# tips, reasons, why you do it etc.?



## jamala (May 4, 2007)

I am teaching a canning class this month for our home school group. I know why I can my foods and my tips etc but I want other ideas to share. What is your best canning tip? Why do you can? Favorite thing to have in a jar and why? I am going to type them up to share with my group.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

We don't need to can a lot but want 2 years of what we do use, just in case we have a bad year. We don't like to can anything that God put in it's own storage vessel. We eat in season but extend seasons, use when ready and butcher as needed, mostly small animals. We don't freeze much, corn cut off the cob, stores flat and fish. Tomatoes are a big item for us, juice and diced. We can them plain, then make what we need. Catsup, Salsa, and such. Cook down for sauces as used. Canning is costly and time consuming. We can some items for easy or emergency meals, potatoes, carrots, sauerkraut, meat, etc. Or things before they spoil. Favorite is canned fish, salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and tuna. Favorite off season meal, canned fish, sprouted wheat cracker and a few cheese curds....James 

Canned goods
fish 200 pints
potatoes 20 pints
carrots 20 pints
sauerkraut 20 pints
rabbit 5-10 pints
chicken 5-10 pints
green beans 60 pints
tomatoes canned in tomato juice 30 quarts, 60 pints
tomato juice 60 quarts, 50 pints
sliced apples 80 quarts
pears 100 quarts
pear juice 100 quarts
peaches 40 quarts


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I can for multiple reasons. I can store food for longer canned than in the freezer and have much more food on hand than if I relied on the freezer alone. I love having meals, like stew or chili, ready to go. Most importantly, it's one of the ways I preserve our garden to eat all year round. 

I don't think the price of canning is high compared to buying store canned food (which I think is disgusting!) or driving to the store all the time to get food. I live an hour from an affordable grocery store and canning means I don't have to go to the store very often. Some things, like canning my own beans is significantly more cost effective. It also allows me to buy meat on sale and can for the future, "recession proofing" my food costs.

I also love the connection to past traditions of farming and putting up food.


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## bigjon (Oct 2, 2013)

grandpa taught me how to can what he grew,now i can what i grow.....


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## bigjon (Oct 2, 2013)

grandpa taught me how to can what he grew,now i can what i grow......


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

If someone decides to start canning they need to get the word out that they need jars. Family and friends will often have some or know someone that does. Also check Craig's List, yard sales and second hand stores to help save on costs.

I don't feel that canning is costly, after you get the initial supplies. And running two canners cuts down on the time.

As far as the reason I like to can, I like knowing what is in there. I also really enjoy looking at the rows of jars and seeing my food. 

My favorite thing to have jarred is meat. I'm not one to plan meals ahead, so when I decide on something, I don't like to have to wait for it to thaw and with it canned, it almost becomes fast food, it's so quick to throw together a meal.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

We started canning because of our daughters food allergies. We needed to know exactly what was in her food. Now we do it because of almost instant meals. Home made fast food.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

I can because a family of 9 eats a lot! I like knowing what is in my food & how it is processed. 

My tip is spreading the word that you will take unwanted jars. I have gotten a lot of unusable jars, but also received 100's of good canning jars.

I love having soups & stews canned. Pop the lid, dump in a kettle & heat. YUMMY!


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I cann because I grow food. 99% of what I cann comes from our land/gardens/orchard. My favorite canned item is meat. Instant meat can be used 12 months a year, even when I don't used canned veggies because there is fresh in the garden.


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

Pinto, garbanzo, kidney beans--because it saves so much money and sauerkraut because it is so delicious.

I use a pasteurization method for the sauerkraut. http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/f...ling/making-fermented-pickles-and-sauerkraut/

I always use a University Extension approved method. I fear poisoning others through improperly canned food more than I fear poisoning myself.:facepalm:


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

jamala said:


> I am teaching a canning class this month for our home school group. I know why I can my foods and my tips etc but I want other ideas to share.
> *What is your best canning tip?* .


Mis En Place
(mee sin plause)
Everything has it's place.

When canning, get EVERYTHING out that you need....

Get out your recipe, all the ingredients, all equipment, all fruit (portioned out if you can) cans, lids, bands, etc.
Plenty of towels to wipe hands and counters with.
Estimate your time commitment, then do not allow anything get in the way of accomplishing the task.


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

jamala said:


> Why do you can? Favorite thing to have in a jar and why? I am going to type them up to share with my group.


*Why do I can?*

I know what's in my soil. 
I know what's in the water and compost I use to nourish.
I know where my seeds came from.
I know what goes into each jar (ingredients).
So knowing....everything...is important to me.

