# What are you canning?



## MHFoundation Quarters

Thought I'd start one since we talked about it on our gardening thread and I'm going to be starting this evening. So, what is going on in everyone's kitchens? 

First up on the list here, raspberry jam! DD & I have just started picking and we're maybe a tenth of the way through. :shock: They are just really getting a good start and there are tons not ready, we're going to have berries coming out of our ears and DD is going to look like the blueberry girl on Willy Wonka with her purple hands and likely semi-permanent lipstick. Blackberries are set on crazy heavy too, so they won't be too far behind. 

20 minutes of picking yielded these. We're going to take gallon ice cream pails and the 4-wheeler for the next round lol.


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## SouthernTrails

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I wish Indiana was not so far away :-(


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Sorry Kevin! Berries wouldn't ship well but jam will :wink:


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## Saddlebag

I generally freeze berries on cookie sheets then bag them up in one cup portions in sandwich bags then put them in large ziplocks. I don't label the bag but rather label a piece of paper with product names and dates and slip it into the bag. Did you know that by eating blueberries and rasperries you get a perfect balance of micronutrients. The highs and lows are counterbalanced by the other.


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## Clayton Taffy

I love raspberries!!!
I just drove through Indiana on the way home from MI on Wednesday, Darn!

I have canned so far this year:

Strawberry Jam
Strawberry jelly
Strawberry jalepino jam
Strawberry Amaretto Jam
Strawberry Pineapple Jam
Strawberry Lime Jam
about 65 8 oz jars so far!

Doing strawberry peach jam today, with the last strawberries and first peaches.
Blueberries are just coming on.


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Strawberry Amaretto? I need that recipe! I froze a bunch of strawberries so I could do strawberry/jalapeno when the peppers are ready. Might have to use part to try the amaretto! 

Should have stopped by on your way through, you could have taken buckets of raspberries home. One side of our property runs parallel with a railroad track, they are all over down the sides of it. We picked in our woods yesterday, haven't even started down the rr track yet.


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## waresbear

I picked my rhubarb for my D/I/L to make jam, does that count?:lol:


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## verona1016

We planted strawberries in our yard last year and this year I've already picked and frozen over 3 gallons of them  I'm keeping some of them for smoothies, but I'm really wanting to try a recipe I saw for strawberry lemon marmalade.


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## apachiedragon

Nope of my stuff will ripen together so that I can can. (Can can? Am able to can...) I get like 3 blueberries one day. a single strawberry the next. Then the birds or something gets them, then I might get two more the day after that...


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## Clayton Taffy

Taffy Clayton said:


> I love raspberries!!!
> I just drove through Indiana on the way home from MI on Wednesday, Darn!
> 
> I have canned so far this year:
> 
> Strawberry Jam
> Strawberry jelly
> Strawberry jalepino jam
> Strawberry Amaretto Jam
> Strawberry Pineapple Jam
> Strawberry Lime Jam
> about 65 8 oz jars so far!
> 
> Doing strawberry peach jam today, with the last strawberries and first peaches.
> Blueberries are just coming on.



I could not figure out why I had so many jelly's done. With 65 strawberries, I way over did it. I forgot the Cherry's

Cherry Jam
Cherry Jalapeño Jam
Cherry Amaretto Jam


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## michaelvanessa

*jam.*

i think my mouths watering here.
i love strawberry jam yum.
the rail road tracks have a host of fruit growing from apples pairs we have rubarb at a place called fullers end.
strawberrys at south tottenham black berrys plumbs cherrys.
and blue berrys as well.
on the railroad embankments you can dig up horse radish as well.
i think the blue berrys make mould wine i think.
its beautiful on a cold day when warmed up.


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## Corporal

This weekend, I put up 6 1/4 quarts of pie cherries, 5 pints of pickled beets, and 5 1/2 quarts of peaches--they were a gift and quickly going soft.


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## jaydee

Next person who says they've picked and canned or done anything with it is going to get pins stuck in a wax effigy of them - or their horse - your choice
My one remaining cherry has disappeared, a whole load of plums got washed off and blown off last week - nowhere near ripe anyway, nothing is growing like it should and if it doesn't stop raining soon my entire garden will likely float off up the road
Yes I'm p****d off
You've been warned !!!!!!
Now carry on without me


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Jaydee, want me to send you a jar of jam? And, if you want to stick pins, make it the horses and I'll get you a list of accupuncture points to jab on each one :wink:

Got 21 pints of Raspberry jam made. Still have tons to pick, think I will be making DH a pie for our anniversary tomorrow and once my kiddo is sick of being stained purple I will freeze the rest.


