# What are you canning/freezing right now?



## Farmer Kitty (Aug 28, 2008)

From left to right: Strawberry/rhubarb sauce, rhubarb sauce, blueberry/rhubarb jam, blackcherry/rhubarb jam, blackberry jam, tripleberry jam, raspberry jam, strawberry jam, watermelon rind pickles, greenbeans.

I had enough of the strawberry/rhubarb jam left from last year so I didn't make any of it. Same with peach jam, plum jam, and pear jam. 





Then it was batch of corn cob jelly, froze the kernels, and a batch of no sugar added watermelon rind pickles (Christmas gifts).





Today it was tomato juice (red and yellow) and canned chicken as well as chicken broth!

So far this year this list reads:
6 pts Blackberry Jam
6 pts Red Raspberry Jam
3 pts. Trippleberry Jam
2 pts. Blueberry/Rhubarb Jam
2 pts. Blackcherry/Rhubarb Jam
2 pts. Blackberry/Rhubarb Jam
18 pts. Strawberry Jam
3 pts. Corn Cob Jelly
3-1/2 pts. Sugar-free Corn Cob Jelly
6-1/2 pts. Sugar-free Watermelon rind pickles
3 pts. Watermelon Rind Pickles
6-1/2 pts. Watermelon Rind Pickles
32 pts. Greenbeans
5 pts. Chicken
2 pts. Chicken Broth
4 qts. Tomato Juice

10 pts. frozen corn
1 frozen chicken


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## wynedot55 (Aug 28, 2008)

yall will be eating good this winter.when are you putting a calf in the freezer.


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## Farmer Kitty (Aug 29, 2008)

Already have a beef in the freezer. Some lamb left too. Hopefully, DH can bag a deer this fall for the freezer too. I would like to put some pork in there too but, I'm going to have to wait and see how much room we have left in the freezers. I may have to buy that in small protions. It's a good thing the plant is only 6-7 miles away and on the way to/from town!


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## wynedot55 (Aug 29, 2008)

yall will be eating good this winter.what about some goat.


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## amysflock (Aug 29, 2008)

Farmer Kitty, what is corn cob jelly, and how do you use it?


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## Farmer Kitty (Aug 29, 2008)

I got the reciepe on BYChickens. I have never made/had it so this is a trial. My Aunt had it years ago and liked it. Here is the reciepe and what frogdogtimestwo had to say:

It turned out interesting sort of honeyish and fresh tasting(hard to describe, never tasted anything like it before). We all liked it on toast. I would make again. I used regular organic sweet corn due to thats what I have available,and did not add food coloring as in the original recipe. It will be a great novelty addition to Christmas baskets. Recipe assumes basic knowledge of jelly/canning.
CORN COB JELLY
12 ears of corn cut off kernels (I froze them)
5 cups of water
1 box pectin
4 cups sugar
yellow food color (optional)
Boil cobs 10 minutes
remove and discard cobs/strain liquid through cheesecloth 
Measure out and use 3 cups of the liquid
return to pot and add pectin
bring to full boil, add sugar and boil 1 full minute
remove from heat and skim foam off, add color if desired
pour into prepped jars, top and lid, turn upside down 5 minutes
turn over and listen for jars to pop.
Enjoy! It did not look like it would set, but it did just fine in a few hours.
*edited to add that the original recipes stated to use field corn, so that is also an option, I used sweet

Last edited by Frogdogtimestwo (07/19/2008 9:52 pm)


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## allenacres (Aug 29, 2008)

Oh my gosh! You are my hero! Where do you find the time to do all this canning??? Ack! Hubby and I picked beans, I didnt find the time to get them into the freezer... Ive only canned relish (yummy!). So much of our garden goes to waste.  Wowzer! I bet all your canned goodies are just so yummy!


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## Beekissed (Aug 30, 2008)

My son (22 and never canned a day in his life!) canned 3 1/2 dozen qts of tomatoes this past week and I put 14 qts. of sweet corn in the freezer.  Will be concentrating on hot peppers next (delicious hot pepper butter), then apple sauce, apple butter, etc.  Potatoes are dug and in the cellar, the pumpkins are picked and stored, some to be sold and others to be made into pumpkin pie filling.  Also will be saving some of the seeds and baking others.  The onions have been picked out and are drying for storage in the attic.  Squash has been frozen, about 4 qts.  Will be freezing some green tomatoes as well (remnants from the last of the garden) for some recipes this winter. _ Nine_ #30 tins of red turkey wheat are in the cellar, awaiting to be ground into flour for my homemade bread (a friend gave us these!).  The big, sweet green peppers are still on the biggest and most beautiful pepper plants I've ever grown (go figure, started out as yellowed little shrubs) and I will be dicing them and freezing for recipes.  That will pretty well take care of the garden and orchard for the winter!  Then it will be frozen and canned deer meat!


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## Farmer Kitty (Aug 30, 2008)

allenacres said:
			
		

> Oh my gosh! You are my hero! Where do you find the time to do all this canning??? Ack! Hubby and I picked beans, I didnt find the time to get them into the freezer... Ive only canned relish (yummy!). So much of our garden goes to waste.  Wowzer! I bet all your canned goodies are just so yummy!


I do it in between chores and field work. Field work has been slow this last week so this week was easier. Sometimes it's a case of doing things in steps. Example: pick greenbeans in afternoon. Snip them in the evening and canning them in the morning. Drags it out but, it wouldn't get done otherwise. Some of the jams were from frozen berries and then I do it during the off season. 

Beekissed-3 1/2 dozen quarts of tomatoes is an awful lot especially for someone who has never canned before! Our tomatoes are just starting to ripen here. My sweetcorn is mid-way through. The beans I have pulled and feed out anything more than fresh eating! More chickens to process. Three within the next couple weeks and the rest will start in roughly a month. 

