And I've been on a cannign frenzy (in my modest way) so have to report:

peaches sliced and frozen: 6 more quarts

peaches in light syrup: 12 half-pint jars
(for breakfasts)

peaches with Frangelico liqueur: 2 pint jars
(for desserts, heh heh)

pizza sauce (seasoned tomato sauce with garlic and oregano)
11 half-pint jars

Annie's salsa: 31 half-pint jars

I had to go buy more small jars. I still have pint jars, and I plan to do another batch of salsa with pints and some mixed peaches/pears in pints, and also spaghetti sauc and plain tomato sauce. But I have really found that with jsut thhe two of us the one-cup jars are the most useful size for many, many things. Several times I've opened a pint jar of fruit or salsa, we've used half, and the other half ended up going bad in the fridge before we could use it because we went away for a few days or ate out a lot that week or something. So I've decided I'd rather invest in more small jars than lose the result of my hard-working canning!

Zabby

5 four-cup containers Leek-Potato-corn bisque
5 four-cup and 2 two-cup containers Jamaican Pepperpot Stew

My little sister has a new baby, her first. I went to visit and was looking for a way I could help longer term even though I was only there for a few days. We went to the Halifax farmers' market and bought produce, and I filled up their freezer for nights when they are too tired to cook. It was fun!

Z

Dill pickle slices (4 pints)
Grape jelly (8 half pints)
Strawberry jam (8 half pints)
Green pepper jelly (3 half pints, 2 quarter pints)
Habenaro Gold (4 half pints, 2 quarter pints)
Hot pepper jam (9 half pints)
Peaches (8 pints)
Carrots (2 pints)
Cranberry pepper jelly (6 half pints)
Pickled hot peppers (7 pints)

Cindy

What a good activity for your visit! I'll bet it was fun, allowed lots of good visiting time and was useful to boot. Think of all the times they will remember that visit when they enjoy the bisque and the stew.

Jim

I did manage to can quite a bit of tomato sauce and juice, string beans and canned a years supply of pickles.

We're getting ready for a trip back east so wont be doing much with the gardens anymore this season.

Next year I plan to do more. Marg

Recently I put up:

* 8 quarts vegetable soup starter (froze it, it was storming and I was too tired to process for an hour)
* 2 pints and 1 quart Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup (smelled great, but I've had gastritis recently and can't eat it)
* 7 pints pickled okra
* 12 jars - pints and halfs - Linda Lou's Apple Pie Jam
* 5 jars - mixed - apple butter

and have frozen dehydrated apples and tiny tomatoes, sliced green tomatoes, persimmons, and more okra than we'll ever be able to eat.

Today I move on to the pears, muscadines, and more apples. The Lord has blessed us with a bountiful harvest this year!

Lots of cabbages - made many pints of sauerkraut. Just started a few seeds for planting next month - our fall/spring date is October and my planters are ready!

Also had a bountiful apricot crop - so many that I had to freeze most of them for use later - many for smoothies in ice cube trays. Also plums - but not as many. Plum puree -in quarts 2.

Lots of dried cherry toms - finally broke down and bought a dehydrator - a very foggy summer was to blame, but it worked fine.

Pumpkins and squash - frozen puree and some left to cure in the pantry. Great crop.

Only 2-1/2 quarts of fermented dill pickles. The mildew got the vines too early, but that should be OK.

My 2 low chill apple trees gave a bountiful harvest and I made several jars of sauce and quite a few bottles of juice also plum juice and froze in those cute little water bottles - great for mixers.

4 pints of nectarines and about 6 jars of orange marmalade.

The limes are coming in now - so I'm freezing in small ice cube trays - so great for tossing in drinks, spicing the guacamole sauce, etc. Good crop.

Had almonds this year, but shared most of them with a family of gray squirrels, who got to them before I could - ah well - it's nice to share, and the raccoons did pretty well in the apricot trees too. Dried several pints of almonds.

So I think that is about it - except my grape vines are finally beginning to produce. Wish my avocado would - but you can't have everything, I guess. I dried the grapes as the yield was small. The dehydrator made nice raisins out of them (several pints).

Oh yes - I will make some more enchilada sauce today from some red ripe anchos - and thanks again to Linda Lou, Reading Lady and all who helped me with that recipe awhile back.

Bejay

6 pints of Dill Pickles Slices
13 pints of Annies Salsa
6 - 1/2 pints of Candy Apple Jelly
6 - 1/2 pints of Carrot Cake in a Jar
5 - 1/2 pints of Spiced Peach Jam
5 - 1/2 pints of Peach Amaretto Butter

Oh, I also did a couple of quarts of Refrigerator Dill Slices, and froze 2 1/2 cups worth of homemade pesto!

Not bad for my first month, huh?

: ) Bonnie

Not too bad for first year in almost 20 yrs.

Wish List:

Recipes for:
Zabby's - Leek-Potato-Corn Bisque
Jamaican Pepperpot Stew
What a nice thing to do for your sister, Zabby!

Joy Unspeakable- Your recipes for:
Veg. Soup Starter &
Roasted Garlic- Tomato Soup

If you two wouldn't mind sharing I would be beholden to you.

Thanks, Jude

Roasted Tomato Garlic Soup

Recipe By :Katie C

12 tomatoes -- *see Note
2 carrots -- cut in 1" pieces
1 large onion -- quartered
2 whole heads garlic -- peeled (or more, to taste)
olive oil
2 cups chicken broth -- (or 3)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil -- (or 1 Tbsp. dried)
cream -- to taste (do not add cream if canning, add when eating)

Core tomatoes and cut in half. Place, cut side up, on foil covered cookie sheet with carrots, onion and garlic. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 400F for about an hour, or until veggies are roasted and a little blackened. Place in a large saucepan with the chicken broth and basil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Blend with a stick blender (or in small batches in a blender) until almost smooth. Add cream to taste.

