Winter Canning 2022

Clockwise, Top left:  Chili, Ham and Bean Soup, Spit Pea Soup, Corn Relish

I’m starting my winter canning today, actually, by canning some more chili for the pantry.  I bought some ground beef for $2.97 a pound, what I actually paid in 2020 too, and I have all the other ingredients in my pantry.  I also have frozen corn I want to use, so I’m going to can Corn Relish. 

Looking at my freezer and my pantry inventory, I am also probably going to make Split Pea Soup and Ham and Bean Soup because I have some ham shanks I want to use and I have less than a case of each soup on hand and soup season isn’t over yet.

This gives me a chance to use some jars that would have stayed empty until late summer canning, and I’m replenishing my pantry.

I also usually can chicken and hamburger during this season, but I have enough on hand already canned to last this year, 45 half pints of chicken and 24 half pints of hamburger mix.

Saturday Thoughts...Home Canning Easy Chili with Beans

Home Canning Easy Chili with Beans  

 
After Michelle said she canned her chili recipe to take to work for lunches (she has a small kitchen in her shop), I thought that I had to try it with my easy chili recipe that uses already canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and chili beans in sauce.  I was worried that canning the recipe would make the beans too mushy, but I didn’t have to worry!  I had been freezing the extra servings of this chili, but I liked canning it so much I have already made a second batch!   I canned them in my 10 quart All-American Pressure Canner.  
I use the smaller jars (about 1 ½ cups) in chili mac, tamale bake or chili with hominy or corn, or over fritos, (or topped with fritos); over baked potatoes, or over hot dogs for the two of us or as chili for one.

                     
Home Canned Easy Chili with Beans
  2      pounds  ground beef -- thawed
  1      cup  onion -- chopped
     ½  cup  green pepper -- chopped
  2      15 ounce cans  canned tomatoes -- diced 2 cans
  2      15 ounce cans  canned chili beans in sauce -- 2 cans
  2      8 ounce cans  tomato sauce -- 2 small cans
  5      pints  jars, rings, lids
  2      12 ounce  jars, rings, lids
Thaw beef overnight if frozen, prepare onion and green pepper ahead or use frozen.  
Get out canner, jars, lids and rings and let come to room temperature.
Get out tools:  jar tongs, jar lifter, plastic knife, lid magnet, slotted spoon and ladle, jar funnel, jar filling pan with paper towels, 2 quarter sheet pans lined with paper towels or towels for cooling jars.
Prepare canner with 2 – 3 quarts water; heat with jars to warm them; prepare lids in simmered water, let stand 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, brown beef, green pepper and onion.  Drain if needed.
Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.
After bringing to a boil, pour into five pint jars and two 12 ounce jars, leaving 1" headspace, and filling 3/4 full with solids and finishing with liquid to 1" level.  Can 1 hour 15 minutes at 10 pounds pressure for 1000' altitude.  
2020:  65¢ per serving...$1.30 per pint, 98¢ per 12 ounce jar using sale ingredients

Here are a few recipes to use with your chili with beans. 

 

                    
                                Chili Mac
  1 1/2         ounces  Elbow Macaroni -- or cellentani (1 1/2 ounce)
  1 1/2         cups  chili with beans
  1               ounce  cheddar cheese -- shredded
Cook macaroni 7 minutes, drain.
Combine all ingredients except cheese; mix well.
BRING to boil; cover. Simmer on low heat 5 min., stirring occasionally, or until macaroni is done. Serve topped with cheese.
Or cook macaroni, drain and add to 1 1/2 cups hot chili.  Serve topped with cheese.
                 

        Tamale and Chili Bake

  1 ½    Cups  chili with beans
  2        Canned Tamales -- 2 Tamales for recipe (Freeze the extras)
  3        Tablespoons  Onion -- chopped
  1        ounce  Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Pour chili into two greased individual oval casseroles. Unwrap tamales and place on top of sauce.  
Top with onion and cheese and bake at 350° until bubbling hot, about 20-30 minutes.
                 

  Chili with Hominy
Combine 1 ½ cups Chili with beans and ½ can golden hominy, rinsed and drained; heat through.  Serves 2.  (You can substitute whole kernel corn for the hominy.)