I cut up 5 huge peppers last night and put them single layer on cookie sheets in the freezer. I will have to get them bagged this weekend. I have beets I'm going to make sugar-free beet pickles out of for Christmas gifts.

_Another tip: If you have a dishwasher you can wash the jars in it. Use the heated dry cycle (may have to do twice so they are good and dry) and take out hot then cover with aluminum foil. This is how they do it in medical labs where things are extrememly touchy._


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## allenacres (Aug 30, 2008)

I have problems with freezer burn when I freeze things from the garden. Any tips?


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## Beekissed (Aug 30, 2008)

Farmer Kitty, my mother has always, and still does, put up anywhere from 100-200 qts of tomatoes...so we are sooooo small potatoes compared to her!  I thought it was cute though, because he couldn't find my canning book, I was at work and out of range, so he called his grandma and she gave him the 411!  He said, "After all, she is the source of all information in the Universe!"


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## Farmer Kitty (Aug 30, 2008)

WOW!!! and


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## Farmer Kitty (Aug 30, 2008)

allenacres said:
			
		

> I have problems with freezer burn when I freeze things from the garden. Any tips?


Get one of the vacuum sealers. It's the air in the container that causes freezer burn. I love my sealer!


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## allenacres (Aug 31, 2008)

We do have one of those but I wasnt using it for the beans. Thank you. 

Another question, are canned beans better tasting than frozen? After seeing your canned beans I thought that might work better for us since there are only 2 of us and it seems like it would be less work than freezing them?


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 1, 2008)

My family doesn't like their beans frozen so, I can them. It's mostly a matter of preference. 

With freezing beans it's snip, blanch, cool, and freeze. 

Canning you have to snip, pack, add hot water (& salt if you choose), and pressure can. 

Of course, with both, you need to pick and clean them first.


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## allenacres (Sep 1, 2008)

and my husband likes his green beans cooked to death, that is why Im thinking the canned beans would work better for us. Plus I dont like the work of blanching. I do like to can however. Thank you for the tips.


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## Chris aka Barney (Sep 1, 2008)

We have a Victory Garden in one of our fields for our feeding mission- The Mustard Seed Connection and also for our hispanic ministry. We planted 100 tomato and 100 pepper plants. The  peppers are doing well, actually so are the tomatoes, but with the junky weather  we had this early summer I'm hoping the tomatos will ripen so we can can, harvest. Our corn is stunted...I'm hearing that all over the plateau where we live. All cool weather plants did great. I'm just worried about the warm weather ones.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 1, 2008)

We definatley need the frost to hold off here too! Everything is behind due to the cold, wet spring we had.

I just shut the canner down 4 pts. of sugar-free beet pickles.

I also just bagged about 7 pkgs. of peppers, cut up, and threw them in the freezer.

Have to head back to  the fair this aft.


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## allenacres (Sep 1, 2008)

yes Im praying for a long warm fall, or at least a good long warm indian summer. But days like today dont give me much hope, its chilly and grey today. 
 My cold weather crops did well this year, maybe corn in a couple of weeks. I have lots of green tomatoes but that is why I grow tomatoes, for the green ones as I make sweet green pepper relish. Old family recipe that I grew up on. My cucumbers are itty bitty things.  lots and lots of carrots so the horses will be happy.


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## Chris aka Barney (Sep 1, 2008)

I heard this morning that we are supposed to get some nice summer weather for about 2 weeks! Of course King 5 could be wrong...again!


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## amysflock (Sep 2, 2008)

Gosh, I hope the weather predictions are right!

We have very stunted corn (some less than knee high with baby ears growing!), lots of green tomatoes, and medicore beans at this point. I have picked a few little bell peppers and banana peppers, but don't hold out much hope for much more than that. The pumpkins are happy so far, and we're getting some small zucchinis, and our cucumbers are pretty ok (we only have 1 row), but so far our garden's not much to write home about.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 3, 2008)

Yesterday's canning included 8 quarts of tomato juice (4 red and 4 yellow) 3- 1/2 pts of sugar free corn cob jelly, 7 pts. of corn froze down.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 4, 2008)

Processed and froze 2 extra roos today. 1 more to go in this batch.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 9, 2008)

Yesterday I canned 3 more quarts of tomato juice-2 yellow and 1 red.

Had to cover them last night due to temps down in the 30s overnight! Brrrrr. Much to early for that!


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## sandrachx (Sep 11, 2008)

farmer kitty - my gosh! where do you get the energy? i spent 6 hours making pizza sauce the other day and was exhausted - and i only got 3 jars.  i could go to WholeFoods and buy organic for the $$$ value of time it took to make the pizza sauce...  you are amazing.  must be young . . .


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## sandrachx (Sep 11, 2008)

how do you can chicken broth? chicken? what are watermelon rinds? where do you get so many recipes?


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 11, 2008)

sandrachx said:
			
		

> how do you can chicken broth? chicken? what are watermelon rinds? where do you get so many recipes?







For the chicken, I put three I had just processed into my slow cooker (7qt) with water to 3/4 way full and cooked them down overnight. Then you debone and loosely pack into jars. Then add liquid-either some of the broth out of your slow cooker or water. Put into pressure canner and can at 10 lbs of pressure for 1 hour and 15 min for pints or 1 hour 30 mins for quarts. The broth was left out of the slow cooker and I canned it down in the canner with the chicken. I assumed being a meat product that it would need to be pressured for as long. 

The watermelon rind pickles are the rind of the watermelons pickled down. 

