3 Place the corn and corn milk in a 12-quart pot. For each pint of corn and corn milk, add 2 cups of water. Heat the corn to boiling.
4 Using a canning funnel, pour the corn and corn milk mixture into your prepared jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to each jar. If necessary to attain the required headspace, add boiling water to the jars. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil, adding more water as necessary to maintain the proper headspace (see Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.
5 Process the filled pint jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 1 hour 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to return to 0, wait an additional 10 minutes, and then carefully open the canner lid. (Head to Chapter 9 for detailed processing instructions for pressure canning.)
6 Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (refer to Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within 2 weeks. Prior to eating or tasting, boil the food for 10 minutes.
Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 151 (From fat 16); Fat 2g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 605mg; Carbohydrates 35g (Dietary fiber 4g); Protein 5g.
Greens
Greens is a catchall term that refers to the green, leafy portions of a variety of plants that, when cooked (traditionally simmered in water with some type of pork fat), creates a delicious addition to many meals. You can use any combination: beets, collard, kale, mustard, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnip.
Select tender stems and leaves to produce a superior product after cooking and pressure canning. Large, older stems and leaves tend to produce a strong-tasting or stringy product.
Corn, glorious corn!
Corn is a wonderful vegetable to get to know. It has a traceable history of nearly 7,000 years! From the Aztecs to Native Americans to the modern world of today, corn has a multi-faceted place in our society.
In addition to eating corn one the cob or off, here are a variety of other traditional dishes made from corn:
Spoon bread: A pudding-like bread made of corn mush mixed with eggs, butter, and milk that you eat with a spoon or fork.
Hoecakes: Thin cornmeal batter fried in a griddle
Corn pone: An eggless corn bread batter cooked in a skillet
Hushpuppies: Deep-fried cornmeal bread.
Hominy: Corn without the germ that is traditionally boiled and served with butter or syrup
Grits: A maize-based porridge
Succotash: A dish consisting primarily of corn mixed with a variety of other beans
Corn isn’t just for human consumption, however. Corn and all its parts are used for everything from animal feed to making nylon, plastics, and lubricating oils. In fact, about 60 percent of the corn grown in the United States is grown for animal feed. Although edible, animal feed corn is nothing like the super sweet corn we all know and love.
Canned Greens
Canned greens are a fast way to add nutrients to any meal. Add these to soups and stews during the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Processing time: Pints, 1 hour 10 minutes; quarts, 1 hour 30 minutes
Pressure level: 10 pounds
Yield: 14 pints or 7 quarts
28 pounds fresh, young greens
1 Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For information on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)
2 Thoroughly wash the greens, changing the water in the sink once or twice to be sure all the grit is removed. Place the greens in a 12-quart pot and add enough water to cover. Heat the greens on medium-high until they’re wilted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the greens from the water and cut them into small pieces (about 1 inch). Reserve the cooking liquid.
3 Loosely pack the greens into jars (don’t press down) and pour the boiling hot cooking liquid over them, leaving 1-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil, adding more liquid as necessary to maintain the proper headspace (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.
4 Process the filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 1 hour 10 minutes (pints) or 1 hour 30 minutes (quarts). Allow the pressure to return to 0, wait an additional 10 minutes, and then carefully open the canner lid. (Head to Chapter 9 for detailed processing instructions for pressure canning.)
5 Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (refer to Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks. Prior to eating or tasting, boil the food for 15 minutes.
Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 55 (From fat 4); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 53mg; Carbohydrates 10g (Dietary fiber 7g); Protein 6g.
Onions
Onions are a staple ingredient in many recipes. Their savory flavor often is the finishing touch to your favorite meal. Canning onions leave them soft but flavorful. Keep these onions in your pantry as an important ingredient for your favorite recipe.
