WHAT ARE YOU CANNING TODAY?

[Beekissed]

Making tomato sauce today. Will cook it down in the crockpot instead of a stock pot, as I'm babysitting the next few days.

Already canned all the tomato soup we'll need and have some still from the past few years. Was clearing up and sorting out canned items today, emptied many jars of things we've had awhile and no one is eating, to make empty jars for canning things we will more likely eat.

Will only have to can up one large bag of sweet corn this year, as we still have corn from these past two years still in the jars.

My hot peppers did nothing this year but get a fungal infection and stand there, so will have to buy hot peppers for canning this season.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

My paste and sandwich tomatoes are just now starting to ripen. Good thing, cause... it was down into 50's last night. Going through my canned goods. I have 32 jars from this year's crop, and a dozen left from last year, plus some in the freezer: green beans. Should be done processing them, but will likely do one more canning. Still lots of pickles of all sorts from last year, as well as applesauce from last year. Hope to take advantage of corn sales, (most likely next week due to Labor day BBQ sales???) and stuff the freezer full of corn. Have some Jalapenos coming on. Will need to buy Cilantro. SALSA!!!!! Also have a block of pureed Jalapeno/Habanero sauce in the freezer.

 

[Beekissed]

Wish I had habaneros this season, LG....they made for GREAT hot pepper jam last year. Truly the best I've ever made.

Will finish up with 18.5 pts of hot pepper jam. This year it's REALLY hot, too, which I love...last few years the heat left it when it cooked, all except the batch that had habaneros in it. This year I didn't have habs but did have some jalapenos to add, so I hope that gives it a varied flavor profile.

It's also a GREAT color this year, as there were many peppers that were a deep red...makes for a dark orange jam, which is really appealing to the eye.

 

[Britesea]

I'm freeze-drying more of my fermented pickles (just keeping one jar in the fridge). Also some bell peppers, and there was just enough room on the last tray for a couple of summer squash that I cubed (waiting for the water to boil so I can blanch them). When that's going, I have more cucumbers to pickle, and a bunch of tomatoes that I will chop and freeze for freeze drying when the pickles are done tomorrow or Wed. Tomorrow I need to take my canner in to check the pressure gauge- I can't believe I haven't used it yet this year!. Hopefully it will check out ok, because I have a bunch of leftover Pozole (made with cauliflower instead of carb-heavy hominy- it worked) that I want to can in pint jars for quick lunches or dinners. I also have a handful of Serrano chilies that were ready- gonna freeze them for future salsas.

 

[CrealCritter]

24 750ml bottles of red raspberry wine, 13.6% ABV back sweetened to 1.007 by my wife and daughter in law's taste buds which makes it a semi-dry.

Crystal clear and nice blood red coloring in this batch.

Still need to topper and label.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's really pretty!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

@Britesea I've never had my gauge tested. Has yours ever been "off" and if so, what would be done to remedy?

My understanding is that you just need to take the lid to the county cooperative extension office???? do you need to leave the lid or do they test it while you wait?

 

[Britesea]

They test it while you wait and it's free, then if it's only one or 2 points off, they tell you how to run the canner. Mine was reading 14 at 13 pounds pressure, so that lets me know to keep the heat up enough to read 14 pounds, not 13, etc. I did have it fail one time, because I accidentally dropped the lid. You can buy a new gauge online (I went to All American because that's the brand of my canner)... it wasn't real expensive, I think I remember something like $15 or so. Of course, that was years ago; who knows now?

You should have the gauge tested every year, at the start of your canning season. You are running a risk of not canning at a high enough pressure if you don't.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I KNOW I should do this. and... intend to do it... When I take my jars out of the canner, at the end of the prescribed pressure time + the end of the cool down till all pressure reduced + the end of the 10 minute wait before opening canner and removing the jars, they still boil for quite a while. So... I don't think my pressure is too low. I am almost done canning veggies for the season, so... now would be a good time to do it.

 

[CrealCritter]

You should have the gauge tested every year, at the start of your canning season. You are running a risk of not canning at a high enough pressure if you don't.

Words of wisdom ^^^