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## Clayton Taffy

MHF I am glad you posted first, I was a bit nervous.:wink:

I hope Jaydee gets some jam, Jaydee, how about some Blueberry Port Jam, my latest concoction?

MHF, you are killing me, I have to buy raspberries at $4 a pound, I make one batch of jam a year for my Dad, he loves it so.


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## jaydee

I did notice that the gooseberries are looking hopeful so maybe I have a chance with them and there are some blackcurrants - but the pink coloured ones are disappearing fast. Blueberries - not many of them left, I can now count them when I go chat to my plants on my daily garden walk!!!
I've planted 2 lots of beans now and some bloody thing eats them as soon as they get a few inches tall - last year I was giving beans away I had so many.
I'm thinking maybe we need to make a wire mesh enclosure for the small fruit bushes - something you can walk into.
I do have lots of weeds though


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Taffy Clayton said:


> MHF, you are killing me, I have to buy raspberries at $4 a pound, I make one batch of jam a year for my Dad, he loves it so.


Ouch! Should have stopped on your way through, you could have easily picked a 5 gallon bucket full to take home. This is what it's like in normal years, glad to be having one again. With last years drought, I watered a small patch that grows by my hay barn, even then we only had enough to eat on ice cream once. I'll snap a few pics of the bushes when DD & I go out this afternoon. 

I'm guessing another week and will be up to our eyeballs in blackberries too if you want to come picking :wink:

ETA: I've never ate gooseberries, enlighten me.


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## Farmchic

Air!


We got our garden in very late so nothing there yet. There is a local blueberry farm and if I can make the time I will go pick but will just freeze those. I have plans to make some strawberry jam with the kids but will just buy the berries. 

We did plant several fruit trees and a couple of raspberry and blueberry bushes this year. We have been wanting to do that for years! Glad we finally got it in. 

Has anyone made watermelon jelly? I tried once and it didn't turn out but it was the prettiest jelly!


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## jaydee

Not sure how to describe the taste of gooseberries and they don't really compare to anything else very well - there's a variety that's quite 'sharp' and I find they are the best for making jams and desserts when you add as much sugar as you need but not so good for eating as they are. The other type are rounder and can go to pinky to almost red colour, they are a lot softer and sweeter so nice to eat with ice cream or even salads as they are

Taffy - can you post the recipe for that blueberry jam you mentioned?


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Watermelon jelly? Nope, haven't ever tried that. I do, however, love love love watermelon pickles and it's a good use for the rinds, though my horses might disagree since they don't get any lol. The only "pickles" I will eat. So yummy!


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## Corporal

Jaydee, I'm SO SORRY!!! That's what happened with MY two cherry trees last year--birds got 'em all!
My neighbor suggested an oldy but goody non-toxic solution: hang those messed up throwaway CD's from the branches to scare the birds. You can use string bc you'll want to store them for the next year after the fruiting time is over.


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## jaydee

^^^^ And the recipe for watermelon pickles? I never heard of those.


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## Corporal

OM GOSH!! You haven't Lived until you've made them!! The smell in the kitchen is just heavenly:
How to Make Homemade Pickled Watermelon Rinds - Easily! With Step-by-step Photos, Recipe, Directions, Ingredients and Costs


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Just as corporal shared. I also add halved maraschino cherries to mine, adds a bit of color and tastes good too.


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## FlyGap

Hi!!!

So excited about this thread M! Gals I have questions, like LOTS AND LOTS of them!! J I'm booing all them too, my strawberries got away from me and the slugs ate most of them, my blueberry bushes are dead from the drought...

I do have high hopes for the dew berries (wild AR blackberries, I have acres of them... :shock. So I'm going to need help learning how to process them? HELP! We need some good jelly!

So far I have an ENTIRE FREEZER of cabbage and cauliflower! Took forever to clean, blanch, and foodsaver but I'm so proud of myself! Mom borrowed my dehydrator so once I get THAT back I'm making tons of dehydrated onions, cabbage chips, and fruit rollups.
My soybeans are getting eaten by baby rabbits that can go through my fence :evil:, GAH!!!! Chicken wire is coming out to save them, what I get will be seed for next year and edamame in the freezer.

