Hello,

my wife and I are thinking about doing some canning this year.
Since we never before have done anything like this before,we would
sure appreciate any help and advise we could get,such as what
equipment we would need to get started.

Thank You DarbyDan

(DarbyDan) wrote:

> Hello,
>
> my wife and I are thinking about doing some canning this year.
> Since we never before have done anything like this before,we would
> sure appreciate any help and advise we could get,such as what
> equipment we would need to get started.
>
> Thank You DarbyDan

For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food By." For
basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment of bad quality)
get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the stuff yourself, a copy
of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice addition to the library.

Blanche Nonken wrote:

> For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food By." For
> basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment of bad quality)
> get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the stuff yourself, a copy
> of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice addition to the library.

Is the BBB online?

B/

In article >,
wrote:

> Blanche Nonken wrote:
>
> > For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food By." For
> > basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment of bad quality)
> > get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the stuff yourself, a copy
> > of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice addition to the library.
>
> Is the BBB online?
>
> B/

Not the contents, AFAIK. You can order it from homecanning.com online,
though.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 8/30/04; check the Fairs Fare tab.

"Brian Mailman" wrote:
> Blanche Nonken wrote:
>
> > For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food By." For
> > basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment of bad quality)
> > get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the stuff yourself, a copy
> > of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice addition to the library.
>
> Is the BBB online?

No, but you can order it online:

http://tinyurl.com/hmyw

Old and used copies are available on eBay, etc., but it's worth it to start
canning with the newest edition you can get your hands on. The price is
certainly right, but it's worth it at any price.

pennyaline wrote:

> "Brian Mailman" wrote:
>> Blanche Nonken wrote:
>>
>> > For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food By." For
>> > basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment of bad quality)
>> > get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the stuff yourself, a copy
>> > of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice addition to the library.
>>
>> Is the BBB online?
>
> No, but you can order it online:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/hmyw
>
> Old and used copies are available on eBay, etc., but it's worth it to start
> canning with the newest edition you can get your hands on. The price is
> certainly right, but it's worth it at any price.


cool, thanks.

B/

In article >, "pennyaline"
> wrote:

> "Brian Mailman" wrote:
> > Blanche Nonken wrote:
> >
> > > For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food
> > > By." For basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment
> > > of bad quality) get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the
> > > stuff yourself, a copy of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice
> > > addition to the library.
> >
> > Is the BBB online?
>
> No, but you can order it online:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/hmyw
>
> Old and used copies are available on eBay, etc., but it's worth it to
> start canning with the newest edition you can get your hands on. The
> price is certainly right, but it's worth it at any price.

Whoops! Please use the most current information available for
processing times and information. Older books are fine for collection
value (if any), but any info older than 5 years should be checked to see
if it's been updated. Buy a new book. I'm partial to the Ball Blue
Book, myself.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 8/30/04; check the Fairs Fare tab.

"Melba's Jammin'" wrote:
>I wrote:
> > Old and used copies are available on eBay, etc., but it's worth it to
> > start canning with the newest edition you can get your hands on. The
> > price is certainly right, but it's worth it at any price.
>
> Whoops! Please use the most current information available for
> processing times and information. Older books are fine for collection
> value (if any), but any info older than 5 years should be checked to see
> if it's been updated. Buy a new book. I'm partial to the Ball Blue
> Book, myself.

Didn't I say/write that?

"Melba's Jammin'" wrote:
>I wrote:
> > Old and used copies are available on eBay, etc., but it's worth it to
> > start canning with the newest edition you can get your hands on. The
> > price is certainly right, but it's worth it at any price.
>
> Whoops! Please use the most current information available for
> processing times and information. Older books are fine for collection
> value (if any), but any info older than 5 years should be checked to see
> if it's been updated. Buy a new book. I'm partial to the Ball Blue
> Book, myself.

Didn't I say/write that?

In article >, "pennyaline"
> wrote:

> "Brian Mailman" wrote:
> > Blanche Nonken wrote:
> >
> > > For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food
> > > By." For basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment
> > > of bad quality) get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the
> > > stuff yourself, a copy of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice
> > > addition to the library.
> >
> > Is the BBB online?
>
> No, but you can order it online:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/hmyw
>
> Old and used copies are available on eBay, etc., but it's worth it to
> start canning with the newest edition you can get your hands on. The
> price is certainly right, but it's worth it at any price.

