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summerthyme

Administrator
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It's been a lousy year for the garden here- lost 200 tomato plants over the last week to blight. I canned up a few green beans (the seeds washed out three times, and I gave up on replanting) and am waiting for a late crop of yellow beans I put in the raised beds.

Today I need to turn a bushel of peaches into peach pie filling and jam... found some recipes on the Pomona pectin site for a ginger-peach jam and a maple-vanilla-peach jam. Both sound wonderful, and should make good Christmas presents.

I've been freezing some breaded summer squash and zucchini slices, as well as blueberries. I need to get back to the woods and see if there are any blackberries worth picking. This is one year I'm glad I "overcan" everything when I get a good harvest, because this year sucks!

Summerthyme
 
energy_wave

energy_wave

Has No Life - Lives on TB
No garden for me. It's been years since I sold my Troybuilt workhorse. I buy local from the Amish. Best sweet corn I've had in several years this year. I just hope I can find Roma tomatoes. The Amish didn't grow any last year and the year before that no tomatoes anywhere due to blight. Just read an article on the devastation to the grape crops in the area from last winter. Some vineyards lost 90% to 100% of their vine stock. I never want to go through another winter like that.
 
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summerthyme

Administrator
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I hear you- but I sure don't like the forecasts so far!! I lost a 10 year old hydrangea bush, had a 5 year old peach (which had produced wonderfully for the past two years) finally leaf out a full 6 weeks late, and with about 1/3 of the branches dead. A sour cherry (!!! they're hardy!!) produced about 1/2 the leaves of normal. I'm really afraid if we get another bitter winter, I'll lose a lot of the fruit trees... And we're NOT on the edge of their zones. I think they just got "spoiled"!

Summerthyme
 
B

blueberry

Inactive
Last weekend I canned fig preserves, green beans and bread & butter pickles. It looks like I am going to have a bumper crop of fall pears, so I will be making a lot of pear preserves and spiced pears for Christmas gifts.
 
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summerkitchen

Contributing Member
Been busy canning here. So far I've done 28 quarts of beans, some tomatoes, pickled hungarian wax peppers, jalapenos and have some cherry peppers in brine to stuff later with provolone and proscuitto. I've frozen a pile of asparagus, yellow wax beans, broccoli and brussell sprouts, blueberries, blackberries, bell peppers, and have a batch of sauerkraut going. Had a crock of pickles fermenting, but they went bad. I have no clue what happened, but they looked like they had mice growing on them, lol. Going to give them another try. Still have alot of tomatoes in the garden and will be making juice and sauce if they ripen.
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Interesting I've had a decent stand of lemon balm the past ten years and this year NADA, zero, zip, I have no idea why it didn't come back. Ditto this with my sage plant that's been here for 12+ years.

K-
 
SheWoff

SheWoff

Southern by choice
Been canning for three weeks straight here. The garden finally came in and all at once. Been a strange garden year... Have tomatoes on right now to cook down for sauce :)

She
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
SheWoff said:
Been canning for three weeks straight here. The garden finally came in and all at once. Been a strange garden year... Have tomatoes on right now to cook down for sauce :)

She
Click to expand...

this is what I'm hearing is happening up here in Iowa as well, some folks are just now getting sweet corn.
 
energy_wave

energy_wave

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I have a chance to can peaches from the Amish. $35.00 a bushel in perfect condition or $22.00 for the blems. I've never canned any but would really like to try.

Wish I had paid more attention to my mom and Grandmother when I was younger. They canned like there's no tomorrow.
 
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summerthyme

Administrator
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If you're new to canning peaches, spend the money for the #1's. Blems can be hard to peel, etc, and usually require a lot of trimming... in the end, you have about the same number of jars, with two times the work.

To peel peaches, dump them (a few at a time) into a pot of boiling water. Time for one minute (no longer- you don't want to cook them!). Remove and put in a pot (we use our scrubbed sink) of cold water.

Run a knife around the middle of the peach (through the stem, in the "crease" seems to be easiest. Most times the skin will nearly slide off in 2 pieces. If it doesn't, peel it with your fingers under running water. If you have to use a knife on more than one or two, your peaches are too green... let them soften up another day or two.

Break the peach open along your knife line, and pry the pit out. Some years you get a lot of split pits, where you have to pull them out of each peach half. No biggie... just another small aggravation! Put the halves in a bowl with some vitamin C in the water. Or slice the halves into slices and put them in the ascorbic acid bath. This keeps them from turning brown while you're getting the rest done.

For storage longer than a year, use at least a medium syrup, if not heavy syrup. Sugar IS a preservative, and also really helps hold the texture of the fruit.

Now, for the bad news... you get about 18 quarts per bushel (at best). At today's prices, it's cheaper to buy canned peaches at the store than to can them yourself.

Summerthyme
 
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parsonswife

Veteran Member
Summerthyme how do you bread and freeze you squash....I am just now developed a oove for fried breaded squash but didnt know you could freeze it too. Would love to know how younare doing this
 
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moldy

Veteran Member
I don't know how summerthyme does it, but I slice my squash, dip it in milk, then in a flour-cornmeal-garlic salt combo (about half each flour and meal with a little salt). Put slices on waxed paper lined cookie sheets and freeze. When frozen, put in ziploc bags to keep for winter.
 