After the jellies I _PLAN_ on making with the dews I have 34 tomato plants that are looking good! 1/2 regular, 1/2 romas. So I need tips and tricks and please let me pick your brains! I want to make pasta sauce so need GOOD recipes... (Know one that tastes EXACTLY like Ragu, the only one DH will eat?) Then I have to figure out how to process/can diced/crushed tomatoes for stew and salsa, oh, and paste too!

So far I have already bought hundreds of jars/lids, the petcin and other spices for everything. Do you guys primarily do hot water baths or use pressure cookers? Hmmm...

Wish I could come hang out and help you guys do yours!


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## jaydee

You have cauliflower and cabbage - what more do you want!!! My plants are about 3 inches high!!! 
Is there such a thing as dwarfism in plants? I mean what is going wrong with my stuff this year?
I make lots of pasta sauces with tomatos but I usually cook, skin, chop and freeze them as they are then make the sauce 'on the day' then I can change it as I want. Unfortunately I'm one of those people that just throws stuff into a pan and tastes it as I go along - never get the same thing twice here!!!
The watermelon pickle sounds amazing - thanks both of you.
So what about freezing stuff - I've had some disasters. Is it best to blanch first or just wash, dry & freeze? Does it depend on the veg/fruit?


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## apachiedragon

A few years back I had yellow squash running out my ears and I made some squash pickles that were amazing. I'll see if I can find the recipe if anyone wants it. Hoping to make some more this year if my plants will hurry up and grow.


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## clippityclop

Well I always blanch stuff before freezing - take broccoli for instance - I pick it fresh and soak it in salt water for 30 minutes to kill any little hidden bugs. Then I bring a big stainless steel pot to boil and drop the broccoli in it (in pieces of course) for 30 seconds, then get it out and quickly put it into another stainless steel pot of ice cubes and water. THen I drain it and run it thru my food saver. You can do just about any veggie that way, even quartered onions! THere is a way you can freeze whole tomatoes too, but I haven't tried it.

So far this year I've canned 21 quarts of tomatoes, several pints of carrots and have frozen enough bell pepper and broccoli to last me for the next two years. I've also began drying peppers and putting those in jars (they look pretty just sitting in the window sill in the kitchen) and i would like to learn to make flavored olive oils with some of my basil, rosemary and oregano and peppers. I have a collection of dried cayenne (purple, red, orange, yellow and green) and then a variety of jalapenos that have begun to turn from green to purple to red that look great dried for decoration. I also just pulled up about 20 huge sweet onions. I have no idea what to do with those except maybe just chop them up and freeze them too? I'm not a big onion eater but I like to grow them (one of the few things that add the color 'green' to a winter garden).

No fruit canning going on here - altho I do make wild dewberry jelly almost every year, but this year I just couldn't bear to walk around for hours and hours upside down picking fruit. So no jelly for me.


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## PrairieChic

What a great thread! I'm so jealous though , my garden is way behind all of yours'. Beans are just starting to bloom I have a few tinny winey tomatoes on the plants. I planted watermelon for first time this year as a fun crop so we'll see about that. Last year I had so many tomatoes I couldn't give them away ( 3 laundry baskets plus I was eating some every day!) So I did tomato jelly -very tasty, and tomato jam- crazy good! So getting excited to do that again soon. I still have 2 batches of tomatoes frozen ready to be made into jam. What are watermelon pickles like flavor wise?


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## FlyGap

Wow, way to go ladies!!!

Wanted to congrats all of you on your hard work and tenacity!
I've had a few "interesting" conversations with friends lately and I have to say you all are a bunch of AWESOME LADIES!
One friend in particular is getting ready to build on a 6 acre mini farm. Being one of my besties I was excited to help her and have a local partner in crime... We were discussing GMO's in depth and a bunch of other stuff, I told her I was sooo excited to get to come up there and help her with her garden and that we could swap weekends helping each other process/can etc... 

Then our conversation went like this:

"WHAT????" she said, "Do you HONESTLY think I'll be workin in a garden?!!!"
"Ummm, didn't you say you were going to farm and have one?"
"HECK NO!" she said, "THERE ARE SPIDERS AND SNAKES IN THERE, if we have a garden DH is doing it, all I want is a window box for herbs!!!"

OH MY WORD. I know not everyone is cut out for this stuff, but for those of us that care about what our family eats, and takes the time to do it ourselves...
Well I give you all HUGE PROPS! Ain't no sceery spiders gonna keep me from feeding my family!

