# Dixie Bee's 2014 canning journal



## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Thought I would start a thread documenting my canning this year.

Photo shows what has been done as of today, July 13, 2014. Not including items already used.



Early in the year, late winter, early spring 4.5 gallons maple syrup.

6-24: 
9 half pints raspberry jam
3 pints beets
1 pint banana peppers

6-29:
7 pints chunked chicken

6-30:
4 pints beets
3 quarts chicken soup base

7-2:
7 quarts green beans
( blanched and froze another 5 qts green beans)
3 pints banana peppers
1 pint jalepeno peppers

7-3:
Started my saure kraut

7-4:
14 quarts green beans
(2 qts green beans frozen)

7-7:
14 quarts green beans
4 pints banana peppers
2 pints jalepeno peppers
3 quarts beets

7-8:
5 quarts beets
1 pint beets

7-9:
14 quarts green beans
(4 qts green beans frozen)
7 pints dived potatoes
9 half pints raspberry jam

7-13:
7 pints sweet pickle relish
4 pints banana peppers
1 pint jalepeno peppers



I will update this thread as I continue stocking my pantry throughout the year.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

GREAT JOB!! They are beautiful!!


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

Dont you just love staring at the "fruits of your labor"? I love going into my pantry and looking at all the jars and I thank the Lord everyday for the bounty he has given us. 

Looks good!


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Yes, I love it. Great feeling of pride in seeing that no matter what lies ahead financially, my children will eat, good food provided by God's blessings and our hard work.

Right now we are at the point of having too much green beans. They don't seem to sell too well at farmers market. But too much good food is a wonderful problem to have.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

7-14:
14 quarts and 8 pints green beans


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Awesome job!
It is a great feeling of satisfaction isn't it?:happy2:


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Thank you. And yes, it is, but I am about sick of green beans. My kids picked close to 50 pounds this morning, I am half way through those now. But by Thursday will be easily able to pick another 50#.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

7-15:
3 quarts and one gallon green beans blanched and froze

7-16:
5 quarts sweet pickles.


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## Guest (Jul 16, 2014)

Hugs...thank you so much for sharing your canning updates.

Nothing from my garden yet to can just a few squash and very little green beans so far.

Hamburger 80/20 was on sale for $2.69 a lb...bought close to 26lbs and canned Tomato sauce w/meat....Taco meat...I made 90-swedish meatballs but wasn't sure how to can them in the cream sauce? the already made swedish meatballs were foodsavered along with the rest of the raw meat and put into the freezer.

London Broil was also on sale for $2.49 a lb..I cut it into chunks and slices and canned it.

Today I had leftover Black Cherries and I canned a simple recipe of 1-cups of cherries,1/2-cup sugar filled with boiling hot water in quart jars and water bathed canned them..now I have cherry juice!


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

7-17:
3 quarts and 1 pint chunked chicken pieces.
Also vacuum sealed and froze several chicken breasts and tenders.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Dixie Bee, I don't know if you're still dealing with the mega-crop of green beans, but perhaps I have an idea for you. You see, I've been there too. 

The washing was a big chore until inspiration struck and I threw a whole bunch into the hand wash cycle of my washing machine. They were very gently handled, washed and then spun dry, and were made ready to snap while my hands were free to do other things.


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## mollymae (Feb 10, 2010)

Horsey....I've done that with greens in a mesh laundry bag. Worked very well actually. I never thought about it with green beans but I'll give it a try! GB are a whole lot of work that is so very worth it! They are a must have at our house....along with pinkeyed purple hulls of course. And some cornbread. And some tomatoes. Oh gosh...and the okra


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Now that sounds like something I might try. Thanks for the idea.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Not something I canned, but canning related. Today my dad gave me some more of my grandmas old canning jars. In a lot of about 5 dozen jars, there were also about 20 old wire bale Ball jars, some clear, some blue. Also, several boxes, a couple new unopened, of rubber rings for the wire bale jars. Then there were a few glass lids that were used with regular canning rings, and probably 2 or 3 dozen, pocelen lined zinc lids. Of those, there is a box of brand new ones.

