I have truly enjoyed this process. So far I have canned chicken, mangos, Mango Butter, and potatoes. We had a jar of the potatoes last night for dinner. They were fantastic. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought they'd been baked. They were that good.
Here is what I have learned so far:
1. Don't be afraid of the pressure canner. First of all, let's understand something up front. The pressure cookers we get can't reach the temperature that a pressure canner can reach. I love my Instant Pot Pressure cooker. I know I can use it to cook foods to be packed up and put in the canner.
2. You have to take the time to understand how the rating of acidity works. Ball Blue Books are an excellent source of information. They break everything down and explain so it's easy to understand.
3. Talk to people who have been canning for years if possible. Talk to people in the produce section of your grocer. I was in my local Kroger and asked an employee about turmeric root. To my surprise not only did he know what turmeric was, but used it in his canning when he could.
4. Finally, don't let anyone tell you that you can't can something. If there is a will then there is a way. Just because the government sites say no to canning cheese, remember, at some point the cheese got canned so it would be shelf stable in a factory. Think about that.
I think something we all need to remember that just because we have a variety of stuff on our store shelves doesn't mean we can't do better at home. We can. We just have to believe that we can do so much better.
Before you say I can't get into canning or I don't have time remember there has been four food recalls this week alone for stuff that we could make for our families and make better. As for time or being able to afford to can, ask yourself this question, Can I afford time off to recover from botulism?
Check out Heather from The Kneady Homestead, Linda's Pantry, and Wilhems Kitchen on YouTube and Facebook.
Here is what I have learned so far:
1. Don't be afraid of the pressure canner. First of all, let's understand something up front. The pressure cookers we get can't reach the temperature that a pressure canner can reach. I love my Instant Pot Pressure cooker. I know I can use it to cook foods to be packed up and put in the canner.
2. You have to take the time to understand how the rating of acidity works. Ball Blue Books are an excellent source of information. They break everything down and explain so it's easy to understand.
3. Talk to people who have been canning for years if possible. Talk to people in the produce section of your grocer. I was in my local Kroger and asked an employee about turmeric root. To my surprise not only did he know what turmeric was, but used it in his canning when he could.
4. Finally, don't let anyone tell you that you can't can something. If there is a will then there is a way. Just because the government sites say no to canning cheese, remember, at some point the cheese got canned so it would be shelf stable in a factory. Think about that.
I think something we all need to remember that just because we have a variety of stuff on our store shelves doesn't mean we can't do better at home. We can. We just have to believe that we can do so much better.
Before you say I can't get into canning or I don't have time remember there has been four food recalls this week alone for stuff that we could make for our families and make better. As for time or being able to afford to can, ask yourself this question, Can I afford time off to recover from botulism?
Check out Heather from The Kneady Homestead, Linda's Pantry, and Wilhems Kitchen on YouTube and Facebook.
Comments
Post a Comment