Vegetable Gardening

[Jolt]

Okay, I am SO going to do some canning this fall. What's a good one to start with? I haven't canned since I was a kid, helping my stepmother. We did it the big, hot, messy way full bath way. Now I understand that steam canning is easier, but not good for acidic things like pickles.

I don't have enough of my own home-grown produce to can, but I can certainly buy a bushel of apples.

I do have a slow cooker (for apple butter?). Thoughts and resources are appreciated!

I would suggest you get the Ball Blue Book of canning/preserving--it has lots of recipes as well as general instructions for canning. For acidic foods (pickles, fruits etc.) you do need to use the boiling water bath. Making a mess is unavoidable when you're canning .

[GLC1968]

Waaaaah, I'm so jealous. A late frost took out all my apples. The flowers had even been pollinated - I saw plenty of bees - but I guess it was just too soon for frost-resistant fruits to have formed. All my neighbors have plenty of apples, but my tree is a later variety plus my hilltop is cooler.

This hurt us, too. The only apples we got this year was from the one early tree and one branch on a later tree (a branch that is somewhat protected by it's odd location!). Such a huge difference from last year! No applesauce for us this year.... Our pear harvest was minuscule as well - only the earliest ones made it!

We are making due with masses of blackberries, grapes and pumpkins!

Okay, I am SO going to do some canning this fall. What's a good one to start with? I haven't canned since I was a kid, helping my stepmother. We did it the big, hot, messy way full bath way. Now I understand that steam canning is easier, but not good for acidic things like pickles.

I don't have enough of my own home-grown produce to can, but I can certainly buy a bushel of apples.

I do have a slow cooker (for apple butter?). Thoughts and resources are appreciated!

Tulip - go here: http://pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm

Sooo much good information and inspiration for canning!