# Best and worst canned goods of 2011



## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

What were your best and worst canned goods this year? 

Best- grape jelly, peach salsa, hot peppers salsa. Oo, and the raspberry apple juice jam.

Worst- Apple jelly. It was okay, but nothing special and too sugary. Green tomato salsa had sort of an 'off' flavor, husband didn't really care for it and I could just sorta tolerate it.


----------



## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

Best - Tomato Jam, Chili Marmalade, Corn Salsa

Worst - Salted Butterscotch Peach Jam, Boneless Pork Tenderloin


----------



## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Interesting idea for a thread! 

I think the best were things that were surprises. Meaning they weren't just good, they were "GIMME THE JAR" good. Like the amaretto laced peaches. Or the intensely apple-y apple conserve. 

The 'worst' weren't really bad, but just sort of _*meh.*_ Like the pickled jalapenos that were so un-hot that I had to add red pepper flakes to give them some zip. I won't grow that variety again. Or the sweet pickle chunks that lost some of the crunch because the stupid cucumbers were floaters. I lost my cucumber crop but got in one batch before they croaked, and those were solid and good. I bought cukes for the dills and bread and butters, and some were floaters and some were solid. I can't ask the vendor to throw them in a bucket so I can sort through them....

Just wait until next year!


----------



## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Yes...good thread topic!

The best: canned pork. Tender, mild and tasty.

The worst: vegetable soup with parsnips. Yuck!! The parsnips got mushy and bitter. Really spoiled the soup. Lesson learned; never add _anything_ from the cabbage family to canned items.


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

The very best: TSYORK's Spaghetti Sauce. Absolutely GREAT!

The worse: Found a recipe for pickled peppers. I don't care for pickled peppers, but Kraut Boy likes them. They are so salty that even rinsing them doesn't help. And, as I do with most things, I did a boat-load of them (about 2 doz. pints).

Stef, my vegetable/sausage soup has cabbage in it and I think it's great. Parsnips aren't in the cabbage family.


----------



## Tracy (May 2, 2002)

Best, spaghetti sauce. So good and so convenient.

My worse was salsa from 2 years ago. Grew habereno peepers and did not realize how HOT they were. No one could eat the salsa.


----------



## Tirzah (May 19, 2006)

The Best:

~Sour Cherry Jam
~Banana Pepper Mustard
~Zucchini Salsa
~Loganberry Syrup

The Worst:

~Peach Salsa (did not like the taste at all)
~Tomato Jam (didn't set )
~Salted Butterscotch Peach Jam (this tasted good but did not set)
~Pickled Peppers here too! (found a recipe online for Pickled Banana Peppers, it got rave reviews but tasted horrible)


----------



## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Pickled Asparagus,Surprisingly good and Crunchy.


----------



## Tammy1 (Aug 31, 2011)

Worst- pickled carrots. Even the chickens won't eat them.

Best-Spiced pickles, pasta sauce and soup.


----------



## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

The best: Chili, chicken soup, beef vegtable soup, turkey stock for Thanksgiving gravey 2012, strawberry jam, pears

Worst: pickles that were too salty and soggy, jalepeno salsa, I didn't seed the jalepeno's and there were too many seeds, 

*Suitcase Salley*, could you share the speggetti sauce recipe


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Packedready said:


> ,
> 
> *Suitcase Salley*, could you share the speggetti sauce recipe


This is from the archives. WARNING!! It makes a LOT (about 12 - 16 qts. I don't remember exactly) I gave my neighbor a pint, now he wants the recipe so he can make it as he needs it. I haven't come up with measurements for a pint's worth.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/archive/index.php/t-313420.html


----------



## ChickadeeL (Dec 10, 2008)

The best: Canned peaches, Raspberry Strawberry Jam (containing both berries, yum), Chokecherry jelly and homemadge spaghetti sauce (but we just froze that)

The worst: vegetable soup (not horrible but it did wind up with a slightly "burnt" taste and smell, and canned peas. Yuck.


----------



## jkhs (Sep 17, 2010)

The best: crabapple spice jelly, dilled beans, and pickled beets

The worst: BBQ sauce (took an entire day to make and is so acidic tasting no one likes it).


----------



## Catalpa (Dec 18, 2011)

The best: hot pepper jam, peaches, applesauce, turkey.
The worst: peach jam didn't set up so I have dozens of jars of peach syrup. Though I found out it makes a fantastic glaze for venison roast!


----------



## bama (Aug 21, 2011)

best - fig preserves

worst - pickles - they turned out soft and mushy


----------



## lovinthislife (Aug 28, 2009)

best- peach butter, never knew how good it was. Tastes like summer on a biscuit lol

worst- green beans, I didn't get any at all. The deer and rabbits got them boo

side note- hubby got the rabbit


----------



## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

best: chicken and stew meat, best things I ever learned to can
I also have enjoyed having canned potatoes, although they are not as good as fresh. They are still convenient to add to things.


