Summer Canning and Food Preservation 2018

[Soliloquy]

I have never been much into canning but, this year, I really got into foraging for wild berries and I have LOTS! So, here we go! Who else is canning this summer!

I know that Celtic Journey already has a great start.

I have about 40 lbs of blueberries in the freezer that I'm just going to keep frozen.

Today we're going to hunt for huckleberries but I think I'll keep those frozen, also . They're way too delicious to mix with sugar.

[JoyGal]

Today at farmers market I got a gallon of Riley Creek blueberries and a gallon of huckleberries. They are all going straight to the freezer in pint bags. I would LOVE more huckleberries but won’t spend the asking price again at market. The blueberries are the sweetest I’ve ever had so now I’m wishing that we had gotten a couple more gallons. I’m not planning on canning anything this year unless I get more blueberries.

[Soliloquy]

The Reka blueberries from Riley Creek are amazing!!! I'm ordering a dozen of those bushes!!

We got some huckleberries today but it was a lot of work. I think I'll stick with berries that are easier to get.

[JoyGal]

Whaaaaaaat?!! You can get the bushes! When do you order and receive, spring? We need some too! I’d like to have enough berries to dry. Have you had dehydrated blueberries? They are imo the best dried berry. I can only imagine what these sweet plumpers would be like! Gah it’s going to be so hot this week I don’t want to go pick. Maybe I will call and see if they are coming down here again next weekend. It’s only $2 more per picked gallon anyway.

I got two thornless blackberry and two boysenberry bushes from market and they are huge already! We just had most of our yard finished yesterday, but because of the expected heat this week, I’m going to wait a while for it to cool off before planting them from their buckets.

I saw that market had huckleberries up there and almost drove up but decided to take a chance on here first. They really are so much work to get and it seems they are harder to find. The guy I got them from today would only answer a lady (that kept pressing him for where he goes) that he goes north of your town. I don’t blame him, I wouldn’t tell a bunch of strangers where I went either

What is are your favorite things to make with frozen berries?

We will have a bunch of tomatoes this week, first ID tomatoes ever!! Not quite sure what to do with them all...maybe a small batch of salsa...I will look up some recipes. I’ve never canned it but would try if we had enough.

So, to keep this post on topic for the title- I have decided now to can some blueberry jam so will get more berries for sure.

[Soliloquy]

I got my blueberry farms mixed up! Both farms sell bushes. Shingle Mill has the Reka bushes, I picked a lot of those last week.

The lady from Shingle Mill puts in an order for bushes as soon as she hits the minimum purchase price. I'll ask her again how she wants people to let her know what bushes they want. When I saw her a few weeks ago I was undecided. She has some bushes for sale at her farm but I didn't have time to look at the varieties. I am going to order Reka bushes through her because I love the Rekas at their farm.

I don't know how often Riley Creek sells bushes. But we are going there Monday morning and I will ask.

I froze 10 lbs of asparagus this spring. None of us really like frozen asparagus, though, too mushy. So next spring I will just make lots of soups with asparagus and not freeze any.

---------- Post added at 11:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 PM ----------

I haven't dehydrated blueberries because I have plenty of freezer space. If I was running low, which may happen in future years, I would try it for sure.

Originally Posted by JoyGal

So, to keep this post on topic for the title- I have decided now to can some blueberry jam so will get more berries for sure.

It's all good! It's all about fresh local produce!

[mommychem]

DH’s boss gave us a bucket full of canning pears...I’ve never canned a thing in my life!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!! I’d kinda rather just eat them. Is there a difference between canning pears and pears you just eat?

[Soliloquy]

Canning pears are probably not as pretty and uniform.

I would make pear cobber/crisp with them, maybe find a muffin recipe or something, and freeze the extra baked goods. I wouldn't can them, either. I'm not crazy about canned fruit.

