Canning Season.

[imp]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

That's a not terrible idea.
I have to store all these jars anyway. Why not fill them with sterile water? They're always turning the water off here without warning. That way I'd always have some besides what's left in the electric kettle.

I just keep a few gallons of water on hand, plus varying amounts of bottled water, too. The water dept. up here rarely gives us notice that the water will be shut off if it is a bad leak, so keeping some around is smart.

I don't think I would invest my $$ in jars and lids and processing costs to home can water. YMMV.

[Worth1]

I wouldn't go out of my way to make the stuff but it is a good way to store jars that are collecting dust and a good way to keep the jars I use as spacers in the canner.
You can use used lids too instead of buying new lids every time.

Worth

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by svalli

Canning is not very popular here except pickles and jams. Finding good durable jars is difficult and most of those do not have extra lids available, so for reusing the jars people do reuse also the lids, which do not have separate rim and lid. In USA I loved the mason jars with two part lids and I used to do a lot of hot water bath canning of fruits, pickles and salsa. When we moved I packed my collection of jars with me and purchased a lot of new lids to use with them. Over the years I used all my new lids, so now every time I hear someone coming to Finland from USA, I have asked them to bring me lids. There is an Italian jar maker, who makes jars with same size lids and threads as in the wide and regular mouth jars, but even the jars are sold here nobody sells the extra lids. I know that the lids should not be reused, but I have now done it for some and they have sealed fine.

Just tonight I canned dozen pint jars of tomato salsa. I do not make as much jams and jellies as I used to do, since we do not eat those so often and the shelves are stacked with old jams. We eat a lot of salsa and cucumber relish, so those are the ones I make more every year.

This year we got bumper crop of raspberries, so I made couple of batches of raspberry and blueberry jam. Most of the raspberries went to the steam juicer and I bottled the juice hot to clean wine bottles and closed with special rubber caps, which seal the bottles air tight. The berry juices can be stored long time with this method, when there is some sugar and ascorbic acid added as preservative.

If my husband starts again hunting moose, I may have to get a pressure cooker and start canning meat. So far I have canned only high acidic foods, because I do not have a pressure cooker and I am a bit concerned about the safety of canning low acidic foods.

Sari

Sari where do people in Europe get their safe canning information from?
Do many of them can?
What kind of pressure canners do they have and who makes them.

They also have reusable lids and rings for canning.
They are a little expensive to start out but will pay for themselves in time.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...YyBO6ArJvYgcq8

[Worth1]

Here is what I use to keep my lids and rings from rusting.
It is mineral oil cleverly disguised as hydraulic fluid.
I use it for everything and it is way cheap.
It has no odor and is tasteless.
The reason I have 5 gallons of it is it is what I use in the gear box of my lathe.
When I broke it in I had to run the lathe in all gears forwad and backward for a given amount of time.
Something like 15 minutes or so each way.
Then drain the oil out and replace it with new.
What I waste I thought so I kept the gallon of used oil and get my oil from it for other stuff.
This oil does not have additives in it to keep things in suspension like motor oil does so it can make it to the filter.
Everything settles to the bottom.
This stuff is the most none hazardous oil you can get to stop stuff from rusting and lubricate things for long term by far.
I simply remove my rings after canning and wash them in hot soapy water rinse and let dry.
Then I use a rag with this oil on it and wipe them down good and hang them up.
I use that same rag to wipe the tops of the lids before storing.
If the ring is to stay on I make sure it has that oil on it.
The rings come off very easy after that.
This is the same type oil they use to spray cast iron with before packing for sale.
Take it for what it is worth I have researched this stuff to no end.

Worth

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...zp635yEJoX1HiV

[dmforcier]

I keep a bottle of food-grade mineral oil for oiling my cutting boards. That sounds like another good use.

I'd use your oil if I had it. Not something that occurs to one unless one's machine shop and kitchen are practically in the same room, but nothing wrong with it.




Not recommended: Brake fluid, ATF.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

I keep a bottle of food-grade mineral oil for oiling my cutting boards. That sounds like another good use.

