Canning Coho- Oh so good!

I'm so glad our son likes to fish.  Actually. I think it's more like he's obsessed with fishing. All the fishing he does and he won't eat it.  He never has liked fish.  When he was a little guy I told him fish sticks were chicken sticks once, he didn't buy it, he knew right away and refused to eat them.

But hey, that's good for us because he gives away what he catches.  Today he gave us two beautiful Coho Salmon.  Coho are the absolute best.  And you know me, I'm always looking for something to preserve. So tonight I am canning salmon.

He gave us a salmon (not Coho) a few days ago and I canned that one.  One fish yields about 7 pints.  I got 7 pints from that Salmon and tonight I got 14 pints from the two he gave us today. So from those three fish I have 21 meals!  And let me tell you, Salmon patties from home canned salmon are amazingly good.

Here's the process for canning the fish tonight...

Here's the fish and cleaned jars. I'm even super lucky that our son cleans and fillets them so I don't have to.

Here are the 14 packed jars ready to put in the canner.  Jar rims wiped with vinegar, hot lids on with rings finger tight.

I used my taller pressure canner and was able to put two layers of 7 jars.  That sure saved time because if I could only do one layer at a time (like I would have to do in my smaller canner) I would have to do two batches.  Remember you have to vent the steam for 10 minutes then process  fish for 100 minutes so two batches would have taken a long time.

After the canner vented for 10 minutes I put the weight on and waited for it to come to pressure.  The 10lb weight began to rock right as the dial reached 11 pounds pressure. That's perfect for my altitude. Remember to check your altitude to make sure you are using the correct pressure for where you are.  When it got to the correct pressure I set my timer for 100 minutes.  Well actually my timer doesn't do 100 minutes but it has the ability to set two different times so I set one for 60 minutes and the other for 40 minutes. Once the 100 minutes had passed and the final timer went off I turned off the heat and removed the canner from the burner.  After the pressure fell back to 0 on it's own I tested the weight to make sure no steam came out when it was moved. Then I removed the weight and took the lid off.  Remember to lift the lid away from you because there is still some hot steam that will be released from the canner.  The jars set in the canner for about 5 minutes before I took them out.  You know why you do that?  Because the liquid inside the jars is boiling and the lid is still sealing, If you take them out, the sudden rush of cold air can make them spurt a little liquid out.  If that happens it may not only cause the jar to lose liquid but the liquid can get on the rim of the jar under the lid and prevent the lid from sealing properly.  So don't get in a hurry, let them sit. 

Here they are, 14 pints of delicious home canned Salmon!  

Now I'm off to find some more recipes to use canned salmon in.  With all this on hand it will be nice to have some variety.

I hope you all have the opportunity to can fish.  It doesn't have to be Salmon.  Check out what fish is available in your area then check out an approved recipe and can some.  You'll be glad you did.

It's Firewood Season!

When fall gets here it's really firewood season at our house. I had fun splitting a bunch of wood today.

I'm not so good with the axe but I do love hitting the splitting maul with the sledge hammer and watching the big round of wood split apart.

My husband can split them quickly with the axe so between the two of us it didn't take long to get this wood split and stacked.

Now I'm just waiting for it to get cold enough to have the fireplace going in the evening.

Understanding Approved Methods.

Nobody is perfect but I just cringe when I see some of the things about canning posted on the internet. Honestly I think a lot of the people who make videos without using approved methods really aren't trying to prove a method wrong they just don't understand the principles behind why a method is or is not approved.

 For instance, skins left on when they should be removed are a big danger because there is too much possibility of micro amounts of dirt that can still be on them. That dirt can be in a crease in the skin that may not be able to get thoroughly washed out. Take a look at a carrot, they are not smooth, they have those little ridges on them. So do potatoes. Peeling things like carrots and potatoes remove those little creases and therefore help remove the potential of those itty-bitty-smaller-than-the-eye-can-see particles of dirt.

It's common to see videos where people do other things like dry can ground beef. Again, I think they do that because they don't understand the process. It's assumed that it's the time and heat alone that makes the food safe. But think about this, have you ever opened any store bought can of anything (nuts are different) that was dry inside? Nope, they always have liquid in them. Know why? Because the liquid is the vehicle that penetrates all the areas of the food. If you have a jar full of ground beef with no added liquid the meat particles just sit there. As one piece sits on another the area between them may never get hot enough for long enough. That's where the use of the liquid comes in. The liquid gets hot quickly, so hot it boils and jiggles the food in the jar so the food moves around and the heat gets between all the food pieces, no matter how small they are. See, now it makes sense doesn't it? It's very simple but a lot of people never consider it.

 That might give you some idea of why I am so dedicated to using approved methods. I wanted to share this info because one of my You Tube subscribers, Melody Capehart Medina, sent me this link about a very recent, very scary, botulism outbreak. No kidding folks, none of this would have happened if the proper method to can the potatoes had been followed.

https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2015/rapid-response-on-ohios-church-potluck-botulism-outbreak/

I know, I know, I sound like a Negative Nelly but really I'm not. There has been a renewed interest in food preservation. It's easy to see how much more interest there is now. Look at things like Ball revamping their books to make them more up to date looking. They have even come out with three different colors of jars to make canning more appealing and fun instead of what may have been considered a chore in the past. If they want to encourage more and more people to can why on earth would they find ways to make it more of a hassle? Nobody would. They would be looking for ways to make it quicker, easier and more convenient.

 So, until an approved method comes up with an easier way to can something, do the extra work required to make sure it is safely canned. It's well worth it in the long run. And think about how proud you will be when you share your beautiful home canned goods knowing you've done everything right!
                                                      YEA for you, everyone will love you for it.