Over coming fear of Canning
The worst part of learning to can is getting over the fear of trying. Don’t worry; it’s just like any other new project which new and strange for anyone. The first thing to do is to decide what you what to try first. We recommend canning tomatoes and they are easy for a first-timer. First pick what kind of tomatoes, some are better than others, for the type of cooking you will be using at a later date. Tomatoes are so versatile in everyday cooking, you will welcome having a supply on hand.
Talk to your family and friends – do you want help or make it a group activity. Gather your ingredients, equipment, and set aside time enough to complete the project. IF you are tackling your first time by yourself, ONLY plan to fill a canner one time (7 to 8 pints or quarts). I strongly recommend that you watch our video on canning tomatoes. It is listed on the right side under videos, just click on the link and it will bring it right up. The video will walk you through a small batch. Check back as there will be several more informational blogs as we come into the canning season.
Good luck and we hope this is the beginning of many years of successful canning. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact us.
Showing posts with label canning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label canning. Show all posts
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Home Canning with a purpose
Hobby or Preservation
People equate survival to extremist; this is not the case for most of us. There are people that "can" for several other reasons. We live in Florida. Everyone knows that it is the home of bad weather. Between lighting storms, hurricanes, etc. we are faced with the possibility of food supply storage on a regular basis. We need to know that our food will not spoil, when we loose electricity. We also need food easy to prepare without electricity. There could be a number of reasons that anybody could be concerned about their food supply. Whatever your reason, "canning" is a good alternative to accomplish you goal.
However, home canning can easily become a hobby as it has for Peepaw and me. Knowing that we have food on a shelf, ready to use makes canning more than a chore…it’s become a hobby. Once you began your canning, wait until the joy of eating or sharing your home canned products. I remember shortly after we were married Peepaw helped the first time…he was hooked. Now he enjoys it as much as I do.
Tell us why and how you became interested in canning, either by email or the comment section. We don’t care if you are just starting out or have been doing it for years.
People equate survival to extremist; this is not the case for most of us. There are people that "can" for several other reasons. We live in Florida. Everyone knows that it is the home of bad weather. Between lighting storms, hurricanes, etc. we are faced with the possibility of food supply storage on a regular basis. We need to know that our food will not spoil, when we loose electricity. We also need food easy to prepare without electricity. There could be a number of reasons that anybody could be concerned about their food supply. Whatever your reason, "canning" is a good alternative to accomplish you goal.
However, home canning can easily become a hobby as it has for Peepaw and me. Knowing that we have food on a shelf, ready to use makes canning more than a chore…it’s become a hobby. Once you began your canning, wait until the joy of eating or sharing your home canned products. I remember shortly after we were married Peepaw helped the first time…he was hooked. Now he enjoys it as much as I do.
Tell us why and how you became interested in canning, either by email or the comment section. We don’t care if you are just starting out or have been doing it for years.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Gifts, Inexpensive and really Appreciated
Gifts
Even in today’s society, a hand-made gift is appreciated by everyone. But, when someone gets homemade jams, jellies, pickles, etc. they are thrilled.
One year, one of our daughters came down and we taught her how to make Strawberry Jam. We used the ½ pint, decorative jars. I told her how I give them as Gifts at Christmas time. Because of the economy she was laid off, and was very upset because of it being Christmas time. I suggested that for the friends that she still wanted to do a little something, GIVE THEM A JAR OF HER JAM. She is very close to these friends and wanted the gifts as special as she could afford. So she got a gift bag, purchased a small gift, and placed a jar of her jam in the bag. A few days after their ‘Christmastime Get Together’, she called us. She told me what a good time they had together…BUT…she was blown over by the response to the jam. They were all so happy to get something which she had made herself. Then they went home and started eating the jam and calling to ask if she had more. They told her that next year, “Forget the store bought gift, and either give them a bigger jar or may maybe 2 small jars”.
Other suggestions for gifts are teachers, mailmen, trash collectors, doctors, nurses, etc. the list could go on forever. I will share my experience. As I have told you in other blogs, we are retired and live on a fixed income plus we have our health problems. We make numerous doctor visits in the course of the year. For years, I have always taken my doctors and nurses something we baked or canned. They always remember that and one or the other always mentions it or tells me how wonderful to receive a gift like that.
If and when you began to do jams and jellies, remember to can a few small jars. Give them as a gift and set back and watch the response you get. Remember that we are here to help you if you have any questions or comments. Also checkout our other blog, http://nannypeepawsCandy.blogspot.com/ for videos and free recipes. Thanks for returning, have a Merry Christmas and a really good New Year. Nanny, (Becky Plank)
Even in today’s society, a hand-made gift is appreciated by everyone. But, when someone gets homemade jams, jellies, pickles, etc. they are thrilled.
One year, one of our daughters came down and we taught her how to make Strawberry Jam. We used the ½ pint, decorative jars. I told her how I give them as Gifts at Christmas time. Because of the economy she was laid off, and was very upset because of it being Christmas time. I suggested that for the friends that she still wanted to do a little something, GIVE THEM A JAR OF HER JAM. She is very close to these friends and wanted the gifts as special as she could afford. So she got a gift bag, purchased a small gift, and placed a jar of her jam in the bag. A few days after their ‘Christmastime Get Together’, she called us. She told me what a good time they had together…BUT…she was blown over by the response to the jam. They were all so happy to get something which she had made herself. Then they went home and started eating the jam and calling to ask if she had more. They told her that next year, “Forget the store bought gift, and either give them a bigger jar or may maybe 2 small jars”.
