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 How to Can Anything
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 This month's notes: October 2008: Summer crops like tomatoes, figs and raspberries are going strong. Apples are here! Check out the corn mazes, pumpkin patches and hayrides! Find an apple festival, tomato festival, corn festival, peach festival or other festivals near you! Organic farms are still not common, but any that are, have the word ORGANIC by their name! Check out my easy canning instructions/recipes, canning equipment guide - and if you have tomatoes coming out your ears, see the tomatoes canning page! Also make your own ice cream - see How to make ice cream and ice cream making equipment and manuals
Please tell the farms you found them here - and ask them to update their information!!!

All About Home Canning*, Freezing and Making Jams and Jellies

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Save money, eat healthier, with no additives or chemicals... and with much better taste! This page provides the links to our illustrated  recipes and canning* directions - so easy ANYONE can do it, along with a multitude of other recipes, guides and canning instructions from the USDA and many universities. The red highlighted entries are new for Summer 2008! Those of you who still speak the "Queen's English" will probably be more familiar with terms "bottling" or "tinning" rather than canning! But it means the same! Look for the recipes, pages and directions that are new for Summer 2008 with NEW!  next to them!

Recipes and directions

bulletGeneral know how and fruit/vegetable picking tips
bullet Why you should use a canner and how to choose one.
bulletSummary of approved home food preserving methods
bulletCanning methods that are considered to be unsafe: steam, microwave, dishwasher, oven, or just sealing the jars without further processing?
bulletIf you are new to home canning - see these do's, don'ts and tips
bulletFrequently asked questions about canning
bulletFrequently asked questions about freezing
bulletJams and jellies
bulletCanning - anything that can be safely canned at home!
bulletFreezing directions
bulletPie fillings
bulletSauces, Salsas, Syrups, Fruit Butters and Chutneys
bulletSoups - canning vegetable and meat soups at home
bulletPickling - more than just cucumbers
bulletDrying / food dehydrating
bulletIce cream, gelato and sorbets
bulletOther recipes - roasted peppers, basil pesto, pies, cakes and much more
bulletUsing honey in place of sugar
bulletEquipment and supplies
bulletUSDA Food Grades - Ever wonder what was "Grade A"? And why you don't see grade B? How to select different foods, including fresh, frozen and canned? Wonder no more with this one-page guide!

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General Canning know-how

bulletGlossary of Home Preserving (Canning, Freezing, Jam & Jelly-Making, Pickling and Drying) Terms
bulletHow much do I need to pick? Yields and conversion tables
bulletGeneral Canning tips
bulletWhy do I need a canner?
bulletHow can I test or examine my jars to see if they sealed properly or have spoiled?
bulletFAQs - Canning questions and answers: Answers to common questions and problems
bulletAcid content of common fruits and vegetables
bulletCanners and canning supplies: descriptions, photos, prices and ordering information
bulletPressure canning: how it is different from water bath canning and how to use one!
bulletHot Pack or Raw Pack?  Which is Best in Home Canning?
bulletHow do I fix a jam or jelly that turned out too runny?
bulletAll about pectin - what it is, how it works, types, etc.
bulletCanning without sugar
bulletQuestions and answers to many questions about home canning, freezing and making other preserves!
bulletCan I Sell My Home-Canned Jams and Other Preserves?

Picking tips

bulletPicking tips for fruits
bulletPicking tips for vegetables
bulletChoosing the right varieties

Blake's Easy and Illustrated Canning, Preserves and Jam Directions

Jams, Preserves and jellies:

You can use a Water Bath Canner OR a Pressure Canner for all of these recipes:

bulletBerry jams (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, loganberry, mixed berry, etc.)
bulletApple jelly
bulletApricot, peach, plum or nectarine jam.
bulletBlackberry jam
bulletBlueberry jam
bulletBlueberry jelly
bulletCherry jam and cherry preserves
bulletFig jam
bulletFig-strawberry jam
bulletGrape jelly from fresh grapes
bulletMulberry jam
bulletMuscadine or scuppernong jelly
bulletOrange marmalade
bulletPeach jam
bullet NEW! Pear jam and pear jelly
bulletPepper Jelly, hot or sweet, including chilies, jalapeno, and pimiento
bulletPlum Jam
bulletPomegranate jelly
bulletRaspberry jam
bulletStrawberry jam
bullet NEW! Tomato Preserves
bullet NEW! Watermelon jelly
bulletOther jam recipes and jelly recipes.
bulletWhat happens if my jam or jelly doesn't gel? Remaking cooked runny jam or jelly instructions can be found on this page
bulletFoam in Home Jam Making - What It Is and What To Do About It!