Here is a receipe that was passed on to me. 
WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

3 #s of the white part of rind-cubed
5c sugar
2 c Cider Vinegar
1c Water
2T Whole Cloves
1  T Whole Allspice
2T Stick Cinnamon
1 Lemon sliced

Let cubes soak overnight in large pot in salted water to cover.
Drain.
Cover with fresh cold water.
Bring to boil and cook over low heat until tender.
Drain.
Combine rest of the ingredients and stir over medium heat.
Boil 5 minutes.
Add cubes simmer until transparent-About 15 minutes.
Remove spices and pack pickles into jars and process. Hot waterbath for 10 minutes.

I'm looking at 39 years old tomorrow. Not exactly young but not old either.  Sometimes I can can things down from picking out of the garden on through. And sometimes it takes a slow process. Example: pick greenbeans in the afternoon. Snip later that night. Can the following morning. We dairy farm and have two young DDs (4 and 9) with DH working out so I have learned to do things in steps as I can. My reciepes come from passed down and canning books. 

Pizza sauce is not one of the things I ever intend to can due to the time it takes. I could never manage to get it thick enough!


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 15, 2008)

Just shut the canner off. That's another 4 quarts of yellow tomato juice. 

The funny thing is I didn't even know this variety of tomatoes (Mr. Stripey) came in yellow until they started ripening. Cooked with it though and it's good!


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## wynedot55 (Sep 15, 2008)

does your 4yr old help you can.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 15, 2008)

No. Kute Kitten has helped pick and cut things up but, that's about it.


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## wynedot55 (Sep 15, 2008)

i figured she would like helping mommy.kute kitten is getting at the age where she can be alot of help.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 16, 2008)

3 more pts. of green beans. And I thought I had cut back to just fresh eating on the greenbeans! 

I also chopped green peppers and sweet peppers. They are in the freezer layed out in single layer to freeze.

Forgot the rooster I processed this morning! 

I ended up with 5 pts. green peppers and 4 pts sweet peppers.


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## wynedot55 (Sep 16, 2008)

dang i bet your freezer is getting full.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 16, 2008)

freezers-I have two. I do have to remember to leave room for a deer-if DH gets one. I plan on canning some more of the chickens that I have left to process but, they won't be ready for another month or so.

The sugar-free stuff is going to be Christmas gifts as well as 8 of the pts of greenbeans I have down and probably anymore extra that I may get yet.


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## wynedot55 (Sep 16, 2008)

somebody is gonna have a good christmas.


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## amysflock (Sep 16, 2008)

It just occurred to me after re-reading this thread and Kitty's frequent small batch updates to it that I've been thinking of this whole canning thing all wrong. I've been picking things and hoarding them, because for some reason I thought I had to have a big batch of stuff before proceeding.

So, I've got a bag of (probably past their pickle canning prime) cucumbers in the fridge, some a couple of weeks old, plus a gallon bag of green beans (some a week old). 

Now I get it...I can do a little at a time! The only thing I remember seeing my mom can was strawberry jam, and that's after buying huge flats of berries at the local field. She processed and made all into jam in a giant batch. No wonder my brain's all messed up!

Oy.

So...anyone have a great dilly bean recipe you'd care to share? And are my cukes too old to make garlic pickles out of?


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 16, 2008)

If your cucs are still firm you should be okay. As for the Dilly recipe-I've never made it so unless there's one in the Ball book, I have no clue. 

As for batches of stuff, I do what I get at a time. I have 3 canners. One was my mom's and it does the quarts. I can get 7 pts in it or 4 qts. She quite canning just in time for me not to have to buy one that size.  Then I have one that does 6 pts from a garage sale and one that does 4 pts that is also from a garage sale. They are all Mirros and I love them.

If you don't have a big enough batch to fill your canner, like I had today with the greenbeans, then use jar/s of boiling hot water instead. Example: I had 3 pts of greenbeans and my small canner holds 4 pts. I used 1 pt hot water in place of the 4th pt. You need not only to fill the place but, to have the jar full to distrubute the heat evenly.


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## amysflock (Sep 17, 2008)

Great info. Thanks, Kitty! I'll check on my cukes' condition this evening. DH picked more green beans last night, so we definitely have enough to do something with them.


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## pokacow (Sep 17, 2008)

Dilly Beans

10c water
10c white vinegar
1c salt
Mix & bring to boil

1+1+1 for pts 2+2+2 qts dill garlic hot pepper (cayanne or pretty little red ones)
(I put more garlic & hot pepper in)
put in each hot jar
Pack trimmed beans lengthwise into jars leaving 1/2" in top

Pour brine in leaving that 1/2" space

Process 10 min water bath.

Side note, I use the 1 1/2pt tall wide mouth jars for these, work greateasy to shove beans in & can have long beans, very pretty!


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## amysflock (Sep 18, 2008)

Thanks, Pokacow!


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 18, 2008)

6 1/2 pts of no sugar added apple butter! I'll post the recipe separate.

I also got in 3 pts of no sugar added red raspberry jam!


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 19, 2008)

4 qts of yellow tomato juice 
3 1/2 pts no sugar added red raspberry jam

No clue as to why 1/2 pt more red raspberry jam over yesterday's either!


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 23, 2008)

2 1/2 pts of NSA Strawberry Jam
2 1/2 pts of NSA Blackberry Jam

I'm not quite done with the NSA stuff but, I need to see if I can scrounge up a couple 1/2 pt jars!


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 23, 2008)

amysflock-how is the canning going?


