Smokefree Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 My garden didn't produce a huge crop so I have been buying and begging for tomatoes to can. LOL I have quite a few quarts done but it never seems like enough. I also did a few pickled peppers and hot peppers. What is everyone else doing with the fresh vegetables? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsywannabe Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 I'm done for the year. I froze 16 qt. of spaghetti sauce (canning is too labor intensive) The rest of the tomatoes have gone to neighbors. There weren't many-this was a real bad year at my house for the garden. Do you need anymore tomatoes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokefree Posted September 16, 2007 Author Share Posted September 16, 2007 I don't like to freeze too much because I am paranoid about a power failure. I am so tired of tomatoes right now because I have been peeling tomatoes and canning all day and I still don't have them all in jars but by tomorrow I will want more. LOL Today I simmered them down and added spices. Some pint jars I made like a barbeque sauce starter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokefree Posted September 16, 2007 Author Share Posted September 16, 2007 Making and freezing 16 quarts of sauce sounds like a lot of work too. LOL It's nice to know you have it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsywannabe Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 I don't like to freeze too much because I am paranoid about a power failure. I am so tired of tomatoes right now because I have been peeling tomatoes and canning all day and I still don't have them all in jars but by tomorrow I will want more. LOL Today I simmered them down and added spices. Some pint jars I made like a barbeque sauce starter. No need to peel or any of that stuff if you pinch out the top, quarter them and put them on pulse for about 10 seconds in a blender. The skins cook into the sauce, making the sauce thicker and maintaining more of the nutrients. I also don't take out the seeds for the same reason-you'd lose too many nutrients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 I did the blender thing one year and had orange tomato sauce. Still haven't figured that one out. I canned some stuffed cabbage soup a few weeks ago. Had 10 pound cabbages in large numbers. I put in everything but the rice. I'm curious to see how it comes out. I'll put the rice in when I use it. I thought it would make it too thick to seal if I tried canning it with the rice in. Also did tomato, tomato puree, beets and pickled cauliflower. I freeze most things these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsywannabe Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 I did the blender thing one year and had orange tomato sauce. Still haven't figured that one out. I canned some stuffed cabbage soup a few weeks ago. Had 10 pound cabbages in large numbers. I put in everything but the rice. I'm curious to see how it comes out. I'll put the rice in when I use it. I thought it would make it too thick to seal if I tried canning it with the rice in. Also did tomato, tomato puree, beets and pickled cauliflower. I freeze most things these days. The sauce will be orange if you don't add a bit of paste and cook it thoroughly down. I do mine in an old roaster and it cooks for about 16 hours, slowly. It turns dark as it cooks down. I started out with almost 19 quarts and it cooked down to about 16. I also season it with frsh browned garlic and onions, parsley and spices which help the color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokefree Posted September 16, 2007 Author Share Posted September 16, 2007 Yesterday I made some cooking sauce (I don't know what else to call it) and some tomato puree. I did use a blender. It really helps. I splurged and bought a new pressure canner last week. I only used my old one for venison years ago. It was used when I bought it and then a handle broke off. So now I am excited wanting to try some new good recipe to can in my pressure canner. Any suggestions of something that you have done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 I use the pressure canner for everything even tomatoes, apple sauce and pickled beets. It is so much easier than dealing with the big pots of water. Never hurry the cooling down process in any way; don't even remove it from the burner after the heat is turned off. I learned this the hard way in unsealed jars and leaking contents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokefree Posted September 16, 2007 Author Share Posted September 16, 2007 Maybe it's a sign that last night in the middle of canning, the little rust mark on the bottom of my water bath canner sprung a big leak and the whole stovetop suddenly was covered with water. LOL. I had to transfer the jars to my old pressure canner to use as a "water bath" canner to finish them. I had to take all the burners off first and mop up the water. Talk about cleaning up as you work. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niecee1963 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 I have canned 18 qts. and 16 pints of tomatoes, 16 qts. of pickled beets, 12 pints of hot pepper relish, 39 jelly jars of wild black raspberry jelly, and I am making sweet relish tomorrow night after work. I didn't pick my elder berries this year becuase I have 23 jars left from last year that need to be used. Hopefully, I will be done canning after tomorrow night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokefree Posted September 18, 2007 Author Share Posted September 18, 2007 What do you use elderberries for? I have heard of making wine and jelly from them. Is that what you use canned ones for? My mother has elderberry bushes but I have never canned it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 I know people who use them in pies but it doesn't sound very appetizing to me. I passed on trying a piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niecee1963 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 I make elder berry jelly. My Mom made it when I was a child and I have been making it for my children for almost 20 years. I do make sure to use cheesecloth to get out all of the tiny seeds. To be honest, I have never had them in a pie only jelly. My son also loves pear jelly but my pear trees did not produce enough this year. I may have to buy enough for at least one batch. Last year was a good year for my pear trees and I have about 20 jars left. But I didn't get a sinlge batch of wild raspberry done last year. This year the raspberries were plentiful and not the pears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 I'm going to be making a canner full of vegetable soup from a recipe I've used since my kids were small. That's it for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snellma Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 I try to do 52 qts. of spaghetti sauce every year. One qt. per week. We don't use that much but then it gives me the option to use some for gifts. I will also be doing as much grape juice as possible. I usually get 2-3 bushel of apples and do apple pie filling, apple butter and applesauce. I am also getting 6 qts. of red raspberries from Big Run when I come home. Will do some pies and use the rest for raspberry jam. Other than that I will be making strawberry jam, blueberry jam, apple jelly, grape jelly, and pepper rings. All our peaches and blackberries froze this year so none of those :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokefree Posted September 18, 2007 Author Share Posted September 18, 2007 It has been years since I canned applesauce (or anything to do with apples actually) but I love home made applesauce. It is a lot of work isn't it? I think like you when it comes to tomato sauce. My extended family says you are canning so much. What will you ever do with all those tomatoes and I think well, 52 weeks in a year. Even if I only want pasta or pizza once a week I will need 52 jars or if I want it even twice a month I would need 26 quarts to last me until next season. I would rather have too much than too little! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snellma Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 I think applesauce is one of the easiest things to make. Cut and quarter your apples. Core them. Throw them into a big pot and add water. Simmer until well cooked. Put through seive to remove skins. Add sugar. Put hot sauce in hot jars and can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokefree Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 Well, It is 9:00am. I just washed dozens of clean jars of varying sizes. Don't you hate it when you didn't wash enough jars and then have to find a few more to empty the canning pot? LOL I have the three racks of the oven full of pans of roasting Roma tomatoes sprinkled with salt. I will add the spices later. About to put some tomatoes in the crockpot to simmer. Dishes all done. And soon I am off to pick up another bushel of tomatoes and a couple of green peppers. The lady that I am getting them from in Rockton is unfortunately about out of peppers. She has such nice ones that people are on a list to get them. I am going to get some nice smoked sausage from Willars in Falls Creek and add to the Romas to can. Slice them up and this should make a nice chunky "sauce" to eat on crackers or bread and butter. MMMMM. What kind of sieve do you use to remove the skin? I might try the applesauce if I don't have to peel them by hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsywannabe Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 I think applesauce is one of the easiest things to make. Cut and quarter your apples. Core them. Throw them into a big pot and add water. Simmer until well cooked. Put through seive to remove skins. Add sugar. Put hot sauce in hot jars and can. My dearest friend made applesauce for years and used Ida Red apples to give it a slight blush color. It was so beautiful on a table especially at Christmas with cinnamon sticks as a garnish. Boy, I still miss her. You two and your canning make the rest of us look like slugs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Smokeefree, you need a Squeezo from Kohlhepps with all the canning you do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokefree Posted September 19, 2007 Author Share Posted September 19, 2007 I have been looking for a Squeezo! Do they really sell them at Kohlhepps and how much are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 I just talked to a clerk at Kohlhepp's, and they are out of them till late tomorrow. They are called a Roma Food Mill/Strainer for about $40. They should have them in late tomorrow. She said one is already spoken for, but they should have two more. If you want one, I would call them and have it set back for you. 371-5060 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snellma Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I have something on the same order and love it. I do like the applesauce better through the old fashion sieve with the big wooden mallet thing. I use 2 different types of apples in my sauce and pies as I think it gives it a better flavor. I love to use MacIntosh because of the nice pink coloring I get. It makes the prettiest apple jelly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Do apples grow well that far south? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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