Canning foods? Drying spices? Sources for Spice Jars?

[Matthew]

Just wondered if other people have had success in canning their goods or dehydrating them.

 

I have a Presto 23 quart pressure canner, and an Oster dehydrator.

 

Only products I did and liked were Jam (mixed berry of raspberry, blackberry, black raspberry) and homemade ketchup (ok but not as good as heinz, but better for me I am sure).

 

I can post the recipe for the tomato soup as well, I modified a few recipies to make mine.  Mainly a pile of tomatoes and celery for main ingredients.

 

Did not like the tomato sauce canned (needed citric acid for safety).

Peperoncini, were soggy and didn't taste anythign liek store bought.  Grew 15 lbs of them and they were all a waste.

 

My spices are great.

Garlic powder, Jalapano powder, Parsley, Basil, Dill, oragano, Chives.

 

Excellent source for 1OZ Tiny jars to give to your friends and family (kindof expensive shipping though).

http://www.sunburstbottle.com/glass-jars/spice/VERB

 

They also sell 4oz jars at reasonable prices.

 

I have yet to find anywhere much cheaper.  I like glass cause no BPA in it.

 

 

 

[TCLynx]

I've had great success canning soup in the pressure caner (we also have ducks and chickens so I make soup with duck or chicken stock and what ever veggies I have on had, following the instructions for making soup and canning it safely.)

 

I've also done pickles and canned beets and green beans and done tangerine marmalade.

 

Garden web has a good harvest forum where people talk about canning and preserving. I think I've seen recommendations there about using say balsamic vinegar instead of citric acid to make the tomato sauce acidic enough for canning but not giving the citric acid taste.

 

We just got a food saver vacume sealer.  I like the jar sealer accessory for storing dry goods like beans to keep the pantry moths out.

 

We also have a nice big excalbur dehydrator that has been very handy not only for drying fruits and veggies but has also seen service making yogurt (to keep the temp right overnight while curing it.)

 

 

[Two Jay]

TC, sounds like we are set up pretty much the same, Excalibur dehydrator, Food Savor sealer, pressure canner in all...

 

We have canned, dehydrated etc. just about everything... even tried dehydrating hulled buckwheat the other night, taste like black eyed peas.  The only thing we had fail was maple syrup as it boiled over... which was a bummer since we tapped and cooked it down.

 

We do our yogurts on the stove, 4 quart jars, and then place them in a small cooler for 20 - 24 hours... turns out great!

[TCLynx]

I warm the milk for yogurt on the stove and in the past I've done the cooler with hot water or even the oven with hot water and the light on for curing but the dehydrator set to temp and left with the yogurt to cure overnight and no messing with getting the temperature right.

 

But in any case there are many ways of doing things and I'm always learning.

[Molly Stanek]

Thanks for the link to the bottles - I have been searching for a website with affordable glass jars for ages now.  Baby food jars work in a pinch, of course, but it seems like the label adhesive is impossible to remove.

I grew up making jam and salsa and canning tomatoes, green beans, pickles and beets with my mom, eating home made granola and yogurt and picking fresh peas off the garden gate for snacks.  Almost everything in our garden was destined for a canning jar.

I am so grateful to my parents for making these experiences a part of my life, and I can't wait to share them with my kids when I have them someday.  There's nothing like walking into the basement and seeing shelves lined with glass jars, filled with all sorts of fruits and vegetables ready to brighten the long dark winter days. 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned canning salsa - it's a great way to use tomatoes and peppers, and there are so many amazing recipes out there.  I haven't made a batch to can in ages, but growing up we used to make it every summer.  I have always liked spicy foods, so even in first grade my mom would have me taste test her jalapenos to tell her how hot they were before we put them into our salsa batches.  :)

Although we never got around to dehydrating anything when I was younger, I have since become a huge fan of my dehydrator, not only for herbs but for lots of other stuff, too. 