From the Garden...Home Canned Split Pea Soup

Click on photo to enlarge it

This soup is one of our absolute favorites to can.  Perfect to serve on a busy day; just add bread or crackers and some fruit.    I make sure I never run out…I usually double the recipe so I cut my mess in half. 

To get a head start, I assemble my canners, clean jars, other equipment, and cut up my veggies and put them in the refrigerator the night before.    I have to ask for ham shank at my grocery store meat counter; if you can’t find one, try ham hocks or just 2 cups of ham, diced.  

You don’t have to soak the peas, a real timesaver.  I actually don’t add the vegetables to the pea mixture as the Ball recipe calls for; I add them raw to the jars, and then cover the meat and veggies with the hot pea soup mixture.   Be sure you remove bubbles from the mixture if you do it this way, by stirring it with a plastic knife or chopstick.   

Home Canned Split Pea Soup

  1          Pound  Split Peas -- dried

  2          Quarts  Water

  1          Ham Shank-- (1 1/2# shank) (2 cups chopped meat)

  3          Ounces  Onion -- chopped

  4          Ounces  Celery -- 1/2" slice

  8          Ounces  Carrots -- 1/2" slice

  1          Bay Leaf

Combine the  peas, water and hock; bring to boiling.  Cover and simmer 1 hour, remove bay leaves and hock; trim off and chop meat and return to soup, (or keep it to divide among your jars).  Meanwhile, add vegetables (or save them to divide among the jars) and continue cooking 15 minutes or until peas are just tender.  The consistency will be thin.

Wash jars, heat in boiling water for 10 minutes, keep in simmering water until filling.  Heat lids in hot water for 10 minutes until ready to use.  DO NOT BOIL LIDS.

Divide ham and vegetables among jars if they are not in your mixture.  Pour hot mixture into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space.  Remove bubbles with plastic knife and wipe jar rim carefully with hot wipe before sealing.  Cover and seal, place in pressure canner (with about 3 quarts simmering water), exhaust steam 10 minutes, process in pints 1 hour and 15 minutes at 10#.  Let pressure drop of own accord (30 minutes), open canner, remove jars to clean towel and let cool and seal, setting apart to allow air to circulate.  Remove rings and wash jars carefully.

Equipment:  Stock pot or Dutch oven, chopping board, pressure canner, 13 x 9" pan with paper towel for jar filling, jars, lids and rings, funnel, lid magnet, jar lifter, plastic knife, 2 cup measure for lids, 4 quart measure for water, clean towels, stock pot to keep jars warm if necessary.

To serve, add 1/4 cup water to emptied jar, rinse jar and add to soup.  If desired, add some shredded fresh spinach just before serving.  Heat and eat.  Each jar makes two 1-cup servings.

Cost in 2014:  75¢ per pint or $4.47 per canner load.

  "2006 Ball Blue Book"

Yield: 6 Pint Jars

Tomato Garden Juice Blend

 Don and Bonnie tried several new-to-them recipes for tomatoes last summer; they shared this vegetable juice blend that we liked even better than canned V-8 juice.  They used a food mill for making puree.     They were able to use all garden produce for this recipe except celery.  You must use bottled lemon juice so it has a consistent acidity for water-bath canning.  They raise Roma tomatoes for products like this so as they are meaty and not so watery. 
Delicious…and too good to use for cooking…we used it all as a beverage.

            

Tomato Garden Juice Blend

  22            pounds  tomatoes

     3/4           cup  carrots -- diced

     3/4           cup  celery -- chopped

     3/4           cup  green pepper -- chopped

     1/2           cup  onion -- chopped

     1/4           cup  parsley -- chopped

  1                 tablespoon  salt -- optional

                      bottled lemon juice

Wash tomatoes; drain. Remove core and blossom ends. Cut into quarters. Combine tomatoes and vegetables in a large saucepot; simmer 20 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.

Juice tomatoes in a food processor or food mill. Strain juice to remove peels and seeds. Stir in salt, if desired.

Heat juice 5 minutes at 190°F. Do not boil. Add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each pint jar, 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to each quart jar. Ladle hot juice into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps.

