Canning Stuff.

[Oaktree]

My freezer is already crammed full, and two old retired people do not need an extra freezer. The thing I like about canned food is that once it's done it's good until you use it, no electricity required.

That's why I got into canning. Would hate to lose everything in the event of an extended power outage. We do have a 4000W generator, and power's generally reliable here but still...
Another reason is space. We've only got a relatively small chest freezer, and (1) stuff ends up on the bottom after a while and forgotten and (2) it's usually pretty full with stuff that doesn't can well. No space for a larger one and like you we're both retired and don't need one any bigger than what we have.

Pickled 96 quarts of dill pickles last year and still have over half of them left. They are still tasty and crunchy.

What's the trick to making them stay crisp? Mine tend to end up sort of soggy. Good, but not crisp like store pickles.

 

[Thomas]

Canning getting to be lost art more so with today's youngsters...ask them what root cellar is.

 

[ponytug]

Have a look on the web, Crispy Dill Pickle Recipe - The 7 Secrets To Keeping Them Crunchy

But in general, growing pickling cucumbers to begin with, pick smaller, process asap, cutting the blossom end off, all can help. Adding calcium chloride ("pickle crisp") may help, especially if your water is soft. (@Oaktree?) We used to add wild grape leaves, but I don't know if it works.

All the best,

Peter

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Envious of all the "putting up" you fellas are doing. No time for this hard working family man to do such endeavors, one of these days I hope! Nothing better than opening a can of your own hard work and enjoying a fine meal from it.

My peppers are doing very well. I like to can mixed peppers (usually jalapeños and banana) with a bunch of carrot spears and onions in a dill pickle type solution. Did 5 quarts the other day. One broke in the water bath though. Quite delicious!

 

[Hilbilly]

That's why I got into canning. Would hate to lose everything in the event of an extended power outage. We do have a 4000W generator, and power's generally reliable here but still...
Another reason is space. We've only got a relatively small chest freezer, and (1) stuff ends up on the bottom after a while and forgotten and (2) it's usually pretty full with stuff that doesn't can well. No space for a larger one and like you we're both retired and don't need one any bigger than what we have.

What's the trick to making them stay crisp? Mine tend to end up sort of soggy. Good, but not crisp like store pickles.

I don't know what causes them to stay crisp but I know that grape leaves didn't help with the recipe we used when we lived in the City. Someone told me they are convinced it is my well water that is the secret ingredient. All I know is this recipe works for me and has for the last 5 years. I grow National Pickling Cukes. After picking I will normally put them in a cooler with water and ice for an overnight soak. The next day I cut the ends off and pack the jars with as many as I can squeeze in and process.

Recipe follows:
4 cups of water
2 cups white vinegar
2 TBSP pickling salt
5 cloves of garlic and
fresh dill to taste - I like lots

I water bath at 180* for 10 minutes then turn the heat off and leave the jars sit for another 5 minutes. Then onto a counter to rest until the next day.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I did a few pints of sweet pickle spears today. The other photo is the 9 gallons of dills fermenting merrily away. I had one for lunch, and it's about half fermented. Not clear all the way through, but getting there.

 

[mapper]

What happens when the grid gets overloaded and your freezers dont work?? LOL…….

That's why we also can stuff, and then give it away to friends the next season because we like the frozen stuff better.
Just finished beans, 8 gallon bags in the freezer, 16 pints canned. Now supplying friends with u-pick beans.

 

[mapper]

I don't know what causes them to stay crisp but I know that grape leaves didn't help with the recipe we used when we lived in the City. Someone told me they are convinced it is my well water that is the secret ingredient. All I know is this recipe works for me and has for the last 5 years. I grow National Pickling Cukes. After picking I will normally put them in a cooler with water and ice for an overnight soak. The next day I cut the ends off and pack the jars with as many as I can squeeze in and process.

Recipe follows:
4 cups of water
2 cups white vinegar
2 TBSP pickling salt
5 cloves of garlic and
fresh dill to taste - I like lots

I water bath at 180* for 10 minutes then turn the heat off and leave the jars sit for another 5 minutes. Then onto a counter to rest until the next day.

Trim the blossom end of the cucumber before pickling, it contains a plant hormone or enzyme (can't remember which) that makes the pickle soften.
For crisp sweet pickles try making lime pickles, Mrs. Wages picking lime has a pretty good recipe on the bag.
Grape or green oak leaves work well for lacto fermented dill pickles to keep them crisp.

 

[mapper]

We do get asked occasionally if we are preppers, my answer is: No I have been doing this all my life, my folks taught me, they grew up during the great depression when life could be really hard.
We were doing this sort of thing long before " prepping" was a thing. I think most of us here are similar in that respect!

 

[ponytug]

Trim the blossom end of the cucumber before pickling, it contains a plant hormone or enzyme (can't remember which) that makes the pickle soften.
For crisp sweet pickles try making lime pickles, Mrs. Wages picking lime has a pretty good recipe on the bag.
Grape or green oak leaves work well for lacto fermented dill pickles to keep them crisp.