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## amysflock (Sep 24, 2008)

Um, well...(ashamed)...I haven't done any yet. I DID go out and buy a water bath canner, pickling salt and jar bands/lids over the weekend, so I'm partway there. However, DH went on a massive bottom fishing trip on Saturday and commandeered the kitchen most of Sunday to prep and vacuum seal about 5 billion freezer packages (slight exaggeration, but let's just say he probably won't need to catch bottom fish next year).

I'm hoping to do some beans tonight if I don't get home too late, otherwise I'll have to wait for Friday evening. :|


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 24, 2008)

Don't wait to long. Things are best canned fresh.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 24, 2008)

4 pkgs with 4 cups of Raspberries froze down.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 29, 2008)

Just canned the 4 qts of tomato juice that I juiced down on Sat. Now I'm eyeing the weather (it's raining) wondering when I can get out there to pick again.

2 1/2 pts of NSA Tripleberry jam

6 more qts of tomato juice.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 29, 2008)

amysflock said:
			
		

> Um, well...(ashamed)...I haven't done any yet. I DID go out and buy a water bath canner, pickling salt and jar bands/lids over the weekend, so I'm partway there. However, DH went on a massive bottom fishing trip on Saturday and commandeered the kitchen most of Sunday to prep and vacuum seal about 5 billion freezer packages (slight exaggeration, but let's just say he probably won't need to catch bottom fish next year).
> 
> I'm hoping to do some beans tonight if I don't get home too late, otherwise I'll have to wait for Friday evening. :|


Did you get anything canned over the weekend?


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## amysflock (Sep 29, 2008)

Nope. :| We ate the stuff that was still good, gave the slightly questionable to the chickens, and threw the rest in the compost. I'll have to do better next year.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 29, 2008)

Oh well, next year you will know to do them up in small batches instead of waiting for one large day of it!


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 30, 2008)

Ive canned so far this year:
7 qt Rhubarb sauce
5 qt Strawberry/Rhubarb sauce
6 pts Blackberry Jam
6 pts Red Raspberry Jam
3 pts. Trippleberry Jam
2 pts. Blueberry/Rhubarb Jam
2 pts. Blackcherry/Rhubarb Jam
2 pts. Blackberry/Rhubarb Jam
18 pts. Strawberry Jam
3 pts. Corn Cob Jelly
3 pts. Watermelon Rind Pickles
6-1/2 pts. Watermelon Rind Pickles
24 pts. Greenbeans
5 pts. Chicken
2 pts. Chicken Broth
43 qts. Tomato Juice

17 pts. frozen corn
4 frozen chicken
16 pts. of peppers
5 pkgs with 4 cups of Raspberries

For Christmas gifts:
8 pts Greenbeans
4 pts. sugar-free Beet pickles
6  pts of no sugar added Applebutter
6  pts NSA Red Raspberry jam
2  pts NSA Strawberry jam
2  pts NSA Blackberry jam
2  pts NSA Tripleberry jam
3-1/2 pts.Sugar-free Corn Cob Jelly
6-1/2 pts. Sugar-free Watermelon rind pickles
(no pics of the Christmas gift stuff-already in boxes!)


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## wynedot55 (Sep 30, 2008)

dang kitty youve been busy all summer canning an freezing.how long will all that goodstuff last you.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 30, 2008)

Depends. Didn't have greenbeans or tomato juice left. Only a couple of pts of Straw. jam were left and a few pts of other jams that I didn't make this year. And some beet pickles and slices-didn't make me anymore this year either. 
I'm hoping things will carry through until the new comes out of the garden next year-maybe even have some left!


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## wynedot55 (Sep 30, 2008)

well yall will be eating good.


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## Farmer Kitty (Sep 30, 2008)

I forgot the Rhubarb sauces! 

I've added them now.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 5, 2008)

I've put the garden to rest. It was to dry and hard to till and we've had rain today so when it dries out enough that it's not going to stick to everything I will see about that. 

I do have a pail of greenbeans and a box of tomatoes to do something with. Then I'm going to investigate Miss P's threads!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 6, 2008)

4 pts of greenbeans-the last of the year.


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## wynedot55 (Oct 6, 2008)

i know your glad canning season is done.now you can relax an enjoy all your canned goodies.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 6, 2008)

Done? Who says it's done? I still have some tomatoes I need to check and see if there's enough ready. And then there is the chickens that I can start eye balling to see if they are ready to process in about another week for the first couple. Some of them will be canned. I'm looking at maybe browning some hamburger up and canning it to have ready for nights when I need something quick-especially when fieldwork returns in the spring! 

Nope! Difinately not done! But now I can do it more at my own pace instead of the gardens!


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## wynedot55 (Oct 6, 2008)

sure sounds like you love being in the kitchen.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 6, 2008)

Well, it seems to be where I end up anyway.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 8, 2008)

2 qrts Tomato juice

I kept some aside to make a batch of chili with-I'll can some of that too!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 9, 2008)

I have 4 qts and 4 pts of chili in the canners right now. The pints will be Christmas gifts with the quarts for us.


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## wynedot55 (Oct 9, 2008)

wow im just amazed at all the canning your doing.your keeping busy thats for sure.i love homemade chilli.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 9, 2008)

It keeps me to busy to get into trouble that's for sure!


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## wynedot55 (Oct 9, 2008)

i figured the milk barn kept you out of trouble.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 9, 2008)

There's the time in between! Peanut (4 yr old daughter) can keep me busy somedays but, she is normally pretty good at playing by herself while I've got the canners going. She knows when they are on she can't be in the kitchen. Otherwise, she intrupts me as needed.


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## wynedot55 (Oct 9, 2008)

i hear you there.when my 1st neice was a baby 2 months old.she had to go everywhere her pappa an i went.an when she started crawling it got real bad.because she knew when capps was on we was going to work.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 9, 2008)

5 pts of browned/crumbled hamburger. 

