Comments on: Water Bath Canning 101

By: Mango Chutney

Mango Chutney — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:01:09 +0000

[…] stays good for two years or more (it usually gets eaten first!). But feel free to consult with canning enthusiasts from […]

By: Nancy

Nancy — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:35:32 +0000

Hi
I have canned in the past but mostly things like tomatoes, salsa & figs.
I never tried to can conveniance foods like soups or pasta sauces I was always afraid to try. But with the high prices I think it’s time to give it a try. I have a pressure canner and yesterday after a serch for many recipies and canning information on the web, I thought I would try to make split pea soup. It came out great but now I’m not so sure of myself the soup has gotten so thick in the jar i’m afraid that it didn’t heat through like it supose to. I made 10 pint size jars and process them for 75 minutes on 11 psi. Should I add more liquid and process them again are was it supose to thicken up like tomatoe paste. I need help.
Thanks,
Nancy

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:13:23 +0000

Eden — yeah, same here. I managed to score a box of rather elderly quarts at the thrift store last winter, but that’s the only time I’ve seen them. At least buying new ones for me involves supporting a nice independent hardware store

By: eden

eden — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:09:07 +0000

“I have never bought a new canning jar - I get them constantly for a buck a box or sometimes $3 for 5 boxes - they are one of those things most people seem to have in their garage. Put out requests on freecycle or Craigslist, and see what you can find before you buy them.”

Everyone always seems to say this - but if you don’t live in a rural area, or at the very least an area with a lot of elderly people who used to live in a rural area it’s not true. In the past three years I’ve only seen one person offer canning jars on freecycle or craigslist - and they were taken within hours. I’ve seen hundreds of requests. I’ve also never seen them at yard sales.

I recommend looking through your local freecycle archives - if you don’t see many/any offerings of canning jars, I recommend buying new ones - otherwise you’ll be looking for a long time.

By: Nita

Nita — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:47:22 +0000

Rosa, I can some summer squash in pints for adding to sauces or soups that will be cooked to avoid the botulism problem. If you use young squash, before the seed cavity develops, and cube it in uniform pieces it will hold up nicely. Look under pressure canner recipes for summer squash for correct processing times.
I think shredded squash would disintegrate because of the small size.
I can’t say that it adds anything but color and texture to my lasagna, but I always have an abundance of squash and this is a good way to use it.

By: katherine

katherine — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:51:51 +0000

Here is a useful resource on Canning, etc. along with pick-your-own listings:

http://www.pickyourown.org/canningqa.htm#pressureorwater

By: Lisa Z

Lisa Z — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:28:46 +0000

I’ve read somewhere (prob. online) that canned zucchini is awful and mushy. You could still try a little bit though!

By: Jill

Jill — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:02:02 +0000

Hi, just found your blog through a post from Crunchy Chicken. Perfect timing too, as I’m about to make pickles for the first time ever…and I don’t even eat pickles! But ever since Nalley’s and Steinfeld’s decided to use cucumbers from India instead of the Northwest, I’ve told my pickle loving boyfriend we won’t be buying them anymore…happy to see your post on canning- now to get the tools and the cukes! Thanks!

By: anita

anita — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:00:31 +0000

Also, if you pour the almost-boiling water (left after removing the jars) down a drain it will help keep it clear. Especially if you live in a house with elderly drains (we just keep a spare plunger in the kitchen) and a septic tank . . .

By: Rosa

Rosa — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:52:03 +0000

Paula, Meadowlark- you can get the whole USDA canning guide at http://foodsafety.psu.edu/canningguide.html.
It’s mostly for pressure canners because so few things are water bath safe.

I have gone through most of my canning recipes & marked them up with processing times from that guide, writing down the date I updated them, since many of them were not safe by the post-1994 standards.