Canning & Preserving

Rhonda at Down to Earth is hostessing a discussion on canning foods. I decided to join simply to encourage others to begin canning. I figure that if I can learn to can, anyone can!


Canning was added to the list of things I wanted to learn as Sweetheart and I decided we needed to simplify our lives last year. By simplifying, I do not mean making things easier, but making things ourselves. It's actually been a lot more work, but it has also been more rewarding than I could have imagined! (If you are interested in learning more about what we've been learning and doing, you may search by the labels "Canning, Simple Living, and Simplifying" at the bottom of posts.)


We live in a regular subdivision on the outskirts of Denver. As this was all farmland not many years ago, we are blessed to have a few farms close at hand where we may buy produce in the summer and fall. Some things, I simply bought when they were on sale at the grocery store. I discovered that all the big sales came when certain foods were at their peak~ like peaches & apples & corn. I bought extremely large (to me) amounts.


Some things I bought all at once, like a bushel of cucumbers to pickle. Other things I bought over a few weeks time like 75 pounds of peaches and 80 pounds of apples. This allowed me to pace myself better on the canning. I felt a bit swamped under the bushels of cucumbers and tomatoes that I thought I should space out the other things as I could so they wouldn't rot in my basement while I tried to finish each thing.


I started out early in the year by checking Craig's List for used canning supplies. Don't wait until the middle of summer as it will be hard to find things. Off season shopping is better and people seemed to be more willing to negotiate. I loaded up boxes of jars and just waited until it was time.


When it became our canning season, I bought new lids and seals as well as two things I love: a tool kit and a cookbook from the Ball Jar company. The canning tool kit contained a funnel, a magnet on a handle to lift the metal lids out of the hot water, a jar lifter, and a handy little plastic thing that had measurements marked on it so that you can make sure you have the right amount of headspace in each jar and for getting the air bubbles out.


The cookbook was the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. I found a new paperback copy just at Target. It's worth its weight in gold. It contained everything I needed to learn both water bath and pressure canning including adjustments for our high altitude. I can't say enough good things about this book! For a beginner, it is invaluable.


I did purchase a canning pressure cooker new as well. I used it for several recipes and it was easy! You can can a lot with just a big stockpot though, so don't let not having a pressure canner stop you. I figured it will last for years and be worth the investment.


I was also blessed with several boxes of jars and odd and ends from my stepmother who canned years ago and stopped. My advice--take anything anyone will give you! And, if you are lucky enough to find someone to show you how, take them up on the offer. I plan to invite some friends over this year if they are interested so we can work and learn together. I don't know anyone in my everyday life that cans, so maybe I can get some friends interested.


I'm not posting here how to do specific recipes, or give minute instructions. My goal is simply to try and encourage others to begin canning and preserving. A whole new world has opened up to me now! I've even used my dehydrator a ton more because the cookbook also had lots of ideas for drying and freezing foods besides just all the great canning recipes.

Right now, I've got jars in my fridge of green beans, pickles, tomato sauce, jams, fruit butters, jellies, applesauce and more that we are enjoying everyday. I've got more jars tucked away still unopened in the pantry and basement. I'm trying to stretch things out until spring and summer.

Opening a fresh jar of peaches on a grey February day is like opening a jar of sunshine! It's nice to know that I'm feeding my family foods picked and processed as simply as possible without unnecessary ingredients or odd chemicals preservatives. And yes, we can taste the difference!

I'm looking forward to doing so much more this year. Won't you join me?

Labels!

Quite awhile ago, I did a post about labeling the glass jars I use for food storage. As I was asked about this today, I thought I'd share a few more things I've been labeling. I never knew one roll of contact paper could last so long!

Just the other day Sweetheart cut a board to add a much-needed shelf to my spice cupboard. I covered the new, ugly board with the paper as well. As I dry most of the herbs I grow each summer, I have jars filled with mysterious leaves and twigs everywhere. The new shelf allowed me to rearrange everything and actually get all my herbs and spices in the one cupboard.

Now, anyone can also identify and use most of the things I have without asking me what something is. (Looking at the pictures, I see that I should label a few more jars!) I have it all arranged by usage as well. All the baking ingredients are on one shelf, and the other shelves are filled with my more everyday cooking herbs and spices. My salt blends, homemade & store bought, are on the bottom shelf where I can grab them easily while cooking.

It is so much easier to find everything and I actually smile when I look in the cupboard now!