To can: Process in a pressure canner, pints for 60 min. and quarts for 70 min.For dial gauge canners use 11 pounds pressure at 0-2000 ft., 12 lbs. at 2001-4000 ft., 13 lbs. at 4001-6000 ft. and 14 lbs. above 6000 ft. For weighted gauge canners use 10 lbs. pressure at 0-1000 ft., and 15 lbs. over 1000 ft. *Note: These measurements are approximate...I use whatever it takes to cover the cookie sheet. This makes 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of soup.

The Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup recipe came from this forum. (Katie C's recipe). I freeze mine.

Vegetable Soup Starter

2 gallons tomatoes
16 ears of corn
2 cups lima beans (cooked and drained)
1 1/2 cups okra (cut fine)
4 pods hot pepper (cut fine)
6 small to medium onions (cut fine)
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup salt

Mix all ingredients in large stockpot. Bring to boil, boil 30 minutes. Place in jars.

Here is where the experts will have to chime in. This recipe is meant for canning, and I believe it's 85 minutes at 10 lbs of pressure (for pints maybe?) Many of the older folks around here still open-kettle this recipe. I freeze mine, since I'm not 100% sure of the processing time. This is a staple around our house year round.

Enjoy!

20 Strawberry Jam
52 pints B&B pickles
20 pints Sweet Dill pickles
17 pints Reg. Dill pickles
44 pints Roasted Tom Garlic soup
16 pints Dilly Beans
28 qts Elderberries
8 pints Sweet Chunk pickles
54 pints Salsa
9 pints Spaghetti sauce
42 qts Plum Tomatoes
16 half pints Hot Dog relish
9 pints pickled beets
28 half pints elderberry Rasp Jelly
7 pints pickled beets

Still need more tomatoes and veggie juice cocktail and pepper jam.
I didn't count the freezer stuff, corn, beans, peppers, squash etc.

Annie

I use the frozen lima beans because you can usually get a big bag pretty cheap. Hope you enjoy the recipe. I use it as the base for all sorts of soups and stews.

Jude, I've been thinking about soups for the past week too, and think I might make a batch of Chicken Tortilla Soup over the weekend, to kick off fall.

That Roasted Tomato Soup sounds delicious, and I was thinking it would also make an awesome starter for stews and other types of soups. Has anyone used it as a base?

Bonnie

Okra and eggplant still running wild thank goodness. Fried my last yellow squash Sunday (very sad day when all the squash are gone). Bell peppers have finally decided to produce and I'll be picking them until frost.

Reeldoc - what is a busy canning season like for you?
You and Shirley make me a little jealous.

It's a hazard of trying to combine fruits (and juggle trips to farmers' market, figuring out what vendors have what available, and predicting what days I have time to can) that the pears were a day or two short of peak flavour and the peaches about a day past perfection. But the combo is still pretty darned good, and I know will be welcome for breakfasts in the bleak midwinter along with a bowl of cereal or a slice of zucchini bread.

Jude, of course I'll share my recipes. Hey, I think I'll start a new thread for soup & stew recipes, though---partly so they don't get buried here and clutter up the accomplishment thread, and partly in the hopes folks will contribute more ideas and I'll add some new winners to my repertoire! (Heh heh heh.) It is definitely the time of year when I too find myself thinking very stewish thoughts.

For those who thought me especially good-hearted for putting food in my sister's freezer, I just want to say that it was a terrific pleasure.

I enjoy cooking, especially that kind of good-but-not-fancy hearty fare, and love the feeling of putting stuff by. And my sister has done amazing things for ME---when I was married last year, we could afford the lovely food at the reception only if we didn't rent dishes but instead used the simple set of church-supper-type ones that came with the hall. Only thing was, that meant we set the tables, washed the dishes, and put them away.

We hired a couple of teenagers to help out with the clean-up and dish-doing, but still, it was a huge job. My doctor sister and her doctor husband, along with a couple of good friends, set everything up the day before and were there till 11 p.m. afterward washing dishes for 100 so that my new husband and I could go out to the pub after the reception and continue to celebrate with some out-of-town guests.

(I tell everyone my reception was so important I had to import doctors from Nova Scotia to wash my dishes!)

So, cooking up a few double batches of soup while my lovely new niece gurgled from her baby swing---no big deal. ;-)

Zabby

It was my first batch, and I used Honeycrisp apples that I bought at the farmer's market. We had a little less than 1/2 cup of Red Hots, left over from making Candy Apple Jelly last week, so I threw those in, plus a teaspoon of cinnamon, and decreased the sugar to about 3/4 cup. Very tasty, a little tartness, and sweet enough to make the kids happy without being sickening sweet. The Red Hots made it a pretty pink color too!

The only thing I would like to do differently next time, is buy one of those apple corer/peeler things. It took forever to all with a handheld vegetable peeler and paring knife!

Bonnie

Most of the good canning corn that I get from friends didn't make it through the drought so that cost me probably 40 pints of corn.

75% of my first planting of bush beans died in the 100+ heat we had first week of June. I got barely enough to have a couple of messes and can some dilly beans and a few pints. I just couldn't keep enough water on them. Would have been about 30 quarts plus a couple of fresh messes to give to the neighbors. My second planting that finished picking and canning last weekend didn't yield but about 34 quarts plus a couple of fresh messes. I've got a third planting that is blossoming/beaning now which I should be able to pick within 2 weeks, and a fourth planting that should be ready to pick by first frost.

