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crashdive123
07-05-2008, 07:43 AM
I know that a lot of people here do their own canning. I recently took my first canning class at the local county agriculture extension office. There are 7 Master Gardeners that volunteer their time. What a wealth of knowledge. That day we made blueberry lemon jam...yummy. It was/is quite a bit easier than I though it would be. The pickeling class is next on the list. Maybe pressure canning after that (I live in a small house - running out of room for supplies). Another bonus - I was the only guy in the class - my wife has decided to attend the pickeling class.:D:D

Rick
07-05-2008, 09:13 AM
You might also consider the Master Gardener class. The one I attended was one evening a week for 13 weeks (if I remember correctly) and cost was about $125 plus 35 hours of volunteer work. You walk away with a LOT of information.

tasmonia
07-05-2008, 01:23 PM
Ooooh I'm obsessed with canning and pickling. I first learned by canning with a friend. She's rather...ambitious...and so my first experience was helping her with processing over a bushel of tomatoes. Turns out I'm good at rallying the troops when canning fatigue sets in, so I would often help her with marathon canning sessions. Hard cider helps too, but leads to some humorous errors (that's a story for another time).

Now I'm canning on my own, trying to get better and learn from lessons of the past. In some ways the hardest part is not making too much. You can always give stuff away, but I don't like giving away canned goods to people who won't appreciate them or are freaked out by home-canned food.

I went a little crazy the other day and picked 20 lbs of strawberries at a U-pick. Froze most of them, canned 6 half-pints of jam, and made the remaining 2 quarts into a pie for the 4th of July. I didn't mean to pick that much--it just happened!

Pickling, I've been teaching myself. I got the book "The Joy of Pickling" by Linda Ziedrich and I ADORE it. I've read it cover to cover at least twice and made at least 10 recipes from it. I like her book because she writes her recipes for small-ish quantities that a couple or small family can use. She even encourages you to pickle in a half-gallon or gallon mason jar, rather than an expensive crock. She has some interesting ethnic recipes, but most of them use ingredients that you can find anywhere.

I just love pickled food. I feel like a meal isn't complete without something pickled. It's such a great way to preserve the harvest and I think it's good for your digestion too.

I didn't know that there were canning classes, but maybe I should check one out. I can always learn more and refine my technique.

tasmonia
07-05-2008, 01:27 PM
I know that a lot of people here do their own canning. I recently took my first canning class at the local county agriculture extension office. There are 7 Master Gardeners that volunteer their time. What a wealth of knowledge. That day we made blueberry lemon jam...yummy. It was/is quite a bit easier than I though it would be. The pickeling class is next on the list. Maybe pressure canning after that (I live in a small house - running out of room for supplies). Another bonus - I was the only guy in the class - my wife has decided to attend the pickeling class.:D:D

By the way, can you post the Blueberry Lemon Jam recipe? It's coming up on blueberry season here and I'm afraid a plain blueberry jam won't be that interesting.

Also, maybe you can use your pressure canner as a stockpot when you're not canning with it to save space. You can also use the base of it as a water bath canner, so maybe you could sell your water bath pot. I hear you with the supplies. My house is small and light on cupboard space, so I just have boxes of mason jars in the corner of my kitchen right now.

crashdive123
07-05-2008, 06:55 PM
Here you go Tasmonia - and good idea about the pressure canner.

4 1/2 cups blueberries
6 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons lemons, rind of, grated
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 (3 ounce) envelopes liquid fruit pectin (Ball Fruit Jell)

Directions
1 Prepare jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions.
2 Combine (lightly mashed) blueberries, sugar, lemon peel, and lemon juice in a large saucepot.
3 Bring to a rolling boil over high heat; stir frequently.
4 Stir in pectin.
5 Boil hard for 1 minute.
6 Remove from heat and skim foam (if necessary).
7 Immediately ladle into hot jars, leaving a 1/4 inch headspace.
8 Cap and process for 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

TrappinGal
07-09-2008, 05:12 PM
i have been canning since i was 5 or 6 helping my mom and grandma. Its satisfying know your hard work will provide for your family come winter.

i have always raised a big garden.

UnknownWarrior
07-23-2009, 06:29 PM
You might also consider the Master Gardener class. The one I attended was one evening a week for 13 weeks (if I remember correctly) and cost was about $125 plus 35 hours of volunteer work. You walk away with a LOT of information.

I found a nice website which has lots of links about canning here:
http://www.pickyourown.org/

Rick
07-23-2009, 07:28 PM
You bet. That's a staple site around these parts.

For the gardners, this is a good time to remind you that fall planting should be on the table now. You need to be making your plans, if you haven't already, for you late crops.

vthompson
07-23-2009, 08:02 PM
My wife and I have been married for 30 years, and we have canned everyone of them. We always have a nice garden and we can most everything. Sometimes I hate picking green beans and then snapping them up, but then I start thinking about winter time and my frustration goes away.

Rick
07-23-2009, 08:45 PM
Isn't it amazing how those green beans can hide? I look and look when I pick and two days later there is always one monster green bean that managed to escape the picking. I wish I was that good at camouflage!

LudwigVan
07-26-2009, 12:13 AM
I am getting my first experiences with canning and pickling too this year. We did not plant cukes however so no homegrown homemade pickles this time, however we're starting to eat watermelon so I'm hoping to try my hand at making watermelon rind pickles here soon.

Rick
07-26-2009, 12:38 PM
You can always buy your cucumbers at a farmer's market. It will still give you the experience of canning pickles. I only have a couple of jars of pickles left from last fall. Mighty good eatin' in the middle of winter.

Winnie
07-27-2009, 07:56 AM
Does anyone else find that keeping those bottled-sorry canned goodies for winter requires a HUGE amount of willpower?? :)

Rick
07-27-2009, 10:18 AM
(Checking Brit/US language dictionary) What the hey are "bottled-sorry canned goodies"?

crashdive123
07-27-2009, 12:38 PM
UK - bottled

US - canned

Winnie
07-27-2009, 12:44 PM
UK - bottled

US - canned

Exactly! and anything that tastes good is a goodie!

Rick
07-27-2009, 01:25 PM
Okay, I get it, you were apologizing for using bottled then switched to canned. Light Bulb!

I was thinking "sorry" was some term for poorly bottled or something along....never mind.

Winnie
07-28-2009, 04:24 AM
Looking back, perhaps proper punctuation may have helped, Rick!:blushing:.....hangs head in shame...