I also added some strips of lace I had on hand to the shelves in the pantry a few weeks ago. It's not perfect, but it's such a sweet, little touch that I enjoy. You can also see the labels on some of the jars. Since most of our pantry supplies are bought in bulk, I find it easier to keep everything in jars. It also makes writing out the grocery list a breeze as I can see at a glance anything we might be low on.

I am able to add notes & directions on the labels easily and they just peel off without any residue whenever I want. I simply write on them with a Sharpie marker. I've even had a few jars go through the dishwasher with labels on them that have come out just fine, though I don't necessarily recommend that!

The top picture shows how I labeled the Lavender Body Butter I made the other day. Our Bunco group exchanges small gifts as we play for rolling certain things. The gifts get passed around throughout the game. I didn't know who would end up with it and I wanted the ladies to know what was in the jar.

(They are getting used to my homemade gifts and are very gracious about them. I also spent the afternoon baking 12 dozen chocolate chip cookies to take as thank yous. I knew I wouldn't be able to write 12 thank you cards for the amazing gift they had given me last time we were all together without more tears than I could bear. Several of them said they preferred the cookies to a note! While it may not have been perfect etiquette, it was heartfelt.)

I knew I wanted to label the jar somehow and immediately thought of the contact paper. I simply traced the lid onto the paper, cut and stuck it onto the jar. This was the third batch of body butter I've made so far. I had trouble getting this one to set, so I'll need to go back and check my notes to make sure my oil ratios were correct. I had wanted to make a different sized batch and might have miscalculated. I may end up taking all the jars I have sitting on the counter, remelt them and redo it all. We'll see. It's like anything else, sometimes it doesn't turn out as I hoped.

I did however, tweak my lip balm recipe with super results! I'll post the new one soon. This batch goes on soooo smooth and stays much firmer in the tubes. I love it!

So, there have been some successes and some failures along the way of trying to make all these new things. I'm learning and just doing the best I can. Imagine, just a little over a year ago I'd have probably never attempted to make either thing! I didn't even know one could make such things at home!

Well, it's grown quite late and I need to sign off now. Please forgive any mistakes. I'll proofread tomorrow when my eyes aren't starting to droop. I know I do still need to catch up on a few subjects and links soon. Hope each one of you is doing well!

What simple things are you doing to create beauty in your home? Do share!

More Simple Living Links & Recipes

This picture in no way relates to this post. He's just cute and makes me smile. I'd add a picture of Pumpkin, but all his pictures are blurry as he's constantly on the go!

***

We'll just start at the beginning of the day.

I am looking forward to using our own soap soon. We've got all the ingredients and are just awaiting Sweetheart making the soap molds. Until then, we use all sorts of soaps, some handmade, some store bought.

I started using vinegar for conditioner over a year ago. I used just plain white vinegar and filled up an old conditioner bottle with it refilling as needed. It worked fine. Somewhere along the way, I started using apple cider vinegar and I don't know why. I think I ran out of white, but had the apple cider on hand. I'll just finish that bottle off that and decide what to do from there. You can steep herbs in the vinegar, but I never have. I never seem to remember until I'm in the shower and then it's too late!

I still used regular shampoo until it ran out. I had tried using baking soda for shampoo because I'd read others were with great success. Me, not so much. Turns out--you need to dissolve the baking soda in water first, not just rub the powder on your head. Ohhhh. Lesson learned.

I read a link off of Tonia's one day that explained it all better than I can, or have time to do. While I love Tonia's site and heartily recommend its reading, the blog with the shampooing info I am not endorsing. I've not read around it to know where she's coming from on things. The direct link to the shampoo post is fine.

I keep the baking soda in just a canning jar in the bathroom with a spoon. In the shower is just an old plastic jar with no lid I'm forever reusing. When I go to turn the shower on, I put a spoonful of the baking soda in the jar and fill it with the hot water. I do not recommend filling the jar with soda and water after a shower and just letting it sit. Why? When you dump it on your wet head the next morning, it's freezing. Ask me how I know...

After I wet my hair, I pour the soda water mixture on my scalp a bit at a time rubbing it in to my scalp. When I'm out of the mix, I just rinse it all with the water. Then I pour some of the vinegar in the old shampoo bottle either directly on my head, or mix it with water in the same jar I used for the soda. It bubbles. That's fine. After I do the vinegar rinse, I rinse my hair once more.

My hair only has ever smelled like vinegar one time and that was because I forgot to rinse out the straight vinegar. Live and learn. (Keep it out of your eyes though as it may sting. Surprisingly, I haven't done that one. Sweetheart just warned me.) Really, you won't smell like Easter eggs doing this! It's like using vinegar for cleaning, which I do all the time. There is no smell when it dries.