My beets didn't do good either which was a big disappointment. I have a bud that also grows them and he barely had enough also. I would probably have had another 30 or so pints of regular and pickled.

We didn't can any pickles this year, still have too many left from last year. Didn't can any Club Sauce this year for the same reason.

I'm glad I finally broke down and canned zucs and squash. The test will be how they are in a couple of months. The ones we tested after a couple of weeks being in the jars were still of good firmness.

My peppers got stunted in the heat and then got bacterial spec for the 4th year in a row. I barely had enough japs to can salsa. The spec has subsided a little and I may get a 5 gallon bucket of sweet peppers before frost. I'm going to plant my peppers in my front yard next year to get them as far away from my garden as I can just to see if the disease can go that far to attack them.

The only thing I have left to pick/dig are sweet taters. This is the first year that I have ever planted them and just by the looks of the vines and the few that I have noodled out I may have a couple of wheelbarrows full out of 30 slips that made it through the drought. I'm going to try and can some of them also just to see what they taste like.

All of this out of a 52x52 foot main plot and 15 by 25 foot secondary plot. Neither plot gets more than 8 hours of sun a day. I try to grow a few new things every year but I just don't get enough sun to grow melons and stuff like that.

20 quarts homemade potato soup to the freezer
4 peach pies and 2 dozen peach turnovers frozen
6 more pints of Annie's Salsa with the last of the tomatoes
11 quart bags of sweet and hot peppers to the freezer
7 quarts of chili with meat canned
8 quarts of mixed vegetable soup in chicken stock canned

Tomorrow, we rest. ;)

Dave

Frozen:
Wineberries - 6 gallon bags
Golden Raspberries - 2 gallon bags
Elderberries - 8 gallon bags
Broccoli - 37 vacuum sealed bags
Snap Peas - 18 vacuum sealed bags
Tomato Sauce - 42 quarts

Still need to make some jelly/jam (I can't wait to try the chocolate raspberry jam) and hopefully I'll find some nice apples at the farmer's market for apple butter.

DH had to put some extra supports under the pantry shelves. LOL

jude--I like the four F's! Those are some of my big priorities in life, allright. I am a mostly follow-the-recipe cook, too (which is a very good quality in a canner, you know!); occasionally I adapt things a bit but mostly we eat from a good repertoire of favourite recipes, and the occasional new one to test out.

I did start a soups & stews thread---40 degrees this a.m., we've cranked up the woodstove, definitely time for fall comfort food!

Z

After canning those 50+ quarts of beans earlier this season, I didn't manage to get much done untill the last couple of weeks. Now I've added:

24 quarts and one pint of tomatoes
8 quarts stewed tomatoes
9 pints collard greens
10 pints pickled beets
7 quarts dill pickles with jalapenos
8 half pints of peach jam
7 half pints of grape jelly
14 pints of my "now famous" salsa (grin)
4 half pints of pickled jalapeno slices
150 lbs Red Pontiac potatoes dug and in the root cellar
2 5 gallon pails of onions in the same root cellar
35 lbs. of sauerkraut packed and fermenting

I think that's all, for now, but I'm a hopeless optimist. The salmon are just starting to run, last year it was salmon 3, Annie 0, but this year, I'm trying again. (grin)

Annie

5 1/2 pints and 7 1/4 pints of Asian Plum Sauce
10 12oz. jars of Raspberry Plum Sauce
And all the veggies for 3 more batches of Annie's salsa are chopped and in the freezer.

Now, If I can just get some D _ _ _ tomatoes ripe!!!!
I picked three brandywine's this weekend,the largest weighing in at 1 1/4 lb.! I have about 10 romas nearly ripe...and many more close behind. I can't believe how late everything is this year!! No tomatoes....and it's the first day of Fall for Pete's Sake!!!

At this rate, I'll be making applesauce in January!

Sigh.

Deanna

Not much, but our second crop of tomatoes may give me enough to make more of Annie's salsa. They sure started out slow.
Jude

I've made
blueberry preserves
raspberry preserves
fig preserves
jalapeno jelly
sour cherry preserves
raspberry chocolate jam (thank you for that recipe! YUM)
apricot preserves
peach, fig and dried cherry chutney
mango, ginger and raisin chutney
sour cherries in brandy
asian plum sauce (sooo good! I've made up a pork tenderloin recipe using it.)
annie's famous salsa
chunky tomato basil sauce
tomato vegetable juice
sweet pickle relish
very hot peach salsa
dill pickles with jalapeno
dilled green cherry tomatoes

and I froze
blueberries
sour cherries
lima beans
several eggplant parmesian casseroles
roasted corn
green beans
yellow beans
creamy tomato pasta sauce (very buttery and so sweet!)

I have to say - I couldn't and wouldn't have taken this on without all the wonderful support from you folks. Thank you thank you thank you all so much. I wish I could invite you all over for dinner!

Cathy

I'm not done canning yet. Still have the cabbage to do and can't decide if I want to just can it or make saurkraut. Second and third run of beans are coming on or in bloom. Tomatoes are slowing down, cold nights and few blooms.

So here's the list so far.

Ten pies frozen.....pumpkin, apple and peach and also some apple crisps

Jellies: plum, strawberry, peach, apple, and blackberry
Have quince yet to do.

Did up four pumpkins and froze the pulp.....didn't even count the quart containers but the filled up a shelf in the freezer.

