|
Canning
Oct 21, 2017 12:50:50 GMT -5
Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 21, 2017 12:50:50 GMT -5
Oooh, bear meat is SO delicious! You are lucky for sure, and canning it was probably the perfect thing to do to it as well. The few times I've prepared bear I've been so paranoid about making sure it's cooked through.
|
|
|
Canning
Oct 21, 2017 22:57:40 GMT -5
Post by paquebot on Oct 21, 2017 22:57:40 GMT -5
I've had bear meat twice and both times I found that it was very fine-grained. First time was at a wild game feed where I supplied the coon. The bear meat was barbecued and served on a bun like sloppy Joe. Had no idea what size that one was and assumed it to be young due to its texture. Then I got that meat from a monster and expected having to cut it with a saw. Eating those steaks told me that canning was the best way and it turned out that I was right. Now just need someone in the family to get another.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
|
|
|
Canning
Oct 22, 2017 21:32:24 GMT -5
Post by paquebot on Oct 22, 2017 21:32:24 GMT -5
Back to canning from the garden, last tomato project has usually been tomato juice just to get rid of the excess. Used to be happy with plain tomato juice with a bit of salt and pepper. Before the Internet, bought a can of V-8 just to see what the ingredients were. Of course, no percentage of each. Somehow made something quite potable even with using carrot tops. I did have the Ball Blue Book for canning instructions so I knew that I could make it. Turned out too red from too many beets but still all from my own garden and great stuff. Generally made it about every other year with the off one being plain juice.
This was the year for V-8 again. No particular recipe to follow. Start with lots of tomatoes to be pureed with the Hamilton Beach. The remaining 7 vegetables today were beets, carrots, celeriac leaves, garlic, onions, parsley, and ripe sweet peppers. Salt, pepper, and lemon juice were the only ingredients not grown in my gardens.
Next canning will be sauerkraut probably closely followed by venison. Then done for the year.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Canning
Oct 23, 2017 9:56:50 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2017 9:56:50 GMT -5
Just got done canning up quarts of chicken thighs and broth,and earlier canned up pints of mushrooms in beef broth.
The chicken was seasoned differently this time, and smells so good, I will go back to the store and get some more of the thighs on sale to can up. May marinate some of the remaining mushrooms, per recipe on the government site as it sounds good, too. The mushrooms are baby portabellas and on sale this week for 69 cents per 8 ounce pack.
Just edited this to add:
Oh, I was bad. not only about 20 pounds more of thighs, but picked up more chicken breasts, too. No more mushrooms ( yet, LOL). Nice 7 more quarts of thighs in the PC now, same seasonings as yesterday.
|
|
|
Canning
Oct 24, 2017 19:54:36 GMT -5
Post by bestofour on Oct 24, 2017 19:54:36 GMT -5
A dumb question: Why can the meat rather than freeze?
|
|
|
Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 24, 2017 20:16:16 GMT -5
A dumb question: Why can the meat rather than freeze? I don't think it's a dumb question. Freezing is great, but if the power were to go out for a length of time, you'd lose it all. Also, it's easier to find more shelf space for another flat of jars than it can be to find more room in the freezer.
|
|
|
Canning
Oct 24, 2017 22:49:28 GMT -5
Post by paquebot on Oct 24, 2017 22:49:28 GMT -5
One meat that I never canned was coon and I don't know why. Had a good chance after this date in 1970. Shot 22 of them that night. One hunter and one dog. What a night! Would give anything to be able to do that again. There was a market for the dressed carcasses in addition to the hides. Only way we ate them was roasted although my mother would sometimes grind an old one into coonburger. Life was good and we ate well!
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
|
|
|
Post by paquebot on Oct 24, 2017 22:59:12 GMT -5
A dumb question: Why can the meat rather than freeze? In addition of what's been stated, there are several other reasons. Canning changes the texture and that's one way to take care of an old tough buck. Raw or hot pack has about the same effect. One can make the chunks hold together by searing them in a frying pan first. Otherwise think of what a slow-cooker can do to a tough chunk of beef or pork. There's also a flavor thing. Common is just salt. Pressure canner pushes the salt flavor into the meat if it's a gamey buck. I often use beef bouillon or make a broth from neck bones with onions and garlic. Meat takes on the broth flavor. Martin The truth is more important than the facts.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2017 8:34:26 GMT -5
I've had a freezer go out twice now, and lost a lot of $$ because of that. Once because of the power company, buying dry ice and all that for almost 2 weeks, and the electric company is not liable in any way for your loss. The next time the freezer stopped and we didn't notice until later and it was not a good thing.
