Canning is a lot of work. But, I am finding like many other 'lost' homemaking skills, it is much easier and less time consuming once you get the hang of the process. And .. another plus .. the jars are reusable year after year .. so less waste in the landfill or to recycle. Winter is the perfect time to can beans. So far our storage pantry is nicely stocked with Boston baked beans, pintos, and now red beans. The pintos are so easy to mash to make re-fried beans to serve with tacos. The red beans will be added to our newly canned beef chili for quick winter meals. For easy to learn canning procedures, check out the Ball Blue Book Of Home Preserving .. it has recipes for both water bath and pressure canning .. lots of pictures and diagrams .. easy instructions for beginners. Can food with a neighbor if you are hesitant .. you might even share the equipment until you decide whether or not home canning is for you. The biggest boon .. quality .. and no preservatives added .. BPA free jars ...for the most part by-passing big ag .. and .. Walmart! Do you can? If not .. find a friendly neighbor and barter for a lesson or two.
Resources:
Tattler Reusable Lids
Current Day Canning Movement USA Today article
10 comments:
I'd love to try this.
I enjoyed the canning trend article. We will be using the tattler lids this next year and have already purchased a good supply of the rings and lids...hope they work out for us.
Also if you have things in bottles and jars, you don't have to wait for them to defrost, and it doesn't cost anything to keep them. i'm definately doing more bottling this year..
for me, canning has been an expensive past time - buying all the supplies, jars, sugar, etc. BUT - I hope that now that I have the essential supplies and a good big bin of jars, and a few good recipe books, I'll start to feel the thrift! Either way, it's fairly cheap recreation for me and I'm soooo happy and proud of my goodies.
Yes .. canning supplies ARE an investment. But .. like any 'hobby' or endeavor (raising chickens .. etc.) the initial outlay is worth it if you keep up with the project. You can't beat home canned goods .. or fresh chicken eggs ... hard to put a price on quality. The problem with our society is .. 'we' have been raised to want things 'cheap' .. cheaply made .. quick .. easy to procure .. quality goods are an investment .. one that will sooner or later pay off .. or at least break even for the outlay of funds. Learning new/old skills is worth it.
I started canning a few years ago. A little at a time. Still trying to produce more and more so I have enough to can. I find canning jars at garage sales (usually the cheapest) & thrift stores (know your new prices per/jar if you have to buy them B4 you buy at thrift store to know you are getting a good price. but.99 isn't a good deal! you can buy it new with fresh rings for that price). I hope to do more and more canning. Thanks for a new post. Emily
My Mama and Daddy always had a well stocked supply of vegetables that they canned, in the pantry.
They never bought tomatoes, tomato juice, beans (kentucky wonders, october beans, field peas, butter beans) hot ketchup, beets, corn and Daddy's saurkraut was the best! They also, stocked their freezer with several types of greens, corn on the cob, cream corn and sliced apples for pies. They kept potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions from Daddy's garden, stored under the house. I miss Daddy and his garden!
I just took a walk down memory lane...thank you!
I want to try this, but I am scared of botulism! What a good idea to can refried beans!
Dear Professor's Wife .. canning and eating home canned food was a concern I also had .. that went out the window pretty quickly .. if you follow the tried and true recipes found in the Ball book to start with, you can't go wrong. Don't be intimidated ..try it.
So far I've only canned jams and jellies, but this year I've finally (as of yesterday!) got a garden going, so I'm looking forward to canning vegetables, sauces, bean soups, etc. I'm hoping to grow (and can or freeze as needed) the majority of my produce soon.
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