Fruit Honeys

bullet NEW! Peach honey
bullet NEW! Pear honey

Ice Cream, Gelato and Sorbets with your own fruit

bulletElectric and Manual ice cream makers that require ice and salt:
bullet How to make ice cream with your own fruit!
bullet How to make Gelato
bullet How to make sugar free, fat free ice cream
bulletComing in September: How to make frozen yogurt
bulletComing in September: How to make sorbet
bulletElectric ice cream makers that have a bowl that must be frozen in your freezer:
bullet How to make ice cream with your own fruit!
bullet How to make Gelato
bullet How to make sugar free, fat free ice cream
bulletComing in September: How to make frozen yogurt
bulletComing in September: How to make sorbet
bulletIce cream makers and manuals
bulletLost your manual?  We have most manuals here free to download!
bulletLooking for an ice cream maker?  See reviews and information to select one and great prices, too

Sauces, Salsas, Syrups, Butters and Chutneys

You can use a Water Bath Canner OR a Pressure Canner for these (except for spaghetti sauce with meat!):

bulletHow to make applesauce - W, P
bulletHow to make applesauce for a meal (not canning it) with NO special equipment
bulletHow to make apple butter - W, P
bullet How to make homemade, home-canned barbecue sauce - W, P
bulletHow to make Blueberry butter - I'm still researching this one!
bulletHow to make blueberry syrup (it works for strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, too) - W, P
bulletHow to make cranberry sauce - Perfect for thanksgiving and Christmas - bright, colorful, loaded with vitamin C and incredibly easy to make! - W, P
bulletHow to make cran-applesauce - GREAT for the holidays - bright, colorful, not too sweet, not too tart and loaded with vitamin C! Kids love it! - W, P
bullet NEW!  Horseradish sauce - refrigerator storage only photos coming shortly!
bullet How to make GREAT mango chutney! - W, P
bullet How to make mango salsa - W, P
bulletMint Sauce - for lamb! - W, P
bullet How to make peach butter - W, P
bullet NEW!  How to make peach chutney - W, P
bullet NEW!  How to make Peach salsa - W, P
bullet How to make pear butter - W, P
bulletHow to make Raspberry Chipotle Sauce - W, P
bulletHow to make tomato salsa - W, P
bullet NEW!  How to make tomato sauce - W, P
bullet NEW!  How to make tomato paste - W, P
bulletHow to make spaghetti sauce - without meat - W, P
bulletHow to make spaghetti sauce - with meat  - P

Canning miscellaneous fruits and vegetables

Some of these require a pressure canner to prevent potential spoilage and food poisoning, due to the low acid content of the food.  For others, you can use a Water Bath Canner OR a Pressure Canner.  I've noted what's required for each, below, following each entry, with
W for water bath,
P for Pressure canner, and
W, P for either may be used!

