[Ag-eq] Preserving

Sat Sep 7 17:07:23 UTC 2013

Hi everyone,
Sorry, I gave the wrong book title in my last email. The actual title is below house in the suburbs. You can find it on butcher. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 6, 2013, at 6:49 AM, "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net> wrote:

> Little Homestead in the Suburbs, now that sounds like the book for me! Thanks.
> Tracy
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Konechne" <jakon22 at gmail.com>
> To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2013 6:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Preserving
> 
> 
>> I have made sauerkraut with my mom.
>> We also did lots of canning and made lots of pickles when growing up.
>> Canning really isn't as bad as people make it out to be.
>> You also might read Little Homestead in the Suburbs that you can find
>> on bookshare.
>> It has good tips for canning and preserving as well.
>> 
>> 
>> On 9/5/13, Susan Roe <dogwoodfarm at verizon.net> wrote:
>>> Tracy,
>>> 
>>> Pickle canning is one of the easiest canning to do because the processing
>>> times are very short and the use of vineagars and salts in pickling or
>>> brining, makes for nearly spoil proof canning.  The most important thing to
>>> 
>>> remember is do all of your prep work before hand and have all of your tools
>>> 
>>> ready to go.  Before I cut the first vegetable, I wash all of my jars and
>>> rings in hot soapy water.  You can also do this just fine in a dishwasher.
>>> Then I take my canning kettle and wash it up as well.  If I'm using pint
>>> jars, I fill my kettle with the empty clean jars that have their rings
>>> loosely fitted on top.  Let's say my kettle will hold 12 jars, but not too
>>> snugly.  Even if your recipe does not fill all 12 jars, keep the empty ones
>>> 
>>> inside because they will hold the other jars in place and make heating the
>>> water more evenly.  I fill the kettle with hot water a couple of inches
>>> above the open jars and then on top of the jars, I lay out my ladle, tongs
>>> and jar lifter.  Put the lid on and bring it to a boil.  This will sterolize
>>> 
>>> everything while you prep your vegetables and heat up your pickeling
>>> liquids.
>>> 
>>> Once the water has come to a good boil, I turn it off and let it sit until
>>> I'm ready to fill the jars.  When that time comes, I have another set of
>>> tongs that I use to remove my tools.  I take the first pair of tongs and
>>> lift out an empty jar and dump the hot water in the sink.  Place the jar in
>>> 
>>> a bowl, remove the ring, put a sterolized widemouth funnel in the jar and
>>> fill each jar up until it reaches the neck or the screw ridges at the top.
>>> This is about 1 inch from the lip of the jar.  Place the lid, which I had
>>> been sokeing in hot water on top, take a cleanpaper towl and gently wipe the
>>> 
>>> lip of the jar and screw the metal ring down tight.  Take the jar lifter,
>>> fit it securely on the top of the jar and place it back in your kettle. Do
>>> 
>>> this until you have used all of your vegetables up.
>>> 
>>> Your water level should be only an inch above your jars.  Place the lid on
>>> the kettle and turn your heat up to at least medium high and bring it back
>>> to a boil.  Start your timer then.  When time is up, turn off kettle and let
>>> 
>>> cool down a bit.  I don't like handling the jars right after the boiling
>>> because there is too much heat over the water to feel comfortable with my
>>> hands that clost to the boiling water.  Use the jar lifter or even your
>>> tongs and a potholder for your other hand and safely bring the hot jar to
>>> your counter next to your stove.  I always put a cup towel down on the
>>> counter first.  When the filled jars are out, check that the rings are still
>>> 
>>> tight and put another towel over them.  As they finish their sealing
>>> process, you may hear the jar lids as they ping or pop when the seal is
>>> complete.
>>> 
>>> We have somewhere an outstanding recipe for sauerkraut that uses about 5
>>> pounds of cabbage and makes about 7 pints.  It is not a quick recipe,
>>> actually taking about 10 days, but it was the best sauerkraut I had ever
>>> had.  I do have sighted help in the kitchen, but I still think that a
>>> totally blind person could handle pickeling without too much problems.
>>> 
>>> Susan
>>> dogwoodfarm at verizon.net
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
>>> To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2013 9:16 AM
>>> Subject: [Ag-eq] Preserving
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> I just found a book on Bookshare called Preserving, which explains how to
>>>> preserve a whole lot of foods, divided up by season.  I am going to have to
>>>> 
>>>> study it carefully.
>>>> 
>>>> I've been reading recipes for pickling and fermenting, particularly making
>>>> 
>>>> my own sauerkraut.  It sounds good, and easy.  Has anyone had experience
>>>> with home pickling?
>>>> How about canning?  I know Susan talked about dry canning, which sounded
>>>> easy, but other kinds sound complicated.  My husband and I are always
>>>> afraid something will go wrong, and we'll die of terminal food poisoning.
>>>> Tracy
>>>> 
>>>> 
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>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> James K
>> cell 410-925-0707
>> 
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> 
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