Only have fourteen quarts of g'beans done, but bushels coming on. Hope to can twenty or thirty more quarts.

The whole grape crop went into quarts of juice. Haven't counted how many. Have a ton of grape jelly left from last year we need to use.

Two runs of Annie's Salsa, one frozen, one canned.

Seven quarts of tomatoes. Awful year, won't ripen and the groundhog has been picking off any what do if I don't pick them white. Not too concerned as I have loads in the pantry from last year I need to use.

Seven pints of plums.

Seven quarts of pie apples.

Fourteen jars of apple sauce and there are bushels left to do.

Dried hundreds of shallots, braided already and hung.

Have loads of peppers, green and hot. I may pickle and can the green ones, I dunno. I have no clue on the Jalapenos. I have twenty plants just groaning with them. Any suggestions?

So far about thirty pounds of egg noodles from my very productive hens. It's the only way I can preserve them. I need to take a couple of days and crank out more, because they're laying faster than I can sell them. LOL.

It has been a decadent year for canning/freezing. My typical year is at least three hundred jars.

The BBB says "2-1/4 lbs dried beans per quart" - well then, I had a 9 lb bag of beans - so - (it didn't give the yield).

Yield: (mine).

6 quarts of pinto beans - canned (pressure cooker 1 hr.30 min).

6 quarts and 1 pint of pinto beans (soaked and cooked 1 hr) - frozen.

4 quarts of pinto beans - crockpot-cooked for dinner.

1 pint - more or less pinto beans - to the chickens.

I'm a bit confused about that recipe.

Anyway - in the garden ---

I see with the cooler weather that a few strawberries are beginning to runner and give fruit. Not much crop this year, I suspect they might have been "lizard food" - and a brand new bunch of small babies have just hatched. So cute - about an inch long. "Eat more ants please - not strawberries."

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Several gallons frozen citrus juice (Minneola’s, juice oranges, Meyers lemons, key limes, Eureka lemons)

12 pints mixed citrus marmalade

30 half pints chow chow (summer squash relish)

12 half pints pickled peppers (pressure canned - for gifts)

4 quarts pickled hot peppers (not pressure canned, pickled and refrigerated)

12 pints pickled mixed vegetables

24 pints loquat preserves

24 pints peach-nectarine butter

Several strands dried peppers (pequin, red ripe serranos, scotch bonnets, habaneros, cayennes) – more are still ripening on the plants….

25 lb (or so) of frozen greens: collards, red Russian kale, lacinato kale, turnip greens.

2 quarts roasted tomatillo salsa

2 pints pickled beets (red, golden and candy stripe)

4 quarts dried nectarines

8 quarts dried figs

6 quarts frozen tomatoes

3 quarts frozen green beans (lots more coming up, I might pressure can some)

1 quart bag dried (dehydrated) tomatoes

3 gallons fig wine

3 gallons mixed fruit wine (peach, nectarine, fig and cherry)

10 pints herb vinegars (shiso, rosemary, mixed herb and tarragon)

4 quart bags frozen pesto (more basil growing…)

2 gallon size bags frozen corn masa, blue and white (more corn growing)

6 pints sliced peaches in syrup

I froze..

25 heads of broccoli for my little guy. Parboiled and put into single serving ziplocs for him. Also a few quart bags for cooking.

60 ears of corn. Both full ears and kernels. My daughter has a loose tooth and won't eat corn on the cob.

I also have:
30 quarts of tomatoes
12 quarts of pickles

Playing with the recipes found on here, I was able to get the kids to eat applesauce and apple pie jam. Have some in the fridge. I had some of annie's salsa but I ate it.

Next week, I will concentrate on putting up pints of salsa and tasty apple stuff for us.

Staring at 3 bushels of tomatoes which I am working on now.

Last year I think I had around 50 pints of Annie's Salsa in various heat ranges. Been a bad year for me but hope to do Annie's Salsa this weekend... if I have enough room/time/maters!

Mark

P.S. Zabby, you missed the Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest 2008!!!

Mostly dried tomatoes - but also-

Potato flakes for thickening stews, etc.

Almonds - dried hulls, then casings, froze in half-pint containers.

Macadamias - same.

Apricot puree roll-ups.

Plum puree roll-ups.

Nectarine - same.

Now have 2 trays of cubed pineapple drying - giving a warm, soft perfume aura to my kitchen this a.m. (son found a good buy on those pineapples).

It did a great job of raising the sour dough breads that I've been doing recently - getting better and better at baking sour dough stuff.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Z, also a heckuva lot slower/fewer/later maters this year, but managing some salsa and sauce here and there

3 half pints of Carol's (Readinglady) Old Fashioned Pear Preserves, the kind that takes 3 days. I love them, and so made just a couple of jars for me.

One pint jar full of dried peppers, a mix of cayenne, jalapeno and one lonely habanero that actually ripened. It was a whole sink full before drying, but one pint after dehydration, LOL.

Now I have a bushel of mixed winter squash in the garage (butternuts/acorns/buttercup and something called Carnival, so we'll see how much gets cooked and put into the freezer and how much I just eat roasted or made into soup!

Annie

I loved how quickly it became nice and thick since I'd started with mostly frozen toms and drained them after thawing!

Z

16 quarts of Annie's Salsa and a ton of basil and parsley frozen into cubes. I have one more bushel of tomatoes and then I think I am calling it quits on the tomato products.

Next week, it's time to concentrate on apples (I said that last week but keep getting side tracked by the tomatoes!!)