 Process pints 35 minutes, quarts 40 minutes, in a boiling-water canner.  Water must cover jars by 1 inch.

14 pints or 7 quarts (approximately)

  "Ball Blue Book"

  "7 quarts or 14 pints"

From the Garden...Home Canned Beets

 If you have beets growing or can buy them at a Farmers Market like I do, try canning them. They are quite simple to can and you can then use them later on for beet pickles, or as a veggie or in a relish. The only warning I have is that beet juice stains so I would wear gloves if you don’t want red hands and a apron to keep your clothes clean.

Keep in mind that beets are a low acid vegetable and must be pressure canned not water bathed. 

 The directions I use are from the Ball Canning Book and I would recommend buying one if you do not have one. It has the recipes for other ways to can beets as well.

 If you are not sure if you are doing it right check out our posts on canning or again buy the Ball Book and read the introduction to canning.

Canned Beets

2 to 3 pounds red beets per quart (Salt Optional)

water

  Wash Beets and drain. Leave 2 inches of stem and tap root on. Put in large kettle, cover with water and  heat to boiling. Boil till skins slip off easily. Remove skins, trim top and bottom and slice, dice or leave whole if small. 

  Pack hot beets into hot jars leaving one inch head space. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to pint jars and 1 teaspoon to quart jars if using salt. Ladle boiling water over beets leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, a plastic knife works well. 

Adjust two piece lids just until finger tight. 

  Process pints 30 minutes and quarts 35 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a pressure canner starting timing according to the directions with your canner. Let pressure drop on its own. When you remove them,  let cool and then check that they all sealed. Any that did not seal can be stored in the refrigerator and used. Remove rings carefully, wash jars and store in a dark cool (not cold) place.

Home Canned Pork and Beans in Tomato Sauce

Top L, counter-clockwise:  Heating beans in stockpot with strainer,
Bringing sauce to a boil in microwave, enjoying our beans with a sandwich,
filling jars with beans and pork, finished product

Although Myrna and I are fans of Boston style baked beans, my husband likes what he calls “pork and beans”, meaning the tomato sauced version of baked beans.  So he helped me can these beans just for him.   We usually can ours in half-pints, so we don’t have leftovers for just the two of us.  You can also use regular sugar instead of brown sugar.  My husband actually prefers Great Northern beans in this and no cloves...your choice.           

Home Canned Beans with Pork and Tomato Sauce

  4               cups  Navy Beans -- about 2 pounds  

  4               cups  tomato juice

  1               cup  chopped onion -- 6 ounces

  3               tbsp  Brown Sugar -- packed

  2               tsp  salt

     ¼            tsp  cloves (optional)

     ¼            lb  salt pork -- cut into enough pieces for your jars

Cover beans with cold water; let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place.

Place 6 clean pint or 13 clean 1/2 pint or 3 quart mason jars on rack in pressure canner; add water and heat jars to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside; prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions.

Drain beans; cover with boiling water by 2 inches; boil 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10-15 minutes; drain. Combine tomato juice, onion, sugar, salt and spices; heat to boiling (I use a 2 quart measuring cup in the microwave).

Pack 1/2 cup (250 ml) beans into a hot half pint jar or 1 cup into a hot pint jar. Top with a piece of pork; fill jar 3/4 full with beans. Ladle hot tomato sauce to cover beans to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of top rim (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Adjust lids. Repeat for remaining beans, pork and sauce, adding to canner filled with simmering water on the rack.

When canner is full, adjust water to level as directed by canner manufacturer. Lock canner lid in place and follow manufacturer's heating instructions. Vent canner-allow steam to escape steadily-for 10 minutes; close vent.

When canner reaches the pressure appropriate for your altitude (10# for up to 1000' or 15# for over 1000'), begin counting processing time. Process for time indicated:

Jar Size                        Time

pint or half pint        65 minutes

quart                          75 minutes

When processing time is complete turn off heat.   Allow canner to stand undisturbed until pressure drops to zero. Wait 2 minutes, and then remove cover, tilting it away from yourself. Remove jars without tilting. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands. After cooling check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downward. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store in a cool, dark place.