So DD and I braved the "wilderness", spiders, and snakes and brought in these beauties!





A half gallon in an hour ain't too shabby!
I'm so mad I didn't have my phone on me, DD's horse decided it was the thing to do and started "picking" them with us, it was a hoot!
Waiting a few days to hit the patches again. I washed and froze them to make jelly when it gets cooler, if I can wait that long!

So I'm going to try a mint tea recipe that uses pectin, tea, and juiced berries processed in the juicer so I get some pulp. Have a better recipe?
Do you think earl grey would taste good in it? LOL! I do!
Clippity what do you do for yours?

Prairie I want to hear more about your tomato jelly/jam? Sounds like a winner to me!

For freezing I do cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli. Wash, cut, wash, blanch the florets for 3 mins (my stovetop is stupid so it takes longer to get it back to a boil), cool in an ice bath, let sit for thirty, pat dry, and then vacuum seal. I cored the cabbage and cut it into 3 inch wedges, blanched for 5 mins, then did the same as above. I had too much to shred.
Everything is going in the stew pot this winter so I don't care if the cabbage is mushy, I only want it for flavor in the stock.


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Room for a garden and isn't going to plant one? Say whaaaat? Wasted space there. 

We ate our first green beans today and tomatoes are super close. (I planted late this year) I'm so ready for blt's with fresh tomatoes! Looks like I'll be canning veggies really soon. Berries are still going, so far we've picked 10 gallons of raspberries, 2 gallons of dewberries and blackberries are almost there. Made pies to take to a cookout over the weekend, I was shocked at how many people said they'd never had a fresh raspberry pie and was even more shocked that they couldn't believe I made my own crust.


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## jaydee

When we moved to CT I was horrified to find acreage could be something covered completely in trees - and not even trees that were managed. I love trees but on that level it all seems like waste land to me!!! There are loads of horses here in this state and yet most of out hay comes in from out of state. Older people here tell me how much more agricultural land there used to be but people couldn't be bothered to farm here any more.
When I mentioned to some of the women who worked at the same company as my DH or were married to his co-workers that I gardened they stared at me like I was crazy - all those bugs, doesn't it ruin your nails and hands (what nails would they be?) If I really wanted a garden why didn't I pay someone to do it.
On a positive note though there are more garden centres popping up all around and they seem to be doing well, our friends/neighbours that live opposite are now creating flower beds and intend to grow veggies next year on a plot they've had cleared of scrub and trees - and they are doing most of the work themselves and realizing how satisfying it is to see the results of your own hard work
I cant say that I like meeting a frog or a toad so I try to give them some early warning but wouldn't let them put me off.


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## Clayton Taffy

mhfoundation quarters said:


> room for a garden and isn't going to plant one? Say whaaaat? Wasted space there.
> 
> We ate our first green beans today and tomatoes are super close. (i planted late this year) i'm so ready for blt's with fresh tomatoes! Looks like i'll be canning veggies really soon. *Berries are still going, so far we've picked 10 gallons of raspberries, *2 gallons of dewberries and blackberries are almost there. Made pies to take to a cookout over the weekend, i was shocked at how many people said they'd never had a fresh raspberry pie and was even more shocked that they couldn't believe i made my own crust.


*
Stop, with the raspberries already! *


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## FlyGap

Congrats M! 
I provided the rattle snake at ours. :shock: :lol:

Jaydee, I agree. There is nothing more satisfying than spending a few back breakers out in the garden... Hmmm, my arms are rockin and I've got a heck of a tan... Gym membership? Tanning bed fees? I'm so low maintenance DH owes me another horse!


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Taffy Clayton said:


> *
> Stop, with the raspberries already! *


Come pick some already! :wink:


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## upnover

Wow, this thread is making me drool!! 

I've made a batch of strawberry jam and a batch of vanilla bourbon peach jam that was amazing. Unfortunately I had to buy that fruit from the store.

Our tomato plants are going CRAZY so I made a huge batch of marinara that should last us quite a while with enough tomatoes in a few days to make another batch. Maybe a few jars of salsa too! (and that's with us eating caprese salad practically every day)

We have a few cucumbers that look like they're getting ready to be picked, yay!! Anyone have any good dill pickle recipes they'd like to share??

Oh, to whoever suggested hanging the CDs? Yeah, we have a bunch hanging all over our tomatoes and they've done nothing for the birds. We've lost many a tomato to those darn mockingbirds and blue jays. Boo.


