Canning Basics - Baby Steps

When I was young, we lived near my great-grandmother.  Every summer, my mother and great-grandmother both had large gardens and preserved the bounty each fall.  At the time, us kids couldn't stand canning season, because of the vinegar smell we had to endure on pickle canning day.  I was too young to appreciate being able to grow and preserve food for your family to enjoy all year long. 

I will never forget the time I went into my grandmother's pantry to get some salsa she had canned.  I had made some dip, and wanted to add her yummy salsa to it.  However, something did not taste right.  Well, the jars weren't marked, and I couldn't tell the difference between a jar of salsa and a jar of spaghetti sauce.  I was hoping for Mexican, not Italian!

A few years ago, I decided to try my hand at canning.  My grandmother passed away 12 years ago, and my mother is halfway across the states from me, so I didn't have the benefit of hands on learning.  My first experience was canning salsa.  I always make it fresh, but thought it would be nice to pull some out of the pantry at any time.  I didn't read up on canning very thoroughly, instead just jumped right in.  I made my salsa, filled my hot jars, then watered bathed them for the alloted time.  As I waited for the "popping sound", I decided to look up some info online.  What?  It said I needed an approved recipe, as it is possible to create botulism if the acidity was not high enough.  I was so worried I would give my family botulism.  I prayed as I opened each jar, "Please keep my family safe from botulism, Lord".  I guess I could have thrown the salsa out, but I had worked so hard I couldn't bare to.

Not long after the salsa incident, a friend taught me to make strawberry jam.  I loved, but couldn't stand the amount of sugar used.  I was told that non-sugar recipes really didn't work, or taste very good.  I gave up on jam...until recently.  I listened in on a phone seminar given by Marilyn Moll of The Urban Homemaker, with guest Lisa Vitello of New Harvest Homestead.  I learned that you could make delicious jam with honey, or even no sugar at all.  I was introduced to Pamona's Pectin, which works wonders with these types of recipes. 

If you are just starting out, I would recommend getting some Pamona's Pectin.  I wanted to make a small batch, just to test it out.  I took out only a few jars and started boiling the jars and lids in a huge pot.  I have a water bath canner, but since I was only making a few jars I figured a large pot would work.  I could cover the jars with boiling water.  I chopped up some peaches and plums, threw them in a pot with some fresh apple juice, a stick of cinnamon, and a few cloves.  I let it simmer for a bit, then started mashing.  I followed the remaining instructions from the pectin box.  I also have a Ball's Blue Book, which is helpful.  Here is my mini-bounty and my baby step toward learning to preserve food for my family!

October 10, 2007

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Good for you! Would love some recipes for non sugar jams..... most jam recipes have so much sugar in them!!! Yikes!!!

I canned for the first time this year...... it went well and oh my the taste of homemade applesauce can not be beat! So worth the efforts and time!

Blessings,
gloria

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Posted by blessedmomof10 at 11:06 PM

October 11, 2007

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Excellent advice!!

I too have the Ball Blue book, and it is a God-send!!
I made All Day Apple Butter (recipe on my blog) , chunky applesauce and Carmel Apple Butter (on grandma rosies blog) and used honey in the raw on all three..........you have to reduce the amount IE: if it calls for 3 cups of white sugar, use 1 3/4 cup honey.......but the taste is outstanding.

Your bounty is beautiful!!
Laura

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Posted by gokings13 at 3:47 AM

October 11, 2007

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love hte pamona pectin, thanks again to HSB2!!

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Posted by morningsunshine at 11:01 AM

October 21, 2007

Hi

This was a great post. So good that I have used this post in The Homesteading Carnival #21: A Little Bit of Everything Edition-http://www.homesteadblogger.com/SuperHorseSteader/73582/
Please stop by and have a look at this week's carnival!!
As Always,
Amanda

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Posted by SuperHorseSteader at 11:28 PM

October 27, 2007

Sounds like a great find

Thanks for sharing about it. I will have to look into it the next time I get an itch to make jam!

Carol

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Posted by MissionaryMom at 11:49 AM

November 9, 2007

Hello!

I wanted to let you know that this post was entered into the 23rd Homsteading Carnival!
You can see the Carnival here:
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/jacquedixon/75130/
Blessings!
-Jacque

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Posted by FruitfulVineof7SoFar at 3:17 PM