bulletNEW! Canning apples
bulletHow to can beets - P
bulletNEW! How to make home canned carrots - P
bulletHow to can blueberries (and raspberries, blackberries, currants, dewberries, elderberries, gooseberries, huckleberries, tayberries, loganberries and mulberries.) - W, P
bulletHow to can cherries - W, P
bullet How to can corn (hot pack method) - P
bullet How to can corn (raw pack method) - P
bullet How to can figs - make your own figs floating in a jar of light syrup or fruit juice! - W, P
bulletCandied figs - a tasty but high-sugar Southern treat
bullet How to make your own grape juice, scuppernong, juice, muscadine juice, or juice from berries, like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc. - W, P
bulletNEW! How to make canned greens, like Spinach, Turnip Greens, Collards, Kale, Swiss Chard
bulletHow to can green beans, yellow beans, snap beans, broad beans, etc - P
bullet How to make canned dried beans and peas (from kidney beans, peas, lima beans, broadbeans, chickpeas,pole beans, etc.) - P
bullet NEW! How to Make Homemade Canned Baked  Beans With Tomato or Molasses Sauce - P
bulletHow to make ketchup.. or if you prefer... How to make catsup - W, P
bulletNEW! SUPER-EASY homemade ketchup recipe
bullet How to can mangoes - W, P
bulletHow to can oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, tangerines, clementines and other citrus - W, P
bulletHow to make canned pears!  In sugar solution, water, fruit juice or Splenda! - W, P
bulletHow to make your own home canned peaches, plums, cherries or nectarines (in a light sugar, regular sugar, natural fruit juice or no calorie sweetener solution)  - W, P
bullet How to make canned spiced peaches - W, P
bullet How to can peas (English peas, crowder peas, blackeye peas and purple hull peas) - P
bulletNEW! Boiled Peanuts! Now Southerners who move to other parts of the country can make their own home-canned boiled peanuts.
bullet How to can peppers - P
bulletNEW! How to can Hot peppers in oil - W, P
bulletHow to make fresh basil Pesto (only fresh and frozen - this can't be home-canned)
bullet How to can potatoes - P
bullet How to home-can pumpkin (in a cooked, cubed form) and why you shouldn't home-can the pureed forms. Note: Pumpkin is difficult to can safely - it is a low acid food, so that rules out open water bath canning immediately. Pressure canners can be used, but according to the health authorities (like the National Center for Home Food Preservation) only if the pumpkin is cubed, rather than mashed. I usually just freeze the cooked pumpkin! - P
bulletHow to make pumpkin pie from a whole, fresh pumpkin - the easy way! for fresh or frozen use
bulletMore pumpkin recipes (roasting seeds, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cookies, etc.) - fresh or frozen use
bulletNEW! How to can your own soups and chowders at home - P
bulletNEW! How to can sweet potatoes
bulletNEW! How to can tomato soup or tomato-basil soup - W, P
bullet How to can tomatoes using a water bath canner - W, P
bullet How to can tomatoes using a pressure canner - P
bulletNEW! How to can Yams

Pie Fillings

bulletApple pie filling - with or WITHOUT any added sugar! - W, P
bulletBlueberry pie filling - W, P
bulletNEW! Cherry pie filling
bulletNEW! Peach pie filling - W, P

 

Pickling Recipes - Including Peppers, Okra, Beans and more

You can use a Water Bath Canner OR a Pressure Canner for these:

bullet NEW! Pickled asparagus  - W, P  
bulletPickled beets - W, P
bullet NEW! Bread and butter cucumber pickles - W, P
bullet NEW! Bread-And-Butter Zucchini pickles - W, P
bulletPickled green beans - W, P
bulletPickled Dill beans - W, P
bullet NEW! Pickled cabbage - W, P 
bullet NEW! Pickled carrots - W, P
bullet NEW! Southern Chow-Chow (also called Piccalilli) - W, P 
bullet NEW! Pickled corn relish - W, P
bullet NEW! Pickled garlic - W, P -  (photos coming!)
bulletCucumber pickles (kosher dill, bread & butter,  or processed etc.) using mixes  - W, P
bulletDill pickles, from scratch - W, P
bulletNEW! Old-fashioned fermented general store barrel dill pickles - W, P - (more photos coming)
bulletCucumber pickle relish!  - W, P - This is the classic hamburger relish!
bulletNo-canning-needed refrigerator cucumber pickles (kosher dill) - W, P
bulletNEW! How to Make Pickled Eggs (to store in the fridge!)
bulletMixed  vegetable pickles (cauliflower, pepper, onion, celery, cucumber mix) - W, P
bulletPickled dilled okra! - W, P
bulletNEW! Pickled peaches (also nectarines, apricots, etc.) - W,P
bulletPickled peppers - W, P
bulletNEW! How to make sauerkraut - homemade and naturally fermented! - W, P
bullet NEW! Pickled watermelon rind - W, P

FAQs: Click here for the page of frequently asked questions (with answers) about pickling and making pickles.

Freezing instructions

bulletNEW! How to freeze apples
bulletHow to freeze berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, tayberries, loganberries, strawberries, saskatoons, cranberries, marionberries, boysenberries, etc.)
bulletNEW! How to freeze basil
bulletNEW! How to freeze beets
bulletNEW! How to freeze broccoli
bulletNEW! How to freeze Brussels Sprouts
bullet How to freeze green beans (and other beans) from your garden, farm, or store.
bulletNEW! How to freeze carrots from your garden
bulletHow to freeze corn (niblets style) from ears from your local farm
bulletHow to freeze whole cob corn (corn on the cob) from ears from your local farm
bullet How to freeze eggplants
bulletNEW! How to freeze kale, collards and other greens - photos coming soon
bulletNEW! How to freeze mangos
bullet How to freeze okra
bulletHow to freeze peaches, plums, nectarines, figs and cherries
bullet How to freeze peas (snap, English, snow and mangetout)
bulletNEW! How to freeze peppers
bulletNEW! How to freeze potatoes
bulletNEW! How to freeze pumpkin to use later in pumpkin pies and other pumpkin recipes!
bullet How to freeze summer squash - zucchini, yellow squash, crookneck, scallop, pattypan, etc.)
bulletNEW! How to freeze sweet potato
bulletHow to make Grilled Summer Squash with Feta - which you can freeze for the winter, or serve fresh!
bulletHow to freeze tomatoes from you garden or the farm; for that fresh taste this winter!
bullet How to freeze turnips and parsnips
bulletNEW! How to freeze winter squashes (like Acorn, Banana, Buttercup, Butternut, Golden Delicious, Hubbard, Spaghetti Squash, etc)
bulletProducts: Vacuum Foodsealers for freezing, dried foods, and refrigerated foods - the FoodSaver line
 