All this takes less time to do than to write. It takes no longer than regular shampooing. For me, it takes even less because my hair is so crazy thick that it takes forever to get regular shampoo out of it. My hair is naturally wavy and pretty long. This all works great for me and I get less tangles than I ever did using regular shampoos and conditioners and I think I tried them all.

Why would anyone do this? Well, for me it actually works BETTER than the standard products. Also, it is a lot more natural which is better for all of us in so many ways. (The link goes into more details about the common chemicals in shampoo.) It's also A LOT less expensive. I haven't bought shampoo or conditioner for over a year now and I used to go through bottle after bottle because my hair is so long and thick.

****

What's next?
Shan's site for homemade laundry detergent. However, last time I looked I couldn't find the link. Sorry! Here's what to do though.


I feel like Pioneer Woman whenever I line everything up on the counter like this. Of course, if I was Pioneer Woman, there would be large quantities of butter involved. And better photos. And more people reading and commenting.

Anyway, the basic recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent is easy. Ingredients: 1 bar of Ivory or 1/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap, 1/2 cup borax, 1/2 cup washing soda,

32 cups of water, and essential oils, if desired. NOTE: Washing soda is NOT the same as baking soda. Both are by Arm & Hammer, but they are not the same. It should be in the laundry area of the store.

Grate the soap. I just use a regular cheese grater and it only takes a minute or two.

Put six cups of water in a big pan and melt the grated soap. Stir. This should only take a few minutes (5+-) depending on your heat. Don't walk away with the temp to high. It will boil over. Again, ask me how I know. At least it smells nice when it does.Once the soap melts, add the borax and washing soda. Stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add four cups of hot water to your bucket, or other storage container. Pour the soap mix in. Stir well. Add 22 more cups of water to the bucket. Stir. Add a few drops of essential oils, if you like. I added lavender this time, but peppermint is nice, too!

Let the detergent sit for about 24 hours to gel, if you like. I try to remember to stir it a few times as it's cooling and gelling just to help keep it from separating. I don't always remember. I just keep mine in the bucket with a towel over it on the dryer in the laundry room. Use 1/2 cup or so per load. I just kept the cup from the last jug of laundry detergent I used about a year ago. I've been using this recipe for about a year now with no complaints. I just pour it directly on spots as needed as well instead of special stain removers.

Again, this is something that is easy, more natural and a lot less expensive. It also takes less time to whip up a batch than it does to go to the store. I've run out of soap while still having laundry. When that happens, I just scoop it out and use it ungelled. It still works just fine. Once our own soap is ready and I'm out of Ivory, I'll just grate that up. Can you tell I'm looking forward to soap making?

*****

I've got more to share from making cheese and butter this weekend, but it'll have to wait. This has taken too long already. Hope you're enjoying these ideas. I'm off to finish dinner!

What I've Been Whipping Up This Week in the Kitchen

Truffles:

This is a recipe from "Bon Appetit" Magazine/January 1987. Um, yes, I start receiving a subscription to "Bon Appetit" when I was in 8th or 9th grade. No, I've not kept them all. I have a book that has all my random recipes cut out and glued into it. It's just a binder stuffed with recipes in plastic pages, but it's a big binder!

Anyhow...

"Rich Dark Truffles"
Makes 8
(I double it when I make them. If I'm going to the trouble, I want it to be worth it!)
1/4 c whipping cream
2 TBL butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I just use chocolate chips.)
1/4 tsp vanilla
sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

Bring the butter and cream to simmer in a small pan over medium heat. Then add the chocolate, melt and whisk on low heat until the mix is smooth. Pour into a small bowl and whisk in the vanilla. (You can add other extracts like orange or mint instead of the vanilla for flavored truffles. I thought about adding instant espresso powder for Mocha Truffles, but didn't.) Put the bowl in the freezer until it can hold its shape, but NOT frozen solid. The recipe says 20 minutes, but mine took more like 35 minutes and was still really soft in the center of the bowl. Just set a timer and keep checking on it.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper and dust it with the cocoa powder. Spoon 8 mounds onto the prepared sheet, using about 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture for each. (I used my mini scooper and it was sooo easy! It must be less than 2 tablespoons as I ended up with more mounds, but it was easy and a lot less messy.) Freeze until centers are almost firm, about 8 minutes.

(Ok, I didn't set the timer here and got distracted making lunch. When I took mine out, they were too firm to roll. So now they're just sitting on the counter hopefully softening up.)

