Since my knowledge about canning is practically non-existent (I’ve only done it a couple times), my super sweet readers, Shannon and her daughter Rachael, have sent in this great canning picture tutorial with everything you’ve ever wondered about canning! (I have the best readers in the world, you know.)
A couple notes:
- This is the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving mentioned. They say this is a must have for all beginners. EVERYTHING you need to know about canning is in here.
- Shannon & Rachael have used Sure-Jell with great results, but I thought I’d just throw it out there that when I’ve made freezer jam in the past, I used a brand called “Pomona’s” that works well to set up any recipes using less sugar. (Anytime you can get away with cutting some sugar, all the better.)
Download the Canning Tutorial!
Shannon just sent one more link to add:
“I forgot to include this info in the canning post. It is a site where you click on your state and it has a calender of when each fruit/veggie is ready for picking, listed by month. This helps so much in knowing what is coming up next so you don't miss it. Here's the link: U.S. Crop Harvest Calendar.
Here’s a few questions I have for all of you:
- How do you decide what you’ll can and what you’ll freeze or ferment?
- Which foods do you prefer to can?
- How do you use those foods in your cooking?
I'm adding this link in 2024!
I just found out about this electric/digital pressure canner to take the guesswork out of everything!
BIO:
My name is Shannon, I am a mom of five, ages 4, 9, 15, 19 and 21. I am expecting my first grandchild any day now. We have a small hobby farm here in beautiful Washington state. I have homeschooled my children for 11 years. I started researching and changing the way we eat about a year ago. My goal was to improve the whole family’s health and also to help my two autistic boys have healthier bodies that are not full of chemicals and preservatives. Kelly's Rookie Class has taught me so much about eating whole foods, how to avoid the junk and how to put that knowledge to use in your life. My daughter and I can together. OK, she’s older now so she does most of the canning, but I taught her how to do it, so that counts for something. 😉
My name is Rachael. I am Shannon's oldest child. I enjoyed helping my mom can as a young child and started canning by myself when I was about 14 years old. I love cooking, baking and sewing. My younger brothers often try to help me when I am in the kitchen. I won a prize for the jam we made at the county fair. During the longer rainy winter months in Washington I try to find fun things to do, so we often finish canning in the winter months and work on projects with the family.
Lorna says
I usually can applesauce and tomato sauce when these are ripe in the fall. I ferment the sauerkraut but then can it also because I haven’t had good luck with it setting at room temp all winter. I think because our house is too warm.
I’ve always thought I would can some meats but haven’t tried doing that yet.
I am more unsure about safety of meats but older women have told me it’s no problem. I use a pressure cooker for all my canning .Just be sure to check the lids carefully they say.
I’d like to try some soups also.
Have lots of carrots in root cellar that I’d like to try fermenting but they taste so good raw and cooked they never get to be fermented.
I love my root cellar that’s just an old freezer buried in the ground.
Work great!
Lenetta says
I’m a bit random on how I choose to preserve. It depends on freezer space and how the item will be used – i.e. it’s easier to cook frozen green beans than it is to wait for the strawberry jam to thaw for my toast.
This year, I canned strawberry and blueberry syrup, strawberry and peach jam, jalapenos, salsa, spicy tomato juice, tomato sauce, applesauce… and I think that’s it. I froze tomato paste (in 1 Tb cubes), green beans, carrots and peaches. Onions and potatoes are in cool storage, though I love to make a huge batch of cheesy bacon mashed potatoes with lots of butter, buttermilk, and sour cream (and sometimes ranch dressing spices like dill, parsley, etc.) and freeze batches of those. I also plan to bake some potatoes and cube then freeze them to make hash browns.
I like to stir the syrups into yogurt or applesauce for my little one, Hubs loves the jalapenos on everything, and I use the spicy tomato juice in chili, or hubs uses it in red beer. :>)
Steve says
back in Wisconsin my mother and grandmother used to can everything every fall, this post takes me back to the good ole days. Dilly beans were always my favorite.
Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama says
Pavil,
Canned food does lose some nutritional content because of the long cooking time. It also often uses a lot of sugar in fruit recipes (but you can reduce this in many cases). The lids are lined with BPA too.
BUT when you need to preserve food, canning is a good thing. It’s certainly better than store-bought canned goods! You know exactly where the produce came from (hopefully local and organic), it’s cheaper, and it allows you to eat reasonably healthy food in the winter, when you’d have to buy from far away places at the store (often times, Mexico or other countries where standards aren’t so strict on pesticide use, even for organic). Freeze what you can; it’ll retain more nutritional value. But can the rest, it’s worth it.
Pavil the Uber Noob says
What are the downsides to canning?
Julie says
To me a pantry with home canned goods in it is a wonderful work of art. The only problem being is that they are too beautiful to eat. You will find yourself gazing at them 🙂
How very sweet of your readers to put out this tutorial!
Mommaofmany says
I learned to can about three years ago and I love it! I can so many different convenience foods. One of my favorites is green beans. I love the flavor of home canned green beans better than freshly steamed ones! I also make soups and stews to have on hand for those busy nights when the day has slipped by and dinnertime is upon me unexpectedly. Throw together a salad and there’s dinner!