1 qt jar of chili didn't seal


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## wynedot55 (Oct 9, 2008)

your gonna be ready for winter thats for sure.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 9, 2008)

Actually, the hamburger was in the freezer with the rest of the cow. I'm doing that up for those days when I need something quick to make. Whether it be over the winter or next year when the fieldwork starts. I intend to do more of it up.


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## wynedot55 (Oct 9, 2008)

you have a good idea doing things you can fix quick.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 13, 2008)

Green peppers. My neighbor had covered her garden when it froze and had all she wanted, all her daughter wanted for green peppers. She gave me a bag full. I managed to get them cut up today and in the freezer in single layers to freeze. 

Not sure how they rate bowls but, the bottom of this one says 40 qt. I know it won't hold 40 qts of stuff. Maybe 4-6 qts?


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## Thewife (Oct 13, 2008)

Do you just brown the burger and freeze it?
About two weeks ago, our freezer got unplugged. I browned the thawed beef burger and froze it. It was ok for gravy and spagetti, but it just didn't seem to taste right to me. Maybe it was just me?
I also had to turn some good Buffalo steaks, into pre-cooked frozen stew meat, I wanted to cry!!

Tomorrow I will put up some pears, if they are not too ripe!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 14, 2008)

I canned it.

I browned it, put into prepared jars, then you can add either water or beef broth, pressure can. 1 1/4 hours for pints or 1 1/2 hours for quarts @ 10 pounds pressure.


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## Thewife (Oct 14, 2008)

Have you ever had your pressure gauge checked?
Hubby wanted me do get back into canning, but since mine has never been checked, I was kind of afraid to dig it out and use it!

I did put up some applesauce, some pears and froze a few veggies, my garden didn't do well this year.

It took three plantings just to get a whole ""4"" quarts of pickles. I won't make it on 4 quarts!

The friend that grows my brussel sprouts, gave up trying to grow them, he was too busy replanting everything else!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 14, 2008)

I have Mirros with the weights. You don't need to have those checked. They only check the ones with the gauges.


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## amysflock (Oct 14, 2008)

I'm asking for a small-ish pressure canner for Christmas, and I think I'll use it to can some browned hamburger. That would save a step for preparing other meals for sure...especially since we still have a bajillion 1 lb packages of ground elk in the freezer from last year and DH leaves for elk camp 2008 in three more weeks!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 14, 2008)

Good idea! Just remember when picking one out that if your going to be canning wide mouth jars, they take up more room than reg. mouth ones. They do have the advantage of being easier to pack in and get back out though.


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## amysflock (Oct 14, 2008)

Good tip, Kitty. Thank you!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 14, 2008)

You're welcome!


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## Thewife (Oct 15, 2008)

I got a whole 3 pints of pears this morning. The chickens, ducks and dogs, are out fighting over the ones that went bad!

We had a good freeze last night, I am not going to hold out hope for more pickles! 
Putting the canning stuff away!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 15, 2008)

My canning stuff is still out. Two chickens just went into the slow cooker to can.


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## Thewife (Oct 15, 2008)

Do you butcher the chickens too?


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 15, 2008)

Collected the eggs, incubated, hatched, raised, and butchered! Now I'm cooking them and will can them. I have 6 more left out there but, they are not big enough yet.

I will freeze a few more too.


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## wynedot55 (Oct 15, 2008)

dang kitty you are busy butchering chickens.do you have any lil pullet girls your raising.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 15, 2008)

Somewhere on here it lists what all I have put up--although you will have to continue to read the thread as I've done more since then. It includes chickens. 4 roos and 3 old hens and now these 2. 

I am keeping 7 pullets from this year. 

14 are ones that I hatched and raised from my own flock and 7 (sent 1 roo to a new home) Kute Kitten's friend's family hatched and raised part way.


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## wynedot55 (Oct 15, 2008)

well they will make good replacements.


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## Thewife (Oct 15, 2008)

I have to agree with wynedot55,

"Dang Kitty!!!"
Ya know if my Hubby found out about you, he would try to trade me in!!
He wanted me to can this year, he would really like me to do something about the overpopulation of chickens and ducks I have running around here, and you take care of cows? We dont have any small kids, but we do have three dogs that think that's what  they are!

I keep telling him I will take care of the roosters and kinda like the pears, I keep hoping they will get in the freezer all by themselves!
I didn't hatch most of them, everybody is free range, I had chicks coming out of every corner!!

If I put a couple in the slow cooker, how well do you think it would freeze?


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 15, 2008)

Add broth to them and I would think okay. I have never done it though.

If you are vacuum sealing you could get away without the liquid and not have to worry about freezer burn.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 15, 2008)

Here's from an earlier thread:
I do it in between chores and field work. Field work has been slow this last week so this week was easier. Sometimes it's a case of doing things in steps. Example: pick greenbeans in afternoon. Snip them in the evening and canning them in the morning. Drags it out but, it wouldn't get done otherwise. Some of the jams were from frozen berries and then I do it during the off season. 


That's how I manage to do so much. I still have all those peppers in the freezer to bag.


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## Thewife (Oct 15, 2008)

Hmm.
Do you pluck the ones you throw in the slowcooker?
Mine are mostly polish and silkie crosses! Just cooking off what little meat there is, makes sense to me!


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## amysflock (Oct 15, 2008)

Hey, the wife...if you have any "nice" roosters you'll otherwise dispatch, I might be in the market for a live-in boyfriend for my hens. Haven't totally committed to Roosterville yet, but my flock could probably use some male influence. I've been watching Craigs List. 

