Creative Canning

Poor Man's Steak

2011-12-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

10 lbs. hamburger
2 1/2 tubes saltine crackers
1 1/2 C. onions
1 1/2 C. celery
8 eggs
1 1/2 milk (add a bit more if needed)
2 oz. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper (go easy on the salt as the crackers are salty)

1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water if the mixture seems too thick

Directions
I mixed all ingredients except the soup and mushrooms. Form the meat mixture into patties, use a canning ring as a guide to the the right width and height of the patty, it will shrink a bit. Place on cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes, turning over at 15 minutes. Use drippings and make a thin brown pan gravy, add mushrooms then soup.

Add a patty to the jar, then some gravy, then repeat until the jar is filled to the fill line.

Pressure can for 90 minutes for quart jars, 75 for pint jars. I use 11 lbs for my altitude.

I used 80/20 hamburger meat and if I make this again I will use 90/10 for a firmer pattie.
I will use less crackers and milk too. The patties are good, taste is great but the texture of the patties seems too soft. You could also break up the patties and serve over rice or noodles and I think that would make the texture seem sturdier.

This recipe is all over the internet. One of my favorite sites showing this is
http://challengedsurvival.blogspot.com/2011/10/canning-amish-poor-mans-steak-and.html
This one shows all the steps to making this.

I first saw this on Facebook and then Googled it and found it in many places.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150133377120242

And this one as well as others. http://amishrecipebox.com/Amish%20Recipes/Poor%20Man's%20Steak%20To%20Can.html

Thanks Kris for the reminder!

Pumpkin Butter

2011-12-04T17:36:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Butter
3 1/2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 package liquid fruit pectin
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup of water (if needed)

I mixed everything but the pectin in a large pot and brought to a boil.
I cooked several minutes and added most of the water. I then added the pouch of
pectin and stirred. The pumpkin butter was thick but not too thick, it poured.
I ladeled into pint jars and the PRESSURE CANNED the jars at 11 PSI for 15 minutes.
I also took extra time bringing the canner up to heat and vented just a bit longer than I usually do. I keep reading how unsafe pumpkin butter is to BWB.

I did this weeks ago and just opened a jar and it is great. The pressure canning did not affect the taste. It is thick. It was not thick when I took it out of the canner. Time thickened it.

Can this at your own risk.

I made this again and added lemon juice instead of water. I like it lots more, it adds a bit of tartness.

2011-11-26T11:54:00.001-08:00

Chunky Tomato Basil Soup

This recipe is easy because I used canned tomatoes and tomato juice.

2 large cans diced tomatoes. (#10 cans)
1 36 ounce bottle of tomato juice
5 ounces fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons dehydrated basil
Lawrys seasoned salt (to taste) I used about a tablespoon
8 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup sugar or to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup lemon juice

I opened one can of the diced tomato and used my immmersion stick blender to lightly blend the tomatoes, so they were not chunky but not smooth. I then took 2 cups of this and added the basil and blended until smooth, added this to my large soup pot and added the other can of diced tomatoes and the bottle of juice and all the seasonings and stirred. I let it heat up and tasted and at that point added my dehydrated basil. I wish I had doubled the fresh basil. I then put into 10 quart jars and pressured canned this for 15 minutes. I decided to pressure can because I was not sure of the acidity of the tomatoes as I used already canned products. I pressured canned for 15 minutes at 11 lbs PSI.

On serving add cream. This is so good. I will add extra basil next time. This would be great with your own home canned tomatoes.

Small Potatoes

2011-06-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

I bought these tiny potatoes at a local Farmers Market. The whole potatoes were canned with
lightly salted water. The other potatoes were cut in half and canned in a light chicken broth. (it was just brought to my attention that if I used a real chicken broth I would need to PSI 90 minutes) I used bouillon. Thanks deerie65775

I scrubbed the potatoes and then pressured canned them for 40 minutes (quarts) or 35 (pints). I left the peel on and really like them this way.
I added garlic to some jars and just a splash of lemon to other jars. These are so handy to have in the pantry.

Red Beans for Red Beans and Rice

2011-06-24T19:51:00.001-07:00

This is a per jar recipe using quart jars.
Layer Per Jar:

1/3 cup red beans, washed and soaked for 3 hours
1 andouille sausage (about the size of a hot dog) cut into thin slices
1/3 cup chopped onions
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 minced clove garlic per jar
2 teaspoons (or to taste) creole or cajun seasoning
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
water or chicken broth to fill the jar

Pressure can at 11 lbs PSI for 90 minutes (or for your altitude).

I also added some canned tomatoes to mine, not much just 2 tablespoons per jar. This is not traditional, we just like tomatoes.
Andouille sausage can vary, you should taste and see how spicy yours is before adding the creole seasonings. Some brands of sausage are so spicy, your jar may not require additional seasonings.

Pupusa Recipe

2011-04-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

This is not a canning recipe. I will be canning again soon. I ran out of ideas and now have a few.
This recipe is great. It's a leftovers recipe. Mine are not pretty like the pupusas' I Googled.
You could make a bunch and freeze, and even cover in enchilada sauce to serve.

Ingredients for the Pupusa

2 cups masa harina

1 cup water

I also added 1 teaspoon salt and was tempted to add some cumin and or red pepper powder.

Fillings for Pupusa
meats, cheeses, beans, I used a mixture of cheese and chunky salsa.

Directions:

1. Stir the masa harina and water together in a mixing bowl until smooth; knead well. Cover bowl, and let the dough rest 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Shape the dough into eight, 2 inch diameter balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into 6 inch diameter round. Sprinkle 1/4 cup queso fresco over each round. Place a second tortilla over the cheese, and pinch the edges together to seal in the cheese.

3. Heat ungreased skillet over medium-high heat. Some recipes call for lightly oiling the skillet.
Cook 3 minutes and flip like a pancake.

Chicken and Sweet Potatoes in Honey Mustard Sauce

2011-02-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

I got this idea in the frozen food section of my local grocery store. Marie Callender TV Dinners to be exact. I have never been able to can a honey mustard sauce successfully. I tried with powdered mustard and all kinds of mustard and after canning, it simply disappears. I even used some bottled honey mustard. No luck, it just tastes like honey. I now cook the chicken in a honey sauce and add mustard when reheating. I canned the honey, sweet potatoes, and chicken in quarts. I also have chicken in pint jars and sweet potatoes in quart jars and that may be easy if you are feeding more than two people. This combination is great.

For each quart:

1 cup of chicken cut into bite sized pieces and then lightly stir fried
1/2 to 3/4 cups of honey (or to taste)
Fill the rest of the jar with sweet potatoes that have been peeled and cut into big hunks.
Fill with a light chicken broth to the fill line
Can at 11 lbs pressure (or for your altitude) for 90 minutes (quarts) 75 minutes (pints)

When read to eat, drain the liquid in a saucepan, add a tablespoon of mustard (or more or less) stir and thicken with cornstarch, then add the chicken and sweet potatoes and heat.

Enchilada Casserole Experiment

2010-12-13T13:41:00.000-08:00

I have leaned to make only 3 to 4 jars of anything I experiment with. This is not really a recipe as much as it is an idea you can change as needed.

I stir fried cut up chicken pieces, no bone or skin.... until lightly cooked.
I cut up corn tortillas into small squares.
I used green enchilada sauce and some whole beans I had canned, some onions, corn and
green chilis.

I put 1/8 cup enchilada sauce in a quart jar and added a few squares of corn torillas,
then added chicken, a bit more sauce, more corn tortilla squares, then onions and corn, more sauce
then more corn tortillas, then green chilies and beans. I layered this using a lot of sauce and then when through layering, filled the jar to the top fill line with sauce and used a wooden
spoon handle to get the bubbles out and added more sauce.

The verdict? I used way too many corn tortilla squares and it mushed up a lot.
I will do this again and use less tortillas. When I took this out of the canner it was full of liquid and bubbling, later it sort of congealed into this mushy mass that was delicious. I like it!

DH does not like the green enchilada sauce so next time I will make it with red sauce and with beef.

I used to make a casserole a bit like this when I had kids at home, I used stale corn tortilla chips instead of corn tortillas and think that flavor would be a bit better and easier to make. You would just smash the chips.

As I said above, this is my personal experiment. Can at your own risk.
This is not a pretty jar of food.

Sausage Chowder

2010-12-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

My freezer died (is fixed again) and I found a package of Lil Smokies and another part of a package of just sausage. I also had a lot of potatoes to use soon. I made this chowder.
We had a jar tonight, one the the Lil Smokies and it was great...much to my astonishment.

Once again this a "PER JAR" recipe.

1 smoked sausage or 3/4 cup Lil Smokies
Chunky Chopped potatoes, I filled my jar halfway
1/4 cup white corn
1/4 cup onion

Fill to the fill line with chicken broth

Pressure can at 11 PSI for 90 minutes quarts.

This soup was quite watery. I added 1/2 cup cream and because DH likes a less watery soup, I added instant mashed potatoes from a sample we got in the mail. I may now buy some to keep on hand to thicken soup.

Turkey Cassoulet Soup

2010-12-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

Per jar

1 cup chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup dry white beans (rinsed)
1/2 cup sliced sausage (any kind)
2 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp garlic chopped or powdered or to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
salt pepper to taste

add chicken broth to the fill line and cook 90 minutes quarts at 11 lbs pressure or for your altitude.

I love this soup, I did not use sausage because I was out of it and did not want to go to the store. My Mom took me to Sweet Tomatoes and I had this soup, came home and tried to recreate it. Next time I will add the sausage and a bit more dry beans. I love the texture of the beans, not soggy and fully cooked. A great way to use leftovers, which is why I did this recipe by the jar.

Check this out!

2010-12-03T08:06:00.001-08:00

http://storageskills.blogspot.com

She has awesome photos plus a sun oven, how cool is that?
I had never seen this model before.

Tomato and Onion Soup and Spicy Jalapeno Soup

2010-11-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

I love the tomato and onion soup at the Soup Plantation or Sweet Tomatoes.

I also wanted to use up some of my many cans so I came up with this.