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## MHFoundation Quarters

The answer to birds is a good cat. Lol. Ours lays in the garden sunning himself and annoying the birds.


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## Clayton Taffy

MHFoundation Quarters said:


> Come pick some already! :wink:


Don't think I won't be on your doorstep with a bucket in my hand next year!

I am off to pick my first, very own peaches, from my very own trees!


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## upnover

MHFoundation Quarters said:


> The answer to birds is a good cat. Lol. Ours lays in the garden sunning himself and annoying the birds.


You know, we actually have several feral cats that live on our street (crazy cat lady down a few houses keeps feeding them... ) and you'd think they'd keep the birds away! But no. Thought about getting one of those giant plastic owls but... I have a feeling it wouldn't do much.


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Taffy, I'll let you know when they are close next year and you can come for a visit! 

I have one of those owls in the barn, doesn't do much that I've noticed. Though the cat keeps the barn pretty well pest free. Wonder if you could paint rocks like tomatoes? We did that for our strawberries and it worked wonders. Hmmm.


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## FlyGap

Upnover share your marinara recipe!! 

That's what I need! A cat!!!!
My soybeans are all but gone.
Went out to fence them off with chicken wire and there wasn't a single leaf left! GAHHHHH!!!!
Dogs do a good job runnin them off but they are in the house at night, I need some midnight prowlers!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PrairieChic

I can't understand people who couldn't be bothered with a garden cause they might get dirty, lol. When we moved and I put a huge garden in people were in disbelief. I got stupid questions like you work it by yourself, by hand? Uh ... Well ..ya! Lol. But those same people somehow are always first in line come fall for some garden goodies. I love working outside. Besides the animals I live off grid , heat my home and cook with wood and play in the dirt ( garden). Something so good for the soul about gardening, planting and caring then eating your own product. Flygap - I'll post the recipes for the tomato jelly and jam in the morning sometime and for who ever want. They are super easy and the jam you can use anywhere you use ketchup, salsa or bbq sauce.


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## jaydee

Always good to get other peoples recipes
I'd have a cat but my 2 big dogs wont tolerate them - a neighbours cat that used to visit the barn ended up being rescued from a very tall tree by the local fire service after Mungo decided he'd had enough of him - it was quite an event (nothing much happens around her) with a good crowd of people gathered all giving advice on how to tempt it down
FlyGap - my tan is sensational but unfortunately ruined by all the insect bites I'm covered in.
Totally irrelevant to the thread but I got half way around the supermarket on Saturday, complaining loudly about the price of fruit and suddenly realized I still had my house slippers on.


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## PrairieChic

Lol Jaydee. 
Tomato jelly:
8 cups sliced tomatoes (about 3lbs)
1/2 cup water
3 hot chili peppers ( I did it without, didn't have them turned out fine)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil ( I did 3tbsp dry basil)
3 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp bottled lemon juice
1 pkg regular powdered fruit pectin
Combine tomatoes,water,peppers,and basil in ssteel saucepan. Bring to boil over medium. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring some and slightly crushing tomatoes,until tomatoes are softened. About 25 mins. Transfer to jelly bag and let drip undisturbed for at least 2hrs over deep bowl. Measure 1 3/4 cups of tomato juice from this. Put tomato juice into large ssteel saucepan. Add lemon juice. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to boil over high, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to full rolling boil,stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 min. Skim foam and quickly pour into jars (1/4 inch headspace). Process jars for 10 mins (altitudes up to 1000 ft) add more time depending on area. Does 7 x 125ml jars.


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## PrairieChic

Here is the Tomato jam recipe. Its crazy good. I did it last year when I was overwhelmed with tomatoes and wanted to experiment.
5 lbs tomatoes finely chopped
8 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp salt
3 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp freshly grated ginger ( I didn't have so I omitted, tasted great without)
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp red chili flakes
Combine all in a large ssteel pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer till it reduces to a jammy consistency. Between 1 & 1 1/2 hrs. Mine took 2 hrs. Jar leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process filled jars for 20 mins. The amount that this does varies depending on your tomatoes and how thick jammy is to the cook. Once again I warn - This Is Highly Addictive! Lol


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## jaydee

Thanks for the recipe - if I ever persuade my tomato plants to produce I'll give it a go - they are actually looking a bit healthier so feeling a bit more optimistic!!!