(Only thing is, the seven "big girls" in the "big girl coop" have been relentlesly plucking feathers out of each others' backs and undersides, despite my best efforts to stop them (extra protein, space, diversions, etc.), and I'm a bit worried a rooster's spurs would hurt their bare backs.)


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 15, 2008)

I pluck them using the debraining method. I want a good broth which means I want the skin on them. 

amysflock--if you search BYChickens you can find ways to trim the spurs and if you look me up, over there, I have a page with saddle patterns.


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## Thewife (Oct 15, 2008)

Farmer kitty, have you ever done anything with ducks?

Amy,
What breed are your Big girls?  For roosters, I have polish, silkie cross and three black austrolorps(?) that should have been hens! Nobody is really mean, if anything, they are really annoying when I am late to feed!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 15, 2008)

Butchered and baked them. 

I dried plucked the one I did. DH used the scald method. My dry plucking went better and as he had used the axe method I wasn't able to debrain her. The one we ate fresh wasn't as good as the one we froze and fixed later. Best eaten hot.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 17, 2008)

5 1/2 pints of chicken and 4 pts of chicken broth in the canners right now. There is enough leftover to make chicken soup!


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## Thewife (Oct 17, 2008)

Kitty, your wearing me out!

I had set the goal to do a couple of roosters today! (Yea, I don't know why I bother to plan ahead.)
I'm not to sure about the debraining thing. I did look it up on BYC. A neighbor was supposed to be getting a chicken plucker, I think we will stop by and see her today!


Amy, if you think you are interested in any of my roosters, let me know and I will PM some directions!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 17, 2008)

13 pkgs with 2 cups of peppers each done!

thewife--Are you aware that machine plucking can make the bird 2.5 times tougher?


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## amysflock (Oct 17, 2008)

Yes, thewife, I am definintely interested in a rooster (Black Australorp sounds perfect), provided you all think he'll be ok in the big coop with my seven hens (some moulting).

The "big girls' coop" has two Black Australorps, an Easter Egger, a RIR, and three Red Stars. My little coop (started as the hospital, but now permanent housing) contains two Easter Eggers and two "little" black girls (I thought they were Black Australorps, but they're so much smaller - and the same age - so I wonder if they're not actually Black Sex Links). The rooster would go in the big coop, but would free range with everyone on the weekends.

Keep in mind I have ZERO rooster experience, so am open to any/all suggestions. Kitty, do you think putting saddles on would be enough protection. Also, most of my girls appear to be in some stage of moult right now...is that an ok time to introduce a rooster?

Thanks, all!!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 17, 2008)

Yes, it should be enough. Just follow the recommended procedures for introducing an new bird. 

Let's keep this thread about canning/freezing stuff.


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## amysflock (Oct 17, 2008)

Sorry, will do!

FYI, I get to go up to a dear friend's house a few counties away tomorrow and can apple pie filling with her and her mom! This will be my very first "all-the-way-through" canning experience!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 17, 2008)

Have fun! It's always good to get together with someone else and learn from them. Even if you are both novices, one will have a different idea than another. I helped my mom can but, she did the actually canning. When I got interested she was to far away to help me. I had a wonderful neighbor who worked with me and showed me the ropes.


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## amysflock (Oct 19, 2008)

Success! I had a very fun day canning apple pie filling with an old friend and her mom. I had to leave for a family thing the next town over just as we were starting peaches, but they still gave me a quart to take home. We had left over syrup from the pie filling, so we ladled it into jars for serving over ice cream. (We didn't can those jars...1 is in the fridge, can I freeze the other two?)

Now I'm scouring the Ball book for my next "victims." I have some beets that I may make into pickled beets, and the little apple tree in the yard might donate to either apple sauce or apple butter. Yippee!







3 sealed quarts (1 didn't take so it's in the fridge, to become apple crisp today!), plus 3 pints, plus 1 qt of peaches.






Yummy!






A little bit of shrinkage, but not too bad.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 19, 2008)

Looks like a good days work! It sounds like you had fun.


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## wynedot55 (Oct 19, 2008)

seeing those canned peaches.makes me want a big old peach cobbler.


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## allenacres (Oct 20, 2008)

Yum! Amyslflock those look delicious!


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## allenacres (Oct 20, 2008)

Hubby and I canned some relish a few weeks ago. (old family recipe)
the ingredients, green tomatoes, bell peppers and onions, plus vinegar, sugar and I forget what else.





Hubby does the grinding for me. Its messy, so we do it in the barn.





ready to be cooked




mmmmmmmmmmm..





all done. I was much more successful this year on sealing.





and then I did some corn, first time. I used the sealing machine like Farmerkitty suggested.
I found a neat tip on line as I was having a hard time with the fluid in the corn not letting my bags seal when the vaccuum was doing its thing. AFter you fill the bags, stick them in the freezer, and then a few hours later do the vacuum seal. No more liquid begin sucked out to prevent the sealing process!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 20, 2008)

Nice job! I also freeze things that may have some liquid in them before sealing. Works great!


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## wynedot55 (Oct 21, 2008)

all that canned stuff sure looks good.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 21, 2008)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> all that canned stuff sure looks good.


You're just going to have to learn how and put some up too! Lots of guys can.


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## wynedot55 (Oct 21, 2008)

i said it looks good.i dont cook or can or freeze.im a meat an taters guy thats all i eat.


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## allenacres (Oct 22, 2008)

Im a meat and taters gal, but I also love fresh frozen corn in the middle of winter. Yum Yum! By the way, my husband does almost all the cooking in this house. Mostly because he was a bachelor for 12 years and he likes things cooked his way. Suits me!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 23, 2008)

10 pts. of hamburger canned down.