1 #10 can of diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups stewed tomatoes (just because I had them)
3.5 lbs onions sliced in thin rings
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons Oregano or to taste
2 tablespoons sweet basil or to taste
celery salt to taste

Put all in large stewing pot and bring to boil. I then used a stick blender and blended about half the soup, I left the other half chunky. Taste and add more seasonings if desired. I love the lemon juice in this, the tartness makes this taste fresh and thats important because it is being processed twice.

I filled 5 quarts and had enough left for 2 or 3 quarts more, I then added a bottle of Spicy V8 juice and a small can of diced jalapenos and some chopped garlic. I got four more quarts and two yummy soups.

Pressure at 11 lbs pressure for 35 minutes quarts and 25 minutes pints.
I know some people would BWB this, I am just not comfortable doing this. I feel it has already been processed once, and now twice.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

2010-11-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

12 lbs sweet potatoes scrubbed
water to cover
5 medium oranges or 1.5 cups orange juice
1 cup water (I used all orange juice, no water)
1.5 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup honey or maple syrup or Karo syrup if you run out of honey
2 Tablespoons pure vanilla
1.5 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Over medium heat boil potatoes in water until skins come off easily
about 20 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking prepare the orange sauce. Wash oranges, grate 1/4
cup peel and set aside. Juice oranges and add water until you have 2.5 cups liquid. In a saucepan combine juice, water, brown sugar and honey, bring to boil until sugar dissolves. Add vanilla, grated orange peel and pumpkin pie spice.

Immerse potatoes in cold water and peel. Cut potatoes into chunks, pack into jars and ladle the hot syrup ( 1/3 cup hot syrup for pints, 3/4 hot syrup for quarts)

Use a pressure canner at 10 lbs pressure (or for your altitude) for 65 minutes pints, 90 minutes quarts.

DH loved these. I felt they were too mushy. I am not fond of sweet potatoes in any case. I may just peel and not precook if I make these again.
For those of you who love maple flavored sweet potatoes, use that instead of honey. I forgot to take photos however these look just like the tin canned sweet potatoes in the grocery stores.

Recipe adapted from The Everything Canning and Preserving Book.
I love this book!!

Chili Beans

2010-11-14T12:58:00.001-08:00

This is a recipe that sounds delicious. This is from a reader who has been canning for years. She has a family background in canning, learning from her elders. I think that's great.

Chili Beans

Soak about three pounds of pinto beans overnight...I'm guessing on this, as I usually do more and make a day of it

In each jar add:

1/4 cup tomato paste
2 T chopped onion
1t. chili powder
scant t. salt
1 t. cumin
pinch of pepper
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. sugar
pinch oregano
2 1/2 cups soaked beans

Fill to about an inch from the top of the jar with hot water. Process quarts for 95 minutes at 10 pound pressure and adjusted to your altitude.

Thank you again for the time and care taken on the blog and for encouraging so many to take heed and use that canner.

Thank you Judy! Chili is so good on cold days.

Green Sauce

2010-11-09T06:38:00.000-08:00

5 lbs tomatillos washed and cut into small hunks
2 lbs anaheim chili's roasted and prepared or 1 lg can roasted green chili
6 jalapenos chopped
3 large onions chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice or to taste
2 cups water
8 cloves garlic chopped
1 TBS Lawry's seasoned salt, or to taste
2 TBS Cumin or to taste

Bring all to a boil and boil covered on low for about 20 minutes.
I then took my stick mixer (immersion blender) and blended all.

Pour into jars, wipe rims and I pressured this at 11 lbs for 25 minutes.

This sauce may have to have some thickening before using. I will be using it as
a sauce for enchiladas and as a soup base. I really like the color and the flavor.
You can add tomatoes if you want as well. If you like spicier add more jalapenos
or a pinch of cayenne powder. I have made this using lime juice insted of lemon and
really liked it as well. The tomatillos keep this sauce mild. I shop at ethic markets and love it. My tomatillos were 3 lbs for a dollar.

I took the photo will a cell phone, its a bit blurry.

Sausage,Cabbage and Vegetable Soup

2010-11-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

2.5 lbs Sweet Italian Sausage cut into chunks
I head cabbage sliced thin, I used green cabbage
3/4 lbs carrots cut into slices
4 cups chopped potatoes
1 lb soaked navy beans
2 cups chopped celery
2 large onions chopped
5 cloves chopped garlic
1.5 cups apple juice
3 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
4 TBS cider vinegar
3 TBS brown sugar
3 tomatoes peeled and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

I threw everything into a stock pot and covered with water.
I brought to a boil then simmered for about 15 minutes.
I ladled into my quart jars (12 jars) and processed for 90 minutes at 11 PSI.

This is good, not as odd as I thought it might be. I like it and my guests liked it.
I wish I had used more apples. If I do this again I may throw in cubes of pumpkin.

Experimental Tomato, Sausage, Veggie Sauce

2010-11-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

The reason this sauce is experimental is because about two years ago I purchased one of those huge #10 can of crushed tomatoes at Sam's Club. (it was $1.89) It sat in the garage until this weekend. I had leftover sausage and carrots from my other canning. I decided to can this, knowing the tomatoes would be double processed. I used lemon juice to tarten up the flavor a bit. I love fresh tomatoes, I love canning fresh tomatoes. I hate paying over $3.00 a lb for tomatoes, and those barely taste like real tomatoes. I used carrots because I had them and had no plans to use them in anything else. I did not want to use any other veggies because I was not sure I would like this. We do like it! We decided to do this again, next time with meat and green chilis and onions. DH also wants to make some with a lot of italian seasonings.

1 #10 can crushed tomatoes
2 cups shredded carrots
1 lb sausage
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper as desired

I processed for 90 minutes because it had meat in it. 11 lbs pressure for my altitude.

This feels like cheating, I cheated once and made apple butter out of a #10 can of applesauce using my slow cooker and extra lemon juice and no one could tell. After all those times peeling the apples, no one noticed. Next time I am at Sam's Club or Costco, I am going to be sure and check out those huge cans, after slowly turning and looking to see if the canning police are watching LOL.

Split Pea and Spicy Italian Sausage Soup

2010-11-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

I have used the traditional ham before and the canning process seems to leach the flavor out of the ham, leaving chunks of meat without any flavor to chew on.
I wanted to try something different. I like this a lot, DH thought it was too spicy.

2 lbs dried green split peas (rinse and pick out any strange looking peas)
10 cups water (I used part chicken stock)

Bring to a boil and while boiling cut into chunks

5 carrots
5 potatoes
3 spicy italian sausages (about 9 inches long each)

then add to the liquid

1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tsp powdered garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper

I then added the cut carrots, potatoes and sausage to the boiling liquid
and waited for it to come back to a boil and ladled into 5 quart canning jars
added water to the jars to the fill line,and cooked at 11 lbs pressure for 90 minutes.

I took about and extra 20 minutes letting my canner get to 11 lbs.
When the timer went off I turned the burner off and waited until there was no
pressure left in the canner.
I had no liquid loss when I opened the canner to remove the jars.

In this recipe and almost any recipe you can add or take away veggies.
I tend to use whatever I have on hand and make liberal substitutions.

Any soup with meat needs 90 minutes for quarts and 70 for pints.

Carrot Cake Jam

2010-10-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

I thought this would be a fun jam for Christmas gifts.
This recipe is all over the internet, I got this at
http://oldfarmhousecooking.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archive.html.
She has a great site!

Carrot Cake Jam

Makes about six 7 - 8 ounce jars

1 ½ cups finely grated peeled carrots
1 ½ chopped, cored and peeled pears
1 ¾ canned pineapple, including juice
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
1 package (1.75 oz) powdered fruit pectin
6 ½ cups granulated sugar

•Prepare canner, jars, and lids. (See a canning manual for more info if you are new to canning.)
•In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine carrots, pears, pineapple with juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in pectin, until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
•Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot jam. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
•Place jars in a canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store. Remember to label the jars.

I used the coarse setting to grate the carrots......next time I will definitely use the fine setting. We liked it on toast spread lightly with cream cheese.

The Duh Moment

2010-10-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

I had a real DUH moment today when Renae at http://www.creativechicksatplay.blogspot.com/search/label/Canning
emailed me. She has some great recipes,however the duh moment
was when I saw her soup starter, it's going to make soups fast!
How easy to have that on hand for the days you just cannot stand to
even think about cooking. Go check the whole site out. It's great!

Meatball Experiment

2010-10-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Two years ago I canned some meatballs in some watered down Yoshida's sauce. I opened it Monday evening and served it as a side for dinner. I hated the texture of the meatball and choked one down. Just as I was going to apologize for serving that to my DH, he says "Wow the sauce is a bit strong but I love the texture of the meatball". I then had another to see if I had the same reaction....I did. Loathed the texture. In fact, it was a lot like the canned meatballs in a can of spaghetti. Chef Boyardeeze nasty. BTW I have grandkids who LOVE that stuff.

Pics!

2010-10-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

These pics and recipes are from a Karen M.

Chicken soup and Zesty Salsa in the top photo

Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Cook chicken and add plenty of water for broth with poultry seasoning and bouillon. Cook noodles and celery sperately, add parsley and scallions. Then add to chicken and broth and fill jars evenly leaving 1/2 headspace. makes 8 quarts. Pressure cook quarts 1½ hours; pints 1¼ hours. 4 chickens
16 oz. noodles
1 qt celery
6-7 qt. water for broth
salt and chicken bouillon powder base to taste
1 Tbsp. poultry seasoning
3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. chopped scallions/ green onions

I asked about the noodles and she replied
I can the noodles..but you can put them in raw and I use the thinnest egg noodle possible..you can put them in raw because the liquid will swell the noodle plus the little bit of starch with thicken the broth a tad.
you can add the noodles afterward also when youre heating the soup. Whatever makes you comfortable.

Peaches

Canning Peaches

To can peaches choose ripe, mature fruit of ideal quality for eating fresh or cooking. Peaches can be packed in very light, light or medium sugar syrup. They can also be packed in water, apple juice or white grape juice. Prepare the liquid syrup and keep it hot.

