So as promised, I will teach you how to "can" virtually anything you can get your hands on.
Here is your "easy as pie" crash course.
- Follow direction for preparing whatever it is you want to can. Say for example jam.
- Put the desired contents in a jar that has been boiled and sanitized.
Never ever reuse seals because they can only seal airtight once.
- Make sure that the top of the jar is super clean and debris free other wise it won't seal as well.
- Place the seal on top of the jar and then screw the band on but not too tight. Just enough to ensure that it is on well as the glass needs to expand a little when it goes through the heat process.
- Next you will need a canning kettle with a rack to hold the jars.
- Bring about 20 or so cups of water to a rolling boil. You need enough water in the kettle to completely cover the jars when lowered in.
- Lower your jars into the water and as soon as the water comes back to a rolling boil start your timer for about 20 minutes.
- When the 20 minutes is up, pull them out and set them on the counter.
As they cool (within about 10 minutes or so depending in the size of the jars) you will hear a "pop". That means they have sealed air tight. The jars vacume seal with the heating and cooling (expanding and contracting of the glass).
Another way to make sure they are sealed tight it to press down on the center of the seal. If it pops back up, then it is not sealed and it needs to go back into the heat process again (the boiling water) for another 20 minutes.
If after that it still does not seal, try another seal or check the jar. It may have a crack on the rim that prohibits it from creating a proper seal.
- Once you are all done here, make sure and label everything and date it so you have an idea how long it has been in your pantry.
Although in our house nothing ever is in there more than a year as things just get eaten up.
There is just something really awesome about opening a jar of summer peaches in February and it tastes the same as it did when you canned it.
In the long run this can save you a lot of money on fruits and vegetables during the winter months. Not to mention you know exactly what goes into everything and don't have to guess what sorts of chemicals your family is eating.
I will post the recipes that I use for jams and fruit as I can them.
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Raspberry or blackberry jam
Jam is one of the easiest things to whip up and can in a couple hours. This is great for beginners.
In a sauce pan combine
In a sauce pan combine
- 4 cups well mushed up berries (achieve this anyway you want. I like to use a pastry cutter)
- 2 cups sugar *The recipe on the pectin box calls for equal parts berries/sugar. I use far less.
- 1 box of pectin
Heat these on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes until it is a liquid and no longer chunky.
As soon as the chunks are gone, you are going to need to separate the seeds. Berries tend to be way too seedy and need a little seed removal so you are not chewing your jam. For this job I break out the giant sieve. It's sole purpose is push through the jam while leaving the seeds behind. You just dump the whole works in here and make sure you have a bowl big enough underneath to catch all that drips through the little holes. This is my kids favorite part as they like to get involved in this process. There is a little wooden tool that came with mine to sort of plunge the contents through the sieve. My kids like to churn it like butter.
Once it goes through then you are ready to put it into jars and can it. Refer back to this post on how to do that.
Have fun and more canning recipes to come!
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Skankin pickles
Pickles are really easy with the right tools and a little patience. Plus an ability to put up with a stinky house for the greater good.
There are 2 distinct camps of thought in the pickle debate. To brine or not to brine. I have done both this summer and truthfully I can't tell the difference.
If you feel like you won't be complete without brining your pickles, then by all means go right ahead. You need to make a salt brine that is 1 cup salt to 2 cups water. Add 1 cup salt for each 5 lbs of cucumbers. It should always be a 10% salt to water ratio. Cover these cucumbers in a bucket with brine and let them soak for about 6 weeks. Make sure there is even distribution in the bucket and go out every couple of days to remove the scum. (delicious) It should be noted that this will stink to high heaven in about a week so. Put them somewhere outside where they won't attract raccoons.
Ok let me just stop right here. I didn't do any of that. I got a ready made brine that came in a packet in the canning section of the store. I let them soak for about a week.
After a week, I washed them off and then cooked them up with a packet of dill or kosher spice mix. Also in the canning section of the store.
