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Rebeccca
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| Posted: June 06 2013 at 5:20pm | IP Logged
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AMDG
It's hard to say what I do more of . . . I think I freeze more things but overall I can more b/c of how many tomatoes and greenbeans I put up.
I've usually already frozen asparagus by now but, due to illness, didn't start in May. I plan to do quite a bit of that this weekend plus my daughter will can some pickled asparagus (she and Dad love it).
I also freeze as many berries, corn (on the cob), pesto, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, brussles sprouts, okra as I can get.
I'll can tomatoes and green beans.
I'll dry several herbs but mostly dill and basil.
I do try to put up something every single month, even autumn and winter months.
So, what are you putting up?
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St. Ann
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| Posted: June 07 2013 at 10:06am | IP Logged
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Hi Rebecca! Your list is very inspiring. You must live in a fertile part of the country, or do you buy your produce at the supermarket when it is in season.???
I usually freeze berries. That's it. But I am always eager to hear about how other women can and freeze produce and then I think.... maybe one day I can do that too!
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Stephanie
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Rebeccca
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| Posted: June 07 2013 at 10:49am | IP Logged
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AMDG
Oh my goodness, Stephanie! Let one day be TODAY! In our experience, it is worth it.
My mom canned while I was growing up but rather than teach me, shoo'd me out of the kitchen for being under foot. A number of years ago I called her up and told her she was just going to have to make up for lost time. I chose the one item I felt would have the biggest impact on us. In our case it's tomatoes. We eat A LOT of tomatoes out of season (spaghetti sauce, et c all year long). So, I really can't can enough tomatoes and I learned on those that first year. The next year I added green beans and asparagus. I canned a lot of asparagus only to discover that I don't like canned asparagus.
There has been a bit of learning curve on that score. I have found that limiting myself to only those things we like a lot and really want out of season is best.
In the early years I also did a lot of jams and jellies. Now, you surely won't understand why since I don't understand it myself but we just don't eat much jams or jellies. Why did I can so many? I don't know, really. I think it was because I had all those lovely berries and jams/jellies were just what we were supposed to do with them. I gave a lot of them away. We go to pick-your-own farms for blueberries and to a friend's property for blackberries (and ticks). I buy the strawberries at a stand.
The next thing I added was the dried beans. We abstain from meat all the time so beans fill in a lot of our soups (which we eat a lot). Being the kind of person who always forgets to start the beans in the morning, canning my own has saved us. We LOVE having canned chickpeas (which are far, far, far, superior to boughten canned) for hummus and soups and pinto and black for soups and enchiladas, et c. They are so handy and far cheaper than buying canned. I do beans during the winter when nothing else is around.
I get/buy/trade for produce where ever I can. My mom grows tons of tomatoes and green beans so I can hers and I have a deal with a guy at the farmers market. I told him that I wanted enough to can and asked if he'd give me a bulk price. For the last two years he has sold them to me for half price if I come get them and bring back all the containers.
I get a lot of things at a farm in a town over from mine. They also give me a bulk discount but not as good as half.
I just buy the dry beans in bulk at the store.
For the last several years organic apples have gone on a great sale at a local store. I bought them all and made apple sauce. I did ask for a bulk discount but didn't get one b/c it was already on a really good sale.
Here is my controversial advice for beginners: don't buy all your equipment at one time! Only buy a few jars and do the little you can with that and each year add one thing. If you have to buy tons of jars and a pressure canner and a water bath canner and a funnel and lids and rings and produce and . . . it just doesn't seem cost effective. We just got our deep freeze last year (too late to fill with most of last year's produce).
I'm married to an accountant and he makes sure it's cost effective or I don't get to can it . . . with the exception of neat little things to give at Christmas.
I freeze most produce b/c that's the way we prefer it and I'm glad b/c it's less work.
I also make every single soup in double batches and freeze them in pint jars. Fast and easy lunches and suppers on busy nights.
There are plenty of blogs out there for learning how. Still, if you need it, I'll help however I can.
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MichelleW
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| Posted: June 08 2013 at 5:05pm | IP Logged
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My favorite thing to can is the one thing every single canning book warns against: raspberries. Mine always turn out beautifully and are so delicious over ice cream in the winter. YUM!
I need to figure out how to can spaghetti sauce since I am allergic to soy and that is now the main ingredient in every jar sold at my grocery store. I already roast and freeze TONS of tomatoes for soups and paste, but I haven't really done much sauce...
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Michelle
Mom to 3 (dd 14, ds 15, and ds 16)
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Rebeccca
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| Posted: June 10 2013 at 6:41pm | IP Logged
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AMDG
Michelle, I don't put up a lot of sauce b/c I can tomatoes and we just prefer to make it from there . . . it's very quick to make. However, a lost of people prefer to freeze red sauce. Make your sauce, put it in a bag, lay flat to freeze, stack. It's a very popular way to do it. Also, it's easy to double a batch when you make sauce and freeze the extra.
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stellamaris
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| Posted: June 10 2013 at 8:20pm | IP Logged
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 When I read the subject of this post, I thought at first it meant, "What are you/will you/have you put up WITH?" I hardly knew where to start!
I make big batches of chicken stock all year long from our leftover chicken bones and leftover peelings of onions and carrots and freeze that. Also, lots of frozen bananas (slice and freeze on trays, then pop into glass containers or ziploc bags) when I can get them on sale. Great for smoothies and for frozen banana ice cream--just toss some frozen banana slices in a food processor or sturdy blender and whirl away until smooth. There's no need to add sugar! I do the same thing with mangoes in season.
Have also put up peach conserves and turkey soup. I'm a bit scared to put up tomatoes, and I prefer blueberries and green beans frozen rather than canned.
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Caroline
Wife to  dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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roomintheheart
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| Posted: June 11 2013 at 7:04am | IP Logged
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We have canned tomatoes, carrots, corn, green beans, venison, applesauce, and potatoes. We no longer can potatoes or corn, though. The potatoes weren't that great, and we prefer the corn frozen.
We freeze corn, tomatoes (when there aren't enough to can), broccoli, zucchini, rhubarb, strawberries, and squash.
We also make jelly/jam. My favorite is chokecherry, because the chokecherries grow wild around here, so they're FREE! Yay! We also make strawberry jam. If we ever get enough blueberries or black raspberries on our bushes (they're new) we'll probably freeze them and/or make jelly.
I feel like I'm forgetting something . . .which I probably am. Anyway, I love just having to run downstairs for my groceries  .
ETA: Oh, I forgot one of my favorites! We freeze pesto, too! It tastes so nice and fresh in the winter.
I wanted to mention, too, about tomatoes/marinara sauce. I prefer to just can the tomatoes (I usually do crushed tomatoes) and then I can just add a small can of tomato paste and whatever herbs to make either marinara sauce or chili, or whatever. They're so versatile that way.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: What are you/will you/have you put up?