Remove skins from peaches by using a small paring knife or if preferred, dip fruit in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until skins loosen. Dip quickly in cold water and slip off skins. Cut in half, remove pits and slice to quarters for better fit. When canning Cling peaches before removing skin it is necessary to cut around the peach and down to the pit with a paring knife. Make this cut slightly off center easier separation. Then while holding peach in the palms of your hands twist fruit in opposite directions to separate halfs. Then use a peach pit knife to remove pit. Be very carefull when cutting out the pit. Push the knife gently downward and under the pit and then around it

Drop cut fruit into mixture of 1 gallon water and 2 tablespoons each salt and vinegar. This will help to keep peaches from darkening. When all the fruit has been cut, rinse with water and drain before packing.

Cold Pack into sterilized jars and cover with boiling sugar syrup leaving 1/2 inch head space.
Run a rubber spatula or table knife gently between peaches and jar to release trapped air bubbles. Add more syrup if needed. Wipe rim and screw threads with a clean damp cloth. Add lid, screw band and tighten firmly and evenly. Do not over tighten.

Place jars on rack of hot water bath canner, slowly and gently, lower rack bring water back to boil and process using the hot water bath method.
pts. 25 min.
qts. 30 min.
Yields

48 pounds--18 to 24 quarts
After processing, remove jars immediately, place on a rack to cool. I used the light syrup method and it came out pretty heavy, so you may want to go that route.

Zesty Salsa
Makes about 6 (16 oz) pints or 12 (8 oz) half pints

You will need:
10 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes (about 25 medium)
5 cups chopped seeded green bell peppers (about 4 large)
5 cups chopped onions (about 6 to 8 medium)
2-1/2 cups chopped seeded chili peppers, such as hot banana
1-1/4 cups cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp hot pepper sauce, optional
6 (16 oz) pint or 12 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:
1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.)COMBINE tomatoes, green peppers, onions, chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, cilantro, salt and hot pepper sauce, if using, in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
3.) LADLE hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot salsa. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
4.) PROCESS both pint and half pint jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

They look yummy and so pretty. Thanks Karen!

Recipes and Photos

2010-10-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Life has been busier than normal.
I hate I am neglecting this blog.
Does anyone out there have recipes
and photos of the finished product they would like
to share? I would love to post them.

email them to cynthiak@hotmail.com, thanks!

Messages

2010-08-16T12:52:00.001-07:00

I just found a bunch of unpublished messages. Some are old, I never saw them. I get a lot of spam messages too, from Viagra to shopping so maybe my inbox sorts them and throws all into spam. I will be answering all the messages that are not spam.

I also get mails asking why I used frozen corn or canned tomatoes. I use what I have on hand.
I watch the grocery bill carefully. My husband also likes to shop and buys in bulk when things are on sale. I hate grocery shopping so at times I get have to use what he bought. I am grateful he likes grocery shopping. "Use what I have in the pantry" is my motto. So far even the frozen and canned corn in recipes has come out nicely. I have been happy with the results.

I live in California and fruit is abundant in my area, vegetables are not.
I also work, so canning has to be done around our schedules. Summertime is when I have grandkids, and I just want to enjoy them.

I use thickeners when I am ready to eat the food. I thicken the sauce then when heating. Not when processing. It is easier to thicken on the stove.

My biggest regret is not knowing how to pressure can when my kids were at home. Three teen boys, wow this would have saved so much time.

If you are new to this, get books on canning, Ball has several. Join the amazing, friendly, canning groups in Yahoo Groups. These groups inspire. Experiment within safe guidelines. I experiment a lot, trying to still follow the guidelines. Know your altitude so you can safely pressure can. Know the timing for low acid foods. Canning is fun. Storing the jars has been not-so-fun. Having meals to heat and eat when exhausted is worth it all.

Tri Tip and Mushrooms

2010-08-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

5 lbs tri tip cut into large hunks about 3x4 inches

2 lbs mushrooms, mine were light and dark mixed

2 packets brown gravy mix divided equally into 5 quart jars

dash salt and papper per jar

I had packets of brown gravy mix I had picked up somewhere long ago and decided to use them in a recipe. I had tri tip in the freezer and had just purchased a large amount of mixed mushrooms on sale.

I combined all equally, cutting the larger mushrooms in half, poured the gravy powder into the jars and added water, the salt and pepper. I pressured canned at 11 lbs pressure (for my altitude) for 90 minutes. It was very tender, I added a bit of cornstarch to thicken when I served this. this was so simple and adding the powder mix gave it a bit of extra flavor. I was happy to use those space using packets.

Chicken Salad

2010-06-24T17:36:00.001-07:00

I love canning chicken and use it for so many things but mostly chicken salad. I did an experiment, I added two heaping teaspoons of sweet relish to quart jar and then processed for 90 minutes at 11 lbs.....it is so good! I drained it and then shredded it into hunks and used it. The relish flavor is good, not overpowering and since I run out of relish all the time, its great to have that part of the chicken salad ready to go. Next time I am going to also add some dried cranberries and see if its' good too.

Sausage Patties

2010-06-02T14:54:00.000-07:00

I am going to have my grandkids off and on all summer. I had seen in the yahoo boards a method to can sausage and decided to try it. I got a roll of Jimmy Dean sausage (on sale) and cut into patties using a canning lid as my guide, lightly fried the patties on med-high until brown on both sides (they shrink a bit), but not cooked through. I then packed into the jars with the small amount of grease left
in the pan and pressure cooked for 75 minutes (pints) at 11 lbs pressure. I opened and they are good. I am now going to do more, lightly stir frying some for sausage crumbles and making more patties. I used a wide mouth jar for this. I will wait for a huge sale before doing in bulk.

Yummy Hot Fudge

2010-05-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe at a really cool site www.cakeandcommerce.com/cake_and_commerce/2009/10/hot-fudge-youll-never-buy-it-again-really.html

I made it 12 days ago, I kept it in a cupboard and last night opened a jar and it was great.
I was a bit worried about keeping it in a cupboard, so far so good. You may want to keep yours
cold. This made 6 small jelly jars with leftovers my family promptly ate.

1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups light corn syrup
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/3 cups milk
1 lb unsweetend chocolate
5 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup hot water

combine butter, sugar, corn syrup,heavy cream, milk, and salt, boil till a pale caramel colr (approx 20-30 minutes)(I stirred frequently).
Remove from heat and add the water, chocolate and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
Process in a hot water bath for 35 minutes.

Mexican Style Ground Beef

2010-04-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

I have read so many discussions on how to can ground beef and most people seem to think ground beef canned with water or beef stock has a nasty texture.

I took 2 lbs of 90% fat free ground beef and added onions and green chilies and then simply packed into 2 pint and one quart jar and then processed for 90 minutes at 11 lbs pressure.
(My altitude) I overcooked the pint jars and they were fine.

I used this today and wow...it was good, the texture was great, I did pack tightly but not too tightly and had to use a fork to sort of dig pieces out, that was good because I wanted to use
this in a casserole. I tasted it right out of the jar and it was very good. I did not add salt and it would have been better with salt.

This was so simple, I am now a convert to ground beef canned in jars.

I am going to buy about 20 lbs and do some more, all with onion, some with chili powder and green chilies, and some with italian seasonings. The pint will be enough for two people ,
the quarts for more.

I hope to have photos up soon. I am learning to can in small batches so I do not waste much if we dislike the end result.

Honey Chicken

2010-04-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

1-1/2 cups chopped, stir fried chicken breast
2 tablespoons ginger (chopped)
2 tablespoons garlic (chopped)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup honey
1 cup chicken broth

Put all in a suacepan and bring to a light boil, pour in jar
and pressure for 90 minutes (quarts) at 11 lbs PSI or for your
altitude.

This is good, seems a bit blah though so can be livened up with other ingredients.
Kids like it.

Thicken the sauce with cornstarch when reheating.

Caramel Chicken

2010-04-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

I followed the recipe and once again it's too sweet. Yummy, just too sweet.

1 Cup sugar
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons Fish Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1-1/2 cup chopped lightly stir fried chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 thai birds eye chili or 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno
2 green onions or scallions chopped
2 carrots peeled and cut
mushrooms if desired

In a tall saucepan, add 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup water and turn the heat on and watch, do not stir, until it is a semi darkish golden color

Immediately add the chicken broth and stir...this can pop and bubble so be careful....
add other ingredients and pack into quart jar, this made only 1 quart jar for me.

Pressure can for 90 minutes at 11 lbs pressure or for your altitude.

Next time.....I will triple this recipe but use the same amount of sugar.
The fish sauce really makes this recipe. If you do not have thai peppers or jalapenos I would just
use a few pinches of cayenne pepper.

Yet another green chili stew

2010-03-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

3 lbs cubed pork for stew
3 cups frozen corn (on sale and in danger of freezer burn)
2 stalks celery (getting limp)
2 cups salsa (on sale, nearing 'use by' date)
4 cups cubed potatoes
4 cups green chili (bought and roasted earlier in the day)
1 tsp corn meal (per jar) (no masa harina in cupboard)
1/2 tsp ground cumin (per jar)
1/2 tsp oregano (per jar)
pinch cayenne pepper (per jar)
salt and pepper as desired

Stir fry pork and divide into 8 jars
evenly distribute the corn, celery, potaoes, chilis, and salsa per jar
add water or broth to the fill line and pressure for 90 minutes at 11 lbs pressure or
for your altitude.

Most of the above were ingredients I needed to use up quickly.
They all smelled and tasted fine. Never use anything you are in doubt about.
Throw it out.

The great thing about canning is using whats taking up space in your freezer to now take up space in your pantry.
I know my family will like this thrown-together recipe. It's typical of what they like.

I had space left over (in my new All American Canner) *bliss* so I packed potatoes in pint jars
on the top rack with the 1 quart jar. They were over processed but look fine. I will be sure to use them soon.

I forgot to put 1/2 cup vinegar in the canner water and the jars all had to be washed. They were covered in a nasty white coating.

I am running into storage problems. I have a closet under the stairs, I may have to build shelves there. Because I live in California and we get the occasional earthquake, I will have to make sure the shelves are secure and there has to be something in front of the shelves to hold the jars and keep them from falling out. I also have 3 very strong sons....soooo ........

