Canning bacon grease

I wrote and asked you about canning bacon grease. You were gracious to answer my question and I followed the directions. I did not pressure can or hot water bath the bacon grease. All of my jars sealed and look nice. I shared this accomplishment with others on the BHM Forum. Someone asked if I pressured it at 10 lbs for 10 minutes.

I told them no and that I would ask you if it was necessary. I also want to make sure if I can just store the bacon grease on the pantry shelf with my other canned goods. It is dark and stays air conditioned during the summer and will shut off the heat during the winter. Any thoughts on if I need to change anything?

Polly Henning
Joelton, Tennessee

I have never canned bacon grease, but just poured it hot into hot jars and sealed it with a hot, previously simmered lid. And I have never had it go rancid yet. I also use this method with lard with good results. — Jackie

Strawberry jam

I made my (single batch) strawberry jam (using Certo pouch type pectin). At the end, I skimmed the foam and put it in a little bowl, filled and processed my half-pint jars. All sealed. That afternoon I saw the bowl had set up nice and firm. Today, I see that the jars didn’t set up. It sort of separated with fruity stuff on top and a clear red liquid below. The liquid is pretty runny. Where do you suppose I went wrong?

Mary Ann Wycoff
Embarrass, Minnesota

This often happens with strawberry jam; it’s nothing to worry about — usually. It sometimes takes a week or so for the jam in the jars to get set up. The jam in the bowl is shallower and sets up faster. Once the jars are cooled and sealed it helps to invert the jars for a while so the fruit gets mixed with the jel — sometimes more than once during the setting up process. — Jackie

Using green apples

I found a lot of dropped apples under one of my trees and brought them in. I would like to get them into my pantry but I am not sure if they can be used. Do you have any ideas? I don’t like the idea of just tossing them out.

I also wanted to thank you again for the homesteading seminar in May. It was such a wonderful experience and I learned so much. You and Will are awesome teachers and I can’t wait to come to the next one!

Sheryl
Newport News, Virginia

If these are under-sized green apples, tossing them into a compost pile is probably the best option. If full sized and green, you can dice them up, simmer them until soft, then press out the juice. Can the juice up and use it as a pectin helper to set jams and jellies. I use this instead of water to start fruits like strawberries, chokecherries, and blackberries to simmering when I’m making jelly or jam. They sometimes are difficult to get to set and the added apple pectin really helps.

We’re so glad you liked our seminar. We haven’t had much response to our August one yet but keep hoping we’ll see more folks signing up. — Jackie

7 COMMENTS

  1. Mia,

    You’ll can your pectin just as if it were juice. Real easy & quick. Glad to hear you have lots of apples!

    Jackie

  2. Nancy,

    Our August seminar is going to be August 17,18 & 19th. It’d be great if you could come!

    Jackie

  3. I recently made some green apple pie filling that turned out pretty good. I had taken my nephew out to check on the apples, since a lot of other fruits had ripened early due to the weird weather. I could tell as soon as I got close that even though they were red, they were undersized and not ripe, but because I lost my voice and my nephew talks a mile a minute, by the time I got hold of him to tell him that, he had already stripped 3 branches!

    I cored and sliced the apples, then simmered them with lemon juice, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. I’d love to tell you the exact measurements but I’m really bad about measuring, I kind of go by taste. It was too hot to bake, so I canned it up for later, it came out to about 2 quarts.

  4. Thank you Jackie for your answer. I will for sure test but feel safe storing it. By the way, I am canning corn and was stupid and followed the directions in my “Putting Food By” book because when I was adding the water, your amount seemed like a lot. NOW I KNOW WHY you add that extra 1/4 c per pint. My cream corn is thick but looks pretty. I didn’t think at the time that as the corn cooked for such a long time that it would thicken. Now when I open it, I will have to add a little extra water. Next time I am experimenting I will trust that there is a reason behind why you may add a little extra than another source. Thanks for your guidance.

  5. HI Jackie! How long do you can the apple pectin for? We have tons of apples this year!
    We still talk about something we learned from your seminar nearly everyday. I just re-read my notes, and can’t believe how much info we got out of those three awsome days! Thanks to you and Will!
    Mia and John

  6. when is the August seminar? I will see where my fairs have me when it is going. I want to come to one.

  7. Don’t worry about the bacon fat…when I was a kid the mothers would save their bacon fat in coffee cans under the sink of us Cub Scouts. It would sit there all year without covers or any special treatments and it smelled and tasted fine.

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