Time for canning.

[DJK Frank 16]

I hot pack and water bath them also so they'll keep on a shelf. cold pack pickles don't require it but they have to be stored in the refrigerator and don't keep as long.

DJK. Mind sharing your pickle recipes?

I usually do home made recipes for most anything, but found a buy one get one deal on these packet mixtures last year and stocked up on them.

http://store.mrswagesstore.com/mrswagdilpic.html

Good base as well, you can always add other ingredients. I start my salsa with these and then add my own fresh peppers, onion, etc.

 

[Buckmaster]

My cold pack pickles and peppers have lasted 3-5 years so fear not. They sit on a shelf in the basement. Average temp is about 60 degrees year round.

Any hot packing turns them mushy.

Everything I've got is crisp and has a snap to it. I actually avoid hot packing if at all possible. I only hot pack my acidic foods.

 

[Buckmaster]

I also use Frank's recipe and tweek it to taste. I usually add more garlic and dill weed.

The salsa mix I use for a basis and throw everything hot into it to "zest" it up for me. My wife and kids won't eat it so I make a special tame batch for them.

 

[Jackalope]

Don't be jelly of my jelly.

13 jars of strawberry! Keeping some. Others going to landowners.

 

[Jackalope]

14 quarts of dill spears.
7 quarts bread and butter
1/2 gallon cucumber onion salad not pictured.

 

[Mike]

Nice! I did 6 quarts of dills yesterday.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

Nice job! Forgot to snap pics but we put up another 7 quart of tomato juice and 7 quart of salsa this weekend. The tomatoes have been turning like crazy the last few days, it's looking like a busy week for the canner coming up!

 

[Redhunter1012]

Nice job! Forgot to snap pics but we put up another 7 quart of tomato juice and 7 quart of salsa this weekend. The tomatoes have been turning like crazy the last few days, it's looking like a busy week for the canner coming up!

I didn't get pics either, but I did 5 quarts of spicy pickles and Jalapeno's last night and 5 more quarts of tomato sauce. I also cold packed 2.5 gallon bucket of spears for our "fry all" party that we are having. My buddies and I decided to have that to go along with our usual pre harvest party on Labor Day weekend.

 

[Buckmaster]

Football practice got cancelled last night so I had a little time on my hands.
I did 6 quarts of spicy Jalapeno pickles last night and 3 quarts of bread and butter pickles.

I'm just getting started.

 

[Mike]

Six pints of venison tonight.

 

[Jackalope]

How's that pressure canner working out for you mike?

 

[Mike]

How's that pressure canner working out for you mike?

It's awesome. I don't know why I didn't get into this a long time ago.

 

[Jamie]

I have not water bath canned anything in ten years since I got my first pressure canner. running two pressure canners is a major plus this time of year when everything is coming on at the same time. and I run them outside on the porch on a cast iron propane burner. is quite nice to watch canners cooking my goodies from inside air conditioned house on hot, humid August afternoons. perhaps with a cold drink in hand :smile: so far we've done a dozen quarts of green beans, a gallon of refrigerator dills and 10 quarts of spaghetti sauce last night. more beans, pickles and lots more 'maters to be done soon.

so what size/kind of pressure canners are you all using?

 

[Jackalope]

I have not water bath canned anything in ten years since I got my first pressure canner. running two pressure canners is a major plus this time of year when everything is coming on at the same time. and I run them outside on the porch on a cast iron propane burner. is quite nice to watch canners cooking my goodies from inside air conditioned house on hot, humid August afternoons. perhaps with a cold drink in hand :smile: so far we've done a dozen quarts of green beans, a gallon of refrigerator dills and 10 quarts of spaghetti sauce last night. more beans, pickles and lots more 'maters to be done soon.

so what size/kind of pressure canners are you all using?

I use a heavy 16qt canner from presto that was made in the 70s. A buddy gave it to me years ago when he was moving and it was his mothers.


Looks like this one.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

Bought a Presto -16 last year and love it. We've done 49 quart of green beans, 6 quart of salsa, and 5 or 6 quart of tomato juice so far. Also water bathed a few pints of spicy and dill pickles.

We too have the propane burners for our canners and my dad has an electric oven in his garage, so we can do everything outside. Ain't much better than cracking open a jar of garden vegetables in the dead of winter!

 

[Mike]

I have a new Presto 16 quart. Mine explicitly says to NOT use on a propane burner due to the possibility of warping.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

I have a new Presto 16 quart. Mine explicitly says to NOT use on a propane burner due to the possibility of warping.

IMO.... if you watch the heat and don't let it get much hotter than your kitchen stove gets, you will be fine. I'm sure there are people out there that jack the heat up high to speed up the process. I don't use the propane burner for speed, I use it so I can can in my garage while i'm watching the Reds game.

 

[Mike]

That's what I assumed.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

I can turn it down low enough to where once it builds pressure and starts rocking, I can turn it down to low and can stop it from rocking altogether even at 5lbs. If I couldn't do that, I wouldn't consider it.

 

[Jamie]

the first canner I got was an old Wards 19 (as in Montgomery Wards). Found it on Ebay. they don't make them like this anymore except for the All Americans. very heavy aluminum, metal on metal seal, no gasket. canned a ton of food in the 60 year old canner. about two years ago I bumbled across a 21qt All American advertised as a garage sale item on Craig's List. got it for $100. sumbitch wouldn't budge on the price. looked like it had never been used. it sure has now. no need to worry about warping either of the canners I have unless I drop them off a cliff. I'm thinking seriously about getting a 16qt All American and getting rid of the the old Wards. just don't need two big ones, especially since I can do same amount of quart jars in a smaller one. is darn nice to be able to stack pint jars in these bigger canners. Can't say enough about the heavy duty quality of the All American canner. is absolutely superb all the way around. will last 10 lifetimes if cared for properly.