Beef Stroganoff

2010-03-11T19:58:00.000-08:00

This recipes is from an old Better Homes and Gardens Home Canning Cookbook (circa 1973) I bought on Ebay.
I made a few minor changes to suit what I had on hand.

4 1/2 lbs of thinly sliced round steak cut into strips
1/3 cup oil
5 cups mushrooms
3 cups diced onions
3 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
9 tablespoons butter
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup flour
6 cups of beef broth (more if needed)

Cut steak into strips, using the oil lightly brown the steak and then divide evenly into 7 quart jars, saving the leftover drippings from the steak in the pan.

Add butter to drippings and cook the onions, mushrooms, and garlic and divide equally into the 7 quart jars.

Make a roux with the flour, drippings, and tomato paste, add the beef broth and stir.....and fill jars to the fill line with this mixture. Cook at 11 lbs pressure (or the pressure for your altitude) for 90 minutes.

When serving add a thickening agent if needed and sour cream.

I think this would be great with chicken in place of the steak and potatoes in place of the mushrooms.

We had this last night and it was very good, it was also very watery so that bit of flour did not do much to thicken it at all. I would be afraid to make it too thick, it may not cook as well.

Photos Coming Soon

2010-03-11T19:57:00.000-08:00

DH has been traveling when I have been canning.

Bacon Jam

2010-03-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

6 lbs bacon
6 large onion sliced thin
20 cloves garlic
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups coffee
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste if needed

cook bacon until crisp and cut into 1 inch pieces, set aside
cook onion and garlic in bacon fat until translucent, then drain
all but 1/2 to 3/4 cups of the fat and add the other ingredients

Simmer until thickish. Use a blender to dice up if needed.

I canned in 1/2 pint jars at 11 lbs psi for 75 minutes.

This is good, not what I expected. I wanted something for an easy BLT or
topping for a cheeseburger, grilled cheese sandwich or scrambled eggs.
This is a bit sweet for that. It is good.

I will make this again without all the sugar, something more suited to my needs.

All American Canner

2010-03-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

I finally ordered one and it's on the way. I am waiting to try my newest recipe
with this canner, I should have it Tuesday. I am very excited!

Explanations

2010-02-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

I get emails asking me why I do things like using frozen corn.
My best explanation is that I am a tightwad. I use what's on hand.
My husband does a great deal of the grocery shopping so I use what he buys.
He buys frozen veggies when they are on sale.
He also has a bit of that tightwad gene and buys everything on sale.

Years ago, I only knew how to can jams and tomatoes, water bath things.
Then, three years ago a client gave me an amazon.com gift certificate and I
ordered a pressure canner and started experimenting with pressure canning.
I so wish I had learned this when I had three hungry teen boys at home.

I work from home and never know from day to day how busy I will be. I have many
overseas clients who call at odd hours. It is great having jars and jars of ready made meals. I can have dinner ready in 15 minutes.

I joined many Yahoo canning groups and those groups are incredible. They freely answered any questions I had and were an inspiration to me and still are. The people on those groups take preserving to extremes I can only dream of. Wow. Some of the groups experiment and that has been an inspiration. It's great to learn from others' mistakes and bounties.

I do not can because of a doomsday belief, I can because I spend 2 hours and have 7 meals
ready to go and that leaves time for painting. Canning frees up time for me and that is why I do what I do. I wanted my sisters and nieces to learn and thats why I started this blog. I live 400 miles from them and this was an easy way to show them photos and recipes. Canning your own meals also saves money. I buy meats on sale, freeze them until I have a recipe in mind and then can the meal. Then I have 7 meals. One quart jar feeds 2 people. Thats' 14 meals.

I also get asked about the USDA guidelines. Things like coleslaw are not addressed. All I can say is it uses vinegar and thats a great preservative. Plus people in the Yahoo groups have done it for years and they are still typing recipes. In my 3 years I have been fine. No illness's or botulism. I do feel everyone should decide for themselves what to can.

My biggest regret is forgetting to add water to a canner and destroying it and 7 full jars of chicken. It was an expensive mistake.

Lettuce Wraps

2010-01-29T08:08:00.000-08:00

This is a very long, tedious recipe. The results are worth it.
I tried to come up with my own version of PF Chang's lettuce wraps.

6 cups cooked chicken breast cooked and diced pea size and smaller
2 cups diced minced mushrooms (I used dehydrated)
2 to 3 tablespoons minced ginger (add two and more to taste if desired)
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
4 to 8 tablespoons soy sauce (once again, taste after combining all)
2 cans sliced water chestnuts ....then dice them
1 can bamboo shoots dice these too
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce (add more if desired)
2 tablespoons red wine or to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar if desired
salt and pepper to taste

heat, taste, add more seasonings if desired, and then pack into pint jars slightly less than 3/4 of the way full...add water to fill, process at 11 psi for 75 minutes or for your own altitude.
When ready to serve, drain liquid and reserve, add cornstarch to the reserved liquid, heat and add the chicken mixture, reheat.
Wash a head of lettuce and pull off leaves leaving whole. Spoon mixture in and roll up like a burrito.

I am not sure how many jars this will make as we gobbled most before canning.
You can also use ground chicken, I used what I had on hand. The hoisin sauce has a strong flavor, it really makes this recipe. Some dried red peppers would have been great, I was unsure how much to use for canning so will just add when I open a jar.

Creamy Broccoli Soup with Chicken Chunks and Cheese

2010-01-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

4lb bag of broccoli florets (Sams Club)
4 chicken breasts
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp dehydrated onions (1 per jar)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Pepper to taste

4 quart jars

Cut chicken in smallish bite sized pieces and lightly stir fry in a frying pan, set aside until ready to fill jars.

In a stock pot cook the broccoli in the chicken stock until tender and then add
the lemon juice and seasonings. I used an immersion blender, but you could use a regular blender to blend the broccoli until smooth. Equally divide the chicken in 4 quart jars, add one tsp dehydrated onions per jar, and add the broccoli soup. Add water to fill if needed. Process 90 minutes at 11 lbs pressure or the pressure for you altitude.

I thought 4 lbs of broccoli would make a lot more soup. After adding chicken to each jar, the jars were filled to about 3/4 of the way with the thick soup mixture, I then added water to the fill line.

When serving add 1/2 cup cream for each jar and cheese as desired. The chicken makes this very tasty.

Experimental Chicken Stroganoff

2009-12-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

The reason I am calling this 'experimental' is because about eight months ago I ordered
some sliced, dehydrated potatoes from a merchant on the web. Six months later they had not charged my card nor had they sent the potatoes so I ordered another 10 lbs from another merchant and the day after that order came in, the old order came in so I had 20 lbs of dehydrated potatoes. I had nothing to store this in so went to Sam's Club and they graciously gave me buckets from their bakery department. Frosting buckets which I washed many times to rid them of the vanilla odor. These are food grade buckets and free is a great deal. I digress.

I also bought dehydrated mushrooms at Costco.

I used approximately I cup of dehydrated potatoes and 3/4 cups dehydrated mushrooms per jar.
6 chicken breasts chopped into bite sized pieces and stir fried.
2 tsp of chicken broth powder per jar
1/2 cup chopped onions per jar
garlic powder to taste

taste before adding salt as the broth seems to have plenty

divide the chicken pieces evenly among the 6 jars and fill with water to the fill line.

PSI at 11 lbs for 90 minutes or for your altitude.

add sour cream when reheating and serve over noodles.

Clam Chowder

2009-12-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

Several months ago I started buying 1 can of chopped clams each time I went to the grocery store (each time I remembered).

5 cans chopped clams
2 bottles clam juice
8 pieces fried bacon, crumbled
1/2 tsp white pepper
5 tsp oregano
4 tsp dried parsley
4 tsp dried basil
garlic powder to taste
salt if desired

mix the above together and then cut
enough potatoes to have 1.5 cups of potatoes per jar
(smallish chunks)

evenly divide the liquid among 6 quart jars and add the potatoes
fill jar to the fill line with water and process 100 minutes at 11 lbs pressure
or for your altitude.

Add milk or cream when reheating

this was good, not spectacular, just good.

Apples and Pork

2009-11-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

For each jar

1.5 cups chopped pork (stir fried)
1.25 cups peeled chopped granny smith apples
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup apple cider
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground mustard (or to taste)
1 tsp granulated chicken broth
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of cinnamon

after adding the above, fill jar to the fill line with water and PSI
11 lbs for 90 minutes. Thicken when serving.

Chicken with Peaches

2009-10-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

3 lbs chicken breasts cut up and lightly stir fried
5 large peaches peeled and sliced
1 can Peach nectar
1 package dried onion and mushroom soup
1/4 cup low salt soy sauce
2 cups water
1 can whole water chestnuts
1 tablespoon chopped ginger or to taste
2 teaspoons minced garlic or to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Stir fry the chicken lightly and divide among 5 jars
divide the sliced peaches and water chestnuts among the 5 jars

mix the rest of the ingredients and bring to a soft boil, taste and add any spices you desire.
Divide among the jars and add water if needed to the fill line.

PSI 11 lbs for 90 minutes.

Update:

This is good, I added a bit of cayenne pepper because it seemed to need an extra kick.

My Albondigas Soup

2009-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Meatballs:

2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup cracker crumbs
2 eggs
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Lawry's Seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

mix well and roll into balls, mine were 1.5 inches in diameter

Soup:

7 Quarts water with beef powder or 7 quarts beef broth

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 can Rotel
1 huge onion chopped
1 pint corn
2 pints kidney beans (any type of bean will do)
2 cups chopped green chili
2 tablespoons red chili powder (or to taste)
1 tablespoon cumin (or to taste)
1 tablespoon Lawry's seasoned salt (or to taste)
2 teaspoons dried chipotle pieces (or to taste)

This was one of the 'season as I go along' recipes.

Bring the soup to a boil and drop in the meatballs a few at a time. Cook for about 10 minutes and then take a slotted spoon and pull out about 10 meatballs per jar. This made about 65 meatballs.
I made 6 quarts and had enough leftover for a jar of soup with no meatballs.