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summerthyme

Administrator
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That's basically it, except I partly cook it first...just to the "lightly brown" stage. This is an experiment for me, as I haven't done it before, but I'm tired of throwing so much zuchinni and summer squash to the chickens when hubby loves the stuff breaded and fried all summer.

Summerthyme
 
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catskinner

Veteran Member
I've got apple and pear trees with so much fruit a few limbs broke. I propped up the rest of the limbs until the fruit was ready so I've been canning apples and pears. The peas made a really good crop and I'm still picking them. Put about 10 quarts of lima beans in the freezer along with so many meal size bags of breaded okra and summer squash that I lost count. I've got an order in with Zaycon for their chicken breasts that will be here in October and I'll can that up as well. The tomatoes didn't do well at all this year so I haven't put any up. Good thing I still have quiet a few from last year. The grape vines and blackberry bush were loaded this year so I made jelly and just froze some of the berries. Even our "volunteer" peach tree showed out this year. in the past it would only make a few fruit, but this year I was able to put some up for the first time.

FIL says these are the best peas we've ever had. I suggested it was because we have a bad winter coming and he agreed.
 
Sassafras

Sassafras

Veteran Member
We were out of town during the weekend heatwave so we lost a lot of our garden. We got what we needed for the winter, but not much more. However, the pepper plants are hanging on like troopers...tabasco, cayenne, and jalapenos. So, I'm canning and dehydrating those. Since I'm due to have surgery soon, I'm taking advantage of free summer apples and getting some sauce out of the way. If the pears hurry I can get those done beforehand as well. Otherwise, I have strained tomatoes in the freezer that need to be made into pasta sauce, chicken in the freezer for chicken and rice along with the broth, and a box of bacon ends and pieces to be made into bacon bits. At least the canning isn't everyday now and I can get things done as I have the energy instead of wearing myself out everyday.
 
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moldy

Veteran Member
Summer - I made the squash my way last summer and it was great in January! Just throw it in the pan and brown it up. I'm drying mushrooms today, and canning up some jelly from the plums the neighbor brought me.
 
Dinghy

Dinghy

Veteran Member
My neighbor gave me a bag of cucumbers, and I made horseradish pickles. Then somebody gave me a zucchini, and I made sweet pickles with it. Yesterday my sister gave me a bag of cucumbers, so I'm making dill pickles with them. It's my first time ever making pickles, now I can't stop! Lol
 
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moldy

Veteran Member
Dinghy - my favorites are bread and butters with sliced jalapenos in them. I run out every year!
 
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moldy

Veteran Member
Fresh. I put about 1/5 as many jalapenos as cukes, add onions, and treat it just like regular bread and butters. They are so yummy, but this year the peppers are pretty hot. I guess I could take out the seeds, but I'm lazy (and since I'm the only one that likes hot stuff, I don't have to share!)
 
Dinghy

Dinghy

Veteran Member
I will have to try them if I get more cucumbers. I have a few jalapeños on my plants. Not enough to do anything else with. Lol
 
ginnie6

ginnie6

Veteran Member
potatoes and a few green beans this week. Next week onto the dried beans. I'd like to get another round of taters done too as those are a favorite of the kids for quick snacks.
 
energy_wave

energy_wave

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Man, I never thought I'd see so many replies to this thread.

I put up a dozen half pints of mixed hot peppers a few days ago. Still see a lot of cheap jalapenos so I'll have to make poppers out of them and maybe freeze a few.

The Roma tomatoes are just starting to come in now and I have two bushels reserved at I think $9.00 each from the Amish. There was a stand down the road with baked goods. Some sort of fry cake filled with cream frosting and strawberry jam covered with confectionery sugar for a dollar each. Best jelly donut I've ever had and everything, including the lard was off the farm.

I just beat out an Amish lady at a yard sale to buy 4 doz Ball qt jars for $2.50 a doz. Grapes will come out in the fall and will be making grape juice and tomato sauce, maybe can some apple sauce and pears too.
 
Wise Owl

Wise Owl

Deceased
Not canning yet but gonna half to start it tomorrow. I have 3 gallon zip lock bags full of green beans in the fridge and I just picked another 2 1/2 gallons this morning....and there are a ton left on the pole bean vines. I have them planted in my raised beds so they have to go straight up. I have vines that are around 15 ft long this year. 5 ft longer than last years beans...guess we will be eating green beans this winter for sure.

I also have dried cranberries put back and probably 12+ quarts of blueberries in the freezer.

Tomatoes are slow to ripen this year due to the hot/cold/hot/cold damp weather all summer but we have been eating a bunch of the Sun Gold's which are HUGE this year for some reason. And my Legend tomatoes are really big this year too.
I tried something different this year. I used the usually powdered milk and some organic fertilizer plus compost in all my beds. That fertilizer plus calcified lime pellets sure made a difference in a lot of things. Garlic bulbs are huge, green bean vines to the roof plus really nice long beans on them. (loaded up with beans actually) and my swiss chard and baby spinach are both setting seeds now for next year's crops. The seeds are huge.

