I have had moderate success with refrigerator pickling. But I’ve yet to really dive into full on canning. My new favorite blog, though, has me wanting to give it a try. I’ve got a few glass jars. I’ve got a few canning tools. I can boil water. So, what’s holding me back?
Well, for starters, I’m not a big jam-eater. I confess, I have a mild repulsion to hot fruit. Okay, more accurately to hot berries. Apples, pears, peaches are all perfectly fine for pies, but for the love of all that is pure and good--berries should never be heated. They become a slimy ichor of yuck. I shudder just thinking about it. Granted, I am touch more forgiving of jams are they are usually enjoyed fresh from the ‘fridge, but our haus seems to be quite fine without stocking any spreadable fruit.
Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t can jams. But I’ve yet to encounter any other canned food that leaves me salivating. (Not that I’ve been looking too hard, mind you.)
So, do you can? What are some of your favorite recipes? Are any of the beginner-friendly?
we can from time to time. I have a pressure cooker and with it I can can chicken stock (though I know you don't eat meat). Canning is great for gardens. Canned tomatoes, green beans, peppers, etc... all can well. If you make a giant batch of slow cooked tomato sauce, it's not too hard to can most of it and have it handy for later. It's also very satisfying to see all the jars full of your hard work. I follow a site called http://foodinjars.com/ and they have a regular stream of good information. Oh yeah, homemade applesauce is also great for canning!
ReplyDeleteSadly most of the canning experience is with jams! :) Apricot is a really good, forgiving first jam recipe . . .don't have to peel, they mush easily, it's a beautiful color. How about tomato sauce?
ReplyDelete