The traditional recipe call for celery and carrot chunks. I used what I had on hand.

What I liked:
The flavor of the soup and meatballs. This was easy to assemble.

What I did not like:
I used 80% ground beef and will use 90% next time. It created too much
oil and 2 jars sealed late so I used them right away. I never trust jars that do not seal quickly.

You could also broil or fry the meatballs and drain before adding them to the soup.

Process for 90 minutes at 11 lbs pressure for 1000 foot and under altitude.

Roasted Green Chilis.

2009-10-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

We used our grill to roast the chili's..When the 'skin' on the chili blisters, (you want the whole pepper blistered) we put them in plastic grocery bags for about 30 minutes. The chili's steam in the bag and loosens the skin. You then peel the skin off, cut the top of the chili off and slit it, scooping out the seeds. I then rinsed and cut the chili into bit sized hunks and left some as strips and put into pint jars and added about 2-3 inches of boiling water and 3/4 teaspoon salt. I pressure canned at 10PSI for 35 minutes.

It's finally cooling in California

2009-09-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

I will be canning again soon. It was just too hot to can. We did use a lot of our canned foods so I will be making those again along with a few new recipes. I belong to many groups, among my favorites are the Yahoo groups. The people are friendly and reading about their experiences is what gave me the courage to start pressure canning. A client gave me a gift certificate to Amazon, I ordered my canner and started. I started this blog to share recipes and encourage people to can. I am a freak about TIME... I know exactly how long it takes to sweep my kitchen, how long it takes to vacuum and other chores. Canning in quarts takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes depending on the recipe. That includes the processing time. I get 7 quarts, or 14 meals in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Some recipes are even faster. I prefer to can meals rather than jams or jellies or pickling things. It saves time in the kitchen and as I said before I love having extra time to paint, read, and all kinds of fun stuff.

If any of you have favorite recipes and photos you would like to share, please send them to me at
cynthiak@hotmail.com , I would love to post them and share with others. Make sure you refer to the blogspot in your subject line or just the word 'recipe' so I do not accidently delete the mail as I get my share of spam mail. Thanks!

Green Chili for Burrito's

2009-08-14T08:36:00.001-07:00

One of the hardest things about moving to California after having lived in Arizona most my life was the lack of comfort food. I missed green chili burritos. I played with this recipe so much and so many times and ways until finally, I think I have it right. I have made with with both pork and beef. Pork is more traditional. If you use canned green chili's you may want to add a pinch of cayenne to each jar. I rarely add salt until serving.

3 lbs cubed pork (bite sized)
2 cups green chili chopped
1 cup chopped onions
1 can Ro-Tel
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
chicken broth approx 3 to 4 cups

I browned the cubed pork on med-high until browned, but not cooked.
I added the pork in each jar slightly over half, but less than 2/3 of the jar.
I then mixed the other ingredients except for the broth and evenly divided among the jars.
I then added the broth to the fill line and pressure canned at 11 lbs for 90 minutes.

When ready to use, I added corn starch to thicken although a flour roux is more traditional.
This is our new favorite.

We use a lot of green chili in cooking and plan to go to the Hatch Green Chili Festival in Sept and
buy lots of fresh chili to roast. I plan on canning some as well.

Spanish Rice

2009-08-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Before I post the recipe (I got out of a very, very old Kerr Canning Book) I want to say this recipe is not USDA approved. Can this recipe at your own risk.
I made this recipe and canned in pint jars on 7-15-09. I opened one jar a few days later and it was great. My son came to visit and opened several jars the next week and said it was really good. This morning I opened a jar and it all came out in a big sort of lump. I broke it part with a fork and the flavor was great. The rice was a bit gooey. The first week I could easily see liquid in the jars. I do not see any now. I may make this again using my own spanish rice recipe at a later date. We like ours a lot spicier. I also stir fried the rice in a bit of oil till golden brown before making this recipe in the hopes that the starch would not be bad, as I used cheap white rice.

4 cups rice
1 cup green pepper (I used canned green chili)
2 cups chopped onion
8 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons chili powder
8 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves chopped
8 cups boiling water

Add rice to boiling water. After water returns to boil cook 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients.
Mix well and let mixture come to a boil. Pack into jars within 2 inches of the top of jar and add additional hot water to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Put on cap and process at 10 lbs pressure for 60 minutes for pints and 60 minutes for quarts.

I also think this would be a great recipe with broth and onions. I do think it should be used within a month for the best possible quality.

I got a great comment from Vincent le canneux, he says I should try using parboiled rice the next time. I think that's a great idea and you should try it instead of the cheap white kind I used.

Home Again

2009-07-30T08:11:00.001-07:00

We are back as of last night. We took a long trip to Illinois, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
Seeing family was great. The women of Ricks' family are great cooks. His Mom is in her 80's and is a very busy, happy lady.

We also shopped and shopped and looked for hours in vain at secondhand
used stores and flea markets for an all american canner. I want a huge one so I can process
a lot of jars at once. I will keep looking and now have a few other family members looking too.

My son and grandson stayed at my home and took care of the parrots and dog. My son also put
new grass in the teeny backyard. It looks great.

He also ate one of my canning experiments and said it was really good, so I will be posting that soon. (spanish rice) My grandson loves the cherry jam, I added cocoa powder and coconut to 2 of the jars and he said it was yummy.

I visited an amazing garden in Illinois and will be posting photos of that, (I am so envious of that garden) and a family pickle shop we discovered by accident. The owner sold us some jars with one piece lids. It will be fun to try them out.

It's so good to be home. My grandson said "Grandma!" as I walked in the house and gave me a huge hug. My son is headed back to Az today and I get to keep the amazing Ethan (grandson) for a week or so.

Chicken and Veggie Pasta Soup

2009-07-12T11:40:00.001-07:00

2 cups cooked chicken (you could use raw, I had this cooked in my freezer)
2 cups mixed frozen vegetables
2 cups chopped potatoes
1 cup mixed dried pasta (from left over packages)
5 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt (if needed)

Mix all the above and ladle into 4 quart jars. You could easily make 5 quarts by only filling the
jar halfway with solids and increasing the chicken broth.

You are not supposed to can pasta, thats why I only used 1/4 cup per jar. It can thicken it too much. I used two types, some leftover colorful, twisted rotini, and some small shells.
I have canned pasta before and it usually comes out like the pasta in a soup can, very soggy.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2009-07-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

Chicken Enchilada Soup
makes 4 quarts
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can Rotel
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 small cans green chili
2 tablespoons corn meal
3 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp seasoned salt (if the broth is not salty)
1 tsp garlic powder
Mix all, heat and pour into jars.
Cook 90 minutes at 11 lbs PSI or for your alititude.

You can play with this recipe quite a lot. Add veggies
and tweak the seasonings. I was tempted to add more corn meal
to thicken and next time may add two more tablespoons.

Cherry Jam

2009-07-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Barbeque Chicken

2009-06-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

I bought two whole chickens on sale and put one in the crock pot, cooked and deboned it and did
the other the next day. I then took "Famous Daves' Sweet and Tangy" barbeque sauce and mixed it with "Famous Daves' Devils Spit" super spicy barbeque sauce and the chicken meat and canned it. It's great even though the meat was precooked. I can heat it right out of the jar (after draining a bit of the sauce) and use right on buns. This is a great meal to have on hand.

All meat raw or cooked needs to be processed for 90 minutes quarts, 75 minutes pints at
11 lbs PSI or the PSI for your altitude.

Beef Roll Ups

2009-06-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

I created this because I get tired of the way meats look in a canning jar.
I went to a local mexican market, they had steak cut in large, thin (think thick sliced bacon),slices. I bought one pound to try this. The steak pieces were about the size of a salad plate. I took onions and cut them up and then took green chili strips and rolled them up in the steak the way you would a burrito, but left the ends open. I then packed into a quart jar (like canned tamales) and had enough left for one pint jar. This pound will feed four adults. I then took a small can of green enchilada sauce and poured 3/4 into the quart jar and 1/4 into the pint jar and added water to the fill line. I processed both for 90 minutes.
I could not tell the difference in texture or flavor, even though the pint jar was over processed.
We really like this recipe! It held it's shape well and tasted great.

1 lb steak cut into approximately 1/4 inch slices
1/2 onion chopped
4 green chili strips
1 small can green enchilada sauce
salt, garlic powder, pepper to taste.

Process 90 minutes for quarts at 11 lbs PSI

I want to try this with onions and carrots and cubed potatoes.
I also want to pound chicken breasts and roll up with a ham filling.

Meatloaf

2009-06-10T18:48:00.001-07:00

This recipe has eggs and crackers in it and I do not think it has the USDA seal of approval.
The first time I made it, I used 90 % beef and it was better. I opened my last jar when it was about 10 months old and it was fine.

2 lbs ground beef (I used 85% lean, it was on sale)
2 small eggs
1 cup cracker crumbs ( I used leftovers that were stale)
1 cup catsup or tomato sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/8 cup dehydrated chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt
4 squirts soy sauce

Mix well, I used my mixer. Pack into pint jars and PSI for 80 minutes at 11 lbs pressure.
The normal recipe for pints is 75 minutes, I add 5 minutes more. Make sure the jars tops
are wiped very clean, as the beef has fat in it and that can prevent the lids from sealing properly.

The meatloaf will shrink a bit and the jar sides will fill with the fat from the meat cooking, this makes it easy to microwave for a minute, loosening the loaf from the jar. You can then heat as desired.

Update: We had this tonight and it looks remarkably like dog food out of a round can. It tasted good. It does not hold together quite as firmly as a normal meatloaf would and is quite pink due to the catsup/tomato sauce. I think next time I will use 90% lean ground beef and maybe add 1/4 cup more crackers and or oatmeal. We liked it although my grandson looked terrified at the thought of eating it so he escaped. If I was going to serve this to kids, I would add catsup or cheese on top and disguise that canned dog food look.

Corn, Chicken, and Green Chili Chowder

2009-06-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

This recipe tastes a lot better than it looks.

