# STOP CANNING!



## manybirds (Jul 13, 2012)

we didn't get the garden planted this year so we can't can our own stuff. i was really looking forward to it this year. so u have to stop cause missery likes company lol. maybe we can get some veggies at the farmers market still but its still not the same!


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## daisychick (Jul 13, 2012)

Almost all of the yummy stuff I can is from the farmer's market or the local farm store.   I can't grow enough in my garden to keep up with my canning addiction.   It really is just as delicious if you get your produce from local farmers and can it.   I promise, you should try it and it will help your saddness.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Jul 13, 2012)

Yes, plan "B" for you.  Canning is a must!  Maybe a neighbor who has not found the joy of canning and has an abundance?  There are always people trying to give away cucumbers, tomatoes and squash around here.  Not the same, but fresh is fresh and free is free; and if you can get fresh and free without weeding, who won?


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## manybirds (Jul 13, 2012)

lol i suppose. besides we always get peaches to can from local amish farmers and they're always the best! we havn't had them in years though. if we're gonna do that we better hurry, green beans will be getting scarce soon! mama's canned green beans are one of my all time favorite foods i wonder if i could replicate them this year hhhhhhhmmmmmm. i've gotta pick raspberries soon, we make jam.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Jul 16, 2012)

We went to a friend house and picked some black currents this weekend.  I made some juice last night and will be making some current jam over the next few days from the recipe in the Ball, Blue Book.  Never had it before, but free turned into food = great in my book! Best wishes with the green beans!


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## manybirds (Jul 16, 2012)

Stubbornhillfarm said:
			
		

> We went to a friend house and picked some black currents this weekend.  I made some juice last night and will be making some current jam over the next few days from the recipe in the Ball, Blue Book.  Never had it before, but free turned into food = great in my book! Best wishes with the green beans!


never had currents before, are they like black/blue berries? its always great when u can get some free good food! farmers market is tomorrow hopefully we'll find enough to can. maybe some tomatoe's and other veggies to make salsa


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Jul 16, 2012)

manybirds said:
			
		

> Stubbornhillfarm said:
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Picked from a distance, they look like dark blueberries.  They are about the size of wild blueberries, but grow on something that looks more like a raspberry cane only without thorns.  Tall random canes that criss cross and make a big mess of a patch if you don't tame them.  The taste...well alone, I wouldn't just eat them for a snack.  They are very different tasting.  Kind of a little bitter - sweet.  To me oddly they smell a little like pine.  

I'll let you know what it taste like when I get it done!


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## Cricket (Jul 16, 2012)

Wild elderberries make a really good jelly--kind of like blackberry, but with an earthier taste.

Maybe if you can't go for volume, Manybirds, you could do more specialty foods that don't take as much produce, but are a real treat in winter.  I have a book called 'Small batch canning and preserving' that has things like beet horseradish relish and  carmelized onion and red wine relish and different things that you'd look at in the store and say, 'I'm not paying that for that!'  They make nice holiday gifts, too.  Plus it's a good way to try out recipes that sometime you might want to make in volume.  I have a recipe from the Kerr canning book for apple ketchup, which sounds gross, but tastes a lot like A1 Sauce.  You can also get airplane bottles of boozey stuff and add to jams (like amaretto to strawberry).  It doesn't make you feel self sufficient, but self-indulged anyway!  Last summer we had so much rain that a good part of my bean crop was a big bunch of cotton fungus--this year we are watering all the time.


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## TeamChaos (Jul 16, 2012)

Dang, I'm a little nervous about how our canning is going to go this year- I'm not seeing a surplus of veggies anywhere yet, not in our garden, not at the farmers' market- not anywhere! Yikes!


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## greybeard (Jul 18, 2012)

I stopped canning a while back--planted early, harvested early and all done for the year. 
Does that make you feel better?

Hey--I DID stop....


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## manybirds (Jul 18, 2012)

greybeard said:
			
		

> I stopped canning a while back--planted early, harvested early and all done for the year.
> Does that make you feel better?
> 
> Hey--I DID stop....


lol not even a little! ur in texas so ur able to do that. we're not able to plant until memorial day and thats if we're lucky. then harvest is early because summer is short. thats why beans tomatoes and corn are the mane thing grown here


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 2, 2012)

I would love to can--but I don't know how!  Somebody help me.


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## manybirds (Aug 2, 2012)

SkyWarrior said:
			
		

> I would love to can--but I don't know how!  Somebody help me.


first u need a pressure cooker and some canning jars. lots of salt if your doing veggies sugar if jams jellies etc. once you have those its pretty straight forward


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Aug 2, 2012)

SkyWarrior said:
			
		

> I would love to can--but I don't know how!  Somebody help me.


There is a lot you are able to can without a pressure cooker.  If you check out the "Ball Blue Book" (go to the Ball Canning web site) you will get many recipes you can also just google Ball Blue Book recipes and get some.  If you have a large pot you can do any recipe that say "water bath" which includes some jams, jellies, pickles, tomatoes, sauce, etc.   It is a good start to see if you enjoy it.  If you do, then you can invest in a pressure cooker and expand your horizons!


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## marlowmanor (Aug 2, 2012)

Stubbornhillfarm said:
			
		

> SkyWarrior said:
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X2
We have both the regular water bath canner and we bought a pressure canner last year. Honestly we haven't used the pressure canner yet. We have just used the regular canner for everything so far that we have done. We are kind of nervous about using the pressure canner is one reason we haven't gotten it out this year. The other is we have been able to not use it because of what we have been canning.


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## manybirds (Aug 2, 2012)

is cooking with the pressure cooker easier or the water bath? we always had an inherited pressure cooker we have used so we never used anything else


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## marlowmanor (Aug 2, 2012)

manybirds said:
			
		

> is cooking with the pressure cooker easier or the water bath? we always had an inherited pressure cooker we have used so we never used anything else


I've only used the water bath so I can't say either way. I think the water bath is pretty easy myself.


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## autumnprairie (Aug 2, 2012)

I am new to canning and I have used both a pressure cooker and the water bath canner. Pressure cook takes less time but you have to watch it and bring the heat down when the pressure gets to where it needs to be ( you don't want the jingle to be constant but intermitant) I hope that makes sense


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