home preserving | Imamother

babula

Thu, Feb 14 2008, 12:45 am

Hi, I wonder if anyone else has tried their hand at home preserving? I do my own jams and pickles and today for the first time I pressure canned my own pasta sauce!

I live in a very remote place where keeping Kosher is a truly a challenge. Since I can't buy good tasting pasta sauce I decided to make some and use my pressure canner to preserve it. This way I don't have to take up space in my freezer and I can open a jar at the spur of the moment any time I feel like it.

babula

Thu, Feb 14 2008, 1:31 am

hi Crayon210

A pressure canner is a very large pressure cooker that has a rack for the bottom and is big enough to hold mason jars. You don't need to use cans but use mason jars just as you do for pickles and jams. When you buy a pressure canner it comes with instructions and you can also get advice on the internet and in cookbooks.

anuta

Thu, Feb 14 2008, 9:40 am

babula,

I grew up in a country where things were available only in season, and we had a large garden with fruit trees etc., so every fall and summer my family would can things and make jams, juices, compotes for the winter. We even made our own apple wine. But here in America there is no need to do that; I only made saurcraut here by myself (its VERY easy, and also those bacteria are very very good for you), and my grandma made pickles. Our pickles recipe is vinegar-free, so it was hard to find the taste in supermarket ones, but now I found...

So my grandma has lots of recipes, especially for jams and pickled cucumbers and tomatoes. Maybe I should get them from her.

Mimisinger

Thu, Feb 14 2008, 9:46 am

Oh this sounds so cool and I would love to do it. But, I live in kosher heaven so I don't know if I would stick to it.

chocolate moose

Thu, Feb 14 2008, 9:47 am

I never did as you need a lot of expensive equipment and if something goes wrong, botulism can kick I and that's deadly.

babula

Thu, Feb 14 2008, 6:13 pm

hi chocolate moose
My pressure canner was less than $100 and I use mason jars which are very in expensive. If you are careful about how long you need to cook things and the correct pressure its very safe.

I'm looking forward to making soups and stews next. I know I could freeze things but I don't have that much room in my freezer and I like being able to open a jar whenever I feel like it. As I said I don't have access to any Kosher convenience foods so this gives me a break when I need it.

babula

Thu, Feb 14 2008, 6:17 pm

anuta,
I know exactly what you mean. In the fall I buy fresh fruits and vegetables and make jams, pickles and vegies for the freezer. My pickles are the old fashioned ones that are made in brine without any vinegar or sugar.

At one time I couldn't buy Kosher grape juice so I learned to make my own. Now its my families minhag to have homemade grape juice for Rosh Hashonah and Succoth.