8 cups corn (I used frozen and 3 cups were fire roasted frozen corn from Trader Joes)
4 cups diced potato
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups diced green chili
2 cups chopped onion
10 sliced cooked bacon broken into small pieces
6 cups chicken broth

I put it all in a stock pot and brought it to a boil.
I did not add additional salt or seasonings.

PSI at 11 lbs pressure (for my altitude) for 90 minutes. (quarts)

Add milk or cream to serve. It's not a very spicy soup so you could
add a pinch of cayenne to each jar. We topped with grated cheese.

Busy

2009-06-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

I will be posting soon, it has just been very busy with a new puppy and
a grandson visiting. I have several recipes ready to go.

Italian Sauce with Sausage

2009-05-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

1.5 gallons tomatoes peeled and chopped
2 lbs italian sausage cut in chunks and lightly fried
3 cups mushrooms
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped bell peppers
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons spicy italian seasoning (from Sams Club)
2 tablespoons oregano
Seasoned Salt to taste

I brought to a quick boil and then put into quart jars, this made seven quarts
with a bit leftover. PSI 90 minutes at 11 lbs pressure or according to your altitude

This costs approximately $18 to make. $2.40 a jar so thats $1.20 a serving.

For a spicier sauce add just a bit of cayenne pepper

Tomatoes, $12.00 a case (about 60 cents per lb)

2009-05-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

These tomatoes are keeping us busy.

We did not plan on buying them.

Salsa, Three Types

2009-05-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

These are great salsa's, just not quite spicy enough, so I plan on using them for

casseroles and mixing with nacho cheese for snacking.

3/4 gallon of peeled diced tomatoes

3 jalapenos

1.5 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 cup roasted peeled green chili's

salt as desired

1 tablespoon lemon juice per jar

(pineapple, mangoes)

next time I would add a pinch of cayenne pepper

I brought to a boil and simmered 15 minutes then added 3 tablespoons

chopped mangoes in some jars, chopped pineapples in other and left a few plain.

I much prefer the plain. The others are just too sweet.

PSI for 20 minutes at 11 lbs pressure.

Stewed Tomatoes

2009-04-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

1 gallon peeled, chopped tomatoes

3 large onions chopped

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

Lawry's seasoned salt (to taste)

1 tablespoon lemon juice per quart jar

You can also add 2 cups of chopped bell peppers, I was out so did not add them.

heat in large stock pan and ladle into quart jars.

Process for 20 minutes at 11 PSI or according to your altitude

Fresh basil, oregano and many other spices and herbs can be added to this.

I wanted very plain stewed tomatoes so I can use them for general cooking, adding

whatever spice I might need when cooking.

Canning in Quebec

2009-04-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

This is a great website, it's in French (which i do not speak) but Google does a pretty good job of translating. http://conserves.blogspot.com/ but first copy and paste the address into googles translater. Or just try this http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&js=n&u=http%3A%2F%2Fconserves.blogspot.com%2F&sl=fr&tl=en
Check it out! Vincent cans a lot of really cool things.
It's fun to see.

Canning all winter

2009-04-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

I have been canning all winter. This summer all I will have to do is heat up jars for meals. It is so hot here in the summer that it is just too miserable to can. We will do some canning because we are so close to so many pick your own fruit places. Check out this site. www.PickYourOwn.org It's a great site.

Many Layered Chili

2009-04-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

With this recipe you can make as many quart jars as you want.
It's not my original recipe, in fact it's all over the internet because it is easy and has a great flavor. I love it because you do not have to soak the beans first.

In each quart jar you layer

1/2 cup dry pinto beans or any bean you choose. (rinse well)
1 1/4 cups ground beef or steak cooked
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup onion chopped
1/4 cup green chili
2 tablespoons plus 1 tsp tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch of black pepper

Then fill with water to the fill line and process for 90 minutes at 11 pressure
or for whatever pressure you need for your altitude.

I was afraid this was going to be too spicy, it was perfect.

Chicken Green Chili and Mixed Beans

2009-04-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

1- 1 lb package garbanzo beans soaked overnight
2 lbs chicken cut into bite sized chunks and stir fried
2 cans niblets corn
1 lb green chili
1 can red beans
1 large can green enchilada sauce
1 quart chicken broth with a tablespoon of garlic powder added

Divide solids and then liquids equally among jars.
PSI at 11 lbs (or for your altitude) for 90 minutes.

This is one of those recipes that turned out well in spite of it being a pantry-clean-out recipe.
It made six jars and I added the red beans for color and to use up some cans in the pantry.

I added the cost of this and it comes out to approximately $1.70 a jar. One jar feeds 2 people so the cost per meal is less than a dollar. Thats buying everything on sale. I do not count the cost of the jars because they are reusable.

canning version of PF Changs Spicy Pineapple Chicken

2009-04-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces (I used 2 lbs)

2 cans crushed pineapple

3 cups chicken broth

2 tsp chopped dried onions per jar

1.5 tsp chili sauce per jar

1/2 tsp chopped garlic (per jar)

1 tsp soy sauce (per jar)

2 pinches salt per jar (I did not use)

1 tsp white sugar per jar

1 tsp rice vinegar per jar

Stir fry the chicken and divide evely among 4 pint jars

Divide the crushed pineapple among the jars

Add seasonings

Add chicken broth to fill line and PSI 75 minutes at 11 lbs

or according to your altitude

Add thickener to sauce

Serve over rice

The normal recipe for this calls for pineapple juice not crushed pineapples.

I had crushed pineapples on hand, not juice, so used that and like it.

I substitute when I am able to save running to the grocery store and to use what I already have in my pantry.

Olive Garden Chicken Scampi (canning clone)

2009-04-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

2 lbs chicken cut into bite sized pieces and stir fried lightly
1 tablespoon butter
5 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 cup Chablis wine
2 cups chicken broth

Divide above ingredients among 4 pint jars
To each jar add
a pinch of salt
2 pinches italian seasoning
a pinch of red pepper flakes
a pinch of black pepper
a pinch of dried parsley

PSI for 75 minutes (pint jars) at 11 lbs or for your alitude.

When ready to serve boil angel hair pasta, drain, and add a tablespoon butter, bell peppers and a small red onion (chopped).

Heat the chicken mix and add 3/4 cup of heavy cream, serve over the pasta and garnish with chopped olives and parsley

You can add the veggies and can them, we like the veggies crispy in this dish. Sometimes we omit the pasta and serve over stir fry veggies.

Greek Lemon Potatoes

2009-04-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

Peel potatoes and cut in wedges.

Put in jar and add

1/3 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice

3/4 tsp (or more) granulated garlic

I then filled the jars with a chicken broth made from granulated bouillion

PSI for 40 minutes at your altitude level

35 minutes for pints, 40 for quarts

After opening, put in a baking sheet and spray lightly with oil,

put under broiler until brown.

French Market Onion Soup (Mimi's Cafe clone)

2009-04-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

12 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons butter
7 medium onions sliced (I used 5 large)
3/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp steak sauce (any kind)
2 tsp salt if desired (My broth was salty so I did not use)

I cut the onions and cooked in the butter until slightly limp.
I divided the onions evenly among the jars.
I added the seasoning to the broth, stirred well, and poured into the jars to
the fill line. (add water if needed) I pressured canned at 11PSI for 75 minutes for quarts.

To serve, heat oven to 350 degrees. Toast french bread slices. (1 per bowl)
Then set oven to broil. Use an ovenproof bowl, place on baking sheet, and add soup, then a slice of the toasted bread, then cheese, I use mozzarella and provolone, then sprinkle with parmesan. Put under broiler till the cheese turns brown and serve.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

2009-04-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

10 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 small lemon chopped
3/4 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 to 1.5 cups cooked chicken meat

PSI at 11 lbs for 90 minutes.
When ready to serve heat soup till boiling, then cool.
Mix 1 egg or 2 egg yolks with 1/2 soup liquid to temper and add
to the soup. Stir until the soup thickens. This recipe usually
had 1 cup orzo or rice added to it. Canning the orzo makes it clump at the bottom of the jars so is not a good idea.

Coming Soon (hopefully at least one this weekend)

2009-03-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

Greek lemon chicken soup Done
French onion soup like Mimi's Cafe Done
Greek potato experiment (I hope this works, Ryans favorite) Done
Olive garden Chicken Scampi Done
PF Changs Spicy Pineapple Chicken Done
PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps
PF Changs Lemon Pepper Chicken
apple-something for Stephanie and Michelle
Ham and beans
Layered chili Done
Green chili and garbonzo beans Done
beef stroganoff

I am making a list because I tend to forget

An easier way to can bacon

2009-03-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

I bought 5 lbs of ends and pieces of bacon. I trimmed some of the fat and then cut into 1 to 2 inch slices and fried until almost cooked. I then put the bacon in pint jars and poured the bacon grease over the bacon till it was about 3/4 full. I processed for 75 minutes at 11 PSI. A few days later I opened a jar and cooked it and it was great! It was nice to have on hand and took only about 5 minutes to cook and that includes one minute in the microwave to loosen the bacon fat before cooking in a pan. It is still really ugly. I got 4 pint jars, lots of bacon, and my cost was less than $5.

You can also cook bacon in parchment paper. Here is a link.

http://creativecanning.blogspot.com/2009/01/bacon.html

Cream of Mushroom Soup

2009-03-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

Cream of Mushroom Soup
3 Tbsp butter
1 pound mushrooms, chopped or sliced
2/3 cup clear jel
2 quarts chicken or beef stock
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1 Tbsp salt
3 tsp lemon juice
Melt butter. Add mushrooms and cook until a light brown. Add meat stock and the clear jel.Mix all ingredients and heat until it boils.
Put in jars to fill line and process in pressure canner for 40 minutes at 11 lb PSI.
When ready to eat, add equal amount of milk and soup, a bit of cream makes this a very rich soup.
Makes 5 pints

The Sharpie

2009-03-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

Today I rounded up a lot of my jars to put in one place....right now they are scattered all over the house in shelves and cupboards and I can never find what I want when I want it. About 20 quart jars were unmarked. So many things look alike after canning, is that bbq beans or is it chili? I now use a sharpie, the black only, the blue ink runs. I mark the lid before or after I pressure can it. This week we are going to have many surprise dinners. I have no clue whats in some of those jars.

