Any 'canners' Out There?

[kenlove]

Just eating some pickled okra my class made a month ago. Really good especially with a bread and butter recipe. This was not a problem for us as the stem end was trimmed very low. None of the seeds escaped but the brine could still penetrate.  What wasn't clear is if the brine was low when the jar came out of the hot water bath or just evaporated? In  either case you have make sure the seal is really sealed.  I've known people to poke a pin hole in the top of the okra to let air escape. They really are good once you get the right recipe.

 

I had someone question about okra (nasty stuff). He pickled some and says that as the jars cooled, the brine reduced. Claims it was 2" low over night. I suggesred repacking and processing using more brine. He was curious if this was common and how to avoid it. Any ideas?

[kenlove]

I err on the side of too little head space although  really try to get it right. Since we sell a lot, if there is too much, customers think your cheating them! If there is too little you can have a nasty clean up job.  I was trying to find some of my old 40s books that talk about the amount of time for processing. Also adapting things for the tropics is different. We boil jars for 20 minutes and nothing has been over cooked yet. Pickles included although I always use grape leaves with mine.   The Ball canning set does come with a tiny ruler (). I just need different glasses to read it -- NOT

ken, are you on the couch yet?!  we also need you to settle the headspace argument!  too much headspace or too little?  which errs on the side of caution?  i get accused of leaving more than 1/4"  or 1/8" <depending on what we are canning))  do i really need a tiny ruler lolz 

[notme]

dah - i think i just lost that argument!   i was thinking of marking on my funnel somehow - mostly everything calls for 1/8" or 1/4" - just so i didn't have to use a tiny ruler (hey, it must have been REALLY tiny, i didn't find it in the box!)

 

 The Ball canning set does come with a tiny ruler ( ). I just need different glasses to read it -- NOT

we need different glasses to tell our other different glasses apart from our regular different glasses !  

[kenlove]

omce you get used to the space on 1 type of jar then then the rest just have to be about the same. Its much more crucial for high pressure than a regular water bath. the head space gauge is on the other end of the stick used to release the trapped bubbles. 

take care

 

dah - i think i just lost that argument!   i was thinking of marking on my funnel somehow - mostly everything calls for 1/8" or 1/4" - just so i didn't have to use a tiny ruler (hey, it must have been REALLY tiny, i didn't find it in the box!)

 

we need different glasses to tell our other different glasses apart from our regular different glasses !  

[howlnmad]

Thanks Ken. He says that they were full when they came out but the brine level shrunk over night. He also claims that the seals were good. I suggested that he poke the tops to let air escape.

[kenlove]

hard to say without seeing it -- I never had that trouble. One of the things they always say in the Blue Book or SO Easy To Preserve is to make sure there is no air trapped in the jar. Hopefully they can get  rid of it next time.

 

Thanks Ken. He says that they were full when they came out but the brine level shrunk over night. He also claims that the seals were good. I suggested that he poke the tops to let air escape.

[howlnmad]

hard to say without seeing it -- I never had that trouble. One of the things they always say in the Blue Book or SO Easy To Preserve is to make sure there is no air trapped in the jar. Hopefully they can get  rid of it next time.

 

 

Thanks again, Ken. He says that he's cutting the tops off now and not having any problems.

[kenlove]

Great, I've been cutting up mine and putting it in salads.  Going to have to plant more! 

[bayba792]

sweet - thank you babya - what are you 'putting up' this year?  

My garden was a fail this year because of pest. They ate everything including my grape vine I have tried everything. I will do tomato sauce, soups, beans, and meat. My hubby is going hunting this season so I will be canning whatever he brings home. I was looking forward to making more jam but next season. I am going to be canning pumpkin also and that is about it. I have yet to experiment beyond that. What are you canning?

[howlnmad]

Somebody picked a whole mess of jalapenos so it looks like it's time to make some jam and pickle some.

[kenlove]

yumm--      have to buy ours at the store -- they  dont grow well  here -- too hot

Somebody picked a whole mess of jalapenos so it looks like it's time to make some jam and pickle some.

[kenlove]

hope your using high pressure for the beans and meat!

 

My garden was a fail this year because of pest. They ate everything including my grape vine I have tried everything. I will do tomato sauce, soups, beans, and meat. My hubby is going hunting this season so I will be canning whatever he brings home. I was looking forward to making more jam but next season. I am going to be canning pumpkin also and that is about it. I have yet to experiment beyond that. What are you canning?