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## QtrBel

bread and butter pickles, salsa, orange tequila, cherry bounce and soon to be fig preserves.


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## FlyGap

Anyone have a good recipe for green tomato relish? I've got a craving and a bushel!


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## cowgirllinda1952

*My mom canned a lot, and when I was a teenager, we had company for dinner, and she made a blackberry cobbler, the berries were frozen, she served the cobbler, everyone dug in and we then realized she had mistakenly used beets instead of berries. We have never let her live that down!!*


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Had to share this. I made raspberry vinegar (yeah, I had that many to waste, sorry TC! Did part with ACV and part with balsamic) and used some of the acv version to make a vinaigrette last night. Oh my goodness, it was heavenly with cucumbers out of the garden!

Looks like I will be canning green beans, tomato sauce & juice & carrots this weekend. Corn is coming along well and first planting of Ambrosia is close to ready, hoping another week. Makes me wish I wouldn't have planted so late this year but on the plus side, with the staggered plantings I should be getting fresh corn into September


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## Clayton Taffy

mhfoundation quarters said:


> had to share this. I made raspberry vinegar (yeah, i had that many to waste, sorry tc! Did part with acv and part with balsamic) and used some of the acv version to make a vinaigrette last night. Oh my goodness, it was heavenly with cucumbers out of the garden!
> D


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## Saddlebag

I want to do fermented pickles but have no idea of where to get grape leaves which are needed for crispness. No vinegar is used when fermenting.


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## Clayton Taffy

Now this is a pot of SALSA!

This pot is 14" x !4", my guess is maybe 10 gallons. I will know when it is in the jars.


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## Clayton Taffy

From my pot of Salsa I canned:

15 pints of salsa
9 pints of peach salsa, I threw in about 13 ,skinned and diced, peaches into a gallon of salsa.
9 quarts of Bloody Mary Mix
9 quarts of salsa

So my pot holds about 7.5 gallons of finished product. 
It seems so much more!


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Never thought about doing Bloody Mary mix! What do you put in it TC? On the rare occasion we have them, I cheat & make them with spicy V8.


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## Clayton Taffy

When I can the salsa, about halfway through it starts getting really watery, you know, after the big chunky stuff is already canned. Then I put the salsa through a strainer, what comes trough the strainer I can as bloody Mary mix, and what doesn't I finish up canning as salsa.
It is* great and* *S p i c y*!


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## Clayton Taffy

Just put on, the water bath, the last of my second batch of salsa, bigger batch than last,

I got:
25 quarts of salsa
8 quarts of bloody Mary mix
3 pints of salsa
6 pints of Bloody Mary Mix
almost 10 gallons of finished product.

I miss-judged and ended up with about a quart of Bloody mix without a jar...looks like its bloody's on Sunday morning...YUM!


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## FlyGap

Spent all day canning my first ever marinara sauce!
Delish! Tried to fight off hubby because he kept wanting to make spaghetti before I had packed all my jars... He won.



Have yet to find the PERFECT spicy/sweet green tomato chunk relish recipe... Do any of you have a good one?


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Looks yum Fly! I've got sauce on right now. Been canning like crazy the last few days. Green beans, beef veg soup, carrots, v8, tomato juice and I picked 10 dozen ears of corn to freeze tonight. 

Tonight is a BLT, corn on the grill & cantaloupe for dessert kind of night. Ahh, summer.


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## FlyGap

So how's it going?
I canned until 2am last night, there isn't enough caffeine to get me going today.
Got 12 pints and 2 quarts of sauce outta these. Seriously I don't know how on earth companies produce enough tomatoes to make all that spaghetti sauce!



I was going to post a photo of me making the sauce, then I noticed I didn't have a bra on... I'll spare you that!


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## MHFoundation Quarters

I've been the crazy canning/freezing lady here lately! Have done lots of juice (mostly v8), not nearly as many carrots as I'd planned. It seems I have pint sized Robin Hood & friends around here, they steal from the rich - my garden, and give to the poor - my horses. LOL! Froze 25 dozens ears of sweet corn, 30 some qts of green beans and have a bushel to do today, froze peppers & zucchini and the best thing so far, I made cantaloupe sorbet over the weekend. DD has declared that the rest of her melons are to be saved for more. I don't know if she really likes it that much or if she really likes using the food processor to puree the melon. :lol:

Been drinking a lot of cucumber water lately. Anyone ever just freeze slices to add to water later? Planned to dehydrate some but freezing would be a lot easier.