How long has it been since zinc lids were used or even available?

Obviously, I won't be canning with the wire bale jars, or a few of the older jars; blue ones and one kind of a pinkish tinge to it, but they are still pretty cool. My wife wants me to build a shelf around the kitchen, about 12 inches from the ceiling, and line it with the old jars, filled with beans, rice, pop corn, etc.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Dixie Bee, one thing's for sure, it's warm up there! I have a nine foot ceiling in my laundry room, and that's where I stow most of my canned goods. While I didn't run a shelf all around the room, I did put shelves over the windows for exactly what you describe. Also, the highest shelf over the washer and dryer is for dehydrated foods. It's nice to have another place to store dried goods.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

The glass dome jars work great for mustard pickles, the pickles eat the regular lids after a couple years....James


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

7-21:
6 quarts spicy pickles
5 quarts and 1 pint sweet pickles


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

7-22:
9 pints and 1 quart sweet pickle relish


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

7-30:
9 pints sweet pickle relish.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

7-31:
6 quarts dill pickles; some whole, some spears, some sliced
6 pints sweet pickles
1 pint sweet pickled jalepenos
5 pints banana peppers


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## Groene Pionier (Apr 23, 2009)

Fantastic job Dixie Bee! Thank you for posting


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## MamaTiger (Jun 11, 2008)

Inspiring post!


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

8-5:
7 quarts green beans

Edit to add:
7 pints whole kernal corn.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

8-6:
6 quarts dill pickles
5 quarts and 2 pints bread n butter pickles


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## Werforpsu (Aug 8, 2013)

Out of curiosity, what do you do with so many pickles...I have made 10 pints of dill pickles and I feel like i don't need much more then that for a year!


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Well, good question. My cucumbers hardly produced last year, this year they are producing quite well. If I make 2-3 years worth of pickles, then I don't have to worry too much if they don't produce well next year.
But, of all the dill pickles, some are spears, some are whole (which my daughter loves) and some are sliced thin for hamburgers and such.


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

we do the same thing with our veggies and stuff...you never know what the next year will bring so you make the most of what you have in good years.


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

I do the same thing, can when we get the stuff and don't have to worry when the garden stinks like this year. We're eating pickles I canned in 2010 right now. Crisp and nice. I do have to remember to put them on every sandwich to use them, tho. I do like Melissa, grind them up when I need relish to make chicken or tuna salad, mix with mayo for tarter sauce when we have fish, etc. My big hangup is remembering to use the stuff. We try to have a small dish of fruit with lunch and dinner when we don't have fresh fruit. I add fruit to my oatmeal. 
Thank you for posting about your canning! Wish I'd thought about keeping track of what I canned this year. Felt I was doing good to keep track of what we are given from the veggie vendor, and I'm on page four of a regular spiral notebook so far. 

Dehydrate everything you can, too. It will save jars and space.


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## Junkman (Dec 17, 2005)

I am into green beans now but have an abundance of hot peppers. Bought some plants of hot instead of bell green. They are round, look like reg. green peppers and now some turning red. We are not great hot pepper eaters. Any suggestions what I can do with my crop? I am amazed of all the work you have done. My dear friend in KY is a fantastic preserver also.Jklady


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

8-9:
6 pints sweet corn


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

8-12:
5 quarts and 1 pint tomato sauce


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> 8-9:
> 6 pints sweet corn



What is the name of the corn you canned. I canned corn one year and we didnt like it...I am thinking that maybe because it was just to sweet or that I waited to long to can. I have already bought my seeds for next year and I am going to plant Heirloom Golden Bantam Yellow corn and try canning that.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

This corn is golden bantam sweet corn. First time growing it. I picked this variety because it is an old heirloom variety, but I will say, I am not impressed with it at all. 
Some varieties I have grown in the past seem to all be ready to pick at the same time (same planting date), but this stuff, not so much.
The flavor is good, but I am not at all impressed by the production of it, but, that said, this year has given us some rather unusual weather, so maybe I shouldn't write it off just yet.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Dixie Bee Acres said:


> This corn is golden bantam sweet corn. First time growing it. I picked this variety because it is an old heirloom variety, but I will say, I am not impressed with it at all.
> Some varieties I have grown in the past seem to all be ready to pick at the same time (same planting date), but this stuff, not so much.
> The flavor is good, but I am not at all impressed by the production of it, but, that said, this year has given us some rather unusual weather, so maybe I shouldn't write it off just yet.