  "Adapted from Bernardin"

Yield:   "6 Pints or 13 Half Pints"

Home Canned Boston-style Baked Beans recipe HERE.

Freezer Herbed Tomato Soup

This is a recipe from the “Fix & Freeze Cookbook" that I have made for a number of years as something a little different to use garden tomatoes.  I have modified the recipe over that time to suit our tastes – I am giving my version here, multiplied to make it worth my while.  We usually have our own tomatoes and fresh basil and thyme, so it’s fairly inexpensive to make.  I have one of those stick blenders, which makes it fairly easy to puree; I don’t do ours really smooth.  If you don’t have the blender stick, puree in your blender or food processor in smaller batches.

You can also can this if you don’t want to spare freezer room.  I included those directions at the bottom.

This recipe brings back that taste of summer any time of the year.             

                        Freezer Herbed Tomato Soup

  1          pound  onions -- thinly sliced

     1/4   cup  olive oil

  6          pounds  tomatoes -- peeled and quartered

              Water, Add to Tomatoes to Make 13 Cups for 6 # Fruit

  2          cans  tomato paste -- (6 oz)

     1/4   cup  fresh basil -- snipped

  1          teaspoon  thyme -- crushed leaf type

  2          tablespoons  Chicken Base -- or bouillon granules

  1          teaspoon  Sugar -- or Splenda

  1          teaspoon  salt

     1/2   teaspoon  hot pepper sauce

Cook onion in hot oil until tender.  Stir in all ingredients.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 40 minutes.  Puree mixture with blender stick.  Cool, pour into freezer containers or quart freezer bags (laid flat on a tray until frozen) and freeze.  2 cups makes a meal for 2.

To serve, thaw, cover and cook until heated through.  If still frozen, cook as directed over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

12 Servings or "6 Pint Jars"

Per Serving: 116 Calories; 5g Fat (37.4% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 375mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

If desired, simmer only 3-5 minutes. Puree mixture with a blender stick.   Can in pint jars for 25 minutes in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure

Michelle’s Salsa

My daughter-in-law Michelle, who’s a great cook, has been canning up a storm from her very nice raised-bed garden.  She made this great salsa last year using a recipe she got from the Pick Your Own website.  She did a great job of getting a nice, thick, tasty homemade salsa.  My husband really loved this!

Michelle’s Salsa
• 3 cups chopped onions 
• 6 jalapeño peppers, seeded, finely chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 2 six-ounce cans tomato paste (adds body) 
• 2 cups bottled lemon or lime juice or lemon juice (see this page for an explantion 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin (optional) 
• 2 tablespoons oregano leaves or chopped cilantro (optional) 
• 15 pounds (before seeding & skins removed) tomatoes (I used mostly small round tomatoes with a few Roma's to equal 15 pounds) 

1. Wash your hands then squeeze each tomato and use your finger or a spoon to scoop and shake out most of the seeds.    Drain and chop the tomatoes, you need about 3 quarts altogether.  Start with the chopped tomatoes in the pot...
2. Add the seasonings and bring to a gentle simmer, just to get it hot (180 F, if you have a thermometer) there's no need to cook it; only to get it hot enough to ready it for water bath processing to kill any bacteria and enzymes.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
3. Fill jars to within ¼” of top.  Adjust lids and place in a water bath canner, with boiling hot water 1-2” over the tops of the jars.  

Process pint jars for:
 15 minutes at 1000 feet elevation or less
 20 minutes for 1001-6000 feet 
 25 minutes for over 6000 feet elevation.
Comments from Michelle:

• I got 8 pints of salsa with this recipe. 
• I followed the directions for getting the seeds out after I removed the skins. 
• I use the boiling water/shock chill method when skinning my tomatoes.
• Michelle says she used a mixture of large onions and green onions from her garden.