I have to make a run for canning lids. Looked right at them yesterday but didn't grab any. My mind has been on our dog the past few weeks and now that she is mending nicely and feeling frisky again, maybe I can concentrate on canning and wood splitting and re-building a small lean too shed we had to tear down to roof the wooden shed.

Too much work and a dog that had to have cysts removed...hopefully things will stay ok outdoors till we get all this stuff done. Just been too busy getting other stuff done.

I am taking the rest of the afternoon off. Did up 7 large loads of laundry yesterday at the laundromat and I am pooped.

Been stocking up on whatever I can afford to buy or grow. My brussel sprouts are just starting to form the sprouts and our cauliflower was a failure. We got a lot of broccoli but ate all of it. It was just too good to freeze, lol. I will pick up some fresh from the farmer's market and freeze that up I guess.

Stay healthy folks. That stroke last fall took a lot of oomph out of me and it takes me twice as long to do stuff now and I don't do hot weather at all anymore. Must be my hypothyroid problem.

But cooler days are here at least today. Hurah..!
 
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summerthyme

Administrator
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Guys- BRUSSELS SPROUTS!! It's time to top those plants, (in the northern areas) so they'll put their energy into making sprouts, not continuing to grow!!

Snip off the growing point (the top and top 2-3 leaves) and then sit back and watch those sprouts size up! In about 3 weeks, you'll have stems packed full of them... hopefully just in time for the first frost to sweeten them up.

Summerthyme
 
Dinghy

Dinghy

Veteran Member
Thanks for the tip Summertime! I had recently read that you have to snip off the lower leaves, but didn't know about topping them. Guess I'll be doing that today too. They are the only things in my garden that look healthy!
 
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moldy

Veteran Member
Yesterday, I canned 10 half-pints of plum jam, 17 various size jars of plum jelly and 8 jars of almond pears. I have to wait for the rest of the pears to ripen. Today, I need to get on the peaches and apples, but I just swept our back field and I tired!! I imagine I'll sit a spell, eat some lunch, and get back to it.
 
I

imaginative

keep your eye on the ball
Suzieq said:
I have been canning Bread & Butter Pickles.
Click to expand...

Those are beautiful

summerthyme said:
Guys- BRUSSELS SPROUTS!! It's time to top those plants, (in the northern areas) so they'll put their energy into making sprouts, not continuing to grow!!

Snip off the growing point (the top and top 2-3 leaves) and then sit back and watch those sprouts size up! In about 3 weeks, you'll have stems packed full of them... hopefully just in time for the first frost to sweeten them up.

Summerthyme
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll do this tonite. The Brussel Sprouts are really looking healthy

I've frozen about 14 stuffed gallon-sized ziplocks full of green beans. Looks like I will need to make a plan with the beets.

I'm going to process some Swiss Chard & Kale this weekend and freeze them in their juices.
 
W

Weft and Warp

Senior Member
The deer ate my tomatoes and peppers this year and the wet/cool summer was not good for many plants in this area. I will get a deer-proof fence around my garden for next year! I got just enough out of my garden to supplement our meals. Things like asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, Swiss chard, kale, cucumbers, onions, garlic and a few others.

The Jerusalem artichokes are just now forming flower buds--everything is about 3 weeks behind, normally they would have bloomed by now. If anyone here knows how to preserve Jerusalem artichokes, please let me know. We will have a bumper crop of these.

I put up about 2 bushels of peaches, most of that I froze. I canned a couple batches of peach jam this week, along with a couple batches of elderberry jelly.

In July, I canned chicken, chicken broth, and beef bone broth. And I plan to can some pear sauce, and pear butter in the next week or so. I'll have to check the apple trees to see when to expect them to be ready.

I've been mostly freezing things for the last few years instead of canning them. I think I got into that habit because I was always busy homeschooling the kids and working part-time from the home, along with keeping up with what needed to done around the house. All my kids are now in college. So this summer I decided it was time to start canning again.
 
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moldy

Veteran Member
Got all the peaches canned,, some red-hot ginger pears, more almond pears, and pears and plums in the dehydrator. Now on to the apples...
 
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moldy

Veteran Member
Couple teaspoons of almonds in the bottom, and 1/2 cup amaretto added to the syrup. The recipe is in the Ball blue book.
 
SheWoff

SheWoff

Southern by choice
moldy said:
Couple teaspoons of almonds in the bottom, and 1/2 cup amaretto added to the syrup. The recipe is in the Ball blue book.
Click to expand...

Dang if that don't sound good! Okay now I am going to have to go out and scout up some pears lol.

She
 
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Publius

TB Fanatic
Finely got some tomatoes to ripen and doing a batch of tomato sauce right now, yeah its late but I have the kitchen to my self and no one to get in my way.
 
yellowlabz

yellowlabz

Veteran Member
Our tomatoes didn't want to ripen this year, either. So much for canning sauce... But our green peppers exploded at the end of the season. :)
 
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