TroubleT's Adventures in Canning 2012!

[TroubleT]

I grew up on a farm in the mountains of northeast TN and putting up food (i.e. preserving and canning) is in my blood. As a teen and into my 20s, I had lost all interest in doing these things because I would spend every summer and fall stringing beans, canning fruits and making preserves with my family. I was over it.

Well, when I hit my mid 30s, this all changed and now, I'm happily pursuing the very activities that I swore I would never do again. I sit in front of the tv and break green beans (surprisingly relaxing!) or I peel fruit while my daughter (6) stands beside me at the counter sneaking bites when she thinks I'm not looking. I started with apple butter which in my book, is a great place to jump into processing fruits.

In the last couple of years, I expanded into different fruit preserves and chutneys. However, this was the year of a BIG leap. I bought a pressure canner.

This past week, I've been a canning fool!

I've made blackberry jam....


and peach preserves (not new but a request from my dad)...


AND my first batch of canned green beans!


I am so flippin' proud of myself. My husband already has all kinds of ideas for our new canner. Whee!


EDIT: I forgot to add that I used the recipes in the pectin box for my preserves and jams. The process for the beans came out of Canning for Dummies.

[kaz814]

You have to come visit and teach me how to can!  

... do you mind sleeping near rabbits?  


Also these look FABULOUS.

[TroubleT]

Thank you K!

Also, I don't mind the rabbits as long as they share the carrots.

[SunflowerSmiles]

they look so pretty!  Beans always scare me..I'm so afraid I'm going to do it wrong and kill someone
I bought a bunch of stuff last year to can, I've never done it before, and a book to show me how...got intimidated and didn't do it....you've inspired me to try it again.  Such pretty little jars of yum!!

[TroubleT]

I know what you mean about the fear part SS. However, once you get them in the canner to the right pressure, that's no longer a concern.

Give it a try! I'd love to see what you make.

[Myrdda]

my first canning experience (last autumn) - I decided apple jelly was the way to go. And I made 16 pints and 2 quart jars full. The weekend after was apricot jam ..... good thing it all turned out. I really like canning - but I'm going to try smaller batches this time.

[TroubleT]

I love apple jelly! I made a mulled apple jelly last year that was fabulous!

I find jelly to be a bit fiddly though because it doesn't want to set properly and ends up a bit runny.

[MareMare]

Awesome! So what are the differences between jam and jelly and preserves?

[ecopp]

I love Canning it so fun and it makes me feel close to my roots. I love when I see other people do it . I just boil the jars or do the flip method. Are you in love with the pressure canner?

[SillySlippers]

Peach preserves sound delicious! When I was a kid our neighbor worked for a seed company and would bring home truck loads of sample corn grown in the company fields. we spent days peeling leaves and removing silk from garbage bags full of corn. I thought it was fun until we had to spend even more days scraping the corn off the cob so my mom and aunt could can or freeze it. She didnt understand why we never wanted corn that winter. I think it'd like to try making tomato sauce because we go through tons of it.

[TroubleT]

Awesome! So what are the differences between jam and jelly and preserves?

Jelly is made from fruit juice and the clearer the end product, the better. It also has a firm set almost to the point of Jello.

Jam has fruit juice and pulp so it's has a different mouth feel.

Preserves have even more pulp than jam like a small dice in size.

Marmalade is usually a jam that has had citrus added to it usually in the form of zest.

It took me a while to get that all sorted out when I first started down this canning path. LOL!

ecopp- Yes, we now love the pressure cooker! I foresee it getting a lot of use. I'm trying to convince my husband to do a batch or two of soup starter like my granma used to fix. She would can a tomato based soup with veggies. Whenever she had left over pot roast, she would grab a can of the soup starter and POOF! dinner was done.

[smallhold]

Do you have the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving? Recommended by the USDA and great recipes.
Canning rules!
Sunflower Smiles, as long as you use a pressure canner, not a pressure cooker, you are safe following the guidelines with beans even.

[jillybeans]

Awesome job, TroubleT!

I'm an avid canner!  I loooove canning!  My favorite thing to can is syrups, though.  Mmmm!  Strawberry and cherry!  They are actually super easy to make, too!  I've never done green beans!  I'm definitely gonna have to try that!  I've done asparagus spears, as well as some other veggies.  And loads of applesauce!

[redheadedblonde]

I love canning!  I've only done the water bath method (and have stuck to jelly/jam/relishes - high acid stuff).  I'm so glad that you're loving the pressure canner--I'm wanting to jump on that train!  Everything you've made looks so yummy.

[TroubleT]

Smallhold, I do have that book.

I may have used the word cooker instead of canner but I am referring to the canner. The words were interchangeable when I was growing up.

[smallhold]

Fantastic, you'll have so much fun canning. Even meat, fish and sauces are within reach now.
I sometimes go to the market at closing time. Stallholders will often sell a crate of veggies or fruit for next to nothing.
Doing well TroubleT

[dreadlocklove]

They look awesome!  Apple butter will be an upcoming canning project for me.

[TroubleT]

I highly recommend the crock pot version. Super easy and your house smells divine while it simmers.

[Mustardseedbeads]

Those jars are so pretty! There is just something comforting about looking at a sparkling row of preserves on the shelf.

[TroubleT]

Those jars are so pretty! There is just something comforting about looking at a sparkling row of preserves on the shelf.

How very true Mustardseedbeads! The only thing that might be better is watching is smear on a hot buttered biscuit.

[SunflowerSmiles]

Those jars are so pretty! There is just something comforting about looking at a sparkling row of preserves on the shelf.

How very true Mustardseedbeads! The only thing that might be better is watching is smear on a hot buttered biscuit.

Rofl!  amen to that sistah!

[NavyBlue4Eight]

I just bought a pressure canner last weekend and am dying to jump in!  Everything looks / sounds so good.

I've been using the boiling method for years to do tomatoes / salsa / pickles and apple stuff.  My favorite thing to date is apple pie filling.  Although instead of making pie, we would eat it hot over ice cream.  I'm really looking forward to apple season now...

[MareMare]

  My favorite thing to date is apple pie filling.  Although instead of making pie, we would eat it hot over ice cream.  I'm really looking forward to apple season now...

Um, you're my hero.