Canning basics, supplies

[Greg]

Why not just buy canned food?

It is very cheap currently.  Overstock from the lockdown.

[kayla_veronica]

So, sauerkraut with cucumbers.  I've tried sauerkraut twice, and failed both times.  I guess I'll stick with my sourdough habit 

haha yeah. I have yet to make fermented pickles that taste good. I got saurkraut after my third attempt.

[MundaCorMeum]

So, sauerkraut with cucumbers.  I've tried sauerkraut twice, and failed both times.  I guess I'll stick with my sourdough habit 

haha yeah. I have yet to make fermented pickles that taste good. I got saurkraut after my third attempt.

I guess I better try again!  What recipe do you use?

[MundaCorMeum]

Why not just buy canned food?

It is very cheap currently.  Overstock from the lockdown.

Don't be silly, Greg.  That would just be too easy!

No, seriously, I can't speak for Heinrich, but for me I simply find these kinds of things enjoyable and interesting as a hobby.  I still have a pantry full of various canned goods, and my husband actually works in the canned food industry.  It's also nice to know how to preserve excess produce from my garden.  Even after sharing with friends and family, I sometimes have more than we can eat before it goes bad.

[Greg]

Russian dachas are full of empty Soviet style mason jars with perished rubber seals and rusted spring clips.  As soon as communism ended and they could simply buy jars of pickled vegetables year round that is exactly what they did, from 1990 onwards.

Now if they do it at all, they do it for nostalgia or because long dead babushka's pickles tasted better than the shop bought ones.

Likewise I am restoring and tarting up a Toyota Yaris for my 17 year old daughter who just passed her test.  A complete waste of time but I am enjoying pimping it out with the latest bling from China as well as making a custom leather shifter gaiter from an old red leather sofa I got from freecycle and putting USB charging points in for her friends.  Next I am going to carbon fibre wrap the wing mirrors.  The next teenager who buys it for $1500 (I paid $800), will be getting a bargain.

My main reason to do it is to show off my car fixing skills to my daughter so she has something to tell my grandchildren when I am dead.  I also like the fact that if I rebuild the brake caliper she won't die, because I will do it properly.  A 2004 Yaris is a great little car.  1 litre engine but goes like a train.  70-80mph is comfortable.

[maryslittlegarden]

What are some lotions from companies that don't support abortion. Bath and Body are out for this fact. Thanks!

Plain coconut oil is fantastic.  Mix a bit of essential oil for a pretty smell..... .  I've also mixed coconut oil and cocoa butter.  Or just plain cocoa butter.... .

[kayla_veronica]

So, sauerkraut with cucumbers.  I've tried sauerkraut twice, and failed both times.  I guess I'll stick with my sourdough habit 

haha yeah. I have yet to make fermented pickles that taste good. I got saurkraut after my third attempt.

I guess I better try again!  What recipe do you use?

I think it was this one. It's been over a year since I've made any.

https://wellnessmama.com/663/sauerkraut-recipe/

[MundaCorMeum]

Russian dachas are full of empty Soviet style mason jars with perished rubber seals and rusted spring clips.  As soon as communism ended and they could simply buy jars of pickled vegetables year round that is exactly what they did, from 1990 onwards.

Now if they do it at all, they do it for nostalgia or because long dead babushka's pickles tasted better than the shop bought ones.

Likewise I am restoring and tarting up a Toyota Yaris for my 17 year old daughter who just passed her test.  A complete waste of time but I am enjoying pimping it out with the latest bling from China as well as making a custom leather shifter gaiter from an old red leather sofa I got from freecycle and putting USB charging points in for her friends.  Next I am going to carbon fibre wrap the wing mirrors.  The next teenager who buys it for $1500 (I paid $800), will be getting a bargain.

My main reason to do it is to show off my car fixing skills to my daughter so she has something to tell my grandchildren when I am dead.  I also like the fact that if I rebuild the brake caliper she won't die, because I will do it properly.  A 2004 Yaris is a great little car.  1 litre engine but goes like a train.  70-80mph is comfortable.