The blossom end has an enzyme that softens the cucumber.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

My sweet pickle recipe ferments the cukes for 7-10 days, then soaks them 24 hours in an alum solution before rinsing the crock and proceeding with the syrup. The alum makes the pickles crispy, but you don't want to consume a whole lot of it.

Get the Facts About Alum and How It's Used in Everyday Life

Find out what alum is and the uses in households and industrial situations, along with a look the different types of alum and whether they are safe.

www.thoughtco.com

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Canning getting to be lost art more so with today's youngsters...ask them what root cellar is.

Around here the stores ration canning lids, usually 3-5 boxes of 12 to a customer. There is a shortage of canning supplies every year, so we buy canning supplies in the winter when nobody is thinking about it. Stores have whole aisles of canning jars, rings, lids, pickling salt, pickling spice, and the produce section stocks fresh dill daily. A friend just did 24 pints of tuna. It doesn't look like a lost art to me. I just canned six grocery bags of tomatoes, free from a friend who had already done his canning, and 11 pints of sweet pickles this morning. Canning may be a lost art to the town kids, but country kids know it well, just like always.

I have a friend with a big cider press who does a cider party every year. There are abandoned apple orchards all over. You can drive in and pick right into the pickup bed. I have a bunch of half gallon mason jars dedicated to a cider water bath. 12 gallons of cider (24 jars) is not a lot, but it's a really nice drink during the winter holiday season.

 

[ning]

I've used the baking soda & hydrogen peroxide skunk fix a few times and it worked wonders.

 

[Torvy]

I had a similar childhood experience. Mom came from a large farming family, born in '32. Grandma's cellar was always filled with home canned food. We spent weeks every fall canning various things. I prefer most veggies frozen vs canned, but some things are just better pickled. Nowadays, I cannot have much sugar, so I prefer dill pickles and/or hot pepper types. I've done a little canning as an adult, mostly tomato sauces/salsa. (Similar to Larry's I imagine). Once we get out on the property full-time, we will do so with our home grown produce.

 

[Oaktree]

Canning getting to be lost art more so with today's youngsters...ask them what root cellar is.

Getting to be a lost art, period. Outside of my sisters and myself, I don't know many people of my generation that can/preserve. Oddly, those that do seem to be the younger generation. Maybe it's one of those "everything old is new again" things. Good for them.

 

[JasperFrank]

Tomato sauce does not work on skunk stink. The above post #33, formula, using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda does. Our dog just never learned and after the third skunking, we realized that the Tomato cure was just an old wives' tale. Our dog has since been skunked 4 more times and the formula presented in post #33 did the trick. I add a touch of vanilla extract.

We have gotten into the art of pickling eggs. Its like making home brewed beer. You can do what ever you want and create what ever flavor you want, if you follow sanitary rules of canning.

 

[shooterdon]

Mom canned every year and I still have many jars. But my “canning” is simple and cheap. I buy stuff on sale and stock up

Last sale I “put up” 240 cans of corn, peas and beans for $.20/can. Can’t buy the lids for that.

I know....not as yummy as home grown, but I do not care. If/when the SHTF, yummy is even further down our list of priorities.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Last sale I “put up” 240 cans of corn, peas and beans for $.20/can. Can’t buy the lids for that.

I know....not as yummy as home grown, but I do not care. If/when the SHTF, yummy is even further down our list of priorities.

Last week I bought Ball lids for $3.19 for 12 lids, BUT if you bought $20.00 worth of lids, (or any other canning supplies) you got $5.00 off.

A lid will do several different sizes of jars, so I'm not so sure you came out ahead of me. lol

SR

 

[ning]

ok stupid question time

We've done a good job in getting into canning over the last couple decades
but where we fail is EATING IT
and if there's one thing I absolutely abhor is spending a lot of time on a task and then literally having the throw away the results later; canned foods don't last forever (side topic: how old of food will you eat that you've canned?)

I can't get people to look in the pantry for canned goods before going to the store and buying something in the same category
of course, they're typically buying fresh - we mostly eat fresh veggies
and while my wife grew up in a typical American middle-class family that ate lots of (tin-)canned goods, we've been much more healthy eaters for decades and I'm not saying that home-canned goods aren't healthy, but they're not fresh veggies either.

How do you make this social change to get your canned stuff eaten?

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Mom canned every year and I still have many jars. But my “canning” is simple and cheap. I buy stuff on sale and stock up

Last sale I “put up” 240 cans of corn, peas and beans for $.20/can. Can’t buy the lids for that.

I know....not as yummy as home grown, but I do not care. If/when the SHTF, yummy is even further down our list of priorities.

Survivalist hoard food. I eat mine.

I don't can corn, peas, and beans either. First, I don't like canned vegetables, except creamed corn is not bad. Second, pressure canning takes freaking forever. The only thing I will willingly pressure can is fish, like tuna and salmon. Hmm. Maybe I should try some half pints of crawdad tails. What do those cost in the store?