Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:55 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage Canning
pstarr,
Esentially, yes. The dirt. It's a whole lot harder to get the outside of larger carrots clean. The outside layer is tougher on a larger carrot than on a smaller one (same principle as new potatoes vs. larger ones). It's just easier to peel them. A little bit of dirt left on the outside (of a carrot or potato) when you can them can cause your jar to go bad. That's also why I peel all the potatoes I can up. I love potato skins and usually leave them on when cooking them fresh, but it's better to take the skin off when canning.
Maybe the issue with the flour not being recommended has to do with the density of the finished product. More dense products are less likely to come to an internal temp suitable for killing off all the "bugs" that can lurk in your canning. That's why many people recommend against canning potatoes. I have canned them for years, with no trouble. But I do cut them into smaller chunks when canning them.
Kathy
Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 5441 Location: Oklahoma
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:10 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage Canning
CarlinsDarlin wrote:
A little bit of dirt left on the outside (of a carrot or potato) when you can them can cause your jar to go bad.
How can that happen if you cook it long and hot enough to sterilize the entire contents of the jar? ::confused:: _________________ "Every junkie's like a setting sun..." - Neil Young
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:35 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage Canning
pstarr wrote:
So I finally made a batch of Grass-Fed Organic Dinty Moore and it turned out just okay, a slight aftertaste. I noted after I was done that the Presto pressure cooker manual specifically advised against browning meat in flour, which I did? I wonder why that is?
Anyway next batch will be without flour. Just potato, which seem to thicken the stew very well.
CarlinsDarlin wrote:
Maybe the issue with the flour not being recommended has to do with the density of the finished product. More dense products are less likely to come to an internal temp suitable for killing off all the "bugs" that can lurk in your canning. That's why many people recommend against canning potatoes. I have canned them for years, with no trouble. But I do cut them into smaller chunks when canning them.
The information that I have says that you shouldn't thicken the contents of any jar to be pressure canned because the starch doesn't allow the heat to penetrate the inside of the jar, so I'd say that Kathy is bang on with that one.
Yes Shanny, I think it did have something to do with the variety of the carrot I canned because they definitely didn't have a carroty flavour. I'll try again this year if my crop turns out. I suppose really we should be root cellaring them instead of wasting energy canning them. But then again I don't have a root cellar.................yet.
Not off the top of my head, but if you could find a recipe for sour cherry jam it is out of this world. They sell the stuff in middle eastern stores, and I love the stuff. If I had a source of sour cherries, that's what I'd try to find. Google it
Not off the top of my head, but if you could find a recipe for sour cherry jam it is out of this world. They sell the stuff in middle eastern stores, and I love the stuff. If I had a source of sour cherries, that's what I'd try to find. Google it
BLUEBERRY SOUR CHERRY JAM
3 c. prepared fruit
3/4 c. water
4 c. sugar
1 box (1 34) powdered fruit pectin
For fruit, use l pint fully ripe sour cherries and 1 pint fully ripe blueberries. Prepare freezer jars and lids according to manufacturer's directions. Use only containers 1 pint or less.
Pit and grind sour cherries. Measure 1 1/2 cups into a large bowl or pan. Grind about 1 pint blueberries, measure 1 1/2 cups; add to cherries. Thoroughly mix sugar into fruit; let stand 10 minutes. Mix water and fruit pectin in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. stir into the fruit. Continue stirring, about 3 minutes (a few sugar crystals will remain). Ladle quickly into containers. leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch space. cover at once with tight lids. Let stand at room temperature until set (may take 24 hours). Then store in freezer. If jam will be used within 2 to 3 weeks, it may be stored in refrigerator. Makes 5 cups or about five 8 ounce containers. _________________ A man should never wear a hat that has more character than he does.
I just made perhaps the best jam ever, using a no-pectin recipe. Old-style, and a small amount, so I have much respect for our grandmas and ancestors who had so much more work to do. I had to do a lot of stirring, but it finally gelled. The preservative action of the sugar is what works. I'm interested in what people did before sugar (not that long ago), I'm sure drying foods played a bigger role.
The sour cherries are very fragile, so that's why they are mostly canned. The jam I've made will be amazing, thanks for the tip, Kathy!
I will try the recipe muck posted too, thanks! _________________ Never odd or even.
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:22 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage Canning
Hermit,
Somewhere back in this thread there's a discussion of this very topic. But the long and short of it is this. Yes, occasionally, the lids can be reused, though it's not recommended. The problem is that the rubber sealing edge gets worn thin and thus the jars are likely to either not seal, or to unseal after a while. As long as the jars aren't bent in removing them from the first jar, though, you can try it. If they don't seal at first, you'll just have to re-process them.
There are other types of jars with gasket seals that are made for re-use. I don't have any of those, though. For now I buy lids by the case, and save any that look re-usable when I take them off the jars. I'm using mostly new lids now, but I have the others should the need arise.
Kathy
Hey guys. I am just barely starting in canning. It took me some time to find a good canning book. It is kinda funny that I would not realize that antique stores could be your friends, and I found a 1940s Kerr canning book, picked it up for $2. The old war slogans were a bit of an irony, but I think that some of the info would work for these days.
Wolfen,
Yes there's a lot of good information in the old books. I have several, myself. One thing I would caution about, though. There are some veggies that used to be considered okay to water bath can, but are now pressure canned. Green beans come to mind. Pickled green beans can be water bath canned, but regular green beans need to go in the pressure canner. The rule is, the higher the acid content, the better you can water bath can. If in doubt, google it
Kathy
Wolfen,
Yes there's a lot of good information in the old books. I have several, myself. One thing I would caution about, though. There are some veggies that used to be considered okay to water bath can, but are now pressure canned. Green beans come to mind. Pickled green beans can be water bath canned, but regular green beans need to go in the pressure canner. The rule is, the higher the acid content, the better you can water bath can. If in doubt, google it
Kathy
Sorry to disagree with you but green beans are about the least acid veg's in the universe. What are you thinking?
Wolfen,
Yes there's a lot of good information in the old books. I have several, myself. One thing I would caution about, though. There are some veggies that used to be considered okay to water bath can, but are now pressure canned. Green beans come to mind. Pickled green beans can be water bath canned, but regular green beans need to go in the pressure canner. The rule is, the higher the acid content, the better you can water bath can. If in doubt, google it
Kathy
Sorry to disagree with you but green beans are about the least acid veg's in the universe. What are you thinking?
Hey guys. I am just barely starting in canning. It took me some time to find a good canning book. It is kinda funny that I would not realize that antique stores could be your friends, and I found a 1940s Kerr canning book, picked it up for $2. The old war slogans were a bit of an irony, but I think that some of the info would work for these days.
Wolfen,
The safety guidelines were changed in 1989. You need to find a book that is newer than that. Those older recipes may not be safe and can result in deadly botulism. I like reading the older books but you need to be an experienced canner to know what is safe. For instance, the older books tell you to use cornstarch as a thickener. That's a no-no. The new recipe would use ClearJel.
Until you get to be more experienced, stick with new recipes. Stay safe.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
News
Discussions
Resources
Members
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
::confused::