Here is the link to the website:
Pick Your Own Salsa Recipe

Home Canned Boston Style Beans

Myrna and I both grew up eating Boston Style or “Molasses" Baked Beans.  The brand we were used to isn't available around here anymore, so when someone gave me some extra dry beans, I had to try this recipe.  I did find salt pork locally and bought some to use, you can also use ham or chunks of bacon.  I used the beans in molasses sauce from a recipe in the "Better Homes and Gardens Canning Book  1973" but needed almost twice as much sauce as their recipe called for.  That is closer to other recipes I found on the internet, but we like this one that uses some brown sugar - it is tasty and less expensive.  I am giving the sauce amounts I have found that I need.
I keep these on hand; the recipe calls for pints, after the first time, I started canning them in half-pints (for the same time); so the two of us didn't have any leftovers.  We often eat them with sandwiches instead of fatty chips, they don't need any "doctoring" to be excellent.

I like canning beans – no peeling, pitting or chopping!  I like home canning – as I know where my ingredients come from! 

                  

                            Boston Style Beans

 2           Pounds  Navy Beans -- 4 cups

  6           Quarts  Cold Water

  2           Teaspoons  Salt

     2/3    cup  Molasses

     2/3    cup  Brown Sugar -- packed

     1/4    Cup  Vinegar

  2           teaspoons  Dry Mustard

  1           teaspoon  Salt
  5           Cups Reserved Bean-soaking Liquid

     1/4    Pound  Salt Pork -- cut in 14 cubes

7 pint jars, lids and rings

1. Rinse beans; add to 4 quarts cold water in an 8-10 quart kettle.  Bring to boiling; simmer 2 minutes.  Remove from heat; cover and let navy beans stand 1 hour.
2. Add the 2 teaspoons salt to beans and soaking water; cover and bring to boiling.  Drain, reserving 5 cups of the liquid. (If you can’t get 5 cups, add water).
3. In a large saucepan combine the 5 cups of reserved soaking liquid, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, dry mustard and the teaspoon of salt.  Cover and bring to boiling; simmer 5-10 minutes.  Keep sauce hot.
4. Divide hot beans into hot jars, filling jars 3/4 full (around 1 1/2 cups each).  Add 2 pieces of salt pork to drained beans.  Fill jars with hot molasses sauce; leave 1 inch headspace.  Remove bubbles.
5. Adjust lids prepared according to manufacturers instructions.  Process in pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 65 minutes for pints (75 minutes for quarts Above 1000' can at 15 pounds pressure).

 (Times from nchfp.uga.edu)  Recipe adapted from "Better Homes and Gardens Canning Book  1973"

Equipment needed: 8 quart stock pot for beans, 3 quart pot for sauce, 10 quart or larger Pressure canner, small saucepan for lids, jar lifter, plastic knife or tool for removing bubbles, lid magnet, strainer to drain beans, slotted spoon, and ladle. Pan with cloth or paper towels for filling jars.  Tray or two with folded towels for setting cooling jars. 7 each pint jars, flat canning lids and rings.

2014 Cost:  $4.68 or 67¢ per pint if using purchased beans and salt pork.

  "7 Pint Jars"

Home Canned Black Beans

Here’s some easy canning for you.  We like cooked black beans in soups, casseroles and salads.  However, for two, a purchased can is too much.  So I can them in half pints, ready to use anytime.  A cupful is often what I need for recipes.  Remember, these MUST be pressure-canned for safety.  Check our canning links for more information.

I use fresh hot water to can them, so they are not so thick.  I only let my black beans soak 1 hour, unless they would be very old.  This method works for me; no bean “bricks”, but the beans are not mushy either.

This is convenient for emergency food storage too; in an emergency, you may not have water or heat to cook them from the dried state.

Home Canned Black Beans

Amount of Dry Beans	Half Pint Jars	Pint Jars	Quart Jars
1 Pound	8 Half Pints	4 Pints	2 Quarts
2 Pounds	16 Half Pints	8 Pints	4 Quarts

                  

Rinse dry beans, cover well with boiling water.  Boil 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and let soak 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare pressure canner; heating 2-3 quarts of water (read your canner directions).

Prepare lids according to manufacturers instructions; and have your jars clean and warm.  Heat hot water for filling jars.

After soaking, heat beans to boiling and drain.  Pack jars 3/4 full with hot beans. 

Fill with hot water, leaving 1 inch headspace.  Remove bubbles.  Wipe rim of jar, place hot previously-simmered lid on jar and screw down lid. 

