Canning with cornstarch

I made 14 quarts of apple pie filling from a recipe in BHM. It called for corn starch. I just ordered your new canning/cook book and noticed your recipe for apple pie filling and that the USDA says we shouldn’t use corn starch in canning. What should I do with the 14 quarts I have made? Do you think they are safe to eat? Thanks, love all your articles and questions and answer columns.

Renae
Pacific Northwest

I wouldn’t worry too much. We’ve canned pie fillings for decades using cornstarch. But I guess the experts have determined that a more commercial product will keep us safer when canning pie fillings. So I’ve switched to Clear Jel and have to recommend that others do too. — Jackie

Feeding scraps to chickens

We have recently started raising chickens and love it!! From the research I did online, it appeared that you could supplement their pelleted food with many different types of scraps and food peelings, etc. However, my sister who has raised chickens for a couple of years now says we should not feed them fruits as it will “sour” their eggs. I can’t find any information on this online. Do you know if this is true?

Kristine Barr
Coolville, Ohio

Sorry to say that your sister was given poor advice. But that’s good luck for you. Chickens can certainly be fed kitchen and garden scraps to supplement their diet. In fact they LOVE them. Mine come running with their necks stretched out and wings flapping when I come into the chicken yard with the kitchen bucket! They especially like canning time when they get tomato skins, carrot tops, squash “guts,” and sweet corn cobs to pick over. Mine also get extra milk from the goats. — Jackie

1 COMMENT

  1. Jackie – I love your advice!

    Now tell me how to convince my husband to get some chickens. :)

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