My DH wants me to start putting a total per serving for each jar. We have both been amazed at how cheap these meals are. Each jar serves two adults. I am going to go back through my notes and get an approximate cost per jar and will post that along with the recipes. This is a very frugal way to
eat. We rarely eat out anymore.

Coming soon: Mushroom soup

Experimenting

2009-03-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

Canning has been fun, last night I canned a 15 bean mix for my parrots.
They love beans and I thought it would be easier to can in pints than cook and freeze and thaw all the time.
I was browsing online and someone mentioned her grandmother used to can a pudding. I have read that milk cannot safely be canned. So I started checking on soy and coconut milk and those cannot be canned either. If milk could be canned safely it would open up a lot of recipes. There has to be a way.
If anyone has done any interesting experiments I would love to hear from you. I have canned the noodle style dumplings with ok results. I know you can process a very small amount of rice in a jar as long as it is in a 'soupy' soup.
I live in California, I have a 'postage stamp' sized yard, I envy those who live in the country and have gardens. I rely on grocery stores and you-pick-it farms for the things I can.

BBQ Black Beans

2009-03-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

This recipes is a clone of El Pollo Locos' BBQ Black Beans.

1 lb black beans soaked 8 hours or overnight.
2 smallish onions chopped.
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups bottled bbq sauce (I used Famous Daves Sweet and Spicy Sauce, someday I will make my own, if you have a great sweet and spicy recipe please share)
2-3 drops liquid smoke per pint jar
1 small jalapeno minced and divided among 5 pint jars

Fill beans to the halfway point, add onions and jalapeno evenly.
I also added some pico de gallo although the original recipe did not call for it. I added about 1/3 cup BBQ sauce per jar and then filled with water.
The beans soak up the water and you are left with a thickened sauce, in a few week the sauce will be very thick as beans continue to absorb the water.

Process at 11 lbs for 75 minutes pints and 90 minutes quarts. Thanks Evelyn!

Marsala Chicken

2009-03-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

5.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
5 cups sliced mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter or margerine
2 cups marsala cooking wine
1 tsp salt
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp pepper

Lightly cook chunks of chicken until you have enough liquid to
add the mushrooms,add and cook covered for about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the other ingredients, stir, fill jars and process
90 minutes @ 11 PSI for altitudes under 1000 feet. Makes 7 quart jars. I like to add a bit of cream when reheating. Serve over noodles.
UPDATE: I added some sour cream and this was really good.

Layered Beef Chalupa

2009-03-01T14:18:00.000-08:00

3 cups dried pinto beans, soaked for 8 hours
4 lb beef roast
6 cups water
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 Teaspoon cumin
1 tsp oregano
8 oz diced green chili

This is the recipe.....I did not have any onions so I added 1 tsp dehydrated onions to each jar. I also doubled the green chili because we love it and added a can of Rotel. Yesterday I opened a jar of salsa, it was ok, had been on sale, it would have dried out in the fridge so I added that too. This is another mexican meat mixture we like to use in burritos and Indian Fried Bread. I have also used in salad, it is really good. I often have to use what I have on hand, so I make liberal substitutions. I used a rump roast I bought yesterday for $5.65, the sell by day was today. This makes 7 full quarts, you may need to add a bit more water or even beef broth to fill the jars.

I also cubed the roast and layered the beans, beef, and green chili. I added
the spices to the liquid and poured, I do this so the jars are fairly even.

Process at 11 PSI for 90 minutes for quarts and 75 minutes for pints
Thats for 1000 feet and below altitude. Check your altitude before canning.
UPDATE: Next time I will follow this recipe exactly but make 6 quarts instead of 7. It was a bit too 'juicy' for burritos. The taste was great.

Chicken Curry

2009-02-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

8 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons oil
2 small onions
4 cloves garlic chopped
5 tsp curry
3 cups mushrooms sliced
4 small red potatoes chopped in chunks
1 can diced tomatoes
1 to 2 cups chicken broth

I stir fried the chicken and added the other ingredients and processed my quart jars for 90 minutes PSI for my altitude. I rarely salt before heating and this needed salt. I also felt my curry powder was weak. I added more when heating. It's better to not use enough spices than to use too much, it's easier to add more when heating.

Easy Italian Chicken

2009-02-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

3 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into chunks

I jar Kraft Fat Free Zesty Italian Dressing
2 tablespoons lemon juice

This dressing had a lot of vinegar and no oil in it.

I stir fried the chicken, added dressing and lemon juice and
pressure canned it at 11 PSI for 75 minutes in pint jars.

I stir fry lightly, not until done, just enough to keep the pieces separate.

Lemon Chicken

2009-02-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 lbs diced boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 lemon scrubbed and cut into thin, round slices

Lightly stir fry the chicken
add the other ingredients (except the sliced lemon) into a pan
and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugars.
Add chicken halfway to the top of a pint jar and then add a lemon slice
or two and more chicken to the fill line. Add the liquid and PSI at 11 lbs for 75 minutes.

Normally I would add onions and bell peppers but decided not to
until I am ready to fix this for a meal. I will also add some cornstarch so the lemon sauce thickens.

UPDATE: We liked this but it is not a favorite. Next time I make this I will

add more ginger and some white pepper for some ZING to it, it was a bit bland and not very sweet. After I tweak this I will repost. I did like the lemon flavor, it was good.

Mexican Chicken

2009-02-13T18:20:00.000-08:00

2 lbs chicken breasts cut in small chunks
2 small onions chopped
1 can RoTel
I 7 oz can diced green chili's
1/2 tsp cumin
1 clove chopped garlic

I stir fried the chicken so the pieces would stay separate
then added the other ingredients and pressure canned for
75 minutes at 11 PSI.

I use this in tacos, quesadillas and enchiladas

Canning Experiments

2009-02-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

I canned some chicken chunks in a honey mustard sauce. Big mistake.
I did five pints and it is simply nasty. You can taste honey but the mustard just disappeared. You can see how it separated from the honey. So now I have 4 pints of chicken in an ugly honey sauce.
I may have to add more mustard upon reheating. I am not even sure this can be redeemed.
Most of the recipes I use are mine or adapted from recipes in cookbooks or found surfing the net. The only way to know what will work is to experiment. All my other experimental recipes have been great. From now on I shall not make so many pints the first time canning a new recipe.

Peaches in light syrup

2009-02-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

These Peaches were canned during the 2008 Peach Season, they stay firm and taste fresh.

Drops peaches in boiling water for about 45 seconds, remove and plunge into iced water. The peach skins should slide right off, if not you may need to keep in the hot water a bit longer. Slice removing pits and any brown spots on the peaches. I kept the sliced peaches in cold water with a bit of lemon huice in the water to keep the peaches from discoloring.

Make a simple syrup of 2 cups sugar to 6 cups water, boil.
Pack peaches into jars and pour the syrup over the peaches.
Wipe the jars and put the lids on. Put into BWB for 25 minutes for quarts.

Here is a great site that shows how, step by step. It also has a list of places you can go to pick your own fruit and veggies.
http://www.pickyourown.org/peachescanning.htm

Orange Chicken

2009-01-31T09:07:00.000-08:00

Another clone of Panda Express.

2 lbs chicken
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup orange juice
zest of 1 orange
3 pint jars

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and stir fry
Add all other ingredients in pan and bring to a light boil
Pour into jars distributing evenly
Add orange juice to fill line if needed

For pints process 75 minutes at 11 lbs pressure
Quarts would need 90 minutes.

When serving add cornstarch to sauce to thicken.
Serve over rice.

White Chili

2009-01-31T09:04:00.000-08:00

1 lb white beans soaked but not cooked (I soaked for 5 hours)

6 cups chicken broth

2 onions chopped

6 cloves garlic

7 ounces green chili

1 bag frozen white corn

4 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons cayenne

4 to 5 cups chicken cut in bite sized pieces and stir fried until light brown

Evenly distribute the beans, frozen corn, green chili, chicken, garlic clove and chili in 5 to 6 quart jars.

Combine the broth with spices stir and pour evenly into jars.

If you need to, add water to fill line and process at 11 lbs pressure for 90 minutes.

When serving add 1/2 cup sour cream to each jar. Top with grated cheese.

Bourbon Chicken

2009-01-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is a clone Panda Express recipe.
I used pint jars because it's just chicken and sauce.
One pint is enough for two people.
Add some cornstarch to thicken when serving.

2 lbs chicken cut in bite sized pieces.
2 tablespoons oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup apple or orange juice (apple is traditional, I used orange)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 pint jars and lids

Combine all but chicken and oil in pan and bring to a boil.
Stir fry chicken until lightly browned in the oil.

Divide the chicken evenly in jars and add sauce.
If you do not have enough sauce add juice or water to the fill line.

Pressure can for 75 minutes for 1000 foot and under altitude.

Turkey Breast

2009-01-28T19:12:00.000-08:00

This blog is to show that you can take advantage of sales. I got 2.5 lbs of tomato basil marinated turkey breast in a roll. After the holidays I could not face turkey again and because we have a very tiny freezer I decided to can it.

I thawed the turkey in it's tomato basil marinade and quickly cut in chunks

and pressured canned it at 11 lbs PSI for 75 minutes. These are in pint jars, not my usual quart jars.

Mongolian Beef

2009-01-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

This is a P. F. Chang's Copycat recipe for Mongolian Beef. We loved it. Next time I will use a bit less brown sugar and add more carrots. I added some corn starch to the sauce to thicken before serving. I also used a very cheap cut of meat and trimmed off all the fat I could. You can see the bits of fat that melted and rose to the top in the photos. It is easy to skim off when you open the jar to reheat.

4 teaspoons oil

1 teaspoon ginger (minced)

1 tablespoon garlic (minced)

1 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

2 cups sliced carrots

1 cup water

vegetable oil for frying meat

2 lbs flank steak

3 quart jars

Heat 4 tsp oil, add ginger, garlic, soy sauce and water until boiling,

stir and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Thinly slice beef and stir fry until almost done in oil. I sliced the size of

a thin french fry.