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 30, 2008)

Processed an extra roo this morning. I'm not sure if he will be frozen or canned yet. I have 3 more to do but, it's turning out not to be a good day to do them.


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## wynedot55 (Oct 30, 2008)

well you find a good day to process them.


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## amysflock (Oct 30, 2008)

I made an apple crisp last night with the one jar of apple pie filling that didn't properly seal and has been refrigerated. Yummy!


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## Farmer Kitty (Oct 30, 2008)

It is a good time of year for apple crisp. I made one the other day with apples I brought back from our trip. 

It will be extra special this winter when you can make the apple crisp with the apples you put up!


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## Thewife (Nov 3, 2008)

I saw something interesting this past weekend.
A friend makes Zuchinni bread in a wide mouth jar and then puts a lid on it as soon as it's done baking. He says some friends are still eating some they did 2 years ago?


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 3, 2008)

I'm sure it would seal from the heat but, I'm not sure it would be safe as far as the spores and botulism.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 3, 2008)

I have 6 pts of chicken and 3 pts of broth in the canners now.

I'm going to make split pea soup with the leftover broth and chicken for supper tonight!


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## wynedot55 (Nov 3, 2008)

how meny more roos do you have to can.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 3, 2008)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> how meny more roos do you have to can.


I have 2 left. DH wanted a couple more frozen and was going to cut them up into pieces but, he didn't get to these two and they needed something done with them.  Only time will tell what happens to the other two!

Then I have some pullets that are extra only I have a couple hens acting up. The hens just came through a molt so it could be related to that. Otherwise I have a neighbor who hatched some chicks this summer and has more roos than she needs and would like to make a deal. So there's three more of some sort to do later when things are sorted out.


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## wynedot55 (Nov 3, 2008)

your going to have a full freezer an pantry going into winter.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 3, 2008)

I've already expanded where I put the can goods!


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## wynedot55 (Nov 3, 2008)

i hope kute kitten an miss peanut like chicken.because you have alot of that.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 3, 2008)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> i hope kute kitten an miss peanut like chicken.because you have alot of that.


They do!


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 4, 2008)

Potatoes:
Large cut-like potato salad-12 qts
small cut-for omletes and soups- 4 pts and 10-1/2 pts.

I have enough potatoes cut for 4 more qts and 4 more pts but, they will have to wait. Probably will quite the quarts and I definately have enough 1/2 pts but, may do more pts after that.


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## wynedot55 (Nov 4, 2008)

your doing so much your going to run out of room again.an your gonna have lots of good eating.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 4, 2008)

I will end up quiting in the end because I will run out of jars.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 4, 2008)

More potatoes tonight 4 qts and 4 pts.

1 roo processed today. I need to do his friend and then I guess they will be canned.


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## wynedot55 (Nov 4, 2008)

i bet you go buy some more jars.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 4, 2008)

I don't know. I should have enough to do the rest of that 50# bag of potatoes and the roos. I think that will be the end. I have Christmas baking to get to.


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## wynedot55 (Nov 4, 2008)

ok i just gotta ask.how can you start the christmas baking with 2 lil girlies an dh with a sweet tooth.theyll eat it as fast as you bake it


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 4, 2008)

Fruit cakes time is here. And the cookies, freeze, freeze, freeze!


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## wynedot55 (Nov 5, 2008)

your 1 smart lady.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 5, 2008)

7 more pts of potatoes-end of potatoe canning!


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 8, 2008)

5 pts of chicken (although 1 jar is only 2/3 full of chicken)
4 pts of broth

I have 10 reg. pt jars, 6 wide mouth pt jars, 17 qt jars, and 0-1/2 pt jars left. Wouldn't have had enough if we weren't eating stuff, especially the jams!


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## wynedot55 (Nov 8, 2008)

man your emptying the jars an refilling them fast.


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## Farmer Kitty (Nov 8, 2008)




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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 2, 2009)

It's canning season here again!





21 pints of Strawberry Jam
4  half pints of Strawberry Jam

We did the half pints because we want to enter some in the fair. The jars on the left are a batch that Kute Kitten did alone. The ones on the right I did alone. Peanut, Kute Kitten, and I did the rest together.


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## wynedot55 (Jul 2, 2009)

it sure looks yummy.can yall wait till winter before yall start eating them.


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 2, 2009)

Wait until winter? We're suppose to wait?


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## wynedot55 (Jul 2, 2009)

uh yeah  but yall can eat it all up now.


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 2, 2009)

What do we use for jam in the meantime? Store bought?


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## wynedot55 (Jul 2, 2009)

i guess you keep making jam.


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 2, 2009)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> i guess you keep making jam.


Of all different varieties.


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## wynedot55 (Jul 2, 2009)

yes if yall eat all diff kinds of jam.


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## Thewife (Jul 2, 2009)

Looks good Kitty!

I think you sould send us all a few jars so we can taste test!


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 2, 2009)

thewife said:
			
		

> I think you sould send us all a few jars so we can taste test!


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## wynedot55 (Jul 2, 2009)

then she would never get done canning.


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## Thewife (Jul 2, 2009)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> then she would never get done canning.


Kitty likes to can!
The more she cans, the more it makes me look like a slacker, because I don't! (and Hubby really wants me too)

What kinds of jams or jellies you gonna make this year Kitty?


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 2, 2009)

thewife said:
			
		

> wynedot55 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 It depends on what fruits come on sale and look decent. I've been meaning to make a batch or two of the rhubarb jam but, things keep happening to keep me from it. It's a good thing I got the strawberry done Friday or the berries would have rotted.