Process pints and half pints 75 minutes and quarts 90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in your pressure canner.  Let pressure drop naturally, about ½ hour.  Remove from canner and cool on a cloth-covered tray until sealed. 

(Processing Times and basic directions from Presto)

Home Canned Soup Vegetables

  I use the vegetable canning guidelines in the Ball Blue Book to can this soup vegetable combination that we like.  I use what garden vegetables I have, and purchase the rest.   I can this in 12 ounce jars because that’s the right amount for 2, but you can use pints for the same time.  I always have this in my home canned inventory.  The canning time is for the longest-processed vegetable in the combination.

Because I can the vegetables separately from the meat, I don’t have to process them as long, giving a better product; I can have more variety of choices to make with it, and I can do this when I have the vegetables – I usually can meat and poultry in the winter when I have more time and the kitchen isn’t so hot and I’m not under pressure from the garden.       

                      Home Canned Soup Vegetables

  1 ¾       Pounds  Carrots -- sliced 1/3-inch thick

     ¾       Pound  Green Beans -- cut   - optional

  1           Pound  Onion -- quartered if small

  1           Pound  Celery -- sliced

     ¼       cup  Parsley -- minced-- optional

  2          tablespoons  Salt -- optional

  1          tablespoon  Pepper -- optional

  1 ½      Quarts  Chicken Stock -- or hot water

  

 Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil in 6 quart stock pot with insert.  Prepare lids according to manufacturers instructions.  Heat water in canner.

2. Heat broth. (I often use the microwave for this.)

3. Combine vegetables and add to stock pot.  Simmer 5 minutes.

4. Spoon hot vegetables and then pour broth into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.  Remove bubbles.  Add parsley to each jar if desired.

5. Adjust two-piece caps.

6. Process  30 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a pressure canner.

About 4 1/2# total vegetables and 1 1/2 quart stock are needed. 

Use with canned poultry, meat or beans and rice, barley or noodles for soups.  About 1/2 pint canned meat, poultry or beans with broth and 3 tbsp. dry barley or rice or 1 oz. thin noodles, plus another cup of broth or tomatoes  makes 2 servings of soup.

Thicken the broth and add potatoes instead for stew.

Yield:  "Ten 12 Ounce Jars"

This recipe will make about 8 pint jars. 

2012 Cost:  $4.77 per recipe or 48¢ per 12 ounce jar with all purchased ingredients.  Do as I do, and use up those garden vegetables instead.

Per Jar:  77 Calories; trace Fat (5.0% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 2631mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

Home Canned Carrots

We like carrots…and I like them canned better than frozen.  The amount of vegetables needed depends on the size of your carrots – you will have more waste with smaller carrots.  Carrots, like all except pickled vegetables, need to be pressure canned.  It is a good product for learning how to can; they are relatively easy to get ready.  I usually can mine with a hot pack, but raw packed carrots are every bit as good, and a little easier.  They will shrink more in the jar, however, and you may have some floating.  That certainly doesn’t hurt the flavor!   

Don and Bonnie's Canned Garden Carrots

Never throw away the liquid from canned carrots - it is excellent in beef gravy as the liquid.

I used these for the first thing I canned in my new All-American canner to try it out!  I also have a larger Presto canner.  My brother-in-law, Don, gave me the old Hazel-Atlas jars - pretty, aren't they?   He and his family canned 20 quarts and 20 pints of carrots from 50 pounds of raw carrots just a few weeks ago.              

Home Canned Carrots

  5 1/2 -7 pounds Whole Carrots -- (depending on size of carrots)

  2             Quarts  Hot Water -- for filling jars

Wash carrots and drain.  Peel and wash again.  Leave baby carrots whole.  Slice or dice larger carrots.

Raw pack:  Tightly pack carrots into hot jars.

Hot pack:  in a stainless steel saucepot, combine carrots with boiling water to cover.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until tender-crisp.  Drain, reserving cooking liquid for packing.  Pack hot carrots into hot jars. 