Chop carrots.

Make a sauce with the rest of the ingredients.

Divide the beef and carrots evenly in the three jars.

Divide the sauce evenly in the three jars.

Using water deglaze the pan the beef was cooked in and add to the jar

until the liquid reaches the fill line.

Wipe the jar lip carefully and add lids, caps and lightly tighten.

Process at 11 lbs PSI for 90 minutes for 1000 foot and below elevation.

Peach Pie Filling

2009-01-22T15:55:00.001-08:00

This makes a terrific peach pie.
You can add clear jell if you like, I do not, I add cornstarch and heat and then use.
This recipe is for seven quarts. Each quart makes one pie.

First wash the peaches and then dunk into boiling water for about 45 seconds, remove and
plunge into a bowl of iced water. The skins slide off easily now and you can cut the peaches into slices. I drop my slices into water with some lemon juice to keep from discoloring.

7 cups granulated sugar
5 1/4 cups water or peach juice or a combination of both
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Combine water, sugar, and, if desired, cinnamon and/or almond extract in a large kettle. Stir and cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.

Add the lemon juice and boil the sauce 1 minute more, stirring constantly.

Add the peaches to the hot liquid and then fill the jars to 1 inch of the top with the peach mixture. Wipe the tops of the jars and seal and process for 30 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Make sure the water in the bath is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars.

When making pie, drain some liquid and mix with a tablespoon of cornstarch in a pan, add more is needed until thick. Add to the peaches, put in pie shell and bake.

Beef Chunks

2009-01-22T15:46:00.001-08:00

This is just chunks of beef canned in pint jars.
Add water to the fill line and process for 75 minutes at 11 lbs pressure.
It makes it's own broth. Great to have on hand for enchiladas, casseroles and
so many things. Although I trimmed most of the fat you can see dots of fat floating
in the liquid. It is easy to skim off when using.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2009-01-17T07:36:00.001-08:00

4.5 lbs chicken,boneless, skinless, thighs and breasts cut in bite sized pieces

2 large green peppers chopped

1 large red pepper chopped

2 onions chopped

3 20 oz cans pineapple chunks drained, reserve juice

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cups white vinegar

6 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons catsup

1 tsp ginger

Layer the chicken, onions, peppers and pineapple in quart jars.

Heat the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, catsup, ginger, and 3 cups of pineapple juice (add water if there is not enough) and bring to a light boil until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour liquid over the solids in the jar to the fill line.

Pressure can for 90 minutes at 11 lbs pressure or according to your elevation.

Glazed Carrots with Ginger

2009-01-15T22:17:00.001-08:00

Glazed Carrots
7 pounds carrots
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups water
1 cup orange juice
2 pieces of crystallized ginger (omit if you do not like ginger)

Wash and peel carrots, then rinse again. Cut carrots into 3 inch pieces. Slice thicker ends in half lengthwise. (or just use the peeled mini carrots and wash well) Combine brown sugar, water and orange juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Keep syrup hot. Pack carrots tightly into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Ladle hot syrup over carrots, leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with plastic or wooden spatula. Process pints and quarts 30 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a steam-pressure canner.

Bacon

2009-01-15T21:17:00.000-08:00

This has got to be the ugliest thing I have ever canned.
You need quart wide mouthed jar and parchment paper and of course bacon.
Tear off a length of parchment paper (about 17-19 inches x 10 inches) peel pieces of bacon apart
and lay bacon side by side....fold parchment about 2 inches down and 2 inches up on the 10 inch side.....so it sort of covers the bacon...take the long side and start rolling (a bit like a burrito) until tight, the paper should now be about 6 inches tall which will fit into the quart jar. It gets easier as you practice. Do not add liquid to the jar as it makes it own. Pressure can at 11 lbs pressure for 90 minutes. Because bacon is greasy, make sure you wipe the lid of the jar several times with a paper towel dipped in vinegar, you want a good seal. When ready to use, take the lid off and put the jar into the microwave for a few seconds to loosen the bacon grease. Remove the paper from the jar and fry the bacon, it cooks in just minutes. You can also cook it in the microwave after removing the paper. It is crumbly in texture if you use the thin sliced bacon.

This has been done for many years but does not yet has the USDA approval.

Banana Nut Bread Jam

2009-01-15T20:57:00.000-08:00

Banana Nut Bread Jam
10 ripe bananas, pureed (approximately 3 cups)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts, minced
1 package powdered pectin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Mix bananas (we like ours a bit chunky), walnuts, lemon juice and powdered pectin in large pot. Stir while bringing to a full boil. Add sugars all at once. Stirring continuously,
heat until full boil. Boil hard for 1 minute.
Ladle jam into jars leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath (BWB)
for 10 minutes. Adjust time according to altitude.
Makes about 6 half pints

This is easy, no pressure canner needed.

Coleslaw

2009-01-13T19:52:00.001-08:00

This is my easy coleslaw, easy because I bought it already cut up in a huge bag
at Sam's Club. Next time I will cut it myself. It is a crunchy coleslaw even after water bath
canning. The recipe is way too sweet, so when ready to serve drain all the liquid and do a very fast rinse and add a few tablespoons of mayonnaise and mix. It's great!
Shred or cut finely

1 head cabbage
1 carrot
1 green or red bell pepper pepper
1 small onion

Mix all the vegetables together, and toss with 1 heaping teaspoon of salt. Let stand for 1 hour. Drain any accumulated liquid. Make up a syrup out of the following:

1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed

Bring syrup to a boil, then boil for 1 minute. Let cool. Mix syrup with shredded vegetables. Pack the veggie mix tightly into jars and then pour the cooled liquid over the veggies. BWB for 15 minutes.

I just opened a jar made four months ago and it was still crisp.

Chicken Breasts

2009-01-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of chicken breasts. It is also a warning of what not to do. You can see some of the liquid is missing because I did not slowly heat to 11 lbs pressure. I turned the flame on high and then had to lower it until I had 11 lbs pressure. Some of the liquid escaped into the pot and it was a big mess. I had to hand wash each jar after removing from the pressure canner. The chicken turned out great though. I had 7 quart jars. Four plain chicken, I added a teaspoon of granulated broth and water to the fill line. In the three other jars I added green chili and onions and the teaspoon of granulated broth. This is so convenient to have on hand for casseroles,
soups, and even chicken salad.

Posale

2008-12-30T12:09:00.000-08:00

2.75 lbs of pork stew meat

2 large cans of hominy (drained)

1 quart pinto beans (drained)

1.5 cups roasted green chili's

2 cups onions

9 cups chicken broth

3 cloves garlic

1.5 tablespoons red chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

Put the pork cubes in 7 quart jars dividing evenly

add the beans and the hominy evenly among the seven jars

add green chili evenly among the seven jars

mix the broth with the other ingredients and pour into jars up to the fill line

(one inch headspace)

I cooked according to my altitude for 90 minutes at 11 lbs pressure.

UPDATE: This is a surprising favorite, we were not excited about canning this recipe at all.

Canning Tips

2008-12-29T10:30:00.000-08:00

TIPS ON CANNING

Add about 1/2 cup vinegar or 1 tsp. cream of tartar to the water in the canner to keep the jars free of hard water spotting. Even so at times you just have to wash all the jars when you take them out of the canner.

When the cooking time is up, turn off the burner and do not move the canner until all the pressure is gone. If you try to cool it down prematurely the liquid in the jars will spill into the canner water making a huge mess and the lids may not seal properly.

Have everything ready before you start canning and clean as you go. This process is easy once you do it a few times.

You can cook the meat before you can it. It tends to lump together if not stir fried. It is easy to break apart. I like to cut into bite sized pieces and stir fry if the chicken is in a meal, such as chili or a chinese dish. If I am canning just chicken chunks, I raw pack with some broth.

Store your filled jars in a cool, dark place. I have shelves in a spare bedroom and keep the blinds in the windows closed.

Canning is expensive to start. The jars and canner are costly. Once you finally have enough you are rotating your jars using them again and again.
All you need to buy then are the lids. I have had only one jar break to date.

Layering the food items is easier than throwing it all in a bowl and ladeling into a jar. You do not get too much of one thing in the jar accidently. IE: too many jalapenos in one jar and none in another jar

Use a canning funnel to fill the jars, it is a neater this way, you still need to wipe the top of the jars off with a clean towel (use vinegar on the towel if the jars are greasy) so the jars seal, particles of food can prevent a strong seal.

Canned beans continue to absorb the liquid they were cooked in long after cooking. I have jars that look like a solid lump of beans. I now add more liquid.

The texture of chicken changes somewhat after canning if raw packed. It flakes like tuna in a tin can. The flavor is good and it works great in casseroles, salads and enchiladas. I have found that if I cube the meat and stir fry quickly, it holds it's shape better.

Use wide mouth jars only to can meatloaf. Use hamburger with a low fat content. When ready to use take the lids off and microwave for a minute, it will slide right out of the jar. I use wide mouth jars for almost everything.

I rarely salt anything I can. I can always add it when heating the food up.
Many commercial broths as broth powders have lots of salt.

I use a sharpie to write on my jar lids since the lids are not reusable. I write the name of the food as well as the date on the lid. IE: Mild Chili 11/14/08 and Spicy Chili 11/18/08. The jars tend to look alike once canned.

Many things cannot be safely canned. Milk, eggs, cheese, avocados. The USDA has a website at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html

This list will be updated as I go.

Black Bean and Cajun Andouille Sausage

2008-12-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

1 lb black beans soaked about 5 hours and divided among 5 jars.

I did 5 jars because the sausages came in a pack of 5

2 can NIBLETS corn, the only corn to stay crisp after pressure canning

2 small chopped onions evenly divided

1 can diced tomatoes. (I usually dice my own but got a bunch of cans on sale)

I added some powdered beef stock to water and filled the jars and

pressure canned 90 minutes at 11 lbs pressure.

This is very spicy. I love it and it's one of my favorites so far.

UPDATE: This recipe remains one of our favorites. We only have 1 jar left.