I'd use your oil if I had it. Not something that occurs to one unless one's machine shop and kitchen are practically in the same room, but nothing wrong with it.




Not recommended: Brake fluid, ATF.

I use it on my cutting boards too.
The reason is.
It doesn't polymerize like pure tung oil does.
It doesn't go rancid and or dry up like vegetable oil.
It is odorless and tasteless.
It doesn't harm plastics.
Baby oil and hair oil is mineral oil with perfume in it.

Worth

[coronabarb]

I've heard of folks here using their extra jars to can water. Maybe they are just filling up the canner when they have extra space using those jars, I don't know. Not a project I would take on for only water.

[Worth1]

We take clean drinking water for granted here in the US.
We shouldn't.
Untold thousands of people get sick and many die from contaminated water in many parts of the world.
This was just a suggestion if and when someone didn't have clean drinking water.

I went on a 4 day camping fishing trip and everything was supplied food and all including beer.
No water.
Another guy and myself brought two 10 gallon water coolers full of ice water.
People were wanting to buy our water after three days of nothing but beer.

Worth

[imp]

svalli, which size lids do you use, regular or wide mouth Ball lids?

[Worth1]

Anybody remember the #63 rings and lids.
I do.
Worth

[svalli]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Sari where do people in Europe get their safe canning information from?
Do many of them can?
What kind of pressure canners do they have and who makes them.

They also have reusable lids and rings for canning.
They are a little expensive to start out but will pay for themselves in time.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...YyBO6ArJvYgcq8

I do not know about other countries, but here most of the canning information is in old cook books. Growing edible plants in home gardens and even balconies has become a hip thing, so now people are again learning how to preserve the produce. Many magazines and internet blogs have now a lot of canning recipes, but mainly for pickles and jams.
People who hunt and fish more and some hunting clubs have gotten the equipment to preserve meat and fish in metal cans, but getting all that just for occasional canning is not economical.

There are a lot of different makes and models of pressure cookers available. My mother in law used to cook meat for stews in a pressure cooker because it shortened the cooking time. I do not think that she used it for canning. She used to make pickles and jams and make those in any empty old class jar from some store bought items. She did it like on most instructions here that you pack the jars hot and close the lid and just let it cool. Earlier sodium benzoate was commonly used as preservative when canning at home, but I do not like to use it.

Those reusable lids would be nice, but getting them shipped here may cost more than the lids themselves.

Originally Posted by imp

svalli, which size lids do you use, regular or wide mouth Ball lids?

I have both regular and wide mouth jars from Ball and Kerr. Some jars may actually be vintage, since I got a box full of jars from a colleague in USA, who's aunt passed away. I was known at the office as the crazy canning lady, so he before tossing the jars to recycling, he asked, if I wanted them. Some looked a bit different than the new ones, but all are still in usable condition.

Sari

[imp]

svalli, have you tried Amazon for lids? They do ship internationally and have rates that run better than USPS, UPS or any of the other USA ones. I looked and think it is $12.99 base shipping and $2.99 per item.

You can go all the way through checkout and see the s/h costs before actually checking out and paying.

[Worth1]

I took a ball end micrometer and checked the wall thickness of jars some very old and some newer.
They are getting thinner.
A ball end micrometer is one that has a round anvil on one end so you can measure thickness of curved surfaces.
I have not compared Walmart brand to Ball Kerr because I dont have any.


Worth

[TomNJ]

Worth, unless your hydraulic fluid is food grade from a reputable supplier I'd be careful. You are correct that hydraulic fluids generally do not contain detergents and dispersants like motor oils, but as a former lubricant chemist and formulator I know they generally do contain some combination of anti-oxidants, anti-wear, anti-rust, anti-corrosion, and anti-foam additives, some of which may be somewhat toxic. Also most are based on Group I mineral oil which is not sufficiently refined for human ingestion. Food grade white mineral oil without additives would be a better choice, such as that sold for constipation.

Tom

[Worth1]

Not going to eat the lids or rings the other stuff I use is food grade.
Worth