# Canning greens?



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I want to can some kale. The directions say it needs to be wilted before putting it in the jars. Really?? Anyone know why, does it kill and enzyme, activate one, change it's pH?? I'd really like to skip this step, but not unless I know it's just so "more fits in the jar".


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

Yup. That would be my interpretation. It just won't fit enough in the jar to make the lid worth the cost unless it's wilted first. We had greens for dinner last night - couldn't get the lid on the pan to begin with, and ended up with just enough for the three of us. We wilt it before putting in the freezer too, so it doesn't take up so much room and doesn't shatter when someone accidentally puts a ham on top of it.
Kit


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=webcajun#p/u/48/XhhNYeKikq4

I love this guys videos. He has an awesome garden. This vid shows him canning greens.


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## StaceyS (Nov 19, 2003)

Great video! How do you guys find this stuff??


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Great video, Thanks for sharing...

But, just can't imagine canning greens in pint jars. Looking at that ol' boy, he would need to open a half dozen for a meal..
Book marked it


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

Oh, he does everything large! I subscribed to his youtube channel just to see what he comes up with next. You should see the onion harvest and storage... amazing.


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## Use Less (Nov 8, 2007)

Have you eaten canned greens? They used to serve us canned spinach (gov't?) when I was in grade school. Oh, yuck... It is about the color of army uniforms, and doesn't taste like fresh greens cooked up nice. Blanching, vac bag & freezing is much nicer. Maybe buy a can of commercial canned greens, like spinach or collards, and see if you can stand it before canning your own ;O Sue


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Thanks all, not too sure what I'll do. I think if I put it in un-wilted, I'll get closer to what I want. 

Use Less, yes I know what canned greens taste like, LOL. As a kid I loved canned spinach...wouldn't eat it unless it can from a can. Mom thought it was a good deal...she got spinach and salt in me (I have never liked salt in anything and wouldn't eat something if it was in it). However my kids have never had it...guess I "outgrew" that.

Since I already have 3 paint cans and a half gallon jar full of dried kale I was looking to try something else. I want to do pints (yep, the little ones) for soup. We don't eat "cooked greens" here with the exception of kale in my potato soup or kale or swiss chard in something. Never a stand alone, always a minor ingredient in something else. Since I have canned potatoes and canned ground meat all I need is some canned kale and I'm 90% of the way to soup....which can be a life saver some nights when we all walk in hungry NOW. Soup on the verge of ready to go means one less trip to the Golden Arches.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Ohio dreamer said:


> I think if I put it in un-wilted, I'll get closer to what I want. /QUOTE]
> 
> You must remember, the kale is going through a pressure canner, so the final product is not going to look like fresh kale. If you fill your jars without wilting it first, you are going to end up with a jar with about 1/2" of wilted kale in the bottom and nothing else. The pressure canner will wilt the kale whether you want it like that or not.
> 
> A few days ago, I canned swiss chard. I started out with a 30 gallon trash can (especially for the garden) PACKED FULL of washed and trimmed chard. When all was said and done, I ended up with 19 pints of finished product. That is a 13:1 ratio, just to give you an idea of how much it will shrink (wilt). That means it will take a little over 1-5/8 gallons of packed leaves to make a pint of canned chard.


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

Not sure how much of a difference 5 minutes makes, but my blue book says anything with meat needs 75 minutes. When I can collards I put about 1/4 the seasoning meat in that the guy in the video does. I go ahead and chop them and then wilt, just makes it easier to fill the jars.


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## garyinmississip (Aug 23, 2010)

Ohio dreamer said:


> ...Since I already have 3 *paint *cans and a half gallon jar full of dried kale ....



:run:

(Sorry, couldn't resist):grin:


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## toni48 (Mar 25, 2008)

I didn't understand what he put in for seasoning meat. Was it bacon at the bottom of the jar? Would you put it in raw or cook it first?


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## Use Less (Nov 8, 2007)

Y'all really need to learn to love southern style (or Italian style) greens & beans. My favorite  yum yum. Kale works well. Sue


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

suitcase_sally said:


> Ohio dreamer said:
> 
> 
> > I think if I put it in un-wilted, I'll get closer to what I want. /QUOTE]
> ...


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

fetch33 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=webcajun#p/u/48/XhhNYeKikq4
> 
> I love this guys videos. He has an awesome garden. This vid shows him canning greens.


He's got some cool vids. Thanks for sharing the link.


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## jkhs (Sep 17, 2010)

Rather than canning kale I like to freeze it. I steam it until it's done, throw it into the blender until it's pureed, then freeze it in ice cube trays. Whenever I need some for soup I just pop a couple of cubes into the pot. A freezer baggie of kale cubes takes up a lot less room than a bunch of pint jars an added bonus it that my picky kids don't realize they're eating kale.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

LOL! That sounds like kale baby food.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

suitcase_sally said:


> You must remember, the kale is going through a pressure canner, so the final product is not going to look like fresh kale. If you fill your jars without wilting it first, you are going to end up with a jar with about 1/2" of wilted kale in the bottom and nothing else. The pressure canner will wilt the kale whether you want it like that or not.


Sorry, we went on vacation and just got back.

The reason I was planing to skip the wilt was time. I know less will fit in the jar, but since all my recipe only call for 1/2-1 handful of fresh I figured less in the jar would be closer to the recipe amount I need. It wilts in the recipes we use it in so I don't think the fact the it wilts in the caner will make a difference (it goes in things like soup, lasagna, etc...long cook foods). I only need what would fit in half pint for any given recipe (like I think I mentioned before kale is an ingredient for us, not the "main veg")

Why not just freeze?...space. My freezer is already busting at the seams and I need to can up what is in there so I can fit any booty DH brings home from hunting into it. Running the freezer take $, and DH is looking at the one we have and starting to think it needs a brother...that's more $ for the purchase and then to run it. I already own the jars and tattler lids (the re-usable ones) so there is no more out of pocket $ if I can it.

Looking at everything else that I need to get down, I'm betting I no longer have time to even other messing with the kale (the 2 weeks between travel went too fast and I fell behind).....maybe I'll just dry up a few more cans full and call it even.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

garyinmississip said:


> :run:
> 
> (Sorry, couldn't resist):grin:


Yes, I meant paint cans.....I get them from Sherwin Williams and use them for all our dry goods. My pantry is full of paint cans with flour, homemade mixes, etc. My long term storage (wheat berries, etc) are in icing buckets.


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## garyinmississip (Aug 23, 2010)

Learn something new everyday.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Paint cans make excellent storage containers, if you put them where they don't rust.


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## deb_77 (May 21, 2010)

I love donald. I subscribed to him nearly a year ago and still enjoy watching his videos.


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