So, I had wanted to learn how to can and now I think I am addicted to it!
And all the reasons above and in other's posts, plus I don't have to wait if I forgot to thaw something and the meat is already cooked, or the stew or the whatever you put up....and all you have to do is heat and eat, or finish the dish. Or bean dishes, they are ready quickly if you have canned beans.
Kind of a convenience food, home style to your own taste.
|
|
|
Canning
Oct 26, 2017 21:53:08 GMT -5
Post by bestofour on Oct 26, 2017 21:53:08 GMT -5
|
|
|
Canning
Oct 29, 2017 17:14:11 GMT -5
Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 29, 2017 17:14:11 GMT -5
Just so you all can have a good laugh on my account... Today I set out to make my Green Tomato and Pepper Pickle Mix. Went to dump the veggies into the vat of brine that had been boiling on the stove and realized my pot was too small. Went to exchange the pot with a larger one, and somehow in the process, the whole vat of brine ended up all over my kitchen floor. Thankfully, I hadn't had the veggies in yet, so after a lengthy clean up and another batch of brine were made I got the pickles done, but oy vey. What a mess! Sweet and sour brine with seeds ALL OVER. It completely missed me, so that kind of tells you that I was reaching in a strange way and shouldn't have been moving that pot in the first place. I may have to mop the floor a few times...
|
|
|
Canning
Oct 29, 2017 22:06:02 GMT -5
Post by september on Oct 29, 2017 22:06:02 GMT -5
Oh my! Not laughing because the idea of having to clean that sticky mess up is horrendous! so glad you didn't get burned with scalding hot water!
|
|
|
Canning
Oct 30, 2017 11:48:16 GMT -5
Post by Laura_in_FL on Oct 30, 2017 11:48:16 GMT -5
Wow, glad you didn't get burned! I don't envy you that sticky mess. On the bright side, at least the veggies were okay. And after you mop the floor a few more times it's going to be super-clean, right? /ducking in case LadyM throws a pot at me
|
|
|
Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 30, 2017 13:34:53 GMT -5
I wish I'd had a camera filming, because when I think on the whole event, I cannot figure out for the life of me how my pot of brine went from stovetop to under the kitchen table like it did. My family was quick to rush in and assist, so we had some fun bonding over brine clean-up. Three scrubbings in and I swear the floor is still sticky, though it sure is shiny! On the plus side, I made 6 quarts of my green tomato hot pepper pickle mix. One didn't seal, so it's in the fridge and we'll get to sample very soon!
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2017 19:08:05 GMT -5
As long as no one got hurt, you'll laugh at the "time Mom tried to pickle the floor" thing. Luckily it was nothing tomato based!!
|
|
|
Post by paquebot on Nov 19, 2017 0:38:36 GMT -5
Much of yesterday was spent playing with jars, a lot of them. One would wonder what was available from the garden to can now but it could happen. Actually was the culmination of a project started a month or more ago, kraut. I had previously canned 13 quarts from a "small" batch with cabbage, carrots, kohlrabi, and rutabaga. Second batch was like the first but with beets. Third was just cabbage, and fourth like the first. Those 3 combined were almost 10 gallons. Blended enough yesterday to fill 40 wide-mouth pints. Still have about 4 gallons left in bulk. Need to get more wide-mouth quarts for the fourth batch. When done, will have enough to last us 5 years.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
|
|
|
Canning
Nov 19, 2017 9:53:48 GMT -5
Post by ladymarmalade on Nov 19, 2017 9:53:48 GMT -5
Wow! That's a lot of kraut!
|
|
|
Canning
Nov 19, 2017 12:40:42 GMT -5
Post by spike on Nov 19, 2017 12:40:42 GMT -5
Doing apple butter and applesauce here!
|
|
|
Canning
Nov 20, 2017 0:25:46 GMT -5
Post by paquebot on Nov 20, 2017 0:25:46 GMT -5
If 40 pints and 13 quarts of kraut seem like a lot, canned 7 more quarts today. Probably a 5-year supply at our normal rate of use. Still have about 2 gallons left but may just keep it in bulk to see how long it will last. As long as there is sufficient brine to cover it, should last forever.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
|
|