What Should I Can?

     A few years ago some young women asked me if I would teach them to can. I agreed and asked what did they want to learn. They asked, "What is there?" Often people ask me "How much should I can of what?" My answer is that you need to do a little figuring for yourself. Here is a basic starter on how to do this.
     Most people stick to a few basic meals on a regular basis. Spaghetti once every 2 weeks for example is a good place to start. Sit down and look at your menu plan (or if you haven't got a plan, look at what you ate for the last couple of weeks). Mine tends to look like this: poultry, beef, pork, soup or salad (depending on the season) vegetarian, sandwiches or easy fixes, beans. This covers 7 nights or one week Then I plan my meals around this guideline. Wednesdays are usually bean night because my nusband loves his pinto beans and they are a budget saver. He eats his with the traditional cornbread, sliced raw onions and some pickled beets or chowchow, whereas I eat mine with cheese, diced onions, and a little A-1 sauce as tho' it were a taco. So right off the bat I know that we will probably eat 52 pounds of pinto beans in a year, as well as 26+ pints of pickled beets and 26+ pints of chowchow. Friday night is kind of a date night for the 2 of us so it tends to be  hamburgers, pizza, sloppy joes,  hotdogs, tacos, or some other kind of sandwiches that can be eaten while we watch a movie. This means that we will be needing ketchup, mustard, relish, salsa, pizza sauce, and sloppy joe sauce for the year. Kitchen Sink soup is a budget saver because it takes all the vegetables from the week and adds them to a tomato or chicken stock base so I figure on canning chicken broth and tomato juice for a year as well. Everything else gets fit in around these and then I figure out how much of this am I planning to can myself instead of buying from the grocer?
     As I mentioned previously, my salsa, pickled jalapeno peppers, and spicy mustard are as good as currency for my son's friends as well as a couple of our preachers/pastors so I try to make extra of those for purchasing yardwork or thank you gifts. Jams and jellies as well as breads and cakes (yes you can can those too!) are also welcome gifts anytime of the year.
     The next thing to consider is what is in season and what can you do with it. I have included a very basic chart below but it should in no way be considered comprehensive. Think of  it as your jumping off point.
       Fruits and Vegetables by Season

April

     Strawberries

May

     Rhubarb

     Strawberries

     Asparagas

June

     June Apples

     Beets

     Broccoli

     Brussels Sprouts

     Cabbage (early variety)

July

     Blackberries

     Cherries

      Beans 

     Tomatoes (early varieties)

     Turnips (Sow now)

August

     Apples (early varieties)

     Elderberries (early varieties) 

     Peaches

     Corn

     Peppers

     Tomatoes

September

     Apples 

     Elderberries

     Grapes

     Beef

 October

      Potatoes (dig after frost)

      Sweet Potatoes 

     Turnips

       Beef

November

      Pork   

     The next thing to decide is how you like to eat each item you will be canning. For example let's look at corn: in my house, we like it whole kernel (for corn chowder and other soups), cream style for the table, and on the cob (which involves freezing). When it comes to tomatoes we go through literally 3-4 hundred pounds of them so I have to prioritize: spiced tomato juice, plain tomato juice or stewed tomatos, salsa, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joe sauce, pizza sauce and catsup. Then  anything new I want to try gets done with whatever we have leftover.

     Another thing to consider is any herbs you might want to use in your canning. I grow my own basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary for my italian spices as well as cilantro and garlic for my salsa. This can be harvested a little each day and dried in the oven or in a warm dark room before placing in a jar to use in the fall.

     I hope in this way I have given you a plan for figuring out how to plan your canning for this next season anyway. It is certainly a joy to provide for your family and save some money. I look forward to hearing from you!

Better Berries?

     Years ago I read a quote (altho' I can't remember who the author was - perhaps Josh Billings?) who said about strawberries, " Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless He never did!" I was a long time in coming to this truth, but I do embrace it whole-heartedly now. The berries are in season and to my mind, NOTHING else could be a more rewarding way to start the canning season.
     Strawberries are luscious and sweet and delightful to can with. Of course my favorite thing to start with is strawberry jam. When my kids were little, I made this a big celebration. We would go pick together, then come home and gently wash them. I would cap them - tops go to chickens or compost - and, using a cabbage cutter, they would take turns chopping. I would measure out berries and sugar, and the children would pour them into the pot. We would use a commercial pectin and bring everything to a boil. Carefully I would skim the foam off the top into a bowl which we would then save in the refrigerator to spoon over vanilla ice cream. We would fill the jars, wipe the rims, and  screw on the lids. Then while the jam was in the water- or steam-bath we would make a pan of biscuits to "sample" the fresh jam with to be sure it was good enough to share. We would sit around the table with that first batch of leavings in the pot and savor the taste of the jam on our tongues and try to identify the flavor of the sun in the jam. This immediate "testing" was a joyful  reward for the hard work we had done.When the bath was done, I would turn the jars upside onto old towels to cool and we would all smile as we heard each lid "plonk"  as it sealed. I would store these jars upside down so that when we would set a fresh jar on the table there would be a space at the bottom. When the kids asked why it did that, I would tell them it was the love we put in. What a delight to eat that "love-filled, sun-infused, ruby jeweled" spread in the dark of winter!
     We also freeze berries for baking or for smoothies. Just wash, cap, and chop as desired. Then measure out in quantities you would use according to the size of your recipes and family. I use those freezer bags that "zip" closed. Label (include the amount) and date your contents and lay flat on a cookie sheet to freeze. Then when they are "set", you can file them in a shoebox in the freezer. Not only does this create an orderly freezer and save space, it also makes the contents thaw more quickly!
     Another treat is to pick out the largest, perfectly shaped berries. Leave the caps on but wash gently. Carefully dry with a paper towel and set aside. In your microwave or in a double-boiler melt some chocolate chips. I add about a teaspoon of shortening too to help the "setting up" process. When the chocolate is melted, carefully dip each berry halfway in the chocolate and set on a piece of waxed paper to dry. Depending on the temperature where you live, you may need to store these in a container in your refrid-gerator. If you really want to dress them up, drizzle melted white chocolate over the chocolate. How delicious!
     One of my rules was that we had to wait til the beginning of the next month to open a jar of jam. Otherwise my family would go right through all of it in a week. This also gave them time to consider whatever else we might can in the next month: elderberry jelly, blackberry jam, apple jelly, and peach preserves. In this way, I "preserved" the harvest in more than one way!
     Lastly, we make a strawberry balsamic vinegar spread that makes a nice appetizers.  Take 2 cups of chopped strawberries, 1 cup of sugar, and  2 Tbl. of balsamic vinegar. Cook strawberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a medium pan on med heat for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. I usually eye-ball the thickness of the sauce to determine when it is done. When the jam mixture has reduced to the consistency of thick honey or 220 degrees F. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Try a cracker spread with cream cheese and topped with a drop of this! Yum! 
     One last word - did you know that strawberries are the only fruit with its seeds on the outside?