I really miss making home made dried apple rings in the fall when we lived out in the country where we had a small home orchard.  Just get one of the fun Peeler Slicer Corer things (you don't have to peel), run your apples through and then make one slice down the side to separate your long spiral into rings.  A little bit of citric acid if you care to keep them from browning, or cinnamon if you want, lay them out in single layers and you're good to go.  And the smell in the house?  Pure heaven.

I also have had fun making 'sun dried' tomatoes with some of my cherry tomatoes in the dehydrator.  I cut them in half (left the seeds in) and put them right side up on the trays.  Since we grew yellow, orange and red varieties the result is just beautiful sliced and sprinkled on top of pasta with fresh pesto.  :)

Another way of preserving fresh herbs that I have really wanted to try is to make herbed olive oils or herb infused vinegars.  I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I can only imagine that they would be amazing, and great gifts for Christmas, too, if done in decorative bottles.

[Matthew]

 

Glad you could grow up with the cannign knowlege, I did nto have the luxury.  That and I had everyone telling me I will die from doing it wrong and no support to learn to do it.   I am stubborn though, and teach myself whatever I feel I should know how to do, be it canning, gardening, welding, auto repair, or this year's idea....aquaponics.  Nothing but unsupportive people telling me to go to the store to buy my food.

 

They would shut right up if they tried my home grow mixed berry Jam.

 

I have been planning on making cannes slasa next season.  Have not found an appropriate recipe for a pressure canner.  I refuse to ever to water bath since I have the pressure canner and feel it is safer.  I want to use approved safe recipies as I give them as gifts to family and do not want them to get sick. 

 

I usually make salsa as needed as I have tons of tomatos and peppers in the freezer.

 

On tha note, any input on how long any of you beeive frozen good stay good?  In a freezer that is the frost type (not frost free).  I have vegetable from summer 2009 which look and taste the same as the day I froze them (generally hot peppers or tomato sauce I made).  Some people say only 6 months for goods, other say indefintely althouhg they lose nutrition.  I think the people saying 6 months have frost free freezers which wreck the food. 

 

I have done the sun drier tomatoes as well; I like it on pizza sometimes.  I keep them in the freezer....not sure if they would be safe in a bag for too long uncooled.

 

Made quite a few fancy pizzas, and have usually been making tomato basil ones (actually made one yesterday).  Cover it in chopped basil, and cube some pomadoro or roma tomatoes on the top, very tasty. If you have a fireplace, try building a rack in there, and partially cook the pizza in there with wood.  Gives a nice taste like the fancy wood cooked pizza places.

 

Last season my tomato plants went nuts and I froze 3 full trash bags of tomatoes whole (had 100 plants).....right in the trash bags.  Had no time or better idea how to keep them.....there were so many.  Have a 23 cubic feet chest and a 9 cubic feet one (unplugged unless needed).  If any of you struggled with blight, seriously consider Legend tomatoes and Matt's wild cherry tomatoes.  I swear they are nearly immune to blight.  They got it neat the end when there were frosts starting anyways and I only know tht cause if I picked tomatoes and left them out in the kitchen they would rot in like 3 days, if put right to the freezer or eaten immediately they were fine.

 

Molly Stanek said:

Thanks for the link to the bottles - I have been searching for a website with affordable glass jars for ages now.  Baby food jars work in a pinch, of course, but it seems like the label adhesive is impossible to remove.

I grew up making jam and salsa and canning tomatoes, green beans, pickles and beets with my mom, eating home made granola and yogurt and picking fresh peas off the garden gate for snacks.  Almost everything in our garden was destined for a canning jar.

I am so grateful to my parents for making these experiences a part of my life, and I can't wait to share them with my kids when I have them someday.  There's nothing like walking into the basement and seeing shelves lined with glass jars, filled with all sorts of fruits and vegetables ready to brighten the long dark winter days. 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned canning salsa - it's a great way to use tomatoes and peppers, and there are so many amazing recipes out there.  I haven't made a batch to can in ages, but growing up we used to make it every summer.  I have always liked spicy foods, so even in first grade my mom would have me taste test her jalapenos to tell her how hot they were before we put them into our salsa batches. 