Roll each mound in the cocoa powder on the sheet, then roll between palms of hands into smooth round. Set on another waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until ready to dip, up to one month. (**Be sure to put them back in the freezer. I left mine out after rolling them because I was typing. I moved onto dipping, but had to stop as they were too warm and just melting in the dipping chocolate.)

Melt 1 pound of chocolate in the double boiler. Remove from heat. Let chocolate stand until melted, stirring occasionally, and candy thermometer registers between 115 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, remove truffles from the freezer, rerolling them to remove excess cocoa. (By the way-you could roll them in instant espresso powder if you like.)

For a simple assembly line, set the tray of truffles to your left. Set the dipping chocolate in front of you. Place the empty waxed paper-lined baking sheet immediately to your right.

Submerge one truffle in melted chocolate, tilting pan. Lifting truffle up with index finger and thumb, remove from chocolate. Move had side to side, shaking excess chocolate back into pan. Turn hand over and drop truffle onto prepared sheet. Dip index finger into chocolate to dab truffle where not completely coated. Truffles may also be dipped with a fork or toothpick.

Repeat with remaining truffles. Check the melted chocolate's temperature half way through dipping. If it has fallen below 115 degrees, reheat it by setting it back over the hot water of the double boiler. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, 30 minutes to an hour.

After the truffles are set, peel from waxed paper using gloves or plastic wrap if you like to prevent fingerprints. You may place them in paper candy cups (little muffin papers) if you want. Arrange cups in an airtight container and transfer to the refrigerator. They are best eaten within four days, but remain fresh up to two weeks. You may freeze them for up to one month. Let truffles stand at room temperature for one hour before serving.

I rolled some in cocoa, some in powdered sugar, and dipped some in chocolate. Pumpkin suggested I dip the heart cookies in chocolate and so I did. This is a chocolate box Joanne brought with her last weekend to the little Cupid's Tea I did. We all had our tea and then made valentines, if we wished. Six bloggers, and no one managed to get pictures, including me! This was one of the boxes she brought in case anyone wanted to decorate one. I did. Sweetheart did the gold foiling on the ribbon. Isn't he the best?!

***********
Butter

Kate--- I'll do a post on butter-making this weekend. The whipping cream needs to sit out for 24 hours before I churn it. It's on the counter now.

***********

As Sweetheart and I are using more natural products and foods, we are discovering all sorts of things you can make yourself. On the list to start making, hopefully Sunday after the boys go to bed, is soap. Sweetheart is more into the chemistry of everything than I am. (Understatement!!)

While we've been gathering up the various ingredients and waiting for everything to be ready, I've started making a few cosmetic type things myself that are simple and ready to go the same day. (Homemade soaps need weeks to set up, so it will be awhile before I have any posts on that.)

On Tuesday I made Lip Balm. Using this recipe, I made a lovely Burt's Bees-type lip balm. I added a bit more beeswax as it suggested to make it firmer and I added three drops of lavender oil in with the peppermint oil. I love the Burt's Bees stuff, but three dollars a tube is ridiculous!

Sweetheart bought a bag of 50 (!) empty tubes and this recipe filled six regular Chapstick sized tubes. I love it! I used a plastic syringe (no needle) to fill the tubes. The only change I'll make is to add even more beeswax, probably another whole teaspoon, because I like it to be firm. I'll also need to work faster filling the tubes, or wait for a warmer day, as the solution began setting up while still in the syringe, making the final product not quite as smooth all over in the tube as I would have liked. It totally usable and probably fine for gifts, but I'd like to keep improving it in the hopes that I might be able to sell some later with the soaps and other things I'm making.

On Wednesday, I made Lavender Body Butter with this recipe. On Thursday, I used the same recipe creating a Peppermint Body Butter using peppermint oil instead of the lavender, as I had used up all the lavender oil I had! This stuff is soooo wonderful! It goes on so smooth and lasts a lot longer than regular lotion. Like most of you, I'm washing my hands all day long. I put the Peppermint Body Butter on this morning. It's midafternoon now, and my hands still feel soft. In our dry Colorado climate and with how much I wash my hands, it's amazing that my skin still feels smooth. (The boys love it, too!)

I think I'll be using the Lavender at night and the Pepermint in the day. Lavender is so relaxing while the Peppermint is energizing to me. Both smell so clean, even Sweetheart is using them, and we don't have to worry about him going to work smelling like a girl. ;) I also like this recipe because it is neither sticky, or greasy.

Since these were my first attempts, I was concentrating hard on just doing it all right, so I didn't take any pictures of the processes. Is anyone interested that I should do a step-by-step blog on lipbalm or body butters, or are the links enough?