Home Canning, meats, veggies, soups ?

I can foods too, but there is way too much info to post it all here.  Get a few good books like the ball blue book and many others and have fun

Brent, check out this website. http://nchfp.uga.edu You will need a pressure canner to can meat. A good starter size pressure is 22-26 qt size. The presto is the inexpensive choice, the All American is the expensive choice but doesn't have a rubber gasket. It's serious stuff because botulism is nasty. PM Etienne, he has it down to a science. Scott

I really want to try too. We make jams n jellies all the time, my fam back home cans all sorts of veggies and fruit. I would like to make canned elk and deer to see what it would be like. Ducks too.

Great thread all.

I did ~30 lbs of pickles this September. I did three different recipes and all were very well received. I've done water cured olives the last 3 years, I currently have 30 lbs in a vinegar based brine trying for a Tuscan style olive.

I've done clams and I love how they come out, and the sweet spot seems to be about 10-14 months in the jar. I pickled herring last year and wasn't really happy with the results. The canned herring was good though.

There is something very relaxing about home canning. It's almost like meditation, in the same way fishing is for me. Its art and science and zen.

Do any of you make cheese?  That's on my list of things to try my hand at.

Can salsa be made in the pressure canner? Or would the heat destroy it?

salsa is an excellent choice for the beginner... I can all my garden veggies and fruits, salsas and jams. Just started canning chilis and fish.  Anything with meats should be done after you get some experience. 

I use a 22 qt mirro matic. It's a family hand me down. Made back when they were still made in America!  Once they moved production overseas they went to shit.

Crash,

We have made cheese but to keep costs down find someone that sells milk from their farm below supermarket prices if you don't have your own animals. We have plenty on the coast.  The less processed before you get it the better it will process into cheese.  Like organic whole milk.  Look up the 30 min mozzarella recipe on the Internet and try that first.  Other cheeses need forms and weights or press to squeeze water out before storing them.  Then hey have to be in a controlled cold storage for best results.  An old refrigerator, wine storage or cool basement can work.  Some take months to years to age properly. 

I do all kinds of pickled vegetables from standard cukes to homemade giardineira to Armenian-style pink turnips. I haven't done any aged cheeses yet but have done several batches of fresh goat cheese and have been pretty happy with the results as well.

Agree completely with Crash - theres something cathartic about canning and cheese-making (beer/wine/cider-making as well) not only while making it, but also everytime you open a jar of pickles or a pour a nice pint of cider. Some friends and I got together with friends a few weeks ago and canned several cases of pickled dill beans, many of which were given away as holiday gifts. They're delicious already and I'll be lucky if they make it through the winter !

Be careful though, pickling gets addictive ...

 

I have a old American alloy pressure canner that I got off eBay a few years back after a tuna trip.
 Very well built, heavy duty but not cheap, I think I payed 250 for it.
Best damn caned tuna ever!

Great info, cant wait to start..

Scott, as you mentioned with meats, the botulism does concern me. I guess I should start with veggies.

Does botulism infected meat have a distinct smell, if I say open a can of lentil soup with ham in it, will I be able to smell some funk if its spoiled?

I went back and fixed my first post. I typed 32 quart but meant 23 quart and even have a picture of a 23 quart canner.

As for botulism.  The spores that contain it are found in dirt.  Vegetables like green beans, corn, beets all have to be pressure canned.  The high heat and pressure is what kills it.  Can't get that by boiling alone.  The bacteria grows when the air is removed.  That's why fresh veggies are okay. You can tell if meats are spoiled by smell but not because of botulism.  You need to make sure all lids seal and when opened you hear the air come back in when opened.  But to make sure the botulism is killed follow the time and pressure for each recipe.  If the pressure falls below the designated lbs you have to start over. 

It is good to be aware of bacterias and how and when they grow but don't go paranoid.  There are not that many reported cases each year even though some are reported. 

Not nuch more insight to add to this in-depth thread, but here's some of my experiences...

3 large albacore yielded 60 low profile ball jars even after some meat was already eaten fresh &  or cured, ie- tunabelly gravlox. We, a 3 person family, had tuna whenever we  wished for 18 months and about 10 cans were gifted away.

The US Gov sponsors canning information and standard practices have been developed. This material can be found on the interweb and is very informative. This is were I learned that freezing something for a period before canning doubles a can's shelf life.

Clean rims on jars is absolutely essential! A small spec of food between the gasket and jar can cause a broken seal over time. Tap lids before opening to eat to verify they are still under vacuum. You can hear a difference from a jar with a broken seal. A cake frosting pouch can be cut with a large opening to serve as a wide flexible funnel for packing the cans, helping to avoid food getting on the rims.

The larger the pressure cooker the better its value for canning, but the less useful it becomes for normal cooking. I have a small unit for everyday meals and a fatty for canning. Everyday meals cooked under pressure are amazing and tenderize any meat. Squid steaks are amazing after pressure cooking. The fatty pot is also the vessel I use to boil 6 or 7 dungies at a time. For the small pot a type known as the Futura is absolutely great.

It's wise to get an established brand because it is an investment that will need some maintanence. Occasionally gaskets need replacing, weights get lost,  safety valves clog, or pressure indicators get broken. A good pot will let you service all these pieces.

Canning makes people very happy.