I am taking tomorrow off from work to can because I have food that will go to waste if I don't and that is not acceptable LOL.

Had a bushel of cukes so a half gallon of refrigerator pickles went down last night. Tonight I sliced 2 gallons up for a double batch of Bread and Butter pickles. More to do something with tomorrow. Three gallons of tomatoes that I cooked down and will become juice then soup tomorrow. Kimchi – got 3 Napa cabbages for $1.50. May dehydrate some too. And have various veggie goodies that need cleared from the frig so thinking vegetable soup by Sunday to can up.

Was time to get crackin …..

I think canning days should be part of the bennie packages at work LOL

dede

You're right – almost anything can be canned. Some exceptions would be things with milk or cream, pastas, grains. BUT these are quality issues not safety issues. Too much density prevents the jar contents from getting adequately heated all the way through, but a small amount of pasta or rice in broth doesn't become too dense at all.

Yeah, canning the rest of a big pot of good stuff is a really good way to stock up on the the best 'fast' food – your own cooking, ready to eat anytime! And some things that get better on each reheat are great candidates for canning. Here is an interesting site that has some mouthwatering recipes  – creative too.

http://www.creativecanning.blogspot.com/

dede

WV_Hills said:

DeDe — do recipes with potatoes can well?  I make a sausage/potato soup I might like to try canning, but I don't want the potatoes to turn into mashed potatoes.  That soup calls for cream, but you add it at the very end after you've heated the soup through.

How about pea/lentil/bean soups?  I make them with a base of carrots/potatoes/celery for flavor.

Potatoes can well, but watch what type you use for what result you want. Meaning the russets/bakers tend to come apart more than waxy/boiling potatoes. So if you are canning a potato soup base (onions, celery, potatoes, chicken broth for example) you might want russets. If you want the potatoes to retain their shape pretty well, waxier ones are better. So try your soup with a boiling potato. Recipe????

I canned a bunch of small red potatoes whole and halved last Fall with the skins on – USDA frowns on leaving skins on saying that you can't get them clean enough. Pffft! LOL

They are great – someone shared that they learned long ago to soak the potatoes in a vinegar water first and you'd have less starch fall-out in the jars. It works!

As for bean soups – they just get better with each re-heat so they are great candidates for canning. You need to make sure that the soup is more thin than you want the end result to be – really soupy going in the jars.

LOL I understand. Busy place. I website read only, no emails :)

The files are full of gold though …. just ignore the posts if you want.

It's amazing how that group has grown since the first of the year. Real indication

of the uneasiness folks are feeling BUT nice to see so many interested in putting food by.

Dede