Although we never got around to dehydrating anything when I was younger, I have since become a huge fan of my dehydrator, not only for herbs but for lots of other stuff, too. 

I really miss making home made dried apple rings in the fall when we lived out in the country where we had a small home orchard.  Just get one of the fun Peeler Slicer Corer things (you don't have to peel), run your apples through and then make one slice down the side to separate your long spiral into rings.  A little bit of citric acid if you care to keep them from browning, or cinnamon if you want, lay them out in single layers and you're good to go.  And the smell in the house?  Pure heaven.

I also have had fun making 'sun dried' tomatoes with some of my cherry tomatoes in the dehydrator.  I cut them in half (left the seeds in) and put them right side up on the trays.  Since we grew yellow, orange and red varieties the result is just beautiful sliced and sprinkled on top of pasta with fresh pesto. 

Another way of preserving fresh herbs that I have really wanted to try is to make herbed olive oils or herb infused vinegars.  I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I can only imagine that they would be amazing, and great gifts for Christmas, too, if done in decorative bottles.

[TCLynx]

Since we are in a citrus growing region we wind up concentrating and freezing lots of grapefruit juice.  We just have one grapefruit tree and one tangerine.

 

The tangerine juice is so incredibly sweet that unless it is an especially heavy bearing year, we don't get enough of that to preserve much but the grapefruit is a big tree and we usually wind up with a freezer full if we don't concentrate it.

 

To concentrate citrus juice we will juice it and freeze jugs of it.  Then once frozen we pull it out and thaw the jug about half way, usually flipping it upside down over a large container.  The first half of what thaws is going to be the strongest stuff, what is left frozen is quite watery.  We then re-freeze the concentrated stuff in blocks as best we can and seal up in freezer bags for longer term storage.

 

Certain things are best frozen to preserve the vitamin C content.  Citrus juice is drastically changed if canned.

 

Here is an important resource for anyone doing home food preservation.

National Center for Home Food Preservation

[Matthew]

I was hoping to some day freeze apple juice or cider (not sure of difference).  I have 3 small apple trees I planted ~ 3-4 years ago.  Fuji apple and two red delicious.  SOme day they should be bigger and give more fruit.  Got maybe 30 apples off the Fuji last year, none off the red delicious which I blame on a late frost.

 

Want to build a cider press if I have time this summer...but probably won't with alll the other things on my list.

TCLynx said:

Since we are in a citrus growing region we wind up concentrating and freezing lots of grapefruit juice.  We just have one grapefruit tree and one tangerine.

 

The tangerine juice is so incredibly sweet that unless it is an especially heavy bearing year, we don't get enough of that to preserve much but the grapefruit is a big tree and we usually wind up with a freezer full if we don't concentrate it.

 

To concentrate citrus juice we will juice it and freeze jugs of it.  Then once frozen we pull it out and thaw the jug about half way, usually flipping it upside down over a large container.  The first half of what thaws is going to be the strongest stuff, what is left frozen is quite watery.  We then re-freeze the concentrated stuff in blocks as best we can and seal up in freezer bags for longer term storage.

 

Certain things are best frozen to preserve the vitamin C content.  Citrus juice is drastically changed if canned.

 

Here is an important resource for anyone doing home food preservation.

National Center for Home Food Preservation

[TCLynx]

just make sure if you are gonna freeze apple juice or cider that you get it done before any fermentation begins or the jugs will burst before they fully freeze and you wind up with a freezer full of apple slush.  Dad has stories of once getting lots of apple cider they were gonna freeze but they were a bit too late.  I do have fond memories of home made apple sauce.

[Rank Wang]

I bought a lot of glass jars here https://www.reihey.com,
which can almost meet the needs of the entire kitchen.
They are also easy to store and organize. 

But glass material is heavy and fragile.It is recommended to choose carefully