Doesn't sound like a waste of time to me.  Sounds like a great thing to do with and for your kids.  Not only are you creating fond memories with them, you are teaching them a plethora of valuable skills. Not the least of which is to not be afraid to learn new things, and to have varied interests.  It makes for more interesting people when they are knowledgeable about more than just what the latest movie star or sports team is up to.

[Heinrich]

Russian dachas are full of empty Soviet style mason jars with perished rubber seals and rusted spring clips.  As soon as communism ended and they could simply buy jars of pickled vegetables year round that is exactly what they did, from 1990 onwards.

Now if they do it at all, they do it for nostalgia or because long dead babushka's pickles tasted better than the shop bought ones.

Likewise I am restoring and tarting up a Toyota Yaris for my 17 year old daughter who just passed her test.  A complete waste of time but I am enjoying pimping it out with the latest bling from China as well as making a custom leather shifter gaiter from an old red leather sofa I got from freecycle and putting USB charging points in for her friends.  Next I am going to carbon fibre wrap the wing mirrors.  The next teenager who buys it for $1500 (I paid $800), will be getting a bargain.

My main reason to do it is to show off my car fixing skills to my daughter so she has something to tell my grandchildren when I am dead.  I also like the fact that if I rebuild the brake caliper she won't die, because I will do it properly.  A 2004 Yaris is a great little car.  1 litre engine but goes like a train.  70-80mph is comfortable.

[Greg]

Doesn't sound like a waste of time to me.  Sounds like a great thing to do with and for your kids.  Not only are you creating fond memories with them, you are teaching them a plethora of valuable skills. Not the least of which is to not be afraid to learn new things, and to have varied interests.  It makes for more interesting people when they are knowledgeable about more than just what the latest movie star or sports team is up to.

It is a waste of time.  I'd be better off working and taking it to a cheap mechanic to fix.

She learns nothing, because she is inside reading biology textbooks while I am fixing it.  But she likes seeing all the little fixes and improvements I make.

I bought a 12V light led lightbulb (plastic) that changes colour and I am going to install it on the gearstick as a gearknob.  I've been watching pimp-my-ride for ideas.

[MundaCorMeum]

Doesn't sound like a waste of time to me.  Sounds like a great thing to do with and for your kids.  Not only are you creating fond memories with them, you are teaching them a plethora of valuable skills. Not the least of which is to not be afraid to learn new things, and to have varied interests.  It makes for more interesting people when they are knowledgeable about more than just what the latest movie star or sports team is up to.

It is a waste of time.  I'd be better off working and taking it to a cheap mechanic to fix.

She learns nothing, because she is inside reading biology textbooks while I am fixing it.  But she likes seeing all the little fixes and improvements I make.

I bought a 12V light led lightbulb (plastic) that changes colour and I am going to install it on the gearstick as a gearknob.  I've been watching pimp-my-ride for ideas.

What can I say....I tried

[Greg]

A man's got to know his limitations.

[Angela]

Doesn't sound like a waste of time to me.  Sounds like a great thing to do with and for your kids.  Not only are you creating fond memories with them, you are teaching them a plethora of valuable skills. Not the least of which is to not be afraid to learn new things, and to have varied interests.  It makes for more interesting people when they are knowledgeable about more than just what the latest movie star or sports team is up to.

It is a waste of time.  I'd be better off working and taking it to a cheap mechanic to fix.

She learns nothing, because she is inside reading biology textbooks while I am fixing it.  But she likes seeing all the little fixes and improvements I make.

I bought a 12V light led lightbulb (plastic) that changes colour and I am going to install it on the gearstick as a gearknob.  I've been watching pimp-my-ride for ideas.

It really sounds like you are an awesome dad, Greg. And, coming from someone who also had an awesome dad, trust me, your children will remember all those ‘little’ things you did...but it might not be until they have children of their own.

