One of the reasons I was drawn to getting a Master’s in Library Science is a good appreciation for preservation. I love all of those preserved stories and bundled pages of information, just waiting for someone to soak up. So I suppose canning and books have a common bond. I made it a goal to learn to can before we hit the road in our (future) RV. Since we plan on being off-the-grid, we’ll be staying in a few far off places and some good ole canned goods will come in handy. Plus, I’m pretty keen on sustainability. If anyone is to know anything about me, it’s that, and a great love for writing.
My mom’s canned for a few years now and I canned with her once (meaning she canned and I watched). Yesterday I spent much of the day doing it myself, remembering what she taught me. Turns out, it’s easy.
There are two different methods of canning, hot bath and pressure cooker canning. Hot bath canning requires fewer steps and is used for high acidic foods: fruits, jams, tomatoes, salsa, etc. And pressure cooker canning involves, well, a pressure cooker. I use a simple 10 lb only pressure cooker. Pressure cooker canning is used for vegetables, vegetable soups, beans, and other low acidic things. I’ve used my pressure cooker for a couple of years now for cooking dried beans. So I was excited to use it for canning too.
Yesterday I canned (all organic): green beans (on sale at $1.99/lb), Yukon gold potatoes, and carrots. I ended up with five one pint jars of each vegetable. I’ll be doing some hot bath pressure cooking of fruits and other acidic foods today and tomorrow.
Once canned, your food lasts a year. How cool is that?
Expect some more photos of future canned eats and treats because boy am I hooked!
I definitely want to try this one of these days! We don’t have a pressure cooker so we’ll have to look into the hot bath method. What recipes were you going to try from the Home Preserving book?
My pressure cooker was just $20 and it’s sooo worth the money with all of the options that it has. It’s super easy to use too.
I know I’m going to do sliced pears, applesauce and then I’m picking out a jam to make. I’m so excited! After that I might do salsa and then I’m canning my Tuscany bean soup in the pressure cooker.
That’s so cheap! I was thinking like 50+ for them. And sounds like you have some awesome plans for it! I hadn’t thought about canning soups or salsa before. I’ve always associated canning at home with just fruit and vegetables. Can’t wait to see more posts about this
I have that same book! I was just looking at it this morning thinking I want to try canning something out of it. The problem now is I’m just not sure I know what yet.
I’ve never tried the second method, but boiling water bath method is my favorite one (juices, jams, vegetables I mostly freeze). But this was when I was living with my parents. Right now I’m using my larder as a closet (new owner of a tiny home and a necessary compromises;)) and can’t make a lot of things. Still I made pear, plum and apple jam and some red currant marmelade. It would be great to know more about preservation. Keep us updated! xx
thanks for sharing this information! canning is probably next on my to-do list on the ever-evolving journey of sustainability. it’s never even occurred to me to can my own soup, but—duh! also, i’ve never seen anyone can potatoes.
Canning is such an easy habit to get hooked on, but it does take quite a bit of time. I really enjoy setting aside a half day and getting together with a friend to can several different types of food.
What a beautiful blog space. I’m so thankful that I happened upon it.
Gorgeous photos as well.
xo
So awesome! I’ve been wanting to make simple pickled vegetables for the longest. Cabbage, radishes, carrots, veggies like that. My friend and I had pickled cabbage at a Chinese restaurant (which I guess was basically chunky Asian sauerkraut) and I can’t stop thinking about it. Plus homemade pickles are so so good for you. Sometimes they’ll have them at temple on Sunday and I have to stop myself from hovering over the community bowl, chopsticks at the ready.
I just canned some spaghetti sauce for the first time using a water bath canner! But I actually put them in the freezer because I realized I measured something wrong that could potentially affect the pH.. oh well! Today I’ll be canning LOTS of cranberries… I have 10lbs of it and I need to cook it all up! I found a recipe for spiced cranberries and it makes the whole house smell like Christmas (despite it being around 70F outside haha!)– I love it! I also need to make some more tomato sauce from the tomatoes I grew.. yum yum. It’ll be so nice being able to eat all these things in the looong winter ahead