----------



## Ms.Lilly (Jun 23, 2008)

Best- Sweet Potatos, Pork in BBQ sauce, Plum juice, and Raspberry-Serrano jam

Worst-Chicken Broth (kinda bland)


----------



## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

I did not can much this year so I don't have a worst to offer. But the BEST.....pickled okra and canned venison. Both were simply fantastic!


----------



## Kazahleenah (Nov 3, 2004)

Best: dill & bread& butter pickles.

Worst: Potatoes... most the jars, half the water boiled out.


----------



## Tirzah (May 19, 2006)

Suitcase Sally,

I checked out the thread for the spaghetti sauce. I was wondering what you came up with for pressure canning? I have only water bathed and am anxiously awaiting my pressure canner to come in the mail any day now


----------



## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

Best: my mom's cucumber relish, chokecherry/currant jelly, cherry-jalapeno jelly

Worst: dill pickles that turned out way too salty.

So what are your canning totals? Or am I the only one that keeps track of how many jars I can?? Mine is the most I've done in a year this year: 1390 jars.

moldy


----------



## Gladrags (Jul 13, 2010)

I was disappointed with the green tomato salsa I made.

But the blueberry pie filling was out of this world!


----------



## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Gladrags said:


> I was disappointed with the green tomato salsa I made.
> 
> But the blueberry pie filling was out of this world!


I just tried a jar of the green tomato salsa I made in late September. I had really not liked it, but after three months in the jar the flavors mellowed and it's much better. VERY spicy now, too. Still not 100% what I wanted, but totally tolerable now.


----------



## Gladrags (Jul 13, 2010)

^^Thanks for the encouragement. The recipe I used seemed too vinegary to me. I've got plenty of jars, so I'll try one every two weeks and see how the flavor mellows!


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Tirzah said:


> Suitcase Sally,
> 
> I checked out the thread for the spaghetti sauce. I was wondering what you came up with for pressure canning? I have only water bathed and am anxiously awaiting my pressure canner to come in the mail any day now


I added mushrooms to part of it and canned it in pints for 45 minutes (required for mushrooms) at 10 lbs. pressure. I then added hamburger and mushrooms to the rest for a meat sauce and pressure canned the pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes.


----------



## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

Thus far everything has been fine except,

Taco Soup. For some reason it just didn't turn out to our liking, although I can combine all the home canned ingredients separately in the crock pot and it turns out fine! 

I have a few jars left which I sure the chickens will eat in a heartbeat!  At least it won't go to waste...


----------



## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

My best were the meats and grape juice.
Worst were actually the tomatoes (bland) and some rhubarb jam that didn't set up well.


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Serve that rhubarb jam over pound cake.


----------



## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

I just remembered my dill pickles. They were mush. One more jar in the pantry to pitch.

Fortunately, I only made a few jars.


----------



## Charleen (May 12, 2002)

Stef said:


> I just remembered my dill pickles. They were mush. One more jar in the pantry to pitch.
> 
> Fortunately, I only made a few jars.


Stef, When I lived in town and had city water, I had mushy pickles, but now that I have the well water (hard water) no more mushy pickles. I've tossed them out too but saved the brine and added a couple hard boiled eggs. I've also saved the brine to gargle with because I can't stand gargling with salt water, but the salt & vinegar does the trick!


----------



## themamahen (Jun 26, 2005)

Best~ Raspberry/strawberry Jam, Kosher Dill pickles and beef Stew. 

the worst~ anything i had tomatoes in that I pressure canned tasted scorched and canned potatoes eww I dont like them. Maybe i did it wrong but they taste chalky and nasty.


----------



## bee (May 12, 2002)

worst thing I ever canned..period, was the radish relish I came up with to use up an over abundance of radishes...totally inedible.

The best is my meats..even the corned beef I canned last year in Febuary was great. Gonna do it again when the St.Paddy's briskit sales come this year.


----------



## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Bee, what recipe did you follow for the corned beef?


----------



## bee (May 12, 2002)

On the first batch I cooked the corned beef brisket according to the directions..simmering in a pot.. Then I sliced it and packed in pint jars and added stock from the cooking pot, then processed per ball book for beef.(left masses of fat out!)

On the second go round I trimmed up the raw brisket, removing most of the fat, sliced and packed raw removing air pockets and packing the meat to the 1 inch head space level..no added salt,spices or water. Processed per raw pack instructions. Meat cooked and made it's own broth. I liked this way best. The first method was to salty/spicey for me. When I did my trial runs I packed one half pint with the pints to open for a flavor/texture sample.

Neither way is exactly like the canned corn beef packed in Brazil..that uses cooked and raw beef,sugar and spices. The way I do it is good to use in one pot dinners or to open for sandwiches as I packed slices.

I never found actual direcctions for canning corned beef..I felt that it was just spiced beef and canned it like it was regular beef. I bought the pre-corned bagged briskets..the points were better than the flats for yield..more fat on flats.

