I was recently asked about the canning part of this blog... and so I thought an explanation would be in order.
We are currently at the start of May, 2022. This is a major in-between season for canning. In the winter, it's very common to can meats and broths and prepared dinners. In the summer, during the big harvest (and farmers' markets), it's time to can produce and prepare for winter.
Spring is a time of starting seeds (for that summer produce) and using the canned goods from the previous winter and summer harvests.
So I haven't been posting about canning, much, because I haven't been actively canning. I have been cooking with some of my canned goods, however, and I will endeavor to be better about sharing what I make with my home-canned goods!
First, a bit of an introduction.
My Canning Journey. I first began to explore home canning about 6-7 years ago. Like so many others, my gateway canning items were water-bath canning things like pickles, jam, and tomato sauce. But always just a few, and with a lot of trepidation.
In 2016, at a neighborhood-wide garage sale, I bought my first pressure canner, a Presto canner. I promptly started reading up on pressure canning, but to be completely honest, was afraid to try. I bought a new seal, a weight (so I wouldn't have to get the gauge tested) and then let it sit on the shelf.
In 2018, I bought a big batch of tomatoes at the farmer's market, and put up some sauce, and a little bit of jam.
In 2019, I broke out the pressure canner for the first time, and canned a batch of green beans. I also water bathed tomato sauce, paste, pickles and more jam. We picked blueberries, and I made a ton of blueberry jam with that. Well, I thought it was a ton. It was probably a dozen jam-jars (half-pint). I started acquiring canning tools, jars and lids, and labels... among other things.
Then, 2020 hit. I found myself with a lot of time on my hands, food shortages (and threats of them) and a lot of time spent on youtube to avoid watching the news. This was the year that the canning really began in earnest. I watched a ton of videos, dove deeply into documents from the USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), and the latest ball books. I bought a video class on safe canning from the Homesteading Family. hatch peppers, green beens (40 pounds, wow), lots of different jams, ground beef, chicken, pork, tomatoes and tomato paste, and convenience foods.
I created a canning "pantry" in the basement, and filled up 2 big shelving units with home goods. But I was still in stockpiling mode.
In 2021, my focus turned to using up what I had safely put away.
I added to my canning arsenal with an All American 921, with a Ball waterbacth canner (electric), and better lids from Lehman's, and so many more jars.
I turned to more convenience meals from canned goods (Posole Rojo from Roasted Pork in a Spicy broth!) and turning over my pantry of home canned goods, so things stayed fresh and delicious.
In 2022, I started with a canning challenge, to keep using up jars and adding new canned goods. I will share more about these journeys, in the blog posts to come.
I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I keep trying new things and following the best and safest practices, so that I am putting up good food so that I can feed my small family with home preserved foods.
Thanks for stopping by, and I look forward to sharing more of my canning experiences and favorite meals and recipes!
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