Glad you mentioned the jar (Food Saver), as I tried to find the web site that advertised them about a year ago.

Would love to have another. I find mine is great for keeping lettuce crispy fresh in water - so nice for the best dinner salads. It is also used to brine a 3-4 lb. brisket for making corned beef.

Do you know where I can find another one of these jars now?

P.S. Two of my latest canned quart jars of beans failed to seal, so we are enjoying them now in burritos and pita pockets. I made up a small batch of fresh salsa to spice things up a bit, using some of my last fresh toms. A seed that my son brought back from Florida, produced well over 25 hugh toms, and still about 10 smaller left to ripen. (Amazing).

Bejay

I know what you mean! Every time we pass the fruit stand I look longingly at bushels of apples, but I promised myself not to buy one till I'm done with the tomatoes, lest one or both end up sitting neglected.... But the payoff is that the apples are getting better and better. And I finally saw some russets (one of my faves) the other day.

Zabby

Zabby

As always, thanks for the help? It's much appreciated.

Bejay

The tapered 4 quart is 8" at top, and tapers down to 6.5" at the bottom. Its bottom is also concave as its designed for vacuum. I would expect they use the same size lid on the 6 quart model, but its taper may be a bit smaller as the height would also be taller. The straight sided ones have a small rubber button, and the vacuum hole. The tapered ones have a twist knob with 3 detents- closed, vacuum, open.

I have two of the tall round staright sided ones. Yesterday, I bought a whole boneless pork loin at $1.77 pound. I mixed part of a maple cure for ham and my Canadian bacon cure, as well as some pure maple syrup. The loin was cut down to fit in the two tall round canisters, and there was a 4-5 inch piece I put in a shorter canister. All three got injcted with the brine, at about 12 ounces each. Then the brine was poured into the canisters with the loin, pumped down for about 20 minutes each, with a little agitation for getting more bubbles out. Then stored in the fridge over night. Today, I pumped them down a bit more, then opened and drained each. They all get put in a big stanless steep pan and covered with foil. The offset temp is down 25 degees, so I can get a temp as low as 150 in my oven. That was raised to 190 after 3 hours, then 220 degrees for another 2 hours . Its still baking and I will soon add the thermometer to give me an internal temp. It would reach about 160 by tonight some time, but the oven would be set up to about 280 to 300 for the final amount.

2 quart bags smoked mixed hot peppers (some smoked and dried with a smoker, some smoked and finished drying with a dehydrator) - still more peppers on the plants and more pepper flowers, wow...

2 gallon size bags dehydrated zucchini - have never done this before but they came out really well (this is to make some camping/backpacking food, so I will be vacuum bagging it.)

2 quart size freezer bags lightly steamed Kentucky wonder green beans (in the freezer)

Annie

I will be freezing pears this evening, probably about 2 gallon bags' worth. We will be picking green beans, hopefully, this next week so I can can them, also hoping to get a box of tomatoes from an Amish farm near here so I can can a bunch more of them, too. (Our tomatoes didn't do so well.) I think that will be it for the year. This is the first year I have seriously canned anything, and the first time ever that I have owned a pressure canner. Wouldn't trade it for the world now! A big thank you to all who gave me the courage to "go for it"!! :^)

Edie

On to the pears, grapes and more apples maybe!!!

Deanna

6 half-pints of Habanero Gold Jelly (big batch version)
12 half-pints of Peach Jam for Cold Mornings (helped a neighbor try this one)
18 half-pints of grape jelly (still syrup but giving it time)
3 pints of Chunky Basil Pasta sauce

This weekend it's more grape jelly, attempting rose hip jelly, and maybe apple jelly or apple pie filling (haven't decided yet). I still have to decide what to do with all of the peppers coming in and get all of the green tomatoes brought in before the freeze predicted for Sunday.

Jen

After reading "disaster" stories above - had 2 quarts of pinto beans that popped their seals, so froze them. Tried to thaw one for dinner in the micro - and cracked one of my precious canning jars. As mentioned, I froze several quarts of still to be canned beans that I didn't have room or time for in the initial canning (the recipe really blew me - as 9 lbs of beans gave a LOT of stuff to can, and - well - it was a bad day anyway. So lots of stuff got frozen until the day was better.

I guess you know what I mean. LOL.

Bejay

36 pints Salsa
30 pints Roasted Tom soup
72 quarts Plum tomatoes
16 8oz. Hot Dog relish
10 pints Chili sauce
6 pints Picante sauce
21 quarts Stewed tomatoes
46 quarts Veggie juice cocktail
Total jars of assorted 446

I still need Red pepper jam. Hope to get 2 bushel at the Farmer's market in the morning.

Before I ever heard of Garden Web:
8 pints apricot jam
6 pints apricot preserve
12 half-pints sour cherry jam
14 pints and 14 half-pints strawberry jam
8 pints raspberry jam

After I found this discussion board:
3 pints mango chutney
5 pints plum chutney
4 pints plum sauce

After I bought Christine Ferber's Book on August 31 and a whole new world opened up to me:
12 half-pints green tomato with cinnamon
24 half-pints blackberry chocolate orange jam
15 half-pints raspberry chocolate jam
15 half-pints Vanilla bosc pear jam with pine nuts and walnuts
12 half-pints peach jam with black rum
5 half-pints peach melba jam
4 pints mango lime marmelade
5 pints plum jam with anise
12 half-pints Anjou Pear jam with Thai spices
5 half-pints spiced peach jam
4 half-pints of rhubarb jam with honey and rosemary
4 half-pints of white nectarine jam with rosemary
5 half-pints of quince jam with ginger
6 half-pints bartlett pear with balsamic vinegar and spices

I lay my obsession at the doorstep of anyone who ever mentioned Christine Ferber on this website. I haunt the Farmer's Market. I am trying to get my hands on crabapples even this late to try to make my own pectin. I have made my plans for all the jams I can make in the winter - after all, grapefruit, oranges, mangoes and coconut are never/always in season in Calgary.

