Canning...so freakin' easy

Fixing and making things, what tools to get and what skills to learn, ...
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hickchick
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Post by hickchick »

So, I've been wanting to learn to can. I finally bit the bullet this weekend and talked some family members into teaching me. It's almost criminal how easy it is, and how hard people make it sound.
I ended up taking home some jars and scavenging some pears and apples to do myself.


Matt
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Post by Matt »

I just watched a cooking show where a woman in Lebanon used a salty/spicy/lemon water mixture to preserve vegetables. I think that's popular in Asia and the Middle East. Not sure what ratios she was using. I think even fish can be canned this way. But I'm assuming you just used boiling water to make a seal.


hickchick
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Post by hickchick »

We processed 60 lbs of beef in the pressure cooker and 15 quarts of tomato juice/salsa by the don't-ever-use-it-you-will-die-instantly open kettle method.
You don't need to pressure high acid foods (like tomatoes), but you probably should water bath them. Low acid foods like green beans and beef should be pressured because of the high risk of botulism.
Aside from the long processing time, the beef was surprisingly easier than the salsa.


Matt
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Post by Matt »

Canned beef? Now, that I'd like to try.


runrunruneateateat
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Post by runrunruneateateat »

@Hickchick: that's too funny--I just learned how to can over Labor Day weekend. My mom showed me how to make raspberry jam, and then let me take apricot jam, blackberry jam, and raspberry jam home with me, all made from fruit that grows on her farm. I was surprised by how much sugar goes into jam. She always gives me jam for Christmas and it usually ends up being one of my favorite presents I received.
I've been making oatmeal for breakfast and stirring in a tablespoon of jam, a small handful of dried cranberries, and about 1/2 Tbsp of vanilla. After it's cooked I pour a little almond milk and some cinnamon on top. It's been such a nice breakfast to eat now that it's cooling off a bit here, and it reminds me of home.
I'd love to learn how to can savory items next. I've heard you can make pickles quite easily, too, without having to really "can" them since the vinegar you use does most of the work.


Matthew
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Post by Matthew »


B
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Post by B »

Maybe I'm missing something, but how does canning save money? Is it being able to buy perishables in bulk and store them? Is it to save the extra produce from gardens?


Marius
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Post by Marius »

I suppose you could save money by canning food:

because it allows you to get food when it's cheap (in season, in bulk, temporary promotion, plentiful in your garden, etc.)

because it preserves food without needing refrigeration. (lower electricity bill)


Haven't tried it though. I'd be interested in data on how vitamins fare after a number of months.


csdx
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Post by csdx »

Canning will likely only save you money if you've grown your own produce. Otherwise the canned variety is likely much cheaper at the store than the fresh ones. However, aside from that the benefit is often that it's higher quality (assuming your putting in higher quality food), rather than being the absolute cheapest option.
I'm actually just starting to look into canning and preserving, since that way I can buy a CSA farm share without just having to toss half of it (only 2 of us, and the smallest size is for a family of 4). Also I'm really looking forward to pickling things, pickles of all sorts are delicious.


NYC ERE
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Post by NYC ERE »

I hope to get into preserving and pickling at some point, but I think it's important to be mindful of the BPA issue--most cans have this nasty stuff in them and it leaches into food. Perhaps there's a source for BPA-free cans? I know a few manufacturers use them.


Catherine
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Post by Catherine »

In my experience most home "canning" uses glass jars...not sure if the seals on the lids involve BPA or not, but it sure beats most store bought canned food.


hickchick
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Post by hickchick »

The beef we canned was purchased for $0.50/lb at an auction. Tomatoes for the salsa were from our garden or begged from a neighbor that was done with his own canning. Onions and peppers were also purcased at the auction. Actually, some of the peppers were from the garden too.
The meat was in the freezer, but we needed to make room to butcher a couple of older cows this winter.
Our final expenditures on this were under $40 including rings and lids.
Mom already has jars and I pick them up when I can get them cheap and used.
I also picked several pounds of apples and pears at a friend's to process this weekend.
@ run..eat - I love apricot jam in my oatmeal.
I have no idea about the BPA content of the canning lids, but I suppose it's not that hard to find out...
@Marius - Different methods of canning preserve nutrients and taste better. Water bathing my tomatoes for instance would have insured maximum freshness longer than open kettling. But I go through salsa pretty fast.


KevinW
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Post by KevinW »

Part of the cheapness comes from the ability to preserve a big supply of produce that comes all at once and would spoil before you could eat it. This could be a really good sale, or produce from your garden ripening at the same time, or whatever.
The other part of the cheapness is that canned food keeps for years without using any additional energy. There is an initial energy investment in processing, but that's it. Freezing and refrigeration require ongoing energy inputs.


Lauriejane
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Post by Lauriejane »

I love to can. I have a steam canner for fruits, jams and other high acid foods. I have a pressure canner for low acid foods (meat, veggies, soups etc.).
Canning saves money when you have a garden and/or fruit tress because it stretches the time these foods can last.
It is very easy to do--but is much easier learned from another person because when you read about it in books, it seems very hard and complicated.
If you work, as I do, and need some instant lunches and dinners, it pays to can your own food, even if you have to buy the produce.
When you are first learning, the best book is the Ball Blue Book. It has photos and is easy to understand.
When you are more confident of your canning skills, the best book is the Kerr WWII "Food for Victory" canning book. You can find copies of this book on Amazon. The Food for Victory book has many methods of canning described (such as the open kettle method) which are no longer considered safe or at least not as safe as more modern methods. However, it is good to know about these old methods, in case of emergency, if no modern equipment was available or if you only had a water bath canner and needed to can meat or veggies. If possible, however, it's best to use the up to date, safest methods.
As I mentioned in another post, I am the only person I know (in person, at least) who is not stressed about the thought of holiday expenses, shopping etc. I am getting ready to pack some of my jars in baskets this week.


Graybeard
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Post by Graybeard »

This year we canned for the first time: We found ourselves in the middle of the Great Cucumber Invasion, and our fresh cukes from the garden were delicious, but impossible to keep up with. So, armed with a recipe for bread-and-butter pickles from our next-door neighbor's grandmother, we put up more than a dozen jars of pickles. Some will be Christmas presents (saving bucks), and the rest we'll enjoy during the winter (saving more bucks). They're easy to make and tasty. But I don't know if they're as nutritious as fresh cukes (I doubt it).


EMJ
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Post by EMJ »

BPA content of the canning lids is surprisingly difficult to find. Ball and Kerr only say is its low and harmless. These lids have no BPA: http://reusablecanninglids.com/
National Center for Home Food Preservation (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html) lots of reliable info on how to preserve all kinds of food by canning, freezing, pickling etc.


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