Whoops! Please use the most current information available for
processing times and information. Older books are fine for collection
value (if any), but any info older than 5 years should be checked to see
if it's been updated. Buy a new book. I'm partial to the Ball Blue
Book, myself.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 8/30/04; check the Fairs Fare tab.

In article >,
wrote:

> Blanche Nonken wrote:
>
> > For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food By." For
> > basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment of bad quality)
> > get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the stuff yourself, a copy
> > of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice addition to the library.
>
> Is the BBB online?
>
> B/

Not the contents, AFAIK. You can order it from homecanning.com online,
though.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 8/30/04; check the Fairs Fare tab.

"Brian Mailman" wrote:
> Blanche Nonken wrote:
>
> > For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food By." For
> > basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment of bad quality)
> > get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the stuff yourself, a copy
> > of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice addition to the library.
>
> Is the BBB online?

No, but you can order it online:

http://tinyurl.com/hmyw

Old and used copies are available on eBay, etc., but it's worth it to start
canning with the newest edition you can get your hands on. The price is
certainly right, but it's worth it at any price.

Blanche Nonken wrote:

> For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food By." For
> basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment of bad quality)
> get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the stuff yourself, a copy
> of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice addition to the library.

Is the BBB online?

B/

(DarbyDan) wrote:

>Hello,
>
>my wife and I are thinking about doing some canning this year.
>Since we never before have done anything like this before,we would
>sure appreciate any help and advise we could get,such as what
>equipment we would need to get started.
>
>Thank You DarbyDan

Lots of information available online from the National Center For Home
Food Preservation.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/
For canning specifically
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_home.html

Have fun.
Ross
To email, remove the obvious from my address.

(DarbyDan) wrote:

>Hello,
>
>my wife and I are thinking about doing some canning this year.
>Since we never before have done anything like this before,we would
>sure appreciate any help and advise we could get,such as what
>equipment we would need to get started.
>
>Thank You DarbyDan

Lots of information available online from the National Center For Home
Food Preservation.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/
For canning specifically
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_home.html

Have fun.
Ross
To email, remove the obvious from my address.

(DarbyDan) wrote:

> Hello,
>
> my wife and I are thinking about doing some canning this year.
> Since we never before have done anything like this before,we would
> sure appreciate any help and advise we could get,such as what
> equipment we would need to get started.
>
> Thank You DarbyDan

For general canning information, you can't beat "Putting Food By." For
basic popular stuff (which is by no means an indictment of bad quality)
get "The Ball Blue Book." If you're growing the stuff yourself, a copy
of "Keeping the Harvest" is a nice addition to the library.

[x-posted to rec.food.preserving]

No kids 4 you wrote:

> In anticipation of the fall harvest and some time off I am planning to can
for
> the first time ever. I have an endless collection of old blue jars that I
> thought might look nice filled with my neighbors tomatoes, they let me
pick
> them. I thought for a second about using the old lids that go with the
jars, I
> think they are zinc with milk glass inserts. I'm going with those easy
seal
> lids instead. Any sage words from experienced canners?


DON'T DO THAT! Botulism is not a pretty or easy death...you'll have to use
a pressure canner for tomatoes.

As far as older jars go, make SURE that they have no tiny chips or cracks
around the rims. Otherwise they won't seal correctly...

First off, please read these sites; the homecanning.com site is done by the
folks who make Ball canning jars:

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

http://www.homecanning.com/


You also might want to pick up a copy of the _Ball Blue Book_ which is a
good basic guide for canners. Costs about $7.00 or thereabouts or you can
get it at homecanning.com. Another good book is _Putting Foods By_....

Canning is fun and it's also therapeutic. You can also save some money,
even if not it's a neat thing to do...I've canned lots of stuff in my
time...makes lovely gifts and folks "ooh" and "aah" when they see your
finished products gleaming all in a pretty row...