I bought new wooden spoons to be used only in jam making. I went to Williams Sonoma on my way home from a nasty root canal one day in September and found a hand hammered copper confiture pan, imported from France. I'd never seen such a thing before. It has style and substance. I was feeling mightily sorry for myself, and thus, it now belongs to me.

Everyone I know is enabling me, because of course, they will be the recipients of all this bounty.

Is there a 12 step program? Anyone?

23 pints of Roasted tomato garlic soup.
29- 8oz. Red pepper jam.

Now I just need to find a place to store all of these until the holidays

As for me, our garden was a bust this year but we decided to invest in a freezer anyhow. At the end of the day, we bought a pretty big one with the thought that next year we'd fill it to capacity.

Well, it's almost full now. When produce goes down to $1 per pound, I'm buying it by the bucketloads to freeze up especially if it is locally grown. The freezer is full of salsa's, summer squash, apples, peaches, herbs (from my own garden), beets, butternut squash, and the makings for several casserole recipes.

There's not much room left, especially since I was able to buy whole roasting chickens on sale this summer too. I'm cooking several of those every weekend also.

I am so proud of myself and happy about it. We plan to eat well this winter. I pointed out to my husband that apples are currently 89 cents a pound; that's nearly $2.10 savings over what they are normally. We've already made back the cost of the dehydrator and some kitchen equipment that I bought and we're on our way to making back the cost of the freezer too.

The inexpensive freezer alarm is the most important investment yet, and it cost only about $15. I bet within the next year you may be looking towards another big freezer, if yours is filled now. A freezer alarm is a great way to prevent food losses.

Last night, we had a power outage here. I was a bit concrned as I could have used my gas powered generator, but it doesn't plug into my new circuit breaker box anymore, due to the fact I had the old fuses taken out. Luckily, the power outage was just 2 hours long. It knocked out cable and power all over the area, and must have been a person hitting a power pole.. The alarms didn't sound, so I felt it was fine not to check to see if they were doing their thing again.

Your post is an excellent reminder on the extra precautions to take when using a freezer.

The recipe is (way up) in this thread. It's about the eleventh post down. Hope you enjoy it - we surely do!

Last night I canned 21 quarts and 10 pints of sauerkraut and it looks GOOOOOODDDD! My kitchen sure smells funny, though, LOL.

Tonight it's Habanero Gold and I just called with cutting instructions for the beef, so soon the freezer will be full again.

Annie

Brought back pears - (wish it had been more - nice juicy Bartletts), a box of freestone peaches, and a WHOLE BOX of Northern Spy apples - whee!

So -- for the next 4 days - canned (approximately - as I lost count, and they are being eaten - fast!)

6 pints of pears in lt. syrup.

12 pints of sliced peaches - same syrup.

18 pints apples in lt. syrup.

4 frozen pie shells of sliced apples - for later baking.

15 bottles of apple juice - frozen.

4 half pints dry (squeezed) apple puree for adding to cakes or breads - frozen.

My - that box of apples really produced a bit. (I think I forgot - as I lost count after the 3rd day or so).

Ken - I called the company about the availability of that round sealable container - mentioned above, but they don't make them anymore. Too bad.

Oh yes - a few of the last red ancho peppers, being sun dried - in my butterfly screen set-up outside. This is the 3rd day and weather is cooperating. Will grind into powder for enchilada sauce later.

Bejay

Sorry to hear that. It was an 'open stock' item, when I got my first one. The closest next size in length is the coffee canister. A bit narrower but still tall. For my Canadian bacon, the whole boneless pork loin would never fit one, so I cut it into two long lengths to fit two of the tall canisters, and the third portion is placed in a shorter one as its only about 5 inches thick. If I do beef in these, the brine must be left for 3 days, whereas pork takes less time to penetrate through.

When you called them, did you ask if they had that model number I gave you? Sometimes at off hours (temp help) they may not know much about a open stock items such as these. They are a little over the height of a 2 liter bottle of soda, and almost as big around. The dome lids are the same size as the shorter ones. I was planning on getting one of the biggest round ones (smoke color) with concave lid and knob. This would hold a nice big chunk of beef for pastrami. I made pastrami from eye of the round too.

15 one-cup jars of mixed apple/pear sauce
(plus about two cups that wouldn't fit in the canner that got eaten up over lunch & breakfast the next week---
YUM!!!)

4 half-cup jars & one one-cup jar
Autumn Fruit Jam (from Ellie Topp--I always call it "October Jam")

This last was slightly overcooked, so is a bit gluey, which is annoying but in the end I'm kind of happy about it. Here's why: while cooking it down, after about 15 minutes, it started to feel right to me. But the recipe said about 30 minutes, and in the past I've sometimes jumped the gun and not been patient enough to wait for a jam to set up properly, so I told myself, no, you can't be right, let it cook more before even plate-testing it. Well, I tested it at 25 minutes and it was sure enough overdone. So, while my jam is a bit sticky, I feel good that my instincts were RIGHT. I don't make a lot of jam, but it seems I've made enough now to have an idea when it's ready. I'll trust my gut next time!

irenecalgary,

I don't know if 12 steps would be enough for you! My, you've fallen hard! ;-) Congratulations, and welcome to the forum of cannity insanity....

