Any 'canners' Out There?

[GottaSki]

Try to find SO Easy to Preserve from the Univ. of Georgia.

 

Thats the "Bible" of safe  canning recipes.

 

No used copies currently available on Amazon -- but it is available from UGA's website for $18 (includes shipping):

 

setp.uga.edu/order_book.pdf

 

Going to check around for a used copy for a while -- if no-go will order from UGA.

 

Thanks

 

Edited to add for everyone -- Ball's Blue Book - retails for $24 -- currently on Amazon Prime for $8.45.

[Adalaide]

Edited to add for everyone -- Ball's Blue Book - retails for $24 -- currently on Amazon Prime for $8.45.

 

I wonder if they'll be stumped by a bunch of people suddenly ordering the books all at once.

[notme]

 

As for your half sours...  Does it make a huge batch?  I love them but...  I would like to have a recipe that makes a very small amount so that I can make them when I want them.  I would likely be the only one here that would make them.  You can't can those can you?  I still have my canning stuff but only a BWB and not the pressure canner.

Open Original Shared Link

 

that's the recipe i used, but there are a million on the interwebs.  pretty basic - salt, water, garlic, dill, cukes <kirbys!  if you get the brine right (my grammy used to say:  make it taste like the ocean!  lolz old hungarian recipes)  you could certainly do a small batch.  i used fresh dill because i have some in my herb garden, but dill seed or dried dill weed would work just fine  and, right, you don't process these, after 36-72 hours, depending on how you like them, you just drain half the brine and add plain water to slow the fermentation - then refrigerate (and hopefully, eat, because they will go soggy after awhile!)  i grew up in nj, and the kosher 'ba tampte' half sours we used to eat straight from the jar.  if you went to a 'DELI deli', they would keep jars of half sours on the meat counter.  so these turned out pretty good.  oh, yeah - NO VINEGAR or it's not *right* lolz 

[notme]

I think we did 20- 24 jars at a time with it.

YOWZA!  that's alot - i'm always afraid they are going to bang together and break.  husband is fearless,  maybe that's why he's handy to keep around when piling jars in.  i have ever stacked them, though, but then i put on the timer and go hide LOLZ 

[GottaSki]

YOWZA!  that's alot - i'm always afraid they are going to bang together and break.  husband is fearless,  maybe that's why he's handy to keep around when piling jars in.  i have ever stacked them, though, but then i put on the timer and go hide LOLZ 

 

 

We use racks -- my honey doesn't mind them being touching...but i have a teeny tiny space between every jar when i do it.  then steamer racks in between layers....works great with fish because you have to do it for some time and it is a stinky event -- finally learned to do it outside on the burner attached to our bbq a few years back --- much more better

[notme]

I developed and administer the Master Food Preserver Program in Hawaii and have been teaching canning for many years among my other jobs.  Feel free to ask questions if needed.  I use 1 little chili pepper with beans when i can them and also kosher, canning or Hawaiian salt. Have also sliced some onions in the jars.  Did you use 5%  vinegar?  Why do you think the jar blew up?

coolness!!!  our own resident canning guru!!  

 

ok.  yeah, i used 5% vinegar - cider vinegar, though.  and kosher salt, sugar, etc - here's the recipe i used - 

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

i was thinking it took so long to fill the jar (i was trying to make them all standing up to look nice) that maybe the glass got too cold.  i have ever had any crack when we put hot brine into them, but i blamed it on 'mutt' jars  - re-used spaghetti jars and the like.  this was a quart jar and took longer to fill.  so, is that likely?  i thought the jars were made of tempered glass that would withstand extreme changes in temp?  or would the pickling brine itself break it for any reason, like if we messed it up and it wasn't precisely precise?  because that could happen - i don't measure as carefully with canning as i do for baking (my grandma's recipes are alot of 'handful of this' measurements!)

 

with your bean recipe, do you use sugar in the brine, or what ratio do you use?

 

thank you so much!  it's easy to can but if we have questions our grandmas are all, well, deceased.  (and some of us *are* the grandmas now, lolz!)

[notme]

Try to find SO Easy to Preserve from the Univ. of Georgia.

