A big THANK YOU to everyone who has sent in their photographs and stories. I hope by sharing other people’s pictures and stories here on One Hundred Dollars a Month we can all find unique ways to save, show off our chickens and have a rock star gardens. Keep them coming!
Hi Mavis,
I can A LOT! I steam can and pressure can. I have most recently gotten in to canning ready to eat meals. So, for example, I have a jar that is a full pot roast dinner. Ground beef was on sale for $1.79 a pound, so I canned about 40 pounds of it!
I made tavern meat, taco meat, sloppy joe meat and then chili. I found a great way to cook the ground beef! I put 10# in a big pot. Fill with water, just over the meat and boil it! Works like a charm and it breaks up so nice!! After all the batches, I just drained the liquid in to a big plastic container and refrigerated overnight. The fat separated and I skimmed that off to use later. The “meat water” I used to make my chili!
Also, if you still use the old fashioned water bath canner… you have to switch!! Get a steam canner! So much more efficient.
Here is a sampling of my jams. One pic is of apple butter, which I found is so much easier to do in a crock pot. Just let it go on low until it cooks down to your liking. (Usually takes all day or overnight..)
Then I have my cherries. Whole cherries, cherry jam and cherry juice with a simple syrup.
And then a few jars of strawberry/rhubarb jam. You see my old fashioned cherry pitter on the table outside. My son was helping me that day. So easy a 4 year old can do it! HA! You just put a handful of cherries in the top and turn the handle. Cherries come out the bottom and pits in the front. I almost hate to tell people about the cherry pitter, as prices for the old pitters will probably sky rocket… 🙂 Then lastly, my daughter loves rhubarb, so I made her a rhubarb jam.
Here is my son admiring the new pressure canner, so we can have two at a time going now! Saves so much time! Since quarts take a minimum 90 min processing time, you can imagine the time it takes if you have several batches to do! They only hold about 7 quarts at a time. Then you see my pot roast dinner jars (pretty aren’t they!).
Then some stews and pot roast dinner. So easy on a busy night!! Grab a jar, warm up and throw in to your taco shells! Done! (And I do can beans, so I have a jar of Mexican beans I serve with).
Here’s my son helping me make pickles. He helps his dad around the farm place too, so he will be a well rounded little boy!:) Pictures of the many jars of pickles I did this year. Our cucumbers went crazy! I think we must have harvested minimum of 200# worth of cucumbers this year! In fact, I didn’t know what to do with them after canning about 90 jars of pickles.
All different kinds, of course. So my husband found a recipe for cucumber wine. So we have about 10 gallons of that in the basement fermenting. It takes about a year to finish.. but that’s another story all together. (It has other stuff in it, like orange and lime in one and pineapple and pear with the other.)
Along the pickle subject though… Have you ever made lime pickles? Not like the fruit lime. But powdered lime (food grade). My mother in law told me about it. I’m telling you, they are the crunchiest pickles you will ever put in your mouth!!
Pickling lime went out of style in the 70’s and 80’s because of the natural food rage. But it is said that commercial food processors never stopped using lime. They use it in many canned vegetables. The worry it that people don’t rinse the lime off properly and because it is alkaline, it can lower the acidity in your jars and possibly cause botulism. And BTW.. you can use it on any fruit or veggie you want to keep crisp in the jar!
Here are some pickled radish in my steam canner. Steam canners have been around a long time, but there has been little research on the safety of using one. Now there are a couple Universities that have done research and can say outright that they are safe for canning specific things. (Mostly those that you can water bath can.) I have been using mine a year and have had no trouble with spoilage. Anything that can be water bath canned, I can in the steam canner for same amount of time.
Then you see my salsa, taqueria style salsa, and salsa verde (made with the tomatillos I grow). Made with tomatillos. You can make enchiladas with them.. chilaquiles, or other Mexican dishes.. Heck, you can put it on eggs if you want.
Here is my taco and tavern meat.
Then I tried watermelon rind pickles, since we harvested a 65# and 70# watermelon this year! They are kind of like those fruity gel candies coated in sugar with a salty bite.. A little strange. But I could see them being a treat in the old days. I used food coloring to make them that color which seemed to be traditional. I guess you could go without for the food coloring adversaries. 😊
Anyway, I think that’s it. I hope you can use some of this stuff. Mind you, my husband and I only moved on to our 3 acre farm place two years ago. I had never even gardened before that and I’m 42 years old! My husband, on the other hand is very handy and farm place savvy!
I do a lot of online research and look at blogs like yours. I also have a few good books. As for recipes, I only started canning about 4 years ago and mostly follow recipes. I am self taught, so don’t feel comfortable sharing any recipes I have tweaked. Seems like the canning police are everywhere. 🙂 I have my hands full trying this or that. I try about anything.
Take care,
Jenny
Find More Mavis Mail Submissions HERE.