Zabby

I've had trouble with keeping nice firm apple chunks in my canning effort. I think it is - not only too much cooking -even when the recipe gives a longer time, but in the type of apple as well thats being used. (that's obvious isn't it?)

My own low-chill apples are great taste-wise, but definitely won't stand up to the cooking length recommended.

So - this session - a LARGE box of apples that I bought in the local mountains - taught me something, that might be useful.

I cooked my apples per the recipe - but kept out some of the juice in a separate pan set to boil.

Then - when I felt the apples were just right - still firm -and almost to the "mushing" point, I hurriedly filled my jars, and then used the hot syrup that I had set aside in another pan.

Those apples have a tendency to reach a certain point, then any amount of manipulating can further the breakdown problem. This was my best result, and apples stayed firm and without the foaming juice.

I didn't try making jam.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

I look forward to a long and happy association with this discussion group.

Irene

apple-pear sauce
4 pints
11 half-pints
(made this batch two nights ago & reheated it tonite; it is good, but not as phenomenally yummy as the last batch of apple-pear---different kind of pears, thicker, a tad overcooked (there was some scorch on the bottom of the pan, and while the sauce doesn't taste burnt, I think it has lost a bit of its sweetness maybe from that)

apple-blackberry sauce
5 half-pints
my favourite combo. Froze two cups of blackberries in early September for just this purpose.... beautiful colour!

plain applesauce
6 pints
8 half-pints
(plus another 5 or 6 cups that wouldn't fit in the canner)
made from Cortlands, as was the apple-pear sauce above; they did very well this year, some are HUGE, and I like their taste both for fresh eating and in sauce; bought a half-bushel on the weekend

This should keep me in applesauce for the year. I may do a small batch of apple-cranberry.

Irene, that garlic jam sounds great! I made garlic jelly once, and was disappointed---it was pretty mildly garlic flavoured and more vinegary than I really liked. Your jam sounds like the real deal!

Bejay, it really is AMAZING how different apple types are in how they hold up, eh? I had the opposite problem from you last year---I dont' put up pieces of apple, but sauce. I was making a batch of applesauce all from Russett apples, as a gift for a friend of mine who loves Russetts. These are SERIOUSLY firm and DRY apples, and it took FOREVER for them to soften, and a HUGE amount of added water.

What is the sturdier kind you got?

Zabby

First off - I usually buy McIntosh or Winesaps from the mountain fruit stand every year. This year, a new manager, had Northern Spy - which I had not heard of before. But as there was a big box of windfalls, I decided to give them a try at a reasonable price.

Normally, I like Grannies for pies - and am a bit serious about my own way to make them - as I don't like the apples to start turning brown before baking.

I think it was Readinglady who posted the idea of mixing pie crusts in individual portions - leaving out the water - then freezing. I tried it - and am really pleased with how fast that pie was in the oven. The apples were sliced and frozen in a pie form then re-packed in a freezer bag. They did turn a bit brown, but not bad. Perhaps a bit more lemon/citric acid soak next time.

Anyway - Outside of a bit of drying as the juice had a tendency to drain out - the pie tasted almost as good as fresh baked - and a lot less hassle. I will see if I can remedy the problem of juice loss - but it was minor.

As mentioned in my previous postings, I live in the "lowlands" and the ocean climate hasn't been the best place for apples - but I do have 2 low-chills dwarf trees that are showing great potential.

Bejay

I just re-read your post about mixing other fruit with apples. Great idea. I have some boysenberries in freezer containers, and will try mixing with the new batch of apples.

My last canning as mentioned - was so successful, that I made another trip to local mountain fruit stand - before the apple season was over. They still had pears - so bought a lug and apples. Purchased the Northern Spy again -as was impressed with them - but the nice peaches - I think, Elbertas - were gone. The pears this time are Lincoln, so will see what difference they are from the last - which were Bartlett.

Another 6 pts. of pears on the shelves, with the apples and the last of the lug of Lincoln types to do today.

The first of the Mandarin oranges are ripening - a bit early, as they take a bit of cold to do so. They will be frozen in light syrup, as I don't care for the altered taste of them when canned.

P.S. I need a bigger freezer and more shelves, Santa.

Bejay.

I loved it as was, but since I'll be eating it for breakfast with DH, whose taste runs a bit sweeter, I added just a bit of a lovely local honey. Mmm!

The produce stands are shut down, there is snow on the ground, and the bottle of Diet Coke we forgot to bring in from the car last night was frozen solid. I think Harvest season has ended around here while I wasn't looking.

On to Holiday Preserve season! ;-)

Zabby

--Gina

Canned stuff:

18 pints apple sauce.
10 pints pears
6 pints freestone peaches
6 half-pints blueberry jam

Frozen stuff:

4 pie tin-shaped sliced apples for pies
20 bottles apple juice
10 bottles plum juice
6 half pints apple sauce

Hydrated:

3 small spice jars dried ancho peppers.
1 quart dried cherry tomatoes.
1 pint dried potato flakes (soup thickeners)
1 spice jar dried garlic salt
1 spice jar dried lemon pepper salt

Many small ice cube trays of frozen lemon/lime juice for whatever.

Whee - I think that's all -

So - it's on to planting time here in the balmy south - the bok choy is planted but looking good. The celery, snow peas, and - perhaps perennial peppers - looking healthy. Lemon tree producing a few more this year. A 2nd planting of lettuce - hopefully will escape the white butterfly invasion - now that weather is cooling. Still one more area left to plant, and have seedlings of cabbage, Chinese cabbage - red onions, in their little cups, just waiting until strong enough to brave the coming cooler nights - around 50's. The garlic and green onions are up and scallions are great for salads, and such.