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## Countrymom (Jul 2, 2009)

Crazy as it seems, this past week when temps were too high to be outside I fired up the canner and put up some tomatos and cucumbers.  I did about triple this last year, but time hasn't allowed with my girls competing for titles this year.  Plus the garden burned up very quickly this year with the 100+ temps.  So no more will be coming to can.  Have to look for sales at the local grocery.

I put up
6 pints of tomatoes
another 6 quarts also
a dozen pints of salsa
4 quarts of bread and butters
2 pints of bread and butters
and 8 pints of sweet pickles

Has anyone tried pickles with Splenda?  I put up the bread and butters with that this year.  Hope it works.  Didn't have enough for the Sweet pickles when I was working on them, so they are regular granulated sugar.  

Seems like just a drop in the bucket.  Will make jam when we finally finish all the ones from last year.  Blueberry, Strawberry and Peach are the family favorites.  Last year our Mustang Grape jelly didn't turn out good and I won't get a chance to do anymore this year as the vines have litterly burned up.  This has to be the hottest summer I have ever seen down here.


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 3, 2009)

Sorry to hear the garden has burned up.  But, I'm glad you were able to get some of it canned. This weather sure is crazy this year.


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## okiron (Jul 3, 2009)

I really should stop opening these threads lol. You guys got me curious to try canning now lol. Any advice for a would be beginner?


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 3, 2009)

okiron said:
			
		

> I really should stop opening these threads lol. You guys got me curious to try canning now lol. Any advice for a would be beginner?


Good canner, make sure the jars don't have nicks on their rims, rings should be in good shape. I like the Blue Book for canning and would recommend getting one. Food to be canned should be fresh and bad spots cut out/off. 

Are there more specifics your looking for?


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## okiron (Jul 3, 2009)

Farmer Kitty said:
			
		

> okiron said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not yet, I'll check the book out before I ask anything else 

ETA: Ugh, I forgot to say thank you. Thank you


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 3, 2009)

okiron said:
			
		

> Farmer Kitty said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You're welcome. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you have any. And you can ask them in this thread too.


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 13, 2009)

4 pts (3 pts and 2 1/2 pts) Peach Jam


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 13, 2009)

This morning's work.

2 pts of rhubarb/black cherry jam
2 pts of rhubarb/blackberry jam
2 pts of rhubarb/strawberry jam


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## wynedot55 (Jul 13, 2009)

i see your staying busy canning.


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 13, 2009)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> i see your staying busy canning.


Among other things.


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## Thewife (Jul 13, 2009)

Looks good Kitty!

To save you some postage, you don't have to send me anything with cherry in it for taste testing!
But, my tastebuds are old, so I will need 2 jars of the peach!


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 13, 2009)

thewife said:
			
		

> Looks good Kitty!
> 
> To save you some postage, you don't have to send me anything with cherry in it for taste testing!
> But, my tastebuds are old, so I will need 2 jars of the peach!


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## Thewife (Jul 13, 2009)

Farmer Kitty said:
			
		

> thewife said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I take it that means your not sending out samples?

I had a handful of the little wild blackberries today!
The blueberries are coming on!
Maybe I will do something with them!


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 20, 2009)

BIL and his wife have a big raspberry patch. One of the SIL's and her DH picked raspberries for me yesterday. It was extremely nice of them and they had done it because Kute Kitten is sick and I couldn't get there. I made 4 pints of jam and then froze a bunch down. Of course, there's some left out for fresh eating.


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## wynedot55 (Jul 20, 2009)

that jamm looks yummy.


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## Farmer Kitty (Jul 20, 2009)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> that jamm looks yummy.


I'm hoping so. It has been int he past, when I've made it.


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## amysflock (Jul 31, 2009)

Four 2-cup packages of shredded zucchini (will make 2 loaves of zucchini bread/package), 3 DH-&-Amy-sized servings of broccoli and 4 DH&A servings of sliced zucchini, all vacuum sealed and in the freezer now. Yay, me!!!


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## Farmer Kitty (Aug 1, 2009)

amysflock said:
			
		

> Four 2-cup packages of shredded zucchini (will make 2 loaves of zucchini bread/package), 3 DH-&-Amy-sized servings of broccoli and 4 DH&A servings of sliced zucchini, all vacuum sealed and in the freezer now. Yay, me!!!


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## homesteadingcowgirl (Aug 1, 2009)

good for you Amy- I think I'll be drying onions here soon


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## amysflock (Aug 12, 2009)

Nine pints of pickled beets plus six two-person servings of frozen whole beets.

I have to go buy some more cider vinegar...FIL is bringing a five-gallon bucket of fresh pickling cucumbers to me tonight!!


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## Thewife (Aug 12, 2009)

The boy and I made 6 pints of blueberry jam!
We were going to make more, but we ran out of sugar!


Amy, 5 gallons of cukes? I get worn out just doing a few jars at a time!


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## ARose4Heaven (Aug 12, 2009)

58 quarts of whole kernel sweet corn!  I NEVER want to see another ear of corn in my kitchen again!...at least until next year.

I have huge amount of zucchini...the squash from ****.  Also have buckets of cukes....  I have no idea what to do with either.  I can't sell them at the farmer's market...everybody else has too many too.


(Wish I could get someone to answer my post about milk replacer for my calves)


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## amysflock (Aug 12, 2009)

Nine more 2-cup portions of shredded zucchini in the freezer. I wanted to make zucchini bread but am out of sugar, and don't feel like going to the store. Maybe tomorrow!


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## birdkeeper2 (Sep 23, 2009)

Farmer Kitty,  You know a lot about putting food away.  I used to put up a lot but havent for some time now.  Have you cooked much goat meat? Do you have any recipes on that?  Please share ones you have made for us beginers of this kind of meat.


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