Either raw or hot pack:

Pack within a generous 1 inch of top of jar.  Add salt, if desired, 1/2 teaspoon for each pint.  Ladle boiling water or cooking liquid into jar to cover vegetables, leaving 1" head space.  Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary, by adding more hot liquid.  Wipe rims.  Adjust lids and rings.

Place jars in pressure canner, filled with approximately 3 quarts hot water (check mfg. directions).

Process at 10 pounds pressure for 25 minutes for pints and 30 minutes for quarts at 1000' altitude.  Check your book for other altitudes.

  "Kerr Kitchen Cookbook page 25"

  "7-8 Pints"

Home Canned Bean Soup

I’ve been canning this recipe from the "Better Homes and Gardens Home Canning Cookbook" since 1973.  The optional ingredients are not in the original recipe; in 38 years, any recipe is bound to get modified a little.  If you use the optional ingredients, it makes 6 pints, if not, it makes 4 pints.  I usually make 3 times this recipe and can it in 2 canners - that's usually enough for a year's supply for us and we can share some. 
That’s how much we like bean soup.  I do can it in pints; when we have drop-in company, I just use more jars.  This old recipe makes delicious soup of just the right consistency; no "bean bricks" or mushy soup.

The biggest advantage to canning bean soup, besides the obvious one of having it ready in 10 minutes, is that we don’t have to eat bean soup for days.  I can serve it whenever we want and it tastes like the best homemade soup with no fuss and no leftovers.  That gives me plenty of time to make corn bread to go with (our favorite).

I often can this in the “off-season”; after the garden canning is completed or perhaps after the New Year.  We like ham shank; I have to ask for this at our grocery meat counter; they keep it in the back.  If you use ham, you may want a ½ teaspoon of salt per pint.  I usually chop my vegetables the day before to reduce the stress on canning day.

Ham Bean Soup

  1            pound  Dried Navy Beans -- or mixed soup beans or Great Northern beans or red beans

  1 ½       quarts  Water -- or chicken broth

  1           tablespoon  Garlic – minced (optional)

     ½       pound  Onion -- chopped

  5           stalks  Celery -- sliced (optional)

  6           ounces  Carrots -- 1/4" slice (optional)

1 ½ -2#   ham shank or a meaty ham bone or ½ pound ham

  1           Bay Leaf, Whole
              Parsley, chopped - to taste

  6           whole black peppercorns.

• Soak beans 8-12 hours.  Drain and rinse.  (Or rinse beans, add to 2 quarts water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.  Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour, then drain and rinse.)
• Cover the drained beans with water or chicken broth; add shank, peppercorns and bay leaves (in a spice bag or tea ball), parsley and garlic.  Simmer; covered, 1 hour, adding carrots, celery and onions last 15 minutes.  Remove spice bag and ham bone, cut off meat and dice in 1" pieces. 
• Wash jars; keep warm until filling. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Divide ham among jars.  Using a slotted spoon, ladle hot solids into hot jars, about 3/4 full.  Fill with liquid from cooking the ham and beans, leaving 1" headspace.  Use hot water to fill if you don't have enough broth.  Remove bubbles with plastic knife and wipe jar rim carefully before sealing.  
• Cover and seal, place in pressure canner (with 3 quarts simmering water), exhaust steam 10 minutes, process in pints 1 hour and 15 minutes at 10# pressure (for up to 1000’ elevation), quarts for 1 1/2 hours.  
• Let pressure drop of own accord ( about 30 minutes), open canner, remove jars to clean towel and let cool and seal, setting apart to allow air to circulate. Remove rings and wash jars carefully.

Yield:  6 pints if using carrots and celery, 4 pints without.

Equipment:  Stock pot or Dutch oven, chopping board, pressure canner, 13 x 9" pan with paper towel for jar filling, jars, lids and rings, funnel, lid magnet, jar lifter, plastic knife, small saucepan for lids, 4 quart measure for water, clean towels, stock pot to keep jars warm if necessary.

TO SERVE:  Add water to the top of the jar (just to make it a full jar and thin it a little bit if necessary), pour into a saucepan and heat 10 minutes.  1 pint makes 2 cups of soup.

2011 cost:  56¢ per jar with carrots and celery.  Sale bulk beans – 4# for $2.39 and sale ham $1.68 per pound.