Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
A few months ago I purchased a half bushel basket of golden beets at our local Farmer’s Market. We eat beets at least twice a month, so it was a great way to stock up and to preserve them for later use. Plus, they were …
I’ve been home canning for about 30 years and really enjoy it. I’m no expert on it, but I do considered myself to be well-experienced with it. Over the years I’ve canned applesauce, pear sauce, apple pie filling, a variety of different pickles, relishes, fruits, …
I’ve been home canning fruits, vegetables, soups, jams and jellies, and sauces for over 30+ years. It’s a lot of hard work, but I really enjoy growing our own foods and then preserving them for later use. Home canning is a really easy process once you learn the basics and can be mastered by any home cook.
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You’ll need to invest in your home canning supplies but the good thing is that the majority of them are reusable, over and over again. Make your investment once and you’re done!
I recommend that all newbies start out by learning how to can fruits, sauces, pickles, relishes, etc. They’re the easiest things to preserve. You’ll need to purchase a large water bath canner with canning rack.
When you’re ready to move on to preserving meats, soups, stews, vegetables, etc. you’ll need to invest in a Steam Pressure Canner which is more expensive than the water bath canner.
Here are the 6 Must-Have Home Canning Accessories that you’ll need to go along with it.
Vinyl Coated Jar Wrench
Vinyl Coated Jar Lifter
Extra Wide Mouth Funnel
Bubble Popper and Measurer
Vinyl Coated Tongs
Magnetic Lid Lifter
To save money on the accessories I recommend purchasing them in a boxed set like the NORPRO 6 Piece Home Canning Set that I personally use. They’re quality-made tools that will last you for many years!!!
You’ll need to purchase your glass mason jars which are reusable over and over again. I keep several sizes on hand: jelly jars, pint-size jars, quart-size jars and half-pints. If you’re only going to preserve certain food items…you may only have to invest in one or two different sizes.
When getting started I recommend buying your glass mason jars by the case and buy them BRAND NEW! They need to be free of defects, contain no chips, cracking or crazing. Don’t use jars that are 10+ years or older as the newer jars are better made for safety reasons.
To go along with your mason jars you’ll need metal seals (disposable and non-reusable) and metal rings (reusable). If you’re purchasing your jars by the case they should come with seals and rings to get you started. Once you run out of seals, you’ll need to replace them every time you jar something new. You can buy seals by the box full for less than $2.00 a box at your local grocery store when you need them.
Personally I recommend that you invest in 2 great cookbooks that will teach you the basics of home canning and give you a slew of tried & true recipes that you can use. I recommend The Complete Book of Home Preserving and the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. You’ll find a LOT of home canning recipes right HERE on the Two Classy Chics blog.
A few additional things that I recommend you have on hand:
* Old cotton kitchen towels and dish cloths. Canning can be messy and you don’t want to ruin your good kitchen linens!
* Bottle Brushes – I use 2 different ones to clean the insides of my jars. One has bristles and one has sponge tips. You can pick them up at the Dollar-Type of store.
* Old oven mitts and hot pads. Trust me, you’ll need them and they will get stained as you process your foods!
* You’ll want to wear old clothing or an apron when you’re home canning. I personally purchased a grilling apron that is made out of heavy duty material. It does a great job at protecting my clothing.
* Anti-Burn Gel like an Aloe Vera Based Lotion or Cream. You will get a burn from time to time…so have this on hand!!! (or grow your own Aloe in a pot).
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Peach Jam is my favorite flavor when it comes to homemade jam. I enjoy it slathered on my breakfast toast, waffles, toasted bagels, spread onto a piece of French bread, spread between the layers of a cake, a cupcake filling, and more! You can even stir …
For the past few months I’ve been spending a lot of time in my kitchen working on preserving food for the winter season. We grow a lot of our own vegetables and fruits. I also buy a lot of our fresh produce from local farmers …
Last month I picked up a bunch of chicken from the store that was on sale for .49 cents a pound. We wanted to stock-up a little bit for the upcoming winter season and I wanted to use some of it for canning. I enjoy making a lot of homemade soups and stews and canning them for later use.
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To make this recipe you’ll need a pressure canner, home canning supplies, glass mason jars, etc. If you’re new to pressure canning, this is one of the easiest recipes to make, so its a great beginner’s recipe. It will make approximately four quart-sized jars. Looking for more easy-to-make Home Canning Recipes? You’ll find over 50+ right here on the blog!!!
You can use this Chicken Soup Base later on to make homemade chicken potpie, corn soup, noodle soup, dumplings, chicken veggie soup, etc. Just pop open the jar and add your goodies when you’re ready.
Home Canning Chicken Soup Recipe
16 cups chicken stock (I make my own)
3 cups Cooked Chicken, diced
1 1/2 cups Celery, diced
1 1/2 cups Carrots, diced or thinly sliced
1 cup Onions, diced
2-3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
Salt and Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
3 Tbsp. Dried Parsley
Prepare weighted-gauge pressure canner, glass mason jars, lids, and all of the canning accessories that you’ll need. I like to lay out everything I think I’ll need: ladles, spoons, kitchen towels, wide mouth funnel, jar lifter, tons, hot pads, etc.
In a large stock pot combine together the chicken stock, diced cooked chicken, diced celery, diced or sliced carrots, diced onions, bouillon cubes, salt, ground black pepper, and the dried parsley. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and gently boil for approximately 30 minutes.
Ladle hot soup into hot mason jars, leaving a 1″ headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rim clean with a cotton cloth, add the seal and ring…adjusting the ring until its fingertip tight.
Place jars in a pressure canner. Adjust water level, lock the lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Vent steam for 10 minutes, then close the vent. Continue heating to achieve 10 lbs. pressure. Process quart-size jars for 90 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Let the pressure return to zero naturally. After it hits zero, wait 5 minutes and then open the vent. Remove the canner lid. Wait 10 minutes, then remove the jars. I like to lay a cotton towel out on my counter-top and place the jars on top to cool. Once cool you’ll want to check them to make sure that they all sealed properly. Store in a cool, dry place. They should keep for up to 1 year if processed correctly.
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Earlier this month I purchased a half bushel basket of red beets and a half bushel basket of golden beets at our local Farmer’s Market. We eat beets at least twice a month, so it was a great way to stock up and to preserve …
Along with Fall and the cooler temperatures comes canning season, at least for me. During the months of September and October I’m busy with my home canning making homemade applesauce, apple pie filling, apple butter, pumpkin butter, pear sauce, and several other goodies to stock …