YMMV..do a small batch to try it out...tastes vary and meat is expensive!


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

The Ball guide has directions for making corned beef and how to can it once it's made.


----------



## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

We didn't really have any bad, but I've got enough zucchini relish in there to last us till death. *sigh*


----------



## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

Yum, I think I might try making corned beef when the meat goes on sale. I just got my pressure canner in the mail TODAY, and have not gotten much done around the house except for reading the manual and looking over recipes...


----------



## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

worst- pickled zucchini
best-seckel pears in cinnamon vanilla syrup!


----------



## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

olivehill said:


> We didn't really have any bad, but I've got enough zucchini relish in there to last us till death. *sigh*


LOL- us too! and we only had 2 plants! I love it though- so that is good!


----------



## gaucli (Nov 20, 2008)

Best...anything with tomatoes

Worst...pickles...had to throw away 20 quarts one time...never made another pickle again!


----------



## lisa's garden (Apr 1, 2010)

Best - applesauce, cherry jam, cranberry-orange marmalade, plum jam, fruit cocktail.
worst - hmmm, my plums lost an awful lot of liquid in the pressure canner, but they taste good. I think next time I will cook them before putting them in the jars.


----------



## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Becka03 said:


> LOL- us too! and we only had 2 plants! I love it though- so that is good!


LOL! I like it too, but my goodness. I made way too much. But they just kept coming. I also grated it and freezed it for zuchinni bread this winter, fed them to the hogs, included them in the CSA baskets and of course we ate tons fresh and grilled. Can't complain though. At least we know we won't ever go hungry as long as we plant zucchini and summer squash.


----------



## plath (Jul 19, 2010)

Best: grape juice, cherry pie filling, vanilla sweet cherries
Worst: strawberry honey jam, too salty fermented pickles


----------



## strawberrygirl (Feb 11, 2009)

Best: applebutter, applesauce, pizza sauce, tomato soup

Worst: Hands down; glazed carrots

They are horrible. I've never canned glazed carrots before, and I don't plan to ever again. Thank God I only made a small batch.


----------



## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

Best: Apricot Jam, sweet corn, bread and butter pickles

Worst: Potatoes ( unless I need glue lol )


----------



## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Strawberry girl, I might've had to agree with you about the glazed carrots. First time we tried them we dumped them in a saucepan, heated them up, and ate them. They were barely tolerable. But someone here suggested draining the liquid into the pan, reducing it over moderately low heat by half, and then quickly adding the carrots to heat. The difference was night and day. My husband commented that they tasted like sweet potatoes. I've gone from "Never again" to "Every year."

I'm with those who don't like canned potatoes. Yick. Or zucchini pickles. I would've counted zucchini pickles as a Year's Worst in '09.


----------



## Jenn27 (Jul 12, 2011)

Best: apple butter, spiced peaches, pineapple, raspberry jam, pizza sauce, ketchup
Worst: dill pickles (mush), strawberry peach applesauce (I couldn't remember if I put lemon juice in it and I'm afraid to eat it!)
Afraid to Try: pickled yellow squash, roasted red peppers (read so much controversy over using oil that I'm afraid to open them)

Clearly, I'm fairly new to canning :huh:


----------



## strawberrygirl (Feb 11, 2009)

Horseyrider said:


> Strawberry girl, I might've had to agree with you about the glazed carrots. First time we tried them we dumped them in a saucepan, heated them up, and ate them. They were barely tolerable. But someone here suggested draining the liquid into the pan, reducing it over moderately low heat by half, and then quickly adding the carrots to heat. The difference was night and day. My husband commented that they tasted like sweet potatoes. I've gone from "Never again" to "Every year."
> 
> I'm with those who don't like canned potatoes. Yick. Or zucchini pickles. I would've counted zucchini pickles as a Year's Worst in '09.


Thank you for the tip. I'll have to try that. :goodjob:


----------



## WildernesFamily (Mar 11, 2006)

Best: Zuke relish, applesauce and the grape juice

Worst: Pickled watermelon rind - we'd never had it before, and it was a LOT of work.. everyone in my family is just kinda... meh.. over it. This year the rinds go to the animals!


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Jenn27 said:


> Worst: strawberry peach applesauce (I couldn't remember if I put lemon juice in it and I'm afraid to eat it!)


OK, I gotta ask - why would you put lemon juice in applesauce?


----------



## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

Best: Paula Deen's peach honey and BBB beef stew.

Worst: Sloppy Joes, I quadrupled the recipe and by the time I got all of the water cooked out of it, it had a burnt taste. It was very disappointing as the recipe is one of my favorites. I won't try such a huge undertaking again.


----------



## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

Best-sweet pickles, sweet relish, blackberry jelly

One failure but usable for syrup, grape jelly which is now syrup, great over ice cream and pancakes.

Worst-dill pickles ewwwww.


----------