I tried Golden Bantam a few years ago and came to the same conclusion. It was very corny-tasting, but not very sweet...more like field corn.


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

Also not a fan of the Golden Bantam.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

I think the reason most of us don't care for golden bantam, is because we have become accustomed to the super sweet hybrids. Until golden bantam was introduced/developed, white corn was the staple table corn. Then about 100 years ago or so, golden bantam was introduced, a far cry sweeter and more tender than almost any of the white corn varieties. (I also grow truckers favorite white corn, it makes GB taste like pure sugar).
Once people got a taste for sweeter corn, every few years there has been more varieties introduced that keep getting sweeter and sweeter.


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

mammabooh said:


> I tried Golden Bantam a few years ago and came to the same conclusion. It was very corny-tasting, but not very sweet...more like field corn.


See, this is what DH was raised up on field corn...we have been raising Bodacious and Silver Queen but I dont think it freezes or cans well. So this year I didnt put any up because I usually end up giving it to the chickens every year when I freeze it. Thats why I thought I would try the Bantam next year...I also dont like it really sweet..


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

8-17:
7 pints sweet corn
Add
7 quarts tomato sauce


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Dixie Bee Acres, you don't have your location listed in your profile, so where are you generally located? My garden here in South eastern Michigan is not doing nearly so great. How big is your garden?


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

My gardens total slightly over half acre. I'm in central Indiana


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Well, that explains it! Approximately 21K sq. ft. My garden is about 25 x 35. I have another one but I didn't till it this year, and at our cabin, I'm growing squash and potatoes. It's about 90 x 90, but we only planted about 1/3 of it.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

I'm expanding another 1200-1500 sqft next year, plus possibly renting an acre just for sweet corn.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

8-20:
13 pints potatoes


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Quick shot from today, sorry I can't open bottom left cabinet door, there are a few cases of empty jars in the way. Still have a couple dozen jars in another cabinet and on a shelf in the laundry room. I need more shelves.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

8-21:
1.5 pints hot sauce
11 quarts tomato sauce


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

Hi DBA ! Do you pressure can mostly ? Your tomato sauce ? 

I am new to canning, only done waterbath jam ..... have a brand new pressure canner, not sure where to start !


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

No, I waterbath the sauce, 45 minutes for quarts. I put between 1 1/2 and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per quart jar.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

8-25:
8 pints and one quart salsa


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

8-27:
14 quarts tomato sauce


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

8-28:
15 pints of salsa


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

My brother asked me, yesterday, for my salsa recipe. I chuckled and told him, i don't really have one.
Today I diced up a lot of tomatoes till I had about a gallon of tiny pieces, then I chopped up two very large onions, 6 big bell peppers, a good sized bunch of cilantro, and about 70-80 jalepenos.
Mixed it all together, added a pint of tomato sauce, about 7 or 8 teaspoons salt, and a good splash of vinegar.( probably 1/4-1/3 cup). Cooked it until it was hot, filled pint jars, added a tablespoon of lime juice per jar, then capped and waterbathed it. 
Oh, and several hearty shakes of garlic powder.
I just add till it looks good, after heating it, I taste test it, if it tastes good, I'm done.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Do you keep track of each days "recipe" so when you eat it and like it (or not) you can make or not make it again? Sometimes the best is trial and error....James


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

No, because I don't actually measure anything other than the lime juice.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

9-10:
11 pints salsa


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