Other suggestions for gifts are teachers, mailmen, trash collectors, doctors, nurses, etc. the list could go on forever. I will share my experience. As I have told you in other blogs, we are retired and live on a fixed income plus we have our health problems. We make numerous doctor visits in the course of the year. For years, I have always taken my doctors and nurses something we baked or canned. They always remember that and one or the other always mentions it or tells me how wonderful to receive a gift like that.
If and when you began to do jams and jellies, remember to can a few small jars. Give them as a gift and set back and watch the response you get. Remember that we are here to help you if you have any questions or comments. Also checkout our other blog, http://nannypeepawsCandy.blogspot.com/ for videos and free recipes. Thanks for returning, have a Merry Christmas and a really good New Year. Nanny, (Becky Plank)
Friday, December 18, 2009
Saving Money
COST SAVING
As we said earlier, you can save money by preserving food through home canning. Whether you are purchasing or growing your produce, you can save money. Especially if you find a particular item you can’t find in stores. We put up an “Old Fashion Pickle”, and have NEVER been able to find any that taste like them.
We purchase our produce at a local market and performed some cost comparisons. For instances, we make and preserve our own ‘Apple Pie Filling’ (recipe at http://nannypeepawskitchen.blogspot.com/). This year we priced canned Apple Pie Filling at the store, it costs almost $4. We were able to make and can ours at a cost of a little over $2. We did the same thing with ‘Pickled Beets’ and other things we enjoy eating. Then we decided that it was the taste MORE than the cost that we enjoyed.
We hope you enjoy the blog and will visit our other blog with videos and recipes which will help you in your new projects. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to contact us. AFTER ALL…THAT’S WHAT GRANDPARENTS ARE FOR…ISN’T IT?
From Nanny's Kitchen
As we said earlier, you can save money by preserving food through home canning. Whether you are purchasing or growing your produce, you can save money. Especially if you find a particular item you can’t find in stores. We put up an “Old Fashion Pickle”, and have NEVER been able to find any that taste like them.
We purchase our produce at a local market and performed some cost comparisons. For instances, we make and preserve our own ‘Apple Pie Filling’ (recipe at http://nannypeepawskitchen.blogspot.com/). This year we priced canned Apple Pie Filling at the store, it costs almost $4. We were able to make and can ours at a cost of a little over $2. We did the same thing with ‘Pickled Beets’ and other things we enjoy eating. Then we decided that it was the taste MORE than the cost that we enjoyed.
We hope you enjoy the blog and will visit our other blog with videos and recipes which will help you in your new projects. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to contact us. AFTER ALL…THAT’S WHAT GRANDPARENTS ARE FOR…ISN’T IT?
From Nanny's Kitchen
Monday, November 2, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Canning Tomatos
Canning Tomatoes
(Whole, halved or quarter)
2 ½ to 3 ½ pounds tomatoes per quart
Lemon juice
Salt
1 Bay leaf per jar
Wash and peel tomatoes *** Have a large pot of boiling water on stove. Dip tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, immediately dip in cold water. The skin will slide off**** Cut tomatoes in half. Use your finger to remove seeds and gently squeeze sides. Save juice. Leave tomatoes in halves or cut into quarts or pieces.
Add to quart jars: 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
Or
Add to pint jars: 1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
Pack tomatoes tightly in jars, add juice, salt and bay leaf. Fill jars with saved tomato juice from earlier (may have to add water to juice to have enough). Leave ½” headspace. Remove air bubbles with wooden spoon handle (I use a wooden skewer like the ones for kabobs).
Process 40 min. for pints & 45 min. for quarts in a boiling water bath canner. Start timing after water comes to a boil. If over 1000 feet altitude add 5 minutes and over 3000 feet altitude add 15 minutes to the boiling time.
NOTE: These tomatoes can be used in ALL recipes calling for canned tomatoes. Peepaw likes to help me with dipping in hot water and peeling. He also does all of the carrying of the hot jars. We both have pride in our canned goods.
(Whole, halved or quarter)
2 ½ to 3 ½ pounds tomatoes per quart
Lemon juice
Salt
1 Bay leaf per jar
Wash and peel tomatoes *** Have a large pot of boiling water on stove. Dip tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, immediately dip in cold water. The skin will slide off**** Cut tomatoes in half. Use your finger to remove seeds and gently squeeze sides. Save juice. Leave tomatoes in halves or cut into quarts or pieces.
Add to quart jars: 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
Or
Add to pint jars: 1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
Pack tomatoes tightly in jars, add juice, salt and bay leaf. Fill jars with saved tomato juice from earlier (may have to add water to juice to have enough). Leave ½” headspace. Remove air bubbles with wooden spoon handle (I use a wooden skewer like the ones for kabobs).
Process 40 min. for pints & 45 min. for quarts in a boiling water bath canner. Start timing after water comes to a boil. If over 1000 feet altitude add 5 minutes and over 3000 feet altitude add 15 minutes to the boiling time.
NOTE: These tomatoes can be used in ALL recipes calling for canned tomatoes. Peepaw likes to help me with dipping in hot water and peeling. He also does all of the carrying of the hot jars. We both have pride in our canned goods.
Monday, August 24, 2009
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