Other Recipes

for fresh or frozen use

bulletHow to make your own roasted peppers!
bulletHow to make fresh basil Pesto
bulletWorld's best apple pie!
bulletEasy Rhubarb-Strawberry pie
bullet Christmas Recipes!
bullet Halloween recipes!
bullet Blake's Ambrosia - a GREAT tasting dessert, which is ALSO healthy!
bullet Apple crunch - best of all! Moist, low sugar and using oats!
bullet Apple crisp - ever-popular, low sugar and using oats!
bullet Apple, blackberry, cherry, and/or peach cobbler
bullet Apple-blackberry, crumble - a English favorite (or favourite)
bullet Blueberry pie, recipe and directions and illustrated!
bullet Blueberry buckle coffee cake: illustrated directions for this great crumb-topping blueberry coffee cake
bullet Other easy directions to make blueberry desserts: cobblers, etc.
bullet Peach Cobbler directions - easy and great tasting!

Did I miss a recipe?

bulletAnd write me, if you want directions for something I've missed.

Easy Dehydrating Instructions

See the photos and links at right for a good and inexpensive food drier.

bulletFood drying basics and principles
bulletHow to dry your own herbs
bulletNEW! How to make dried apple slices
bulletNEW! How to make Sun-Dried Tomatoes
bullet Food Dehydrators - models, specs and pricing information
bullet Fruit Leathers
bullet Fruits (Colorado State University) pdf
bullet Fruits and Vegetables (University of Georgia) pdf
bullet Jerky
bullet Leathers and Jerkies (Colorado State University) pdf
bullet Mango Leather
bullet Packaging and Storing Dry Foods
bullet Peanuts
bullet Popcorn
bullet Pumpkin Seeds
bullet Sun Drying
bullet Sunflower Seeds
bullet Vegetable Leathers
bullet Vegetables (Colorado State University) pdf
bullet Vine Drying

 

 
 

Canning, Freezing and Drying Equipment and Supplies

bulletBooks on canning, freezing, drying, preserving and jam making
bulletCanners, both water bath and pressure canners. Canners for glass top stovers?
bulletStrainers, pit removers, seed-skin-stem removers, jelly strainers, etc.
bulletVacuum Foodsealers for freezing, dried foods, and refrigerated foods - the FoodSaver line
bulletCanning Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc.

Trivia

bulletA Brief History of the Home Canning Jar: From Mason to Kerr to Ball and More

Other Detailed Canning, Freezing and Drying Guides and Recipes

bulletComprehensive Canning Guides and Recipes - look here for recipes that you don't see above!
bulletFAQs - Answers to common questions and problems
bulletFree government and university publications about canning to download and print

Home Canning Kits

This is the same type of  standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce!. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars and lids (and the jars are reusable). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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     Salsa Tomato Mix

Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc.

Need lids, rings and replacement jars?  Or pectin to make jam, spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes?  Get them all here, and usually at lower prices than your local store!

Get them all here at the best prices on the internet!

This page was updated on 9-Oct-2008  

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Remember to ALWAYS call the farm or orchard BEFORE you go - weather, heavy picking and business conditions can always affect their hours and crops!

PYO Farms in Other Countries: [ Australia ] [ Canada ] [ South Africa ] [ New Zealand ] [ United Kingdom ]

Our other free, informative sites you may like:

bulletEHSO.com- Environmental health and safety information and guidance for the home
bullet ConsumerFraudReporting.org - Information about identity theft, frauds and scams; how to report them and how to protect your identity.
bullet FitnessAndHealthScience.org - Practical fitness, health and diet information that works.
bulletAnd our other related websites!

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