But, this is how you'd do it. It's much simpler than you'd think but you do need to focus while you're doing it.

https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/garden...w-to-can-pears

[Soliloquy]

Oregon grape jelly is canned and sitting! It tastes amazing. I hope it sets. If not, we'll use it as pancake syrup as it tastes like blueberry!

I used this recipe, in case anyone finds a patch of Oregon grapes. I used a food mill and I canned in a water bath.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/oregon-grape-jam/

[Barefoot Bookworm]

So far we have done pickles. Lots and lots of pickles. Tomatoes are coming soon as are peaches and pears if I get them quickly enough. I should freeze some blueberries too come to think of it. I completely missed strawberries this year. Apples will come later in the season.

[ViolaMum]

Our garden is a little behind I think. I'm in the thick of pesto season, but I freeze that.

Our zucchini plants are just starting to produce. I might buy a spiralizer and freeze "noodles" when they start coming in fast and furious. I can only take so much zucchini bread. And I still have zucchini puree in the freezer from last year.

[CelticJourney]

Want to go pick some more blueberries, but I think I will freeze them.

I made watermelon jelly....kinda. It's more watermelon syrup, but dh says 'oh, pancakes!' so we're good. The first batch I tried reboiling, the second batch I used two packets of pectin. Still no setting.

Anyway. A few more weeks and we will go pick apples and can apple butter and apple pie fillers

[Soliloquy]

My Oregon grape jelly set! It's only the second thing I've ever canned and I had to make a hybrid of two different recipes. And my chickens loved the seeds that were left in the food mill. Bonus.

Next up is rowan berry and apple jam.

---------- Post added at 08:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 PM ----------

Originally Posted by JoyGal

I got two thornless blackberry

Once planted (and during planting) be really careful not to disturb the crown. And, once planted, weed them very gently, if at all. If you dig up around the crown, even a bit, it will start sending up shoots with thorns. Big thorns. First-hand knowledge. Ouch. I know have a bed of killer blackberries I keep trying to dig out and can't quite get all of them.

[mommychem]

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

Canning pears are probably not as pretty and uniform.

I would make pear cobber/crisp with them, maybe find a muffin recipe or something, and freeze the extra baked goods. I wouldn't can them, either. I'm not crazy about canned fruit.

But, this is how you'd do it. It's much simpler than you'd think but you do need to focus while you're doing it.

https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/garden...w-to-can-pears

Seems easy enough, but we don’t really eat canned fruit either. I believe I have a five gallon bucket of them. It seems like a lot. I’ve never had pear cobbler or crisp either. I hope we like it. Ok, this question seems to have an obvious answer - do I wait until the pears are ripe to put them in baked goods or to can them? I’m guessing yes in order to maximize taste. If I can some of them, I’m gonna have to look further into “processing in a water bath.” I have used water baths in a lab setting but not sure how that translates to a kitchen or what types of equipment I need.

[Soliloquy]

yes, for canning they should be ripe. For baking, you could use under-ripe but you won't have the same flavor. Pears are ripe when they barely respond to pressure at the neck. They turn to mush pretty quickly if not consumed or preserved after that. https://usapears.org/pear-ripening-and-handling/

Basics of water bath canning https://www.freshpreserving.com/waterbath-canning.html (You wouldn't need a bubble freer. That's needed for thicker substances like jam.)

[knitlove]

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

yes, for canning they should be ripe. For baking, you could use under-ripe but you won't have the same flavor. Pears are ripe when they barely respond to pressure at the neck. They turn to mush pretty quickly if not consumed or preserved after that. https://usapears.org/pear-ripening-and-handling/

Basics of water bath canning https://www.freshpreserving.com/waterbath-canning.html (You wouldn't need a bubble freer. That's needed for thicker substances like jam.)

And you can use tongs for jar lifting it isn't as easy or nice but doable.





Our freezer dies. I really need to look at buying some things at farmers market and caning some things. Maybe pasta sauce.

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