Canning 101

Bill and I have dubbed ourselves with a new acronym (actually an acronym within an acronym): DADrunCs (DINKS against Drunk Canning). DINK= Double Income No Kids.

In the midst of our canning frenzy last night, we had a couple of beers. No doubt, it was wildly fun and we giggled and cranked the tunes as we processed 50 pounds of tomatoes. But, disaster eventually struck. I burned myself. And then, I did cardinal canning sin #1: I inadvertently let the lids boil instead of simmer. It is marked clearly on the lid box, like the surgeon general's warning for canners. But I blew it off as no big deal, something I would never do stone cold sober. So, after all the prep, and 70 minutes in the pressure canner, 2 of my 7 quarts of spaghetti sauce with sausage failed to seal. We did not, however, blow up the pressure canner, so all in all, the losses were minimal.

On the bright side, I researched a new method of sterilizing jars. The trouble with water sterilization is that it takes so much energy to heat up the water. Not to mention, I have limited space on my stove top. The oven method is simple. First, clean your jars in soap and water, place them on a cookie sheet, and preheat the oven to 225-250. And then you let them cook for 20 minutes, keeping the oven door closed. Remove them with a mitt, fill them promptly and place them in the canner. Viola! Simple. And so much more energy efficient. Of course, this method is not FDA approved. However, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, sterilization of jars is not even required for pressure canners or for water bath canners when used for more than 10 minuets (20 minutes at my elevation). So, in most cases, all I really need to do is heat the jars, which the oven is perfectly capable of doing.

Lessons Learned:
1. Don't boil the lids!
2. DADrunCs
3. Sterilize canning jars in the oven.

The Pressure's On: August Updates

After two years of water bath canning, we dug in and bought a pressure canner today. Nothing against all the vinegary sweets we've created via water bath...pickled beets and dilly beans are still on our 2012 agenda. We were just ready to start putting away more of our garden. And with only 8 cubic feet of storage in our solar powered freezer, canning is the obvious way to go. Right now I'm babysitting a batch of stew that's merrily steaming along in the canner. It makes this really nice, steamy metronome sound as the weight rocks on top, and it's peaceful just to sit by and listen. So, as that cooks, here are some updates:

Straw Potatoes

 The garden went nuts this year. We've had a long growing season, and frost is not in the forecast for the next couple of weeks. A couple people asked about straw potatoes, so here is a more in depth look at the process. Our ground, as mentioned in prior posts, is hard, rocky, and low in organic content. A friend told me about growing tubers in straw. This is my second year, with good results so far. Also, this year, I can really see the straw composting and adding to our garden soil. Here's how:

1. Put potatoes on ground and cover in 12-14" of straw.

2. Water

3. Watch them grow.

4. Harvest by pulling back the straw.

The Pig Debate: Grain vs. Grass

Our hogs went to slaughter last week. Hanging, they weighed 150, 159 and 159. We were pleased, and are looked forward to the maple-brined, smoked hams and bacon. Buying grain, however, is something we didn't enjoy...especially with the price hike this year. Bill and I have been looking into options of grazing, and might be branching out into heirloom varieties of pigs who can sustain themselves on grass. Large Blacks or Red Wattlers are the ones we're particularly interested in....so next year, look for pastured pork in place of pink Yorkshires on Blue Cloud. The grazers won't put on 200 lbs in 3 months like our pinkies did...but we won't be buying grain every week either.

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!
	We added a new addition to the farm. Our rooster, a gift from a neighbor up the road, is scrawny and his crow is giggle-worthy, but he is successfully fertilizing eggs! (And, he doesn't crow until about 9 AM!) We'll see if broody Blondie (at it again, and determined as ever) can hatch any chicks in about 20 days.

The Gobblers It's about that time of year again. The turkeys are getting big and about ready to be put into the freezer. Bill really improved his gobble this year and has become quite the turkey farmer. See it for yourself. (video coming soon)

Pesky Sheep

A recent speed-bump in our progress came when our neighbor's twenty head of sheep escaped their pasture....and roamed on our land for several days. Our orchard and windbreak got munched on, and, though the damage could have been worse, seeing those nibbled-down, broken, leafless branches, I was immediately deflated...and then enraged. I debated putting lamb chops into our freezer. But Bill, as always, calmed me down. And we put up an electric fence. And crossed our fingers that our neighbors will take care of their pesky roaming fluff-balls.