[Angela]

Well I am not the world's most prolific canner, but I do have a few tips I wish I had been told at the beginning.

If you are buying canning jars for the first time, invest in wide mouth jars, not regular. These are so much easier to use, and they work far better for many things, like pickles. It is much better to just get all wide-mouth from the beginning.

Buy the "canning" kit you see in a lot of stores. It comes with your grippy lifter, your magnetic lid pick-up, a funnel etc. The only thing I wouldn't do is get a kit with a pot. The pots can be really small and more for hobby canning. Invest in a really good huge canning pot with the jar rack. You can usually find these at hardware stores, farm supply, estate sales, etc.

I am not sure if you are planning on jam mostly or if you will need to can meat and acidic veg. If so, you will want a nice big pressure cooker for canning those items.

I am not sure if you will be preserving from your own garden, but outside of that, try to get as much stuff for free to preserve as you can. Any sort of community pantry with tons of free fruit/veg, (hardly any people take the free veg from pantries and it usually just rots, such a pity) a friend with some neglected apple trees, wild blackberries, etc. Preserving can be very expensive if you are buying fruit/veg to preserve. Getting free stuff ensures that you are actually saving money.


There are a lot of really great youtube videos on canning now, including some from Mennonite ladies who could can in their sleep...lol. Watch a lot of tutorials, start out with the right equipment, and good luck!!

This. I’ve been canning for years now and the above is great advice for a beginner. I have not ventured past a ‘hot water bath’ for the cucumbers, beets, tomatoes, and apples that I can.

Frankly, a pressure cooker scares me. I wish I could can meat, as that would be a great staple to keep on the pantry shelves; for now I try to watch for sales on canned protein sources.

[coffeeandcigarette]

Well I am not the world's most prolific canner, but I do have a few tips I wish I had been told at the beginning.

If you are buying canning jars for the first time, invest in wide mouth jars, not regular. These are so much easier to use, and they work far better for many things, like pickles. It is much better to just get all wide-mouth from the beginning.

Buy the "canning" kit you see in a lot of stores. It comes with your grippy lifter, your magnetic lid pick-up, a funnel etc. The only thing I wouldn't do is get a kit with a pot. The pots can be really small and more for hobby canning. Invest in a really good huge canning pot with the jar rack. You can usually find these at hardware stores, farm supply, estate sales, etc.

I am not sure if you are planning on jam mostly or if you will need to can meat and acidic veg. If so, you will want a nice big pressure cooker for canning those items.

I am not sure if you will be preserving from your own garden, but outside of that, try to get as much stuff for free to preserve as you can. Any sort of community pantry with tons of free fruit/veg, (hardly any people take the free veg from pantries and it usually just rots, such a pity) a friend with some neglected apple trees, wild blackberries, etc. Preserving can be very expensive if you are buying fruit/veg to preserve. Getting free stuff ensures that you are actually saving money.


There are a lot of really great youtube videos on canning now, including some from Mennonite ladies who could can in their sleep...lol. Watch a lot of tutorials, start out with the right equipment, and good luck!!

This. I’ve been canning for years now and the above is great advice for a beginner. I have not ventured past a ‘hot water bath’ for the cucumbers, beets, tomatoes, and apples that I can.

Frankly, a pressure cooker scares me. I wish I could can meat, as that would be a great staple to keep on the pantry shelves; for now I try to watch for sales on canned protein sources.

I've been thinking about hiring a Mennonite woman or some other super knowledgeable lady, to come and essentially can a bunch of meat for me while I watch and take notes. Might be an idea. I am also scared of pressure canning...I knew a girl in highschool who's mom was pressure canning. They had a horrible accident and the mom and two girls got their faces burnt horribly. I know there are thousands of women successfully pressure canning all the time...but I can only think of the scary stories. It is time I hired an expert. Even if I never do it myself, it will get done and I'll have the canned meat.