 

Thats the "Bible" of safe  canning recipes. 

 

i will !  

[kenlove]

Thats ok, my wife thinks I'm nuts -- at least for the last 37 years

I picked one out of the hot water 2 days ago with no bottom on it -- at least I know why the water was  murky.. Your right, sometimes it just happens.  Pressure canners are a great investment for meats and beans and veggies where you cant use hot water bath.

good luck

 

 

I've only lost one jar in the past few years. A fairly significant amount of our jars are rescues from thrift shops and while we try to inspect them for flaws there just is no way to know how old they are or if they have a weak spot. We don't buy or throw away any that seem like they aren't okay of course, and reinspect every time we are canning but that one time I guess maybe we missed something? I don't know. We don't pressure can. I've never used one, it just cracked and broke right in the regular hot water bath! I've seen this happen just a few times over the years to my Grammy too. It is the most bizarre thing. It seems to be extremely rare, a jar just cracks up the side and if you don't see it and take it out, it'll just "explode" in the canner.

 

I'll admit, I didn't know there were canning "Bibles" to be had. I gotta get me one of those! My husband will think I'm nuts.

[kenlove]

your in good shape then! I love these canners with the gauges!

The large one is a pressure gauge -- the small 'regular' pressure cooker just the weight.

[kenlove]

Maybe I should let my grand daughter answer this ()-- Not all jars are tempered an can withstand the heat or pressure. In most of the text books we are warned against mayo and sometimes, tomato sauce  jars. These are filled on the assembly line at the ungodly rate of like 10,000 jars a minute and there is just no time for checking for flaws. We often cant see them anyway.  Ball even warns about the larger  quart jars being more sensitive The pint and half pint can be frozen and go from  cold to hot with problems but larger than that is a problem.  Usually pouring in hot brine should not be a problem unless that jar came form  cold water.  Usually I use the bread and butte pickle recipe from  so easy to preserve, even for  beans and darn near everything else. So yes, got to have the sugar although at times I can can go outside and pick some of my own sugar cane and juice that.  What a difference! I'll look up the recipe when i get back sunday, Im leaving for the airpoirt now to give a canning class on Molokai island.  The recipe your using looks  great  -- I would put a grape leaf in each jar which helps keep the texture. better than alum or lime like granny uesed.

take care

coolness!!!  our own resident canning guru!!  

 

ok.  yeah, i used 5% vinegar - cider vinegar, though.  and kosher salt, sugar, etc - here's the recipe i used - 

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

i was thinking it took so long to fill the jar (i was trying to make them all standing up to look nice) that maybe the glass got too cold.  i have ever had any crack when we put hot brine into them, but i blamed it on 'mutt' jars  - re-used spaghetti jars and the like.  this was a quart jar and took longer to fill.  so, is that likely?  i thought the jars were made of tempered glass that would withstand extreme changes in temp?  or would the pickling brine itself break it for any reason, like if we messed it up and it wasn't precisely precise?  because that could happen - i don't measure as carefully with canning as i do for baking (my grandma's recipes are alot of 'handful of this' measurements!)

 

with your bean recipe, do you use sugar in the brine, or what ratio do you use?

 

thank you so much!  it's easy to can but if we have questions our grandmas are all, well, deceased.  (and some of us *are* the grandmas now, lolz!)

[kenlove]

 great book!

then comes the ball blue book -- check  with  your local university cooperative extension to see if they have a master food preserver program.  If you google the program you can find  alot of info and recipes, especially  from calif.

i will !  

 

 

Maybe I should let my grand daughter answer this ( )-- Not all jars are tempered an can withstand the heat or pressure. In most of the text books we are warned against mayo and sometimes, tomato sauce  jars. These are filled on the assembly line at the ungodly rate of like 10,000 jars a minute and there is just no time for checking for flaws. We often cant see them anyway.  Ball even warns about the larger  quart jars being more sensitive The pint and half pint can be frozen and go from  cold to hot with problems but larger than that is a problem.  Usually pouring in hot brine should not be a problem unless that jar came form  cold water.  Usually I use the bread and butte pickle recipe from  so easy to preserve, even for  beans and darn near everything else. So yes, got to have the sugar although at times I can can go outside and pick some of my own sugar cane and juice that.  What a difference! I'll look up the recipe when i get back sunday, Im leaving for the airpoirt now to give a canning class on Molokai island.  The recipe your using looks  great  -- I would put a grape leaf in each jar which helps keep the texture. better than alum or lime like granny uesed.

