Canning sauerkraut with meat
My mother has passed down a recipe with sauerkraut, bacon, onion, brown sugar, and kielbasa. You take this mixture, wrap it with dough, and bake. My kids love it. I want to make batches to can up to give them. I know you from reading your blog that you water bath can sauerkraut, but what about the bacon and kielbasa?
Mike Lawie
Muskegon, Michigan
Yes, you can water bath sauerkraut as it is a high-acid food, BUT when you add meat (bacon and kielbasa), it is now a mixed recipe and the meat MUST be pressure canned. You might want to try a small batch to make sure the pressure canning time required for meat does not make the sauerkraut mushy. You need to can pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. If you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for instructions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude. — Jackie
Dehydrating milk
I have seen on several blogs “how to dehydrate milk.” They buy store milk, put it on dehydrator sheets and dry for hours. I was wondering if you have ever done this and if it is a good idea?
Teresa
New Freedom, Pennsylvania
No, I have not. It seems like a very labor intensive and possibly questionable method of producing dry milk. — Jackie
