Canning chicken
I am getting ready to can up some chickens that are taking up space in my freezer. I’m not having much luck locating wide mouth half pint jars in our area since they are out of season, however I have an abundance of Kerr jelly jars and am wondering if they are strong enough to withstand pressure canning? My last batch I canned in pints and that is just too much for most of my recipes.
Adell Struble
Aledo, Illinois
I’m glad I can be of help! You can either can up your chicken in regular half pints if you dice the meat or if you prefer larger chunks, go ahead and use your jelly jars, provided that they are the type with the screw down rings, not the old style jelly glasses with slip-on lids, meant for using with paraffin. The jars, themselves, are plenty strong enough. — Jackie
Saving seeds
I have three questions for you. First, I saved yellow crook-necked squash (heirloom) seeds from two years ago from a few very large, overgrown squashes that eventually dried on the ground. The seeds appear to be papery and have no thickness to them, and they’re not sprouting. The only seeds that sprouted were the commercial ones I bought. They were thick and seemed more viable than the home-saved ones. Do you think they were not thick and/or viable because the entire squash dried out on the ground? Maybe I should have picked the squash very ripe but still alive and pulled the seeds out then. Any thoughts on this? Second, do you know about how long it takes for eggs to become fertilized after putting a hen and rooster together? It seems like I heard at one point that it’s about two weeks. Finally, how long after a hen starts laying would her eggs (with a rooster of course) be viable for hatching? I’ve always waiting about two months, but someone mentioned to me yesterday that a month should do just fine.
Dallen Timothy
Gilbert, Arizona
To save seed from summer squash, let the squash mature until the skin is hard and tough, so you can’t puncture it with your fingernail. Then harvest the squash and bring it indoors where it will not freeze for at least 3 weeks. Then harvest the seeds. They will be plump and viable. Rinse off the strings and any meat, then dry them on a paper plate or cookie sheet in a warm, dry area. DO NOT put them in your oven, even at the lowest setting or they will not stay alive. Same goes for an electric dehydrator.
Eggs are considered fertile about 10 days after a hen and rooster are together. After two weeks, you can begin saving eggs for hatching and they should be viable, whether you use an incubator or let the hen set the eggs. — Jackie
Shelf life of canned bacon
I recently came upon the article about canning bacon, it looked quite clever and I can’t wait to try it. My only question is what is the shelf like of canned bacon? I know the store bought canned bacon says its about 10 years, but that home canning shelf life can vary from that.
Elizabeth
Home canned bacon will last nearly indefinitely; commercial “preparedness” bacon says “10 years” to be “safe” from complaints. I’ve never had home canned bacon go rancid or otherwise bad. — Jackie