take care

[notme]

Maybe I should let my grand daughter answer this ( )-- Not all jars are tempered an can withstand the heat or pressure. In most of the text books we are warned against mayo and sometimes, tomato sauce  jars. These are filled on the assembly line at the ungodly rate of like 10,000 jars a minute and there is just no time for checking for flaws. We often cant see them anyway.  Ball even warns about the larger  quart jars being more sensitive The pint and half pint can be frozen and go from  cold to hot with problems but larger than that is a problem.  Usually pouring in hot brine should not be a problem unless that jar came form  cold water.  Usually I use the bread and butte pickle recipe from  so easy to preserve, even for  beans and darn near everything else. So yes, got to have the sugar although at times I can can go outside and pick some of my own sugar cane and juice that.  What a difference! I'll look up the recipe when i get back sunday, Im leaving for the airpoirt now to give a canning class on Molokai island.  The recipe your using looks  great  -- I would put a grape leaf in each jar which helps keep the texture. better than alum or lime like granny uesed.

take care

thank you!  and i feel a little better about my 'jar failure' lolz - am getting ready to salt some cukes for bread & butter pickles.  i have never had a problem with these (husband's grandma's recipe and have made them every year for 25 yrs), so it will soothe my canning ego haha 

 

sugar cane!  i am so jealous........  molokai island!  i am so jealous................  (ok.  any island!  i am so jealous.......)  

 

grape leaf - lolz i have grapevines growing in my crazy neighbor's backyard that have made their way over the fence.  thank you for the tip, as my green beans got kind of shrivel-y after processing and i was a little upset with that..  after i spent all that time trying to make them stand up pretty so i will try that for next batch  have a safe trip!

[kenlove]

Thanks -- grape leaves  are amzing. I learned a lot of this form  my great  Aunt back in the 50s  spending summers on  the farm in Indiana.  Cant complain  about  farms on Molokai or mine in Kona but there is something special in the midwest memories and cucumbers is one of it. Grape leaves with my grandmother is another. I can't imagine making a pickle without them. Neither will yesterdays  class after tasting with and without.  Sometimes I'll use the no-no 4% rice vinegar and add some lemon juice to kick up the 1%.  Also we use bilimbi or  green starfruit juice to get the acid for the pickles to make sure its a safe pH.  These alternatives ( not in the ball blue book or so easy to preserve)  will cause less puckering on beans  etc.   Takes some  practice but the difference is amazing, especially for the folks here to sell them at farmers  markets  etc. take care 

thank you!  and i feel a little better about my 'jar failure' lolz - am getting ready to salt some cukes for bread & butter pickles.  i have never had a problem with these (husband's grandma's recipe and have made them every year for 25 yrs), so it will soothe my canning ego haha 

 

sugar cane!  i am so jealous........  molokai island!  i am so jealous................  (ok.  any island!  i am so jealous.......)  

 

grape leaf - lolz i have grapevines growing in my crazy neighbor's backyard that have made their way over the fence.  thank you for the tip, as my green beans got kind of shrivel-y after processing and i was a little upset with that..  after i spent all that time trying to make them stand up pretty so i will try that for next batch  have a safe trip!

[notme]

Sometimes I'll use the no-no 4% rice vinegar and add some lemon juice to kick up the 1%. 

now you're just running with scissors    lolz - i'm gonna try out my grape leaves 'training wheels' on my next batch.  with 5% vinegar  (note to self:  google bilimbi)  our little pool has taught me that i know less than nothing about adjusting ph    grape leaves ahoy!

[kenlove]

will look forward to the grape leaves report.. they also work great stuffed in the holes you get after falling while running with scissors

now you're just running with scissors    lolz - i'm gonna try out my grape leaves 'training wheels' on my next batch.  with 5% vinegar  (note to self:  google bilimbi)  our little pool has taught me that i know less than nothing about adjusting ph    grape leaves ahoy!