*Favorite thing in a Jar and Why*

There is a deep, soulfull satisfaction in taking a seed in a little cup of dirt in March.....and by the end of September, it's a beautiful plum tomato in a jar waiting to be turned into bolognese!!


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Thank you all so much! Great things for me to share with newbies.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I can because it connects me to generations past, people who did it for survival, for health, and just because it's what was done. I don't have a lot of biological family connection; canning and homemaking skills somehow make me feel like I belong somewhere. (Yeah, weird, but that's one of my reasons.)

I can because we want to preserve the healthful food we've raised and grown here. As Laura noted, we know what is (and is not) in the food we produce. We take such care with our crops and animals, why would we NOT want to preserve it for year-round use?

Meat is one of our favorites, too. This week, I was fortunate to put up a couple dozen pints of rabbit and chicken. :thumb:

Lately, Nick has taken more of an interest in the mechanics of canning. That's been nice, to spend time with him processing the bounty of our 'stead. One more activity to share with the love of my life. :kiss:

Agree with the posters who suggest getting the word out about jars. It's astounding how many TOTALLY EMPTY jars are sitting around in basements, attics, old kitchen cupboards, just waiting to be put back into use. 

Jamala, do let us know how your class goes.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Oh! Forgot a tip!

Always add vinegar to the processing water, especially if you have a lot of lime in your water supply. Keeps the outside of the jars a lot cleaner!


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I can because we live in a remote off-grid cabin 4 hours from the nearest grocery store and often snowbound for several months in winter. We don't have a refrigerator and our freezer is tiny (5 cu ft) so shelf stable food is essential.

Buying in bulk 3-4 times a year and then canning it saves us lots of time and money. Canning might take a lot of time and propane, but it's still significantly less expensive than an 8-hour round trip for groceries more frequently, plus a full tank of gas in the truck each trip, or extra gas for the generator or more PV panels to make more power for fridge/freezer.

We can because our growing season is only 100 days and it is often too difficult to feed and house our meat on the hoof through the winter when it's -40. We must grow a lot of food all at once because you can't succession plant easily in that short growing season. We eat fresh (picked that day fresh) while we're able, but we end up with several hundred pounds of produce coming to harvest all at once in the end of August, and several hundred pounds of meat from slaughter & hunting in November. There's no other way to keep the more perishable fresh long... we start canning the most perishable items first and end with canning however many "keepers" we know we can't consume before they start going bad.

We can at home because commercial canned goods gets expensive, we don't have any control over what's in it, and metal cans generate a lot of refuse because they're single-use (we have to haul our recycling into town as well!).

We can because it's wonderful to have healthy ready-meals waiting in the pantry so we don't always have to cook a meal from scratch. If one of us is home alone, is hungry when the other isn't, or we've been out working all day, it's great to be able to grab a jar or two of something that's good to go!

*Best Tip:* Plan what you want to eat and what portions make sense for your family with no leftovers. Only can those foods in those sizes. Don't can in quarts if your family can only eat a pint, and don't can several large jars of pickled beets when only one person will eat them... it leads to wasted food and space, and makes you reluctant to use your pantry foods more often. Also, canning the majority of your food in the same size jar will save you money because you can often get significant discounts buying in bulk -- the amount of jars you need to feed a family from the pantry are much more affordable purchase by the gross or pallet.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Pony said:


> Oh! Forgot a tip!
> 
> Always add vinegar to the processing water, especially if you have a lot of lime in your water supply. Keeps the outside of the jars a lot cleaner!


But don't do this if you have a lot of iron in your water since it will leave dark stains on your jars


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## Sammilynn (Dec 28, 2013)

Pony said:


> Oh! Forgot a tip!
> 
> Always add vinegar to the processing water, especially if you have a lot of lime in your water supply. Keeps the outside of the jars a lot cleaner!


I don't have any tips since I'm fairly new to canning, but I'm going to use this one! Thanks!


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Thanks, I will let y'all know how it goes. I am surprised how many are getting interested in this as just a few years ago I was looked at like I was doing something strange when canning. I am excited to teach this skill and hopefully they will all enjoy and learn something. I have about 30 signed up now.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Tip for those serious about canning and really intending to feed their family with what they've put up: get more equipment than the basics!

Get multiple thermometers including a high-temp candy one and an instant-read, litmus paper and a pH meter, a brine hydrometer, a good food mill with various screens, and a good digital scale that measures in imperial and metric with an adjustable automatic tare weight. 

If you can a lot all at once, having multiple canners lets you keep going in rotation. You can prep and fill the 2nd one while the 1st is processing, prep and fill the 3rd while the 1st is cooling down and the 2nd is processing... and then back to the 1st. And it never hurts to have a small canner that only does a few pints/quarts so you don't need to lug out the big monster just to process a small batch really quick... you're much more likely to use it for leftovers and small surpluses that way.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

PlicketyCat said:


> But don't do this if you have a lot of iron in your water since it will leave dark stains on your jars


Hey! I didn't know that! Thanks!