Thanks to all of you on this forum that helped to make it all possible.

Bejay

Canned
Peaches (7 qt)
Chocolate Raspberry Preserves (7 x 4oz.)
Applesauce (6 pt)
Salsa (10 pt)
Dilly green beans (13 pt)
Pickled Peppers (4 pt + 4 x 8oz)
Basil Pasta Sauce (6 pt)
Peach Habanero Preserves (3 x 8oz + 6 x 4oz)
Seasoned Tomato Sauce (5 x 8oz)
Strawberry/mint/pepper jam (4 x 8oz)
Strawberry lemon marmalade (6 x 8oz)
Dill pickles (6 qt)
Red currant/raspberry preserves (2 x 8oz + 2 x 4oz)
Gooseberry jam (5 x 8oz + 2 x 4oz)
Red currant jelly (4 x 4oz)
Strawberry/raspberry/balsamic preserves (2 x 8oz + 4 x 4oz)

Frozen
Caponata (5 x 0.5 C)
Eggplant Parmesan (1 large, 2 small)
Dried herbed cherry tomatoes (lots)
Potato Leek Soup (16 servings)
Cream of tomato soup (10 servings)
Puttanesca sauce (4 x 2 C)
French onion soup (16 servings)
Carol’s Roasted Veggies (9.5 C)
Vegetable broth (18 C)
Corn (42 C)
Raspberries
Strawberries
Juneberries
Peppers (Corno di Toro, Anaheim, poblano, Serrano, jalapeno, habanero)
Leeks
Tomatillos
Eggplant slices
Parsley sauce for pasta (2 C)
Zucchini, shredded (7 x 2 C)
Green beans (12 C)
Tomatoes
Mediterranean Venison stew

292 pounds of beef, packaged and in the freezer
8 pints of beef stock from soup bones
8 pints of beef vegetable soup, great for lunch at the office. (I had 9 but one didn't seal so I ate it, LOL)
7 half pints of Lime Chipotle marinade while limes were cheap.

I don't suppose the espresso brownie chunk ice cream I just put in the freezer for Thanksgiving dessert counts, since I'm going to eat it in two days? (grin)

Annie

Ingredients:
• 600 gm garlic chopped fine
• 600 gm onion chopped fine
• 3 3/4 cups of sugar
• 2 cups of wine
• 2 tbsp of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp salt

1. Sautee the onion and garlic in the butter and vegetable oil for ten minutes.
2. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Combine the garlic sauté, wine, lemon and half the sugar in a pan and let stand for 1 hour.
4. After 1 hour, add the remaining sugar and place the pan over a medium-high heat; stir constantly until the sugar dissolves.
5. Bring the mix to a boil for two minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the flame and skim foam
7. Cook until it sets

It's very sweet with a killer aroma and taste of garlic.
I'd be interested to know if this jam is safe or should I have pressure canned it?

Irene in Calgary

Mmmm--sounds very fine! I'll have to try it when the garlic festival comes in spring....

Zabby

And about a month ago:
Sugar free grape and apple cider jellies.
Pumpkin butter, pumpkin puree, pear butter. All frozen.

Ahhh.......ready for winter.

Deanna

4 pumpkins in oven steaming for puree.
2 lbs. macadamias drying in the dehydrator.
Several half-pints mandarins in lt. syrup - freezer. More as they ripen and are picked. Tree loaded.
Limes sqeezed - as they fall for frozen juice.

Why can't I can my own lime and lemon juice? I know some folks who would love to have "canned" juice as a gift. (sure beats that "other" stuff they sell.

Bejay

Also, I checked the National Center for Home Preservation - and only found reference for canning grape juice. This prompted my posting above.

Wonder, also, if dried zest could be added to the juice - to make it a bit stronger longer, if canned or would this compromise the processing time?

Comments?

Bejay

Sugared Cranberries
- three cups

Carol's Sweet 'n Hot Confetti Jelly
- two one-cup jars and eight half-cup jars

Madras Pickled Eggplant
Indian Cucumber Relish
Thai Chili Sauce
- four one-cup jars of each of the above, for putting into gift baskets for four couples I usually exchange gifts with at New Year's

Indonesian Satay Sauce
- eight one-cup jars (also for the gift baskets-- I was bummed not to have leftovers of the last three recipes for myself, so I made this one a triple batch, and it came out even more than expected)

Carol, the Hab jelly went over particularly well. I canned one of the cups in one of those low, sturdy wide-mouth jars called a "salmon jar," and gave it with a matching jar of Roasted Red Pepper Spread to my 22-year-old nephew and his girlfriend, who is in pastry chef school. I packaged them with a box of nice crackers, some cream cheese, and a couple of little dip bowls and spreading knives.

This went over VERY well; these guys are in their first-ever apartment together, and I think liked getting the same kind of homemade food package I gave my middle-aged siblings, as they are feeling very grown up in their own household these days. My nephew is in one of those stages young men seem to go through of exploring Hot Sauces (loves to boast about how many scoville units he withstood yesterday, etc.), so he was thrilled with the hab jelly, especially since I told him it was made a little extra hot with him in mind, and he should be careful what guests he served it to. (Nothing like a hint of danger to perk up a Christmas gift when you are 22!)

;-)

Zabby, wondering if she can squeeze in one more little batch of cranberry sauce before the new year.....