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## BlueSpark

I just discovered this thread! So far I have:

-plum spice(cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg) jam,
-apricot syrup
-blackberry apricot syrup
-canned plain tomatoes
-canned stewed tomato/zucchini/onion
-apple sauce
-Fermented garlicy dill pickles
-purple jalapeno-garlic sour kraute

I don't think alcoholic beverages count, but I have beet wine, Saskatoon wine, blackberry apricot mead and peach mead fermenting, started in the last month.

I have salsa, ketchup, crab apple jelly, regular sour kraut, fermented beets, canned peaches, hot sauce, carrot cake jam and a chocolate cherry mead planned for the next two weeks,

I love canning season


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## Clayton Taffy

I am up to eyeballs in maranara sauce, just finished canning 14 quarts, it has been cooking for 2 days. About to go out and get more tomatoes from the garden, and start again. Whoo Hoo!


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## MHFoundation Quarters

How's it going everyone? 

Last night I did 21 qts of cinnamon applesauce. Had the dehydrator going for the last few days too. Did tomatoes to add to pasta later, cantaloupe, apple & watermelon to add to trail mix and going to do some banana chips for the kiddo today. Felt weird actually buying the stuff to preserve. Lol. 

Will probably be doing more juice today and the last of my green beans. Pantry is starting to look pretty!


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## Clayton Taffy

I am trying to get the last of my tomatoes into some type of can before they rot on the vine.
Hopefully this weekend.


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## jaydee

I'm sick to death of anyone that's doing anything with tomatos because mine have totally failed for the first time ever - I am so depressed
Carrots - got loads of them. Any suggestions for the best way to freeze them?


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## BlueSpark

Fermented pickles done, Peach honey wine in secondary, now have to make ketchup and pumpkin butter saturday, and maybe start a batch of crab apple jelly. Will get cider started as soon as the weather cools down. 32 degrees celcius yesterday:shock:


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## BlueSpark

> Carrots - got loads of them. Any suggestions for the best way to freeze them?


I would think cut/peel, blanch and freeze in zip locks would work. I rarely have any left for freezing after I'm done making carrot jam, asian fermented carrots and pickled carrots.


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## FlyGap

WOW Blue, you are ambitious! Well done!

My corn is coming along nicely, won't plant this variety again. It's only producing 1 per stalk on average. Bummer, but it'll be yummy canned!

My pears are meh, too wet, then too dry equals just right for the ponys!
I need to get the last ones in the dehydrator.

Taffy I need to do the same with my toms, but I'm kinda done. Dehydrating sounds like the best idea Mandy!

JD I'd give you a crate if I could!


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## Corporal

So far:
25 quarts of concord grape juice. _Some have the grapes for later. I got a wine making kit last Christmas, but no time no to start._
only 2 quarts of tomatoes...so far
6 pints of pears from my little tree--I harvested 31 beautiful Bartlett Pears
8 quarts of tart cherries (back in June) for pies
I haven't started on my peaches or my apples, yet.


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## jaydee

Carrots - How long to blanch?
Last years all had a sort of 'woolly' texture
I store them in sacks in dry sand but they don't last really well


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## BlueSpark

Last batch I cut into disks, cooked until BARELY cooked, still very crunchy, cool in ice water, then freeze. Tasted good for months.


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## jaydee

Thanks - I'll give it a try with a small batch and cook them in a few weeks time to see if I get it right before doing the rest


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## Clayton Taffy

OH my Goodness, I am covered in tomatoes, I have two roasters full of tomatoes and am going out looking to find another. 

I am making up for last year.... nothing, not one tomato last year. 

....Now where to borrow a roaster?

Sorry Jaydee.


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## tlkng1

I didn't read through all the responses but if anyone on the planet is canning green beans or making apple butter and canning that..I'll take a few uhm, cases....of each .


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Lol, tlkng1, I've done both but you'd be hard pressed to get my kiddo to share. Pears will be ready soon & I will be making more sauce & butter. Yum! I like pear better than apple. Have cantaloupe fruit leather going in the dehydrator, not one I've tried before and hope it turns out ok.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## apachiedragon

I got absolutely no fruit this year, between the squirrels and the chipmunks and the birds. Wanted to make some apple butter and peach preserves, so I guess I'm going to have to buy apples. I am getting ready to have cherry tomatoes to my eyeballs though, any suggestions on what to do with them?


