Shawn Foster

Once you think things are dry enough, fill the jar only about 2/3 of the way, lid it, then let it sit for several days where you can easily see it. Every day, shake the jar gently and turn it all around. You’re looking to see if anything sticks to the sides or bottom and can’t be easily dislodged, or if there’s clumps that don’t fall apart. Both of those things indicate that it’s not completely dry; take the food out and dry it longer right away. This process is called conditioning and it makes it easier to catch incompletely-dried foods before they go bad.

Caveats:
1. High-sugar foods (fruit, including tomatoes) can be a sit stickier even when completely dry. Even so, they should be relatively easy to dislodge with a shake. If you have to get your hand or a utensil in the jar to loosen them, dry more.
2. Powdered food takes a bit of additional handling. (I love doing powdered mixed green stuff to add to just about anything we eat.) For that, dry your food in reasonably-sized bits, powder them in a mortar and pestle, then lay them out on drying racks again in a warm location, such as near your wood stove. (I use parchment paper to keep the powder from falling through the holes in the racks.) Stir the powder once or twice while it’s drying. Then do the same conditioning process as above.
3. Tomato powder, being both fruit and a powder, will stick no matter how careful you are. Just dry those tomatoes until they snap or shatter when you try to break them and give them an extra-long second drying once they’re powdered. Even then, I often have to chisel the product out of the jar, but it’s so useful and space-conserving that I do it anyway!

I’m with John on not using jars from commercially-canned products unless I recognize the maker of the jar (there’s a pasta sauce brand here in the States, for example, that uses Ball jars and they have the imprint “Ball” directly on the jar).  Unlike his statement, though, I have tried it. About a third of the jars broke during canning. Not exactly the result I was hoping for! Big mess, difficult to clean up without cutting oneself on all the glass in the canner, and a huge waste. I save those non-canning jars for dry goods or for storing things in the fridge.

Pressure canning is just a new skill. You can learn this! Read lots, watch some YouTube videos on the process, and give it a try! Beans are a great first project because they are cheap (lower stakes if you’re afraid it won’t go well), easy to do (make sure to soak them first), and give you practice with all the steps without any chopping or having to worry about a recipe. They’re also useful to have! Give it a try and let us know how it goes!

My applesauce method is a bit different than has been posted, so thought I’d add it to provide another alternative My mom started this one, I’ve continued doing it since I was canning on my own at age 14, and now my daughter makes it.

Core the apples in four cuts, keeping the knife close to but not crossing into the core. Do not peel. Set the square cores aside to make vinegar. Toss the apples into a turkey roaster (preferable, as mine holds 22 quarts) or a large pot. If apples are wormy or bruised, just cut around the bad bits. Add a cup or so of water to the pot to prevent scorching and turn on the heat. I like to add some lemon zest at this point for flavor, but I don’t bother with treating them for oxidization. Cook until they are soft but not mushy, stirring regularly.

Scoop the cooked apples and their liquid into the Vitamix. Pulse if you want a chunkier sauce, blend for smooth. Blending pulverizes the peel into oblivion and creates a thick, almost creamy sauce that I’ve never had anywhere else. Dump the contents of the blender back into the pot/roaster, stir, and keep going until it’s a consistency you like. I usually will then add a bit of brown sugar, which gives it a depth of flavor, cinnamon, and a tiny bit of cloves. I’ve also added either applejack liquor or spiced rum and let it cook down a little bit more, which is very tasty indeed.

I also will let the mass cook down until it’s thick and quite brown to make a delicious apple butter.

That generation of Singers is just rock-solid. Easy to use, easy to repair, and endlessly versatile. I have a 401A that I love to pieces. I even got an over locker foot and now have no desire at all for a serger! I’ve sewn everything from thin leather to cotton voile and it’s handled it with grace and aplomb. The Rocketeer adds a level of looking soooo cool while doing all that!

Sadly, I am on the preservation sidelines this year for the first time in probably 25 years. As we're building our house, all my preservation tools are in storage and there's just no place at all to put any preserved food, so I'm living vicariously through you all. Tell me about all the things you're preserving and post lots of pictures!

Thanks, Bill! Well, that means I’ll have to wait until the house is built. No room in the trailer and it’ll get far too cold in the outbuildings. Rats.

For worm composting, what temperature band can they tolerate? I’ve been trying to figure out what our options might be to start one up.  

And zinnia seeds are incredibly easy to save, so you can grow even more of them next year!

Carla Burke wrote:

But, that floaty... That concerns me, somewhat. When did it develop? Also, if the jar was leaking liquid out, I can't help wondering if some type of contaminant snuck in. I'll admit I'd be even more concerned, if the floaty was cloudy, but I think I'd still get in touch with the seller, and let them know what's going on. They may send you a new batch.  

Thanks, Carla. This corroborates what I was thinking. Something just seems a bit off here. Since it’s been such a long t8me since I’ve done kefir, I wanted a gut check to see if I was thinking in the right direction.