 

 

My garden was a fail this year because of pest. They ate everything including my grape vine I have tried everything. I will do tomato sauce, soups, beans, and meat. My hubby is going hunting this season so I will be canning whatever he brings home. I was looking forward to making more jam but next season. I am going to be canning pumpkin also and that is about it. I have yet to experiment beyond that. What are you canning?

[w8in4dave]

I canned some tomatoes today, 13 pints   Tomorrow it will be Salsa  

 

[kenlove]

Looks Great!

 

I canned some tomatoes today, 13 pints   Tomorrow it will be Salsa

 

[w8in4dave]

Looks Great!

Ty I canned Salsa yesterday. It wiped me out canning 2 days in a row so I took a break today

[notme]

I canned some tomatoes today, 13 pints   Tomorrow it will be Salsa

 

that is a beautiful sight!    i love it when the pantry is full of those lil' jars of yumminess. 

 

we have this contraption that squishes the pulp and juice out of the tomatoes (minus skin and seeds) so we have been freezing them.  so far so good - if we have a power outage, we are having marinara for dinner for a month lolz   i have cooked some of the tomatoes down into pizza sauce, then put them through the contraption and freeze them in dixie cups (each enough sauce to make one pizza)  i wish i grew more basil because i am almost out of the pesto i put up last year - it's so pretty and green - much better than you could ever buy........  anyways, i froze the pesto in dixie cups and they are about 2 TB each so if i need some, viola!  i got just enough 

[kenlove]

Nope -- you cna never have enough pesto!

that is a beautiful sight!    i love it when the pantry is full of those lil' jars of yumminess. 

 

we have this contraption that squishes the pulp and juice out of the tomatoes (minus skin and seeds) so we have been freezing them.  so far so good - if we have a power outage, we are having marinara for dinner for a month lolz   i have cooked some of the tomatoes down into pizza sauce, then put them through the contraption and freeze them in dixie cups (each enough sauce to make one pizza)  i wish i grew more basil because i am almost out of the pesto i put up last year - it's so pretty and green - much better than you could ever buy........  anyways, i froze the pesto in dixie cups and they are about 2 TB each so if i need some, viola!  i got just enough 

[w8in4dave]

I have Diverticulosis so I try and get every seed out of my tomatoes I can. Of course the 1st batch I do .. I forget lol'z

[w8in4dave]

you guys should try making tomato jam!! Yummy!! Omg!! I don't have a recipe handy but look it up. Kids love it!!!

[kenlove]

one of my master food preserver students  came up with a watermelon jam recipe that tasted like jolly rancher candies! also amazing

you guys should try making tomato jam!! Yummy!! Omg!! I don't have a recipe handy but look it up. Kids love it!!!

[w8in4dave]

one of my master food preserver students  came up with a watermelon jam recipe that tasted like jolly rancher candies! also amazing

Sounds amazing!! I might have to look that one up  

[kenlove]

i'll have to post it when i get back in a couple of weeks - if i can find it.  The  watermelon on Molokai island is the sweetest ever!

Sounds amazing!! I might have to look that one up

[notme]

I have Diverticulosis so I try and get every seed out of my tomatoes I can. Of course the 1st batch I do .. I forget lol'z

this thing is a-mazing - we just quarter the tomatoes and throw them in a hopper - it goes through a screen, juice and pulp comes out, skin and seeds come out another 'chute'    it's called "roma food strainer and sauce maker"  i think it runs about $50 but worth every penny.  hubs hates the seeds and we can do tomatoes in like, 30 minutes, skinless and seedless    i freeze the sauce in qt ziploks but you could easily pressure can it.

[notme]

you guys should try making tomato jam!! Yummy!! Omg!! I don't have a recipe handy but look it up. Kids love it!!!

i DID make some last year and it was pretty awesome   i recall it was stupid easy, too, (and i didn't take out the seeds but now i can so hubs will eat it!  lolz) so that is a great idea.  i am running out of ideas for tomatoes - right now i have roasted garlic & tomatoes & thyme cooked and ready to be de-seeded and de-skinned to put up for soup base.   but the tomatoes continue to produce fruit!  dumb things, don't they know it's almost october   they are so delicious fresh - wish i could save me out one or two per week for awesome grilled cheese 

[w8in4dave]

I have a contraption to take seeds and skin off. I prefer chunky Salsy and tomatoes. Maby I prefer to take all day!! Lol Now today I heard about someone making Green Tomato Jam!! 

Almost Oct!! Yes!! I am still getting my tomatoes also.. I have only had one batch as of yet. w8in4more!! next week I will do some more Hopefully!!