Canning By Water Bath

[Dianna]

I thought I was so cool today canning four quarts of maters. Sterilized my jars, blanched 'em to get them skinned, cut 'em up and filled the jars. I dropped the quart jars into my handy, dandy stock pot with an inch and a half of water over the top of their lids and proceeded to give them their hot water bath.

All was well and good until I took the lid off to take a peek at my pretty little jars. One was floating up close to the top. Couldn't understand why, so went ahead and put the lid back on it. (Dadgummit. I am a relatively new canner, so couldn't be bothered about a floating jar!)

A few minutes later I went to remove the canned tomatoes and that one little floater is still bobbing around at the top. I started pulling it out and tomatoes started going everywhere into the stock pot. I gently let it go float around and rescued the other jars. When pulling that last little jar, I noticed that the bottom had come away the jar and it looked like it had been sliced off!

Don't know what happened, but sure hope it doesn't happen again. Here are the good results of my experience in the kitchen today...



I, also, blanched two quarts of peas, but put them in the freezer. I am thinking that is the safest way for me to go about preserving our garden bounty...

[Patty S]

          PRETTY JARS! Congratulations!

I know it's such a bummer to have spent time standing in a hot kitchen & having your hands burned, slipping the skin off things before you pack the jars, only to have the jar pop on you! But, that's something that all us "canners" have had to deal with... it happens when there's a flaw in the jar, & you seldom see that sorta thing when you look your jars over. (And it can happen with brand new jars, as well as used ones!)

Sorry it happened on your first go with home canning though. But, you know what?  It might not happen again until the 30th time you do it! Just wait till you have to stay in the kitchen & babysit the guage when you pressure can something (Keith & used to play cards when "we" canned), & then find a jar or two broken... while you've got 2½ more batches of jars lined up, waiting for the cooker! All you can think of is the food & time that was wasted!

Keep on keeping on, gal. It really IS worth it!
 

[MassMama]

That happened to me last year Dianna..tried to do some spaghetti sauce and filled the jar too much not thinking the meat would expand LOL Ohhh well you learn from your masteaks
Looks great sooo far keep up the great work!!

[Dianna]

Aunt Bonnie is the one who taught me how (thank you, Aunt Bonnie), but this was my very first time to try it alone. I had to call her at the point where I was trying to skin the maters. They were burning my hands! I was about to chunk the whole mess out the door.

It helped when she told me to plunge the tomatoes into some icy water when I pulled them out of the stock pot. My fingers really appreciated that information...

[MassMama]

Ohhh and the skins slip off a LOT better if you score a cross at the bottom of the tomato before you put them in the hot water!! Just a tip I learned!! 

[Dianna]

Thanks, Rita! I will try that on my next batch!

[MassMama]

Your welcome Dianna!! Good luck.. I just got my rubber  gloves for the jalapenos.. Going to be a busy night for me!! :LOL:

[Dianna]

Rita, could you start a topic about how to pickle peppers? Someone was asking me about it the other day and I couldn't remember how I have seen it done...

I plan on planting some different kind of peppers next year, instead of the bell. I like pickled peppers!

[MassMama]

Sure Dianna... I have 27 hot pepper plants that are going crazy ;0
I will get right on it

[MassMama]

OK I got home at 545 and did some pickles and some Hot peppers
So far I have canned 3 quarts and a pint of pickles, one pint of japalenos and 7 half pints of the taco sauce!! Here is my picture ... Not sure if I should of started a new thread or not 

Picture removed...

I added a LOT of garlic to the pickles  just love the stuff  but Keith does not love me as much when I eat it 

[Dianna]

Those veggies are very photogenic, aren't they? Great job!

As for the garlic, do the mosqitos stay away from you when you eat a lot of your pickles? I have heard that garlic repels the little demons....

Poor Keith!

[MassMama]

  no they still love me  wish it worked 

[Dianna]

These are the size maters I am working on canning with now. Doesn't take too many of these to fill up a jar...



That is a regular size canning lid for comparison. One slice will cover a slice of bread. Good, big maters!

Need to pick the garden again today. I am getting burned out on canning every other day...

[MassMama]

WOW those are some big ole maters Dianna!! How many did you plant?? ?

[Dianna]

I think we have around 24 plants out there, Rita. Jim will be able to tell you if I guess right...

We have several different types out there. Jim will be able to tell you what they are, too! I can't remember what they are off-hand. I know that the plants that we are getting that size maters off, he ordered them from a gardening book...

[Dianna]

Here is another big mamajama that we picked out of the garden just the other day. I think this one rivals the last one I posted. If all of these would turn red at the same time, it wouldn't take half as long to fill up a jar.

I sat this one in a Mrs. Smith's Pecan Pie pan. (One of those throwaway pans, that didn't get thrown away hoping it will scare deer... )

[Jim]

If I had of known that they would get that big I would have entered Phil's Mater Contest.  Our Park's Whoppers don't get that big.  These are the ones I ordered from Gardeners Choice that said they would have some 18" fruit.  Guess they weren't just saying that. 

[MassMama]

   those really are big  Are you only making tomato sauce Dianna?? Or ya going to make some salsa and stuff like that too?

[Pharmerphil]

It's not too late Jim, click on the link at the top of the main page and download the insert...all the info is there,unless of course, dat mator is in yer bellies

[barleychown]

All the pictures that have been posted have been so neat to see that I thought I'd share mine.

Here are my zucchini pickles...



What have you canned so far this season?

[MassMama]

Nice Sarah!! I have not seen Zucchini pickles before!!
I think I posted all my pictures in the water canning thread...

[Dianna]

Are you only making tomato sauce Dianna?? Or ya going to make some salsa and stuff like that too?

I have just been cutting them up after I skinned them and putting them in jars before processing, Rita. I use them for soup, chili, tomato gravy, and such. I haven't even thought about doing sauces, salsa, or anything else. I haven't gotten that ambitious yet!

unless of course, dat mator is in yer bellies

That tomato is probably in Aunt Bonnie's belly, Phil. We carried some to her yesterday, so she could have some canned maters for the winter months, too. She said it was perfect for a sandwich!

Of course, it will be overlapping the sides of the bread!

[MassMama]

I am sure your running trying to keep up with those Giant toms you got there Dianna !!! I am going to try some salsa this week Can't wait!!

[MassMama]

Dianna go get the "Blue Ball Book of canning and preserving" It is cheap and really helpful!! Really It is a great book of guidelines and for 7 bucks is great!!

[blahblah]

WOW! That is one big mater! I am also new to canning Dianna, but have had a lot of success so far. Sorry no pics to share yet, but will as soon as I get a better computer! I think your canned tomatoes look great! I like to keep canned tomatoes on hand, they are a staple around our house, yours too?