Canned Onions
Canned onions are useful for any quick meal. They are great if eaten on a burger, heated and added to gravy, or just eaten as a condiment.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Processing time: Pints and quarts, 40 minutes
Pressure level: 10 pounds
Yield: 20 pints or 10 quarts
20 pounds fresh onions
Canning salt
1 Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For information on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)
2 Peel and wash the onions. If you’re using large onions, chop them or slice them into 1/2-inch pieces.
3 Place the onions in a 12-quart pot, cover them with water, and bring them to a boil over medium high heat. Boil them for 5 minutes, or until they’re translucent.
4 Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from cooking liquid (reserve the liquid for filling the jars) and firmly pack them into the prepared jars. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar. Pour the hot cooking liquid over the onions, leaving 1-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil, adding liquid as necessary to maintain the proper headspace (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.
5 Process the filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 40 minutes (pints or quarts). Allow the pressure to return to 0, wait an additional 10 minutes, and then carefully open the canner lid away. (Head to Chapter 9 for detailed processing instructions for pressure canning.)
6 Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (refer to Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks. Prior to eating or tasting, boil the food for 15 minutes.
Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 42 (From fat 2); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 294mg; Carbohydrates 10g (Dietary fiber 1g); Protein 1g.
Peas
There is nothing like the taste of garden fresh peas. If your kids have decided they don’t like cooked peas, convince them that your own canned peas are worth a try.
Canned Peas
You can pack a lot of peas in a jar. Try canned peas mixed with rice and tamari sauce.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Processing time: Pints and quarts, 40 minutes
Pressure level: 10 pounds
Yield: 14 pints or 7 quarts
28 to 30 pounds fresh, young peas in the pod
Canning salt
&nbs
p; 1 Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For information on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)
2 Wash and remove the pods. Place the peas in a 8-quart pot, cover them with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Allow the peas to boil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they’re bright green but not fully cooked.
3 Remove the peas from the cooking liquid (reserve the liquid for filling jars) and loosely pack the peas into the prepared jars. Pour hot cooking water over them, leaving 1-inch headspace Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil, adding liquid as necessary to maintain the proper headspace (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.
4 Process the filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 40 minutes (pints or quarts). Allow the pressure to return to 0, wait an additional 10 minutes, and then carefully open the canner lid. (Head to Chapter 9 for detailed processing instructions for pressure canning.)
5 Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (refer to Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks. Prior to eating or tasting, boil the food for 15 minutes.
Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 70 (From fat 3); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 295mg; Carbohydrates 13g (Dietary fiber 4g); Protein 5g.
Potatoes
The only potatoes recommended for pressure canning are sweet potatoes, yams, and white, or Irish, potatoes. Using any other potatoes yields inferior results because of their chemical makeup (texture and composition).
White or Irish: These potatoes are round and white with a thin skin. Peel the potatoes prior to precooking. Small potatoes (2 to 3 inches in diameter) may be left whole; cut larger potatoes into quarters before precooking.
Sweet potatoes and yams: Sweet potatoes are roots and yams are tubers — so they’re actually from two different plant species. Even though sweet potatoes and yams are unrelated, they’re suitable for the same uses. Sweet potatoes have skin colors ranging from light yellow to dark orange and flesh colors ranging from pale yellow to medium orange and are sweeter than yams. Yams contain more natural sugar and have a higher moisture content than sweet potatoes; they’re white to deep red in flesh color with skin colors ranging from creamy white to deep red. Small potatoes may be left whole; cut larger ones into quarters before removing the skins.
Canned White Potatoes
I (Amy) drain my canned potatoes and use them in homemade hash in the winter. They are hearty breakfast fare after a cold morning at the farm.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Processing time: Pints, 35 minutes; quarts, 40 minutes
Pressure level: 10 pounds
Yield: 14 pints or 7 quarts
7 pounds fresh, young potatoes
Canning salt
1 Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For information on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)
2 In a 12-quart pot, bring 2 gallons of water to boil. Wash and peel your potatoes. Cube the potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Carefully place the potatoes in the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes or until potatoes are partially cooked but still firm.