If you would like to have your garden, chicken coop, pantry or something you’ve made featured on One Hundred Dollars a Month, here’s what I’m looking for:
- Your Garden Pictures and Tips – I’d especially like to see your garden set ups, growing areas, and know if you are starting seeds indoors this year. If so, show me some picture of how you are going about it.
- Your Pantry Pics – Submit at least 5 HIGH QUALITY pictures of your pantry/fridge/cabinets, as well as a short blurb {at the very least} about you and your food habits.
- Your Chicken and Chicken Related Stories – Coops, Chicks, Hen’s, Roosters, Eggs, you name it. If it clucks, send us some pictures to share with the world.
- Cool Arts & Crafts – Made from your very own hands with detailed {and well photographed} pictures and instructions.
- Your pictures and stories about your pets. The more pictures and details the better.
- Garage Sale, Thrift Store and Dumpster Diving pictures and the stories behind the treasures you found including how much you paid for them.
You’ll need to send in a Minimum of 5 HIGH QUALITY pictures and the stories to go along with those pictures. Please do not send in a couple of grainy photos and a sentence about them. I can’t post that. It doesn’t make for an interesting or informative story.
If I feature your pictures and the stories behind them on One Hundred Dollars a Month, I will send you a $20.00 gift card to the greatest store in the world: Amazon.com. You can send your submissions to me at onehundreddollarsamonth @ gmail.com {spaces removed}and be sure and put Mavis Mail in the subject line. Thank you. I’m looking forward to your submissions.
Go HERE for the official rules.
Mama Cook says
Jenny!!!! Wow!!!! I love your courage to try new canning recipes and your obvious diligent research! It’s so delightful to see tou including your son!!!! Keep up the good work!!!!
Rebecca in MD says
Wow, that is a lot of canning! Thanks for sharing your photos with us.
Kay Bowles says
Wowza is an understatement!!! I stand in awe of all of you!!!
Emily E says
Jenny, I’m pretty sure canning is your superpower! You are awesome! Beautiful jars and impressive. Good for you and your family! It’s so fulfilling to preserve things you have grown yourself! Also, your son is a total Mini Me! Adorable!
Mavis Butterfield says
I think canning is Jenny’s superpower too!!
Amy says
Amazing, keep up the good work! It’s a great feeling to be able to make a nice quick dinner from your own canning pantry…. and for pennies. Do you have a good system for keeping track of what is left on the shelf to eat? I’ve struggled with that a little bit; running out of a few things early and having way too many pickles left at the end of the year! Good luck finding uses for all those pickles, they do look amazing.
Jenny Smith says
I have very good knowledge about what I have. So, I just serve what I have. So if I have a ton of pickles, well, I have those out on the table for meals. Or I make burgers to use the pickles, etc. Same with salsas or chicken.. Just plan my meals around what I have. Plus all the older stuff is in front and newer goes to the back.
Ellen Green says
Well done, Jenny! Your ancestors would be proud! It is exhausting work, but so satisfying to look in that pantry and know that you have done what you could to take care of your family!
Robin says
Well done Jenny! Just for information, for anyone looking into a steam canner, they should not be used at high altitude. The water does not boil hot enough to safely can the jars. It has been tested in Utah and they say it is safe (don’t know what altitude they did this at as Utah has a range of altitudes). I live in Colorado, near Denver and our extension office has tested it here, and it did not get hot enough. Not trying to be the canning police, just wanted folks to know who might live at a higher altitude and be interested in a steam canner.
amy says
i agree…in my area of Utah, they are not considered safe!
Angela D. says
Thanks for the added info, Robin. I have never heard about steam canning…..I have a glasstop stove and I’m worried about the huge weight of a water bath cracking the cooktop. I’ve considered an outdoors setup, but maybe steam canning might be the way to go? I haven’t canned in years and would like to get back into it again.
Great work, Jenny! You are an inspiration to me!
Wendy L says
I have steam canned for over 5 years on an electric stove. The canner only uses 8 cups of water and is much easier to handle. I am not sure how it would work on a flat topped stove. Has anyone tried it?
April says
I have a glass top stove and love my new steam canner! The water heats up so much faster and I don’t have to worry about cracking the cooktop.
Jenny Smith says
Thanks for that info!!! I guess I only researched for my part of the world 🙂 So glad you made that important point!
Teresa says
Jenny- Just curious, do you carry over canned foods from year to year or will your family consume most of what is on the shelf? Have you ever canned tuna? There is nothing better! I have not done it myself but have friends that share with me. I trade hot mustard and jam for canned tuna.
Jenny Smith says
I do carry over foods from year to year. Technically Ball says 18 months storage is fine. I sometimes go longer. From my research, I’ve learned that the canned food doesn’t necessarily go bad after the magic 18 month mark. It’s just that the nutritional value decreases with age. But frankly, I’d rather eat my 2 year old salsa with no “nutritional value” than a jar of store bought… But that’s just me. I have never canned fish. At least not yet. I’m very interested in your hot mustard recipe! Sounds awesome!