Lime is very present in our water supply, so that's why the vinegar.


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## gimpy (Sep 18, 2007)

Since I don't have dog teeth and jaws designed for eating bone I cook down the skeletons of the animals we butcher. I pressure cook them over 3 days until the bones are so soft and brittle that all that bony goodness is into stock. Then I can the stock and use it as a liquid for soups and stews. Water doesn't add flavor and commercial stock doesn't take it to this extreme to get all the nutrients.

I had a rare form of osteoporosis and the bone specialist laughed when I told him that when I started doing this I could feel my bones improving as I ate this stock. Then he did the bone density scan and scratched his head and said, "Yes, your bones are improving."


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

gimpy said:


> Since I don't have dog teeth and jaws designed for eating bone I cook down the skeletons of the animals we butcher. I pressure cook them over 3 days until the bones are so soft and brittle that all that bony goodness is into stock. Then I can the stock and use it as a liquid for soups and stews. Water doesn't add flavor and commercial stock doesn't take it to this extreme to get all the nutrients.
> 
> I had a rare form of osteoporosis and the bone specialist laughed when I told him that when I started doing this I could feel my bones improving as I ate this stock. Then he did the bone density scan and scratched his head and said, "Yes, your bones are improving."


3 days huh,thanks I was woundering how long it took to cook down bones.


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## chester5731 (Jul 6, 2011)

Terri in WV said:


> I don't feel that canning is costly, after you get the initial supplies. And running two canners cuts down on the time.
> 
> I usually run two canners also. It sure does go a lot faster.


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## chester5731 (Jul 6, 2011)

Pony said:


> Oh! Forgot a tip!
> 
> Always add vinegar to the processing water, especially if you have a lot of lime in your water supply. Keeps the outside of the jars a lot cleaner!


I used to add vinegar but quit doing it. The vinegar seems to make the bands rust faster.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

chester5731 said:


> I used to add vinegar but quit doing it. The vinegar seems to make the bands rust faster.


I haven't had that issue, but I do wash the rings as soon as the jars are cool.


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

I use vinegar too, it stops the white powder from lime in the water from making my jars white and powdery looking. I always rinse the rings as soon as I take them off, before storing the jars. The worst rust for my jars came from leaving the rings on the jars, I don't do that anymore.

Does anyone else remember a woman on ST, she is 'rancher's wife' now, she taught a series of food preservation for a group? She had a great outline of the things she was covering. She might be a good resource for the OP on teaching preservation techniques. This was at least 3 years ago.


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## gimpy (Sep 18, 2007)

7thswan said:


> 3 days huh,thanks I was woundering how long it took to cook down bones.


Usually 6 hours the first day. Turn it off overnight. 4 hours the next day...turn it off. 2 hours the third day then let it cool to the point that I can fish out most of the crumbled bones with tongs, strain the rest and can it.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

It is all the minerals and collagen in real broth made from boiled down carcasses that makes chicken soup such good "medicine". Meat canned bone-in has a similar nutritional boost. Just using flavored water won't pack the same punch. Real broth should be a bit cloudy and gelatinous at room temperature.

Most chicken/rabbit/fish bones cook down completely with very little bits left over; large beef/pork/etc bones should be fished out, cracked to expose the marrow, cooked down some more and then strained out (crush them up and add them to the garden compost!).

We leave our bones in a kettle on the woodstove in winter to cook down, adding water as needed. It isn't necessary to rapidly boil or pressure cook bones if that method doesn't work for your lifestyle, a long slow cook at lower temps does the trick, too.


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## Peggy (Feb 14, 2010)

I can because I don't like the chemicals in the food you buy at the grocery store. I like buying local foods. Plus I enjoy canning.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

The class went great! Thank you all!


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

Oh darn, I read the first page thinking all along the way, of the reasons that I like to can. Hope you don't mind if I add them even though the class is over.

In addition to wanting to can because I know the food in the jar has been properly handled in the cleanest of conditions; I also can because:

Instead of adding a tin can and label to the landfill for each can opened, we only throw out that small disc of flat metal - or sometimes there is absolutely no waste when I want to keep and reuse the flat.

Another nice reason to can is that sometimes I start daydreaming and wonder about the life of those that have used these jars so many times before I even got them. Oh, how I wish they could talk.

*jamala*: I'm glad your class went so well. Thanks for getting us to think and remember why we do this. Sometimes I need the reminder when I'm worn out and facing a mountain of produce!


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Thanks for sharing, I will add your reasons to my list I am teaching another one in March.


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