Blueberry/Huckleberry Jam - Delicious!

Did you know that you can use Huckleberries in any recipe that calls for Blueberries?  Well, you can.  I have a bunch of both (frozen) so I decided to mix them and make Blueberry/Huckleberry jam.  It turns out delicious.  Take a look at how much smaller the Huckleberries are than the Blueberries. I understand that in other parts of the country Huckleberries are a lot bigger than the ones we get here.

In order to get a good recipe I went to my good old trusty So Easy To Preserve book from the University of Georgia.  The recipe is easy and turns out great.

Since this recipe is only processed for 5 minutes the jars have to be pre-sterilized.  Any recipe that is processed for less than 10 minutes must have the jars pre-sterilized.  If the processing time is over 10 minutes pre-sterilizing isn't necessary because it will take place during the 10+ minutes in processing. However, lots of people feel better if they pre-sterilize jars anytime they can.  It's ok, not a big deal it just takes extra time.  So, to pre-sterilize your jars all you have to do is put them in the canner filled with water and let them boil for  10 minutes.

This recipe calls for 9 cups of crushed berries and 6 cups of sugar.  That's it, nothing else, how easy is that?

I use a potato masher to crush the berries. Then I put them in a pot ready to put on the stove and add the sugar.

                                   

  

Once the sugar is added and you continue to stir it so the sugar dissolves you will notice a lot of liquid develop. That's perfect because you have to bring it to a boil.  Once that happens you will simply continue to cook it down slowly until it becomes thick or to the jellying point.  The thicker it gets the thicker the jam will be.

Once it's thickened up you will pour it into the hot sterilized jar, wipe the rim, put on the lid and the ring and put it in the canner.  Fill all the jars.  Once they are in the canner it must come to a boil to begin the 5 minute timing.

       

After the 5 minutes of processing remove the lid and wait another 5 minutes. That helps keep the jam from siphoning out of the jars. When you remove them from the canner, set them on a rack or towel undisturbed for 12 hours.  Then remove the rings, wash the jars well, label them and smile. You have delicious jam ready whenever you want.  YUM!

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.

Chicken Lessons

Every day when I go check on our chickens they run to me as if to say "Hi! What's going on?" They are curious about what I'm doing. They are happy when I talk to them and tell them what I'm doing. They are interested in what I have to say.

Not only that, they are satisfied with what they have. They are low maintenance. They don't complain about what they have or want more than they need.

I guess what it boils down to is that they are happy little creatures that appreciate others and are grateful for what they have. Maybe some people could learn a little from chickens.

Clams!

We went clamming and each got our limit of 12. These are called Empire clams. I'll be making fresh clam strips for dinner tonight. Yum! Next on my list is to can some clam chowder base. That will be awesome to have on hand in the winter.

It's County Fair Time!

It's time for the County Fair and there's lots of things I love about it.  Most of all the grand kids come visit for the week or depending on their swim class schedules and things they come for at least a few days.  I take vacation for the week and this year I REALLY need it.

I love seeing all the wonderful projects people enter.  There are so many terrific things to see and be inspired by.  The anticipation of winning a ribbon on my own entries is always fun.  Riding the rides with my grand kids.  Walking through the livestock areas and seeing how well the 4-H kids have done raising their animals. The rodeo and entertainment is always great to watch. This year our granddaughter wants to enter the pig catching contest.  She has decided that if she catches a pig then Grandpa can raise it for her.  They live in an apartment so Grandpa has agreed if she catches one he will raise it for her.   She says they are so cute when they are babies but when they grow up they become bacon and she loves bacon.  And of course, last but certainly not least the food.  There is always something you can only seem to get once a year at the fair.  For us it's paying a visit to the Scone trailer.  They have the best, great big scones (they cover a paper plate) and you choose what topping you want on it.  Marion Berry is always a favorite.

