Canning season,,,,,

Greetings!!

I can year round but of course the true canning season is when fresh produce is at it's peak.  Those of us who love to can will be busiest during the first fruits harvest and again during the main or secondary harvest towards the fall.

The first fruits has begun.  That is the cool weather crops that are planted very early and mature quickly or those planted last fall to be ready to harvest in the spring.  Cabbage, beets, early squash, snow peas and other early season crops should be ready in most areas now.

I have never made sauerkraut in all the years I have been canning.  This is going to be the year for me!!  I was going to try it last year but never got to it.  I am washing out some old crocks I have and getting things ready for the busy canning season ahead.

If you have never canned before it is not as hard as you think.  I taught myself to can some 30+ years ago.  I bought the Ball Blue Book of Canning.  It was less than $10 and well worth the investment!!  It is still available today.  I found an ad for it at Lowe's for just about $7 and have included a picture here.  This is actually their 100th Anniversary edition.  The book will give you all the basics to get started.  Teach you what type of foods get canned in a boiling water bath and which ones have to go in the pressure canner.  It will give you step by step instructions and some recipes to get you started.  It makes it so simple, if you can read, you can can just about anything!!

People ask me if canning is hard.  I do not believe it is hard but it is time consuming.  The preparation of the food will take quite a while depending on what you are doing.  For example, making spaghetti sauce is a 2 day project for me.  I take one day just to cook the sauce.  I like my sauce thick so once the tomatoes and other ingredients are prepped and I start cooking, it simmers all day.  I then store it in the fridge overnight and do the canning the next day.  Sometimes I manage to get it cooked and canned in the same day if I get an early enough start on it.  :-)  If you are including meat in the sauce you have to can it in a pressure canner which takes longer than a boiling water bath.  That will also add to the amount of time it takes.  I often can it without the meat as that can go in the boiling water and does not take as long.

The other thing I take into consideration when canning is meal size.  For example, a half pint of sauerkraut is the perfect size for just two people when eating hot dogs.  Canning it in larger jars would be a waste for me, but for larger families you would probably need to use the larger jars.  Conversely, I can my spaghetti sauce in quart size jars because anything less would not be enough.

Getting ready for canning season I will get out my jars and check them for any imperfections.  You don't want to use a jar that is cracked or chipped.  As long as they are kept in good shape canning jars can be used over and over again.  I also check the rings which hold the lids in place in the canner.  I throw out any rings that are rusted and replace them.  Otherwise in good shape they too can be reused.  The only thing that should really be replaced after each use are the lids.  Used lids often do not make a good tight seal which is essential for the preservation of the food.  Often times lids will get slightly bent when opening a jar for the first time, so discard them when finished.

After I am done with a jar of a canned item I wash it and the lid and dry them thoroughly.  I place them in a box I store jars in so they are ready for the next use.  Make sure you wash and sterilize your jars, rings and lids before using to prevent any bacteria from being in the jars during the canning process.

When I start making my sauerkraut I will take pictures along the way and have a post specifically about making sauerkraut.  Tomorrow I have more to share about canning and might share one of my favorite recipes.

Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!