3 Pack the hot potatoes into the prepared jars (reserve the liquid you cooked them in). Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar. Pour the cooking liquid over the potatoes, leaving 1-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil, adding liquid as necessary to maintain the proper headspace (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.
4 Process the filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 35 minutes (pints) or 40 minutes (quarts). Allow the pressure to return to 0, wait an additional 10 minutes, and then carefully open the canner lid. (Head to Chapter 9 for detailed processing instructions for pressure canning.)
5 Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (refer to Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks. Prior to eating or tasting, boil the food for 15 minutes.
Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 36 (From fat 1); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 292mg; Carbohydrates 7g (Dietary fiber 1g); Protein 1g.
Canned Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes can compliment a meal, with their rich, naturally sweet flavor. The bright orange color makes a dish pop, and many who think they don’t like any veggies are pleasantly surprised at the delicious taste of the sweet potato. This recipe produces a firmer finished product with much more flavor — a definite improvement over store-bought sweet potatoes from a can.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Processing time: Pints, 1 hour 5 minutes; quarts, 1 hour 30 minutes
Pressure level: 10 pounds
Yield: 14 pints or 7 quarts
21 pounds sweet potatoes
Canning salt
1 Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For information on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)
2 In a 12-quart pot, bring 2 gallons of water to boil. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Cube them into 1/2-inch pieces. Carefully place the sweet potatoes into the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are partially cooked but still firm. Reserve the cooking liquid.
3 Pack the hot sweet potatoes into the prepared jars. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar. Pour the cooking liquid over the sweet potatoes, leaving 1-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil, adding liquid as necessary to maintain the proper headspace (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.
4 Process the filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 1 hour 5 minutes (pints) or 1 hour 30 minutes (quarts). Allow the pressure to return to 0, wait an additional 10 minutes, and then carefully open the canner lid. (Head to Chapter 9 for detailed processing instructions for pressure canning.)
5 Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (refer to Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks. Prior to eating or tasting, boil the food for 15 minutes.
Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories 139 (From fat 4); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 308mg; Carbohydrates 32g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 2g.
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is a tangy, fermented food that sometimes has to grow on you. Once you enjoy the taste, you find different ways to bring this delicious treat into your diet. Sauerkraut in fits simplest form is nothing more than cabbage and salt. There are many variations, however. Some recipes add dill or caraway seed. I (Amy) have had much luck adding onion and garlic to mine. Once you have made plain sauerkraut a few times, try adding your own spices and create your favorite version.
Here’s an easy sauerkraut you can use in the Canned Sauerkraut recipe:
1. Finely shred the cabbage and layer it with salt, in a glass or stoneware crock until full.
Use 1 tablespoon salt for every 5 pounds of cabbage.
2. Make an airtight seal by using a food-safe plastic bag of water to seal the top.
Just fill a plastic bag with water and place it over the top of the container. It doesn’t have to overlap; it just sits on top like a plug.
3. Allow the cabbage to ferment at room temperature (68 to 72 degrees) for five to six weeks.
Cabbage is an ancient vegetable and has had a long history in European and Asian diets. Even the Greeks and Romans appreciated it for what they considered its medicinal qualities. But somewhere along the line, cabbage got a bad wrap. It became the food that stunk up the house when cooked and, let’s be honest, stunk up other things after being eaten.
The reputation of cabbage and the other vegetables in the Brassica genus (including bok choi, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, Brussels sprouts, and more) has finally been redeemed. Among the good things eating these veggies can do for you: increase your dietary fiber, provide you with necessary vitamins and minerals (especially Vitamin C), lower your cholesterol, and prevent certain types of cancer.
Canned Sauerkraut
If you love the tang of a crisp pickle, then you will surely love the taste of homemade sauerkraut on your plate. Canning it only ensures you will have enough to last the entire winter season. Sauerkraut is simply cabbage and salt, covered and allowed to ferment for a few weeks. There are many recipes available for creating your own.
Canning and Preserving For Dummies Page 18