School Of Canning....

This Weeks Verse:

1 Corinthians 10:31

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,  do all to the glory of God.

Sorry to all my followers for the laps in posts. 
I am back from being under the weather for a few weeks.

School of Canning....

Before we get started I cannot stress to people enough that the cleanliness of your kitchen is one of the most important items to remember. Make sure that before you do any canning that your kitchen is thoroughly disinfected. 

• Why Can?
• Canning can seem like an old fashioned art to most, but when it comes to saving the precious items you have worked so hard to grow in the summer its the best choice.
• Also, by canning your items from your garden you can save quite a bit of money during those long winter months. Here in the Northwest the prices of fresh veggies almost double.
• This can also be seen as an educational experience for your older children and can be passed down.

Lemon Balm Jelly

• What are my choices?
• My personal rule of thumb for canning is that you grow and can only the things that you are going to eat.
• I have chosen recipes that I think are great and have eventually ended up dumping the rest of the batch because they didn't taste like I expected.
• So, look at the products you currently buy in those tin cans and start with those recipes.
• Also, if you don't want to grow and can dried beans from your garden your local organic store has a wide variety of dried beans, peas and lentils.

• The methods of canning:
• Boiling Water Canning....
• This is by far the easiest method of canning.
• Items that can be canned are things like fruit, tomatoes, pickled items, salsas, and jams.
• They are also, the more acidic fruits and veggies.
• Pressure Canning....
• This is the more difficult and time consuming method of canning. Although the production of canning is far more diverse.
• Items that can be canned are lower acidic foods like: beans, carrots, meats, broccoli, and squashes.
• Tools and supplies?
• Some companies sell a starter kit that is pretty nice that has your basics included in it. If you are wanting to by maybe the high quality tools for canning here's a list of items you may want to purchase.
• Canning jars with the two part lid
• Extra Lids and Rings
• A large stock pot that is at least three inches taller than your jars
• Canning tongs, so you can put your jars in the water.
• Canning rack, to raise your jars out of the boiling water safely.
• Wide mouthed canning funnel
• Bubble tool to release the air bubbles
• An optional magnetic lid lifter
• A ladle to spoon liquids into the jars.
• Pressure Cooker if wanting to can more than just pickles and jams.
• How do you tell your jars apart?
• A well labeled pantry is very important.
• Here's an area where you can be creative in your choice of label.
• You can use masking tape, shipping labels, blank stickers, etc. the list of options can go on and on.
• Make sure that if you are planning on giving something away as a gift that you spruce up the jar a little more and give it your personal touch.

Make it your own when it comes to gifts.
The more creative you are the better the
labels will turn out.

• Where do I find Recipes?
• You want to buy a current copy of canning books and magazines. The times and pressures change from time to time and you don't want to risk eating spoiled foods.
• Make sure you follow the directions exactly and DO NOT double the batches to save time. TIP: one batch at a time!
• Don't use your favorite great aunts strawberry jam recipe from 1935, the recipes have changed and the quality will be menial. 
• What's next?
• Just remember to have fun and make things that you will eat.

Remember if you need any help just ask! :->

The Mighty Green Bean.

This Weeks Verse:

Genesis 1:11-12

Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

First off if anyone ever has any complicated or easy garden questions please feel free to ask 

and I will help you to the best of my knowledge.

Oh the mighty green bean should be an essential plant in the gardeners choices of plants. There are so many varieties to choose from that the focus is going to stick to the average everyday green bean garden variety. Topics for this discussion will cover: pole vs. bush, what you can plant next to and with beans and how beans can be preserved.

French Filet (Bush Beans - String less)

Many gardeners will argue over that bush beans are better than pole beans and pole beans are better than bush varieties. As a fellow gardener to another it is what you really prefer more. The bush varieties are a earlier crop for a gardener. They tend to have less varieties and the beans that are harvested are smaller. Bush beans also take up less space and are more compact for smaller gardeners. While the bush beans counter parts are more productive, easier to harvest and have later and bigger bean crops. The pole bean requires more tending than the bush bean, because of the trellises required to let them grow on. Many people do get creative with the pole beans and grow them on a variety of items. The pole bean can be grow on any metal trellis, fence and some are even grown on wire yard art. The pole bean is like natures topiary that will grow into any shape or size. So as a fellow gardener to each his own favorite variety to grow.

So what are the best plants to grow along side the bean? Well with pole varieties the garden pea is an excellent choice and can be grow on one side of the trellis while the pole beans grow on the other. Here's a list of plants that can and can't be grown with beans:

• Pole Beans:
• Likes:
• Corn, summer savory, and radishes
• Dislikes:
• Beets and onions
• Bush Beans:
• Likes:
• celery (one plant for every six)
• cucumbers, strawberries, corn, and summer savory
• Dislikes:
• Fennel and onions

"The Mighty Bean Warrior" By Rebekah

Beans are a pretty versatile vegetable for canning. These little wonders can be pickled or pressure canned. 
Here's some great recipes for canning:

Zeidrich, Linda (2009), The Joy of Pickling, Boston, Mass: The Harvard Common Press
Brined Snap Beans:
Makes about three Quarts
2 lbs tender young snap beans, trimmed
6 small dried hot peppers
6 Garlic cloves, chopped
12 whole black peppercorns, crushed
6 dill heads
1/2 cup pickling salt
3 Quarts of water

1. Layer beans, hot peppers, garlic, peppercorns and dill in a gallon jar. Dissolve the salt in the water and pour enough brine over the beans to cover them well. Push a gallon size freezer bag into the top of the jar, pour the remaining brine into the bag, and seal the bag. Store jar at room temperature.
2. Fermentation, indicating by tiny bubbles, should begin within three days. If any scum appears at the top of the jar, skim off and rinse brine bag.
3. The beans should be ready in about 2 weeks, when they taste sour and the bubbling has stopped. Remove the brine bag and cap the jar. Store in Refrigerator.
4.  The pickled beans should keep in the refrigerator for several months.

Please enjoy! Next time will cover canning basics.