Lastly, here is an article about Barb Schaller, who is a regular on
rec.food.cooking and rec.food.preserving (the latter to which I've x -
posted this message). She knows her stuff, as she's won lots of awards at
the Minnesota State Fair and attends workshops, seminars, etc. on home
canning and preserving. An excerpt:

http://www.womenspress.com/newspaper/2004/2014cann.html

[...]

"By fun stuff, Schaller means experiments. In the past couple of years she
tried two new flavors of jam: boozeberry, with blueberries, Southern Comfort
and triple sec; and fuzzy navel, with oranges, peaches and triple sec.

Schaller doesn't shy away from the science of canning, either.

She's vehement about using the safest methods.

"My [mom's] methods would make any responsible home canner's hair curl right
now," said Schaller. "She did it in a boiling water bath, which is
absolutely verboten. A boiling water processing method does not get hot
enough to destroy the botulism spores."

The best way to can vegetables, explained Schaller, is with a pressure
canner (like a pressure cooker, but bigger). The pressure canner heats up to
240 degrees or above, which is enough to kill the botulism-a danger Schaller
takes very seriously. "The killer about botulism is you can't see it, you
can't smell it and you can't taste it," she said. "And if nobody knows what
you've eaten in the last 12 hours or so-whatever the incubation period
is-you could wind up dead."

State Fair officials agree with Schaller. If vegetables aren't processed in
a pressure canner, for the right amount of time, the judges won't even taste
them. Fruits, jellies and jams are a different matter: because they're
higher in acidity, they can be processed in boiling water."

[...]

Happy canning :-)

--
Best
Greg

Gregory Morrow wrote:
> [x-posted to rec.food.preserving]
>
> No kids 4 you wrote:
>
>
>> In anticipation of the fall harvest and some time off I am planning
>> to can for the first time ever. I have an endless collection of
>> old blue jars that I thought might look nice filled with my
>> neighbors tomatoes, they let me pick them. I thought for a second
>> about using the old lids that go with the jars, I think they are
>> zinc with milk glass inserts. I'm going with those easy
>> seal lids instead. Any sage words from experienced canners?
>
>
> DON'T DO THAT! Botulism is not a pretty or easy death...you'll have
> to use a pressure canner for tomatoes.
>

I'm not sure what an "easy seal lid" is. The old zinc and porcelain
lids will work, but modern 2-piece canning lids are cheap and easy to
use. Blue jars and zinc lids in usable condition probably have some
collector value.

You don't need a pressure canner to do tomatoes; tomatoes are
acid like fruit, but just barely acid. You should add a little lemon
juice or citric acid to tomatoes if you're not going to pressure-can
them. Here's a very good document about canning tomatoes:
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/PDF/FDNS-E-43-2.pdf

(The part about adding citric acid or bottled lemon juice is on page 3.)

Pressure canning yields a better product and it doesn't heat the house
up so much, so I recommend using a pressure canner if you have one
instead of a water bath canner.

HTH, :-)
Bob

Gregory Morrow wrote:
> [x-posted to rec.food.preserving]
>
> No kids 4 you wrote:
>
>
>> In anticipation of the fall harvest and some time off I am planning
>> to can for the first time ever. I have an endless collection of
>> old blue jars that I thought might look nice filled with my
>> neighbors tomatoes, they let me pick them. I thought for a second
>> about using the old lids that go with the jars, I think they are
>> zinc with milk glass inserts. I'm going with those easy
>> seal lids instead. Any sage words from experienced canners?
>
>
> DON'T DO THAT! Botulism is not a pretty or easy death...you'll have
> to use a pressure canner for tomatoes.
>

I'm not sure what an "easy seal lid" is. The old zinc and porcelain
lids will work, but modern 2-piece canning lids are cheap and easy to
use. Blue jars and zinc lids in usable condition probably have some
collector value.

You don't need a pressure canner to do tomatoes; tomatoes are
acid like fruit, but just barely acid. You should add a little lemon
juice or citric acid to tomatoes if you're not going to pressure-can
them. Here's a very good document about canning tomatoes:
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/PDF/FDNS-E-43-2.pdf

(The part about adding citric acid or bottled lemon juice is on page 3.)

Pressure canning yields a better product and it doesn't heat the house
up so much, so I recommend using a pressure canner if you have one
instead of a water bath canner.

HTH, :-)
Bob