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## Tessa7707

Yay! A canning thread! 
This year, so far, I've put up 21 pints of green beans, 25 pints of wild blackberry jam, and 27 pints of salsa. 

























I discovered this year that you can buy canning jars at thrift stores! They were only $.25 cents a jar! Yeeeeee! 
We're going out to pick apples tomorrow for applesauce. Yay!


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Making apple butter right now, my house smells so good! Pears are starting to ripen so will be making pear sauce & butter this week too. I love fall!


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## BlueSpark

Made peach wine, blackberry wine, beet wine and a batch of apple cider. Should be set for a while. 

Got into making some savoury jams. I have a roasted garlic and onion jam made with beer, a green tomato garam masala jam made with mead and a bacon chilli jam.

Also did some crab apple jelly, sour kraut, pumpkin butter a and last night a crab apple butter. I HIGHLY recommend the latter, it is awesome, and bright red!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## WSArabians

Whoa... I scrolled past this title and thought "Canning horses?!" lol

If someone wants to make me pickled asparagus that'd be great.


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## Corporal

I canned 18 quarts of apple cidar this last month, for my Salsa Party and maybe hard cidar, later. If found this as a Grandma's Cidar recipe online.
SOO EASY!!

RECIPE FOR APPLE CIDAR WITHOUT A PRESS
8-10 medium sized apples, quartered
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks

Cover with water and bring to a boil in a pot with a fitting lid--you don't want to lose the liquid.
Boil for one hour.
Turn down and simmer for 2 hours.
Cool (or not). Drain, then mash leftovers in a sieve. Leave over bowl for several hours to continue draining.
Fill jars, wipe tops and screws. Boil lids and put on hot, and screw down.
Put in hot water bath cold, bring to a boil and boil for one hour.
Cool, then use a sharpie on the lids to label.
Yield for one batch~2 quarts.
Some batches give you a LOT of liquid, others don't. If not, you didn't do it wrong--it was the apple's fault.


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## FlyGap

That's a good one Corp! Thanks!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Clayton Taffy

Plums and more plums!

Plum Jam
Plum Jalapeno Jam
Plum Amaretto Jam
Plum orange Jam
Plum Lavendar Jam
Plum Sauce
Plum Liquor


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## Saddlebag

I wound up with cucumbers from hell. What to do? I made fermented relish, as one makes sauerkraut, quarts of it. No red tomatoes so quarts of fermented green tomato relish. No boiling in the canner, just clean jars and brine. The relishes aren't sweet but I like it that way.


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## Tessa7707

Just made another dozen quarts of applesauce, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, mmmm. So yummy warm! Made 4 pints of raspberry jam and froze a bunch of raspberries to make jam later when my canner isn't so busy! I'm hoping to buy some wild, locally caught tuna to can a bunch of that this year too!


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## Saddlebag

I was given a dozen cross/bred apples. They are much larger than a crab yet smaller than an eating apple. Not tart, not sweet. They became applesauce, about two cups. Some of the wild berries I forage for didn't do well this year. Last year they were plentiful.


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## PrairieChic

Everyone's been busy busy! We had cucumbers coming out our ears this year. I did dill pickles, hot pickles, golden relish (very yummy). I also had tons of tomatoes again so I did a bunch of jars os salsa plus tomato jam. I also did sweet beet pickles (one of my secret addiction lol) and next some cherry jelly and raspberry jelly. maybe some red pepper jelly before Christmas for gifts too. Running out of space on my counters for keeping jars. My guy keeps telling me he'll get my shelf made but not yet lol. Until then I'll just keep filling the counters lol.


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## Clayton Taffy

Peppers Anyone?

The first frost was last week, and I had to pick peppers, this isn't even all of them.
I am not very fond of pickled peppers so mostly I am roasting them, then freezing them.


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## PrairieChic

Pepper Jelly! You can do either red or green. Bernardin website has the recipes. Careful though, that stuff is addicting, lol.


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## Saddlebag

What a beautiful display. Our store ran a big sale on 10lb bags of various veggies. Thought I'd brine some rhutabags until I saw the size of them. I don't have an axe and didn't know how I'd get them into workable sizes. The beets didn't come in. Picked up a big bag of carrots cheap. They are sliced, blanched and in the freezer.


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## FlyGap

Working on green tomato jam today!!

Any good recipes or ideas for green tomatoes?
I've got 25 lbs left...

Hope you all are doing well!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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