Latest News

Had another haul of blueberries... gosh can you say, plentiful? Didn't know what I was going to do with them. The freezer is full and I have a couple of months worth of jam made for DH. Thought about pie filling. But, that means that would be the only thing to do with them. Then did some research and looking around at the USDA site for home canning and choose instead to pressure can them in a 10% syrup. Aren't they beautiful in the jar. What a glorious colour. With the blueberries canned this way I can use them in different ways including using them to make pies for DH who says blueberry pie is his fav.

The tomatoes have started ripening in bunches now. Look at what's on my window sill and there's a whole slew in the garden which are just this side of ripe. I will be looking for a good sauce recipe so I can start canning them. I for years just threw a sauce together, you know a little of this and a little of that but, have found with canning if you want to replicate something the next year.... you should record your recipe. Also depending on how I am canning it, I have to make sure the ratio of low acid veggies to high acid veggies are safe to can using a BWB (Boiling Water Bath) canner. If I choose to BWB can vs. PC (Pressure Can) I have to be right on the money. With PC it's not a problem as the water temperature is much higher and you are "pressure" canning. Damn canning is a science, don't ya know? I do now have a huge file of recipes for canning. But, not a dang one for tomato sauce.

With the extra maters will also be doing some of the salsa I did last year. I only have a single 4 oz. jar left of the over 18 I did last year. DH loves my salsa plus, I use a pint jar in my slow cooker vegetarian chili.

I did a count of what I have canned so far these past 2 months. I know compared to others it's not a whole lot but, to me and DH it represents quite a bit of our winter food. And, I am going to have to look into scoring some more free jars. Or, if not... go to the stores and find some cheap. The outlay in money isn't too bad when you figure you can in them forever but, 500 ml jars are going for ~ $8/12. I have way more than enough liter jars.... those will be for soups and what little meat we do eat. Oh yeah back to the count..... my count up to today is; 103 canned jars of food!!!!! Pretty awesome numbers to me.