Canning tomatoes, growing potatoes, and ham and beans recipe
Canning tomatoes
I am canning tomatoes for the first time. We are blanching the tomatoes and peeling the skin off but leaving them whole and packing in the jars (JET setters – Celebrities – Early Girls). I am packing them as tight as I can without crushing them because we are trying to keep the shape and allowing the 1/2 to 3/4 inch air space. The issues I am running into:
1- The jars are coming out missing water inside the jars, anywhere from 1-2 inches exposing the tomato’s. Is this a bad thing? What am I doing wrong? We are holding at 11 pounds for the recommended time but in the adjustments of heat it has gone as high as 12.5 pounds.
2- The jars come out and the tomato’s are above the half point of the jar floating on the water, so it looks as if I only filled the jar halfway full of tomato’s.
Erik and Family
Aumsville, Oregon
Unfortunately, when you don’t pack the raw tomatoes really tight, they do end up floating in the juice. That’s not a bad thing, but you do end up with less actual tomato in the jar than if you squashed them in tight. To keep them from floating, use a hot pack method. Usually when jars are missing liquid it’s because the temperature has fluctuated during processing. It won’t hurt the quality of your foods but does look kind of yucky.
You’ll find that you have much less problem with canning tomatoes when you use the boiling water bath method instead of pressure canning them, as you’ll not have liquid blown out of the jars during processing because there isn’t a pressure issue. Do be sure to add vinegar or lemon juice, as directed, to be sure of the safe acidity of the tomatoes. — Jackie
Growing potatoes
This is the first year our russet potatoes grew potato seed pods on the plant. I have read these can provide potatoes although not necessarily the same as the parent plant. How do I save for next year? They are much like a green cherry tomato. I assume they need to be dried but not sure how to save them for the next year. What can you tell me about these pods?
Susan Lehr
Washougal, Washington
Sorry to say but the seeds from potatoes aren’t worth growing. You won’t get large potatoes, nor many, at that. Better to save some solid, nice potatoes for seed next spring. — Jackie
Ham and beans recipe
Would you please share your recipe for canning the ham and beans? The “meals-in-a-jar” you recently talked about. It looked really good and I would love to try it.
Rosemarie Wesolek
Mahaffey, Pennsylvania
I just followed my recipe for canned Boston baked beans in my book, Growing and Canning Your Own Food, page 186, and added a little more ham. In case you don’t have my book, here’s the recipe:
2 qts. dried navy or other smaller beans
1 lb. thickly sliced bacon or salt pork (or ham)
6 large onions, diced
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/3 cups molasses
Sort beans, rinse, then cover with 6 quarts fresh water; let stand overnight in a cool place. Drain. Cover beans with 6 quarts water in large stockpot. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until skins begin to crack. Drain, reserving liquid. Pour beans into turkey roaster or other very large baking dish. Add bacon,ham, and remaining ingredients and 8 cups reserved liquid. Ladle sauce over beans and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for about 3 hours. Add water or cooking liquid to keep wet enough; you don’t want them dry but watery. Pack hot beans and sauce into hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Process pints for 80 minutes and quarts for 95 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. — Jackie
