Sunday, August 14, 2011

Slicing, Dicing, Canning, Freezing!


 
This has been a busy week-end for me. I taught a Motivational class yesterday morning and came home to 50 ears of corn that needed to be shucked, bagged and placed in the freezer. I was able to purchase this bag of corn for a steal from one of the local farmers. It's Silver Queen and one of my favorites. I love adding it to Lima or Green beans, I serve it abundantly.  There won't be a kernel left. I will be shucking and freezing an additional 50 ears this week-end coming up.  I can usually put away 20 quarts from 100 ears. That's if I'm home alone. If not, the count is reduced I serve a few ears for dinner.

I purchased this stockpot several years  ago for soup, but found that it's great for blanching too.  I purchased a blanching basket from Kitchen Crafts that fits it perfectly.


Giving the corn an ice bath after blanching stops the cooking process in its tracks.  Doesn't it look delicious, and the ears were huge!  



I could probably get an additional half quart out of a batch, but I can't stop eating it while I'm working.


Ten quarts later, it's ready for the freezer. It's a secret, please don't let my family know that it's there.  No evidence must remain else these bags will be gone by sundown, lol.  The husk and silk has been placed in the compost and the cobs bagged and placed in the outdoor trash cans.   Research has shown that it takes a long time for corn cobs to break down, so I don't compost them. 


In addition to the Presto Pressure Canner, I picked up the Ball Elite Water Bath Canner on the far right.   Let me tell you it is beautiful.   A little pricey, but it's worth it.  It's 21 quarts, has a flat bottom, and compatible with my glass top stove.   It truly put my mind at ease, and it worked like a charm. It's stainless steel with a glass lid.   I love the glass lid feature, you can see what's happening with your jars without removing it and losing heat.  This stove cooks differently than the other cook top that I had, so I have to adjust the heat from time to time.  The burner with the stockpot is strictly for boiling.   I can bring items to a boil in no time with this baby.  I burnt several meals on this stove before I learned how to adjust the heat correctly, lol.   My family thought I was slipping! 



Here's a picture of my blanching basket inside of my stockpot.   Perfect.


Here's the end result of my first canning experience.   My breakfast room is right off my kitchen, so I was able to set my laptop on the breakfast table and view Ball's canning video from the stove and counter that I was using to load jars.  Thank goodness for modern technology.   I was able to can 4 quarts of tomatoes and 5 pints of salsa from my harvest.  I still have a bumper crop left, but I will probably double the number of plants that I put in next year.   I'm hoping to do a few more quarts of tomatoes and pints of salsa with upcoming harvests.  I'm loving the Amish Paste and Roma tomatoes, I love how meaty they are.  

 I was happy to learn that I could can my chunky salsa recipe.   I modified it by adding a cup of white distilled vinegar. The modification also called for 3 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.  I was worried that that the vinegar would change the taste, but it turned out pretty good.   I did by-pass the salt.   I'm not much of a salt eater.    

I have a box of peaches coming in addition to the 50 ears of corn this week. The box is from my favorite farmer's market.   They're seconds, but hey who will know that I removed a bruise but me.   Besides they're free. You can't be picky when a farm lets you pick/have them for free.

Overall my first canning experience wasn't as bad as I thought.   I know that I need to pack my tomatoes and salsa in a little tighter to help reduce the water at the bottom per my mother, but I'm a rookie and will know better the second time around.   I'm gardening by trial and error and loving it!   Stay tuned for my post on canning peaches in lite syrup.   As my grandson says, "You have any yummies for my ice cream Mama."  He loves fresh peaches and strawberries on vanilla ice cream.  Making ice cream may be my next endeavor after I get this gardening thing down a little more.  I see a new freezer in my future.  What did you accomplish this week-end.  Leave me a comment, I'll visit. 


11 comments:

  1. For your first attempt at canning, you did an amazing job! You will eat well this winter. It's just the two of us here at home, so I don't do much, just a bit because I enjoy canning.

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  2. @Ann - I really enjoyed the experience. I'll share my bounty with my daughter, sister and mother. My sister loves to cook, so she appreciates good food as much as me.

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  3. Wow were you ever busy! All that corn! Congrats on your first canning adventure!

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  4. I didn't pack my tomatoes tight enough last year either. Live and learn huh! It's so wonderful to see all that you've done. I'm super impressed. And that glass top canner sounds intriguing. I'm hoping the caterpillars don't kill my corn or I'm gonna cry. Your corn looks absolutely delicious! I may have to go to the farmer's market too. Have you shared on Daphne's Dandelions yet? I went through over 50 links this last week and found a few interesting garden blogs to follow.

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  5. Wow, what an impressive first canningiexperience. You lept right in! Your Silver Queen corn looks delicious! I need to follow your example and blanch and freeze a bunch. I just love corn- in everything! Keep on canning and please keep on sharing your experiences.

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  6. Yup, you have been one busy Diva. It is that time of year! Love that corn!

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  7. Congrats on your first canning! Everything looks great to me!

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  8. You learn by doing and your doing great..love everything you canned,and so will you when the snow flies :o) Congratulations on all of it, and I like your new pots :o) ( I love a new pot).

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  9. Wow! What a productive weekend you had! You're going to have a great winter. :) Can't wait to see your pepper harvest.

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  10. I love that you dive right in! No better way to learn than trial and error. Great job!

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  11. Thanks for the words of encouragement everyone. I love following you, I'm actually learning alot by reading each of your blogs. It's been a great experience. @The Apple Pie Gal - that's me, lol. Once I decide to do something, I jump in with both feet so I can hit the ground running. Otherwise, I waiver and never get anything accomplished.

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