This is just a spice pack. Nothing more. There was a recipe on the back, but I made up my own and got the same results.
There are 2 distinct camps of thought in the pickle debate. To brine or not to brine. I have done both this summer and truthfully I can't tell the difference.
If you feel like you won't be complete without brining your pickles, then by all means go right ahead. You need to make a salt brine that is 1 cup salt to 2 cups water. Add 1 cup salt for each 5 lbs of cucumbers. It should always be a 10% salt to water ratio. Cover these cucumbers in a bucket with brine and let them soak for about 6 weeks. Make sure there is even distribution in the bucket and go out every couple of days to remove the scum. (delicious) It should be noted that this will stink to high heaven in about a week so. Put them somewhere outside where they won't attract raccoons.
Ok let me just stop right here. I didn't do any of that. I got a ready made brine that came in a packet in the canning section of the store. I let them soak for about a week.
After a week, I washed them off and then cooked them up with a packet of dill or kosher spice mix. Also in the canning section of the store.
This is just a spice pack. Nothing more. There was a recipe on the back, but I made up my own and got the same results.
- 1 spice pack
- about 50 pickling cucumbers (5 lbs)
- 1/2 gallon white vinegar
- 1/2 gallon water
- 1 bunch fresh dill
- 2 heads garlic minced
So start out by boiling the vinegar, water, spice pack and cucumbers. Boil the works for about 10-15 minutes. Any more and they will be mushy.
While you are waiting for your pickles to boil, get your jars ready with dill and garlic. I like garlic so I put about 1 1/2 Tbsp garlic in each jar along with 1-2 big sprigs of fresh dill.
As soon as your pickles have cooked for about 10-15 minutes, spoon them into jars and then add the juice that they have been boiling in over the top. leave about 1 inch headspace in the top of the jar.
Finish them up with a standard heat process. If you forgot how to do that click here.
Enjoy your new friends that come out of the woodwork that want a jar of your awesome creation.
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Fruit leather
Today we are making fruit leather. This is one of those things that kids eat up and it takes little to no effort to make. Just a little patience.
You will need a dehydrator. You can get this at any Target, Walmart or Bi-mart for about $30. Trust me, you will use this for many more projects than you expect. Especially if you have kids.
So today we are making plum fruit leather.
I used about 10 ripe plums
Half them and pit them
Throw them skins and all into the processor to puree with about 1/4 C water, a couple Tbsp lemon juice and sugar to taste. For this batch I used about 1/4 C sugar.
Once pureed, pour the mixture into the tray of your dehydrator. Mine just came with one, but if yours didn't, then you will need to get one. They run about $5.
Then set it to dehydrate. If it has an adjustable temp set it for around 135 or so. I let it go for about 24 hours. Sometimes it takes longer. Just keep an eye on it.
It is done when you have something that peels easily off the tray and is completely dried out.
Pull it off in pieces and roll it on a sheet of plastic wrap.
These don't stick around long in this house but they are a nice summer treat.
You will need a dehydrator. You can get this at any Target, Walmart or Bi-mart for about $30. Trust me, you will use this for many more projects than you expect. Especially if you have kids.
So today we are making plum fruit leather.
I used about 10 ripe plums
Half them and pit them
Throw them skins and all into the processor to puree with about 1/4 C water, a couple Tbsp lemon juice and sugar to taste. For this batch I used about 1/4 C sugar.
Once pureed, pour the mixture into the tray of your dehydrator. Mine just came with one, but if yours didn't, then you will need to get one. They run about $5.
Then set it to dehydrate. If it has an adjustable temp set it for around 135 or so. I let it go for about 24 hours. Sometimes it takes longer. Just keep an eye on it.
It is done when you have something that peels easily off the tray and is completely dried out.
Pull it off in pieces and roll it on a sheet of plastic wrap.
These don't stick around long in this house but they are a nice summer treat.
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