[howlnmad]

I'm not scooping grape leaves outta the pool.

[notme]

I'm not scooping grape leaves outta the pool.

why, what in the world would make you think i'd do a thing like that???  (surely, the vacuum will get them out.......)

 

i have been triage-ing green beans (saved quite a few, i was surprised <picked beans, did not wash them, left on back porch for 3 days) and it's 'my little pony's wedding day'  - all day, evidently............

 

ya picked a fine time to leave me (lucille)  lolz  

[howlnmad]

why, what in the world would make you think i'd do a thing like that???  (surely, the vacuum will get them out.......) i have been triage-ing green beans (saved quite a few, i was surprised <picked beans, did not wash them, left on back porch for 3 days) and it's 'my little pony's wedding day'  - all day, evidently............ ya picked a fine time to leave me (lucille)  lolz

I had to go. I knew that there were beans and cukes to take care of . Now, if anyone has an idea for zuchinni and yellow squash, we're in business.

[kenlove]

make them into bread and butter  pickles-- just use the brine from the so easy to preserve book for B&B pickles.  We pick a lot when they are only  2 inches long so I usually pickle those( no choice since larger and the worm or fruit flies get them)  but you can make the slices.  with  the grape leaves they hold together well.

I had to go. I knew that there were beans and cukes to take care of . Now, if anyone has an idea for zuchinni and yellow squash, we're in business.

[kenlove]

somewhere out there I bet we can find a bunch of canning songs. 

why, what in the world would make you think i'd do a thing like that???  (surely, the vacuum will get them out.......)

 

i have been triage-ing green beans (saved quite a few, i was surprised <picked beans, did not wash them, left on back porch for 3 days) and it's 'my little pony's wedding day'  - all day, evidently............

 

ya picked a fine time to leave me (lucille)  lolz  

[notme]

make them into bread and butter  pickles-- just use the brine from the so easy to preserve book for B&B pickles.  We pick a lot when they are only  2 inches long so I usually pickle those( no choice since larger and the worm or fruit flies get them)  but you can make the slices.  with  the grape leaves they hold together well.

you can *kill* a man with these suckers - seriously, we have zucchinis like louisville sluggers - i just made a huge zucchini lasagne (and one 'untouchable' one for me) and i only used (almost) ONE ZUCCHINI!!  

 

the only canning song i came up with the shop-rite can-can song, but it was an old video and you could get 5 cans of veges in 1983 for a dollar.  what?     !!!!!

[kenlove]

shop-rite  can can is a new one for me -- we didnt have that quality music in Hawaii <G>.

we used to stuff the monster Zucchini with pizza stuff and  took it to my friends pizza place.

These days I use  a spiralizer  to make noodles form the large ones.

just google spiralizer and you'll find a great tool.

 

 you can *kill* a man with these suckers - seriously, we have zucchinis like louisville sluggers - i just made a huge zucchini lasagne (and one 'untouchable' one for me) and i only used (almost) ONE ZUCCHINI!!  

 

the only canning song i came up with the shop-rite can-can song, but it was an old video and you could get 5 cans of veges in 1983 for a dollar.  what?     !!!!!

[frieze]

Ken, have any suggestions on a heat source for canning out of doors?  big enough to get the temp high enough.

[notme]

yes, ken, while we're picking your brain (the part w/o the scissor-holes and grape leaves lolz) :

 

is there a reason some recipes designate using distilled water?  i always use 'boiled' water, unless the recipe calls to boil the liquid, then i just use 'tap' because i'm going to boil it anyway....  just wondering what the advantage/difference is (besides having to buy it!)  thanx!

[love2travel]

My favourite things to can are jams and jellies, many savoury ones such as nectarine with thyme and caramelized onion, or apricot jalapeno. One favourite is roasted strawberry with balsamic jam.  Oh, and blood orange and grapefruit marmalade.  I also do my own tomato sauces, salsas and all sorts of cool condiments.  I love it!  It is so gratifying looking at row upon row of glistening jars in the pantry, waiting to use them.  Oh, I love making chile carrot pickles, dilled green beans, pickled garlic...