So, today I'll be baking because I plan to enter some whole wheat bread, banana bread and oatmeal cookies.  I'll also be entering 4 photographs. I'm not a photographer but over the past year I happened to take some pretty cool pictures when I was out and about (I did it on my cell phone too).  What the heck, it doesn't cost anything to enter them so we'll see what happens. I don't expect to get a ribbon on them I just want to see if they get any points. I'll be entering a dozen eggs from our chickens too. Last year I got a 3rd place ribbon so this year I hope to get 2nd or 1st on them.  AND of course I have a list of about 15 canned goods entries to gather up and get ready to go.  I love to get ribbons on my canned goods because that's really my passion.

So off I go.  I'll be busy today because the entries for the fair have to be there tomorrow (Sunday), the judging is on Monday and the fair opens on Tuesday.

Bacon Jam - Only in the fridge!

Recently I was walking through the local Farmer's Market.  I noticed some Bacon Jam for sale at one of the booths.  I asked how it had been processed and the person behind the table said "What do you mean?" I asked if it had been processed in a pressure canner.  She replied "Oh, no it isn't."  She also had no idea what the recipe was.  So, this is meat (low acid food) and she said it isn't processed in a pressure canner. If it isn't processed in a pressure canner then what would the vinegar ratio for a recipe like this be?  It was for sale out there with pretty little labels on the jars.  Maybe those pretty little labels should be a skull and cross bones.  I know that sounds dramatic but honestly this low acid food even though I'm sure it must contain vinegar has to have some specific vinegar ratio or pressure canning guidelines to be a safe product.

So I checked it out and low and behold there are lots and lots of Bacon Jam recipes out there.  Just look online.  You'll see them from All Recipes to Martha Stewart.  But none of the ones I found have any processing  (boil water or pressure canning) instructions.  They all say to store the Bacon Jam in the fridge for 2 - 4 weeks or freeze it.  NO CANNING GUIDELINES!  I called the local extension office to find out if Bacon Jam is safe.  The research  they found also says it is not to be stored at room temperature but refrigerated or frozen instead.

So how was this Bacon Jam being sold on a table, sealed airtight, in the warm sunlight, at the Farmer's Market?  That's a good question.  It's hard for the people who organize those things to know every thing that every booth is selling.  It's pretty much up to the people at the booth to make sure what they sell is safe. But what that tells me is in the end it's really up to each of us to remember to question products.  Especially ones that are home made and sold at places like farmer's markets. I understand our local Extension Office notified the organizer of the Farmer's Market which is the responsible thing to do. If the people selling the Bacon Jam can prove it's processing method and it's safety then so be it.

Remember - Danger Never Takes A Day Off.  Just because you see it for sale doesn't make it safe.

There's nothing like having a quick and easy meal ready to go!

I canned Kidney Beans in Spicy Tomato Juice last night.  There was a bit left over that I didn't can because there really wasn't enough to make a full canner load.  So tonight I used that added to some sausage and poured over rice. It turned out great!  I used up the stuff I didn't get canned but I know that any time I want I can make this meal again using the jars right off my food storage shelves.  I love it!

I LOVE canning dry beans!

I helped at a workshop last weekend where we taught people how to can dried beans.  I forgot how much I love having home canned beans in my pantry.  Last night for dinner I opened a jar of Scarlet Runners I canned last year.  I cooked them with some chopped onion and served them as a side dish.  They were DELISH!

So this weekend I think I'll can some more dried beans.  It's super easy. First you soak them overnight. Then you drain the soaking water off them and put them in a pot covered by fresh water with about an extra inch over the top of the beans.  Boil them for about 30 minutes. Then put the hot beans in hot jars and fill with boiling water then remove the air bubbles.  Add a little salt if you want.  Wipe the rims of the jars and put the lids on. Then pressure can them according to the time and pressure requirements for your altitude (look that up with an approved resource like the Ball Blue Book).  They are so good as a side dish or added to a casserole or soup.

I'm going to do a couple different things to the beans I can.  I think I'll add a little chopped onion to them and some spices then instead of using water as the liquid I think I'll use tomato juice. Those will be perfect as the beginning of several meals.  Just imagine browning some good sausage chunks then adding one of these jars of beans with tomato and spices. Once that's hot and a little thicker it would be perfect over rice.  Kind of like a quick and easy Red Beans and Rice dish.

Now that's a great idea!