Taryn says
Very inspirational! I love my steam canner so much. I’ve had it for about a year and it makes canning so much easier.
Brenda says
What is tavern beef? Always looking for a new beef/venison recipe.
Jenny Smith says
Oh… tavern meat is kind of a Midwest thing I think.. they also call them “maid rites.” It’s like a sloppy joe without the saucy red sauce..
SandyF says
I admire and respect Jenny’s efforts,but as a Mater Food Preserver for the state of CA- (and perhaps Jenny does pressure can her meats and I misunderstood) it is not safe to steam or water bath any meats, only pressure can. Steam canning is for high acid foods only.
https://ucanr.edu/sites/MFPOC/files/271172.pdf
You cannot safely- USDA approved,
steam or water bath can pumpkin, vegetables(unless high acid) , meats, poultry or seafood.
Sheila Wood says
Jenny did mention that she now has two pressure canners since each batch can take up to 90 minutes and having two will be a time saver. She also mentioned that she very carefully follows recipes from canning books, I think we can assume she’s using the canners correctly as the books are quite specific. 🙂
Richelle says
I’m so not worthy of this thread. Can you say inferiority complex?
Jennifer says
Jenny Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful talent! You are amazing! I love freezer meals, but the freezers in our house are tiny…You have totally inspired me to try out canning meals for busy weeknights!!
Jenny Smith says
Yes, I loved freezing stuff too. But I am now so intrigued that you can make shelf stable meals, meat, etc! No need for electricity. No worry about freezer burn… It’s AWESOME! You will love it!
Deb says
So inspiring, Jenny. Thank you for taking the time to share!!
Nancy D says
Amazing! Thanks for sharing and inspiring us Jenny! My dad grew up (born in 1932) eating watermelon rind pickles…now I’ll just have to try and make them!
Kippy says
I feel like an underachieve, having only made jam this year. Jenny, you are amazing!
Linda says
I love these posts! Actually I find everything Mavis posts interesting, even though my HH can’t believe I look at pictures of what you ate that week.
Great work , Jenny!
Christa Hayden says
Jenny- what you have done is amazing. You should be so proud! It’s all so beautiful.
Janet Mancini says
Jenny, thanks for sharing your story. Your pictures are incredible. My husband and I recently bought our own house after years of living in an apartment. It’s not a farm like yours, but it does have a yard with some raised garden beds that I would love to take advantage of, but I really know nothing about gardening. Can you recommend some books that helped you when you first started?
Jenny Smith says
You know, I didn’t really use books for my gardening. Mostly just researched online whatever I needed help with. My husband does the tilling and such. The first year we used no pesticides or fertilizer. That worked out ok because the bugs/creatures weren’t used to a garden out there. This year they did. So had to use some Sevin. And the bugs ravaged my kales and lettuce. So next year I’m going to look up and do due diligence when it comes to protecting my crops. I have read about some natural pesticides, so will try those first, of course. Also, last year I got everything except my corn from heirloom seeds. This way I was able to harvest the seeds st the end of the season. And will technically be able to grow that exact same plant next year from the seed. A lot of the store bought seeds are genetically modified, so if you harvest seed and replant next year, you often will not get same quality plant. Seed companies did this to not only give you the best plants possible, but to have you rely on them to buy seeds from them every year. Not to mention, my heirloom watermelon seeds cost me something like $3-4 bucks for five seeds. The plant yielded a 70#,60#, 50# and 35# watermelons! So you better believe I harvested those seeds! I have probably about a hundred seeds I can replant, give away or whatever!
I also look up online how and when to harvest stuff. Then I print out whatever I look up and put in a binder for reference. Like when a watermelon is ready to pick…
Kristen Finnemore says
Wow! Jenny! This is a super achievement. Be wicked proud!!!! I am also a fairly new canner. It gets bigger and bigger every year. You are inspiring me to try canning some meat based recipes.
Donna says
Wow Jenny! You have inspired me!! Although I have canned for several years, you’ve opened my eyes to new possibilities. And speaking of eye opening, I couldn’t see the cherry pitter – I may be blind. I’m also not a pickle person but I do LOVE lime pickles! Have been making them for 15 years or so. Thanks so much for your wonderful post!
Oh and Mavis, finally made the Christmas jam and it is the best!!
Jenny Smith says
I did send Mavis a TON of pictures.. so I see the pitter didn’t make it on. I’m not sure if I can send a pic in the reply section… or at least I can’t figure it out. Maybe she can post the pic. You NEED one if you pit cherries
Molly Jo says
:::THUD::: I am overwhelmed by your amazing talent and drive! I do have a niece that does some of this same including hunting preserving deer, rabbit, pheasant etc besides canning all her garden. Some people just have it in their bones to be so awesome! I do can tomatoes various way and make many jams and fruit butters but wow oh wow you are amazing! Thanks for sharing your gift with us all. Inspirational.