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Rebel Canning

15K views 26 replies 15 participants last post by  robinlynn 
#1 ·
First off, the official rules.....

We all know the USDA canning rules, that change periodically and I personally think are intended to instill fear of doing any home canning and rely on big AG commercial products that provide much profit for them and more risk & cost to the consumer. As for the risk, the list is not inclusive but includes the quality of the foods such as GMO laden, meat producers inhumane treatment of animals and a host of other questionable & suspect methods of getting large amounts of food on store shelves to an ever increasing population with fewer acreage & farms to do it with.....including countless product recalls for various reasons.

Botulism is very real as is other bacterias that can affect your food. These things can happen even in commercially canned foods, but the risks are higher at home.....if you're not careful. And to guard against it, the USDA recommends all home canned low acid foods be boiled 10-15 minutes before consuming.

Low acid foods such as meat, beans, fish, vegetables, etc are recommended to be pressure canned at atleast 10lbs pressure, depending on your elevation which can also determine time of processing.

High acid foods such as fruits and tomatoes or tomato based products can be water bath canned. Though many of todays tomato varieties are not as acidic as older ones and is recommended to include some type of acid (lemon juice, vinegar, citric, etc) added.

Then there's the rules of only using metal lids one time and ONLY one time and having to continually buy more......also promoting corporate profits vs consumer costs. As for those metal lids, if anyone has noticed in the last couple of years have now been labeled 'SureTight lids, helps keep foods sealed now up to 18 months' …...but many experienced canners know that home canned food, if properly processed and stored, will stay sealed and good for many years. So I'm not sure what's the scoop on this new marketing spin other than Ball/Kerr/Jardin or whoever now owns the company, has changed the formula of the rubber seal and no longer recommend they be simmered before use.

Tattler lids are the one exception. Rubber seal and separate plastic cap, can be used repeatedly for years if properly cared for and are rather expensive up front but can pay for themselves in no time.

Only approved canning jars should be used, manufactured by Ball, Kerr, Mason, etc (no store bought food product jars or lids)




Now that you understand the rules......now comes the rebellion :devil: But I will say this.....I am not promoting anyone to do this(these) I'm just saying it can be done, IF, IF, IF absolutely necessary in a crazy mixed up world where the 'rules' aren't possible for whatever reasons. And even then, ONLY if you are an experienced canner with some years under your belt. I am in NO way suggesting a new inexperienced person that doesn't have the first clue on canning or food safety try any of this. Now that being said, here we go...….


1. Most foods can be waterbath canned, even low acid vegetables, meats, etc and at one time (up until the 70's) was an accepted method of canning, though processing times were 3+ hours, depending on the food. (personally, I have wb green beans, corn, carrots, raw packed chicken, broths, spaghetti sauce with burger, etc successfully and even shorter times, but I have done it for many years and was how I was taught by my Mom & aunt who also done it this way for many years before that.) I will also say here that I have finally moved to a pressure canner and have used it successfully for many foods I would have never done in a water bath. Like dry soup beans or pumpkin, potatoes, ham, bacon,(yes BACON) etc

2. Reusing metal canning lids......ONLY if the lid is not damaged in anyway from previous use/removal and seal is intact and clean. Sometimes when you remove a lid it can create a nick, or the rubber seal has worn thin and the metal shows thru, or even the seal can get mold growing and make black spots. Any lids in such condition should be thrown away and not reused. They are damaged and your jars of food won't seal properly.

3. Store bought food jars that have a rubber seal in the lid that comes down over the thread of the jar......like Ragu (and others) jars can be reused, but only with high acid type foods. I do reuse many a salsa or pickle jars, but for similar type foods.....such as homemade salsa canned in store bought salsa jars, pickles canned in pickle jars, etc.....namely because it's near impossible to get the pickle smell out of a pickle jar, no matter how well it's washed or even soaked with baking soda. So it's easier to use pickle jars for them.....and it saves my other canning jars for other foods.
A...….old mayo jars must be mentioned here. In the past, when the jars were actually made of glass (not plastic), Hellmans or Best Foods would fit perfectly with regular mouth lids & rings and Miracle Whip would fit wide mouth lids/rings...….then of course they changed it so that just as you were tightening down the lids with that last twist, it would spin free....then the jars went plastic. Back when the jars were glass and the lids would tighten all the way, I did use them for canning......until a few broke in the canner (WB) so I gave that up, but I've heard some people still use them old jars.


4. Open Kettle canning.....used to be another popular method of canning, but is rarely heard of now days cause of dem rules, ya know. The actual method is to put HOT food into HOT jars, cap with HOT lids & rings and set upside down on the counter for about 10-15 minutes, then turn right side up....as the product/jar cools it creates a vacuum seal......no processing needed. I do this with jams, jellies, & pickle stuff. Jams have plenty of sugar for preservation and the pickle stuff has vinegar. Sometimes I do this with tomatoes and sometimes in a WB, just depends on either whats in it, or if I have other canning projects.


I'm sure there are others, but these are what I can think of at the moment. And I can't say it enough...…..any canning methods, whether by the rules or not, you and only YOU can make such judgement calls and hopefully it's based on your own experience to guide you. If you choose not to do any of this, that's great. I can respect that...….I'm just saying that if you do chose to rebel, you better damn well know what you're doing.
 
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#3 ·
There isnt anything safe to eat these days. We got into raw veganism for several years but would be scared to do it now since all the amebas and lystreia and e coli in the fresh veggies. Its pretty scary. Not even counting botulsim in the canned goods. Pinto beans and cornbread is the only near pefect food that has never killed anybody that I ever heard about.
 
#4 ·
I doubt I would ever reuse a canning jar lid. I know a guy that I thought was smart enough to can. He told me that they had canned a lot of stuff and they really didn't know why it went bad. Turns out they reused the lids. I have also hot bath bath green beans about a decade plus a go becasue my grandmother told us it was ok. Dumbest thing I ever done. We opened a jar and you could tell it went bad and the seal was intact. One of the reasons I think they change canning procedures is becasue of all the bacteria that it now causing so much sickness. If you grow it yourself I doubt you will ever have a problem. I just don't take short cuts or try to save a quarter when it comes to canning. I always stock on canning jar lids when there one sale. I do reuse lids when vacuum sealing dehydrated foods though.
 
#5 ·
I can visualize @JustAnotherNut 's pantry which is organized into 2 distinct sections.

One section is filled with pristine looking Mason Jars and Lids, everything neatly organized and the sign over this section reads; Tried and True Canning Fundamentals.

The other section is bit more haphazard, jars not matching, lids and seals discolored and old. The sign over this section reads; For the Inlaws! :vs_lol:

Seriously, good thread !
 
#10 ·
Now on to items to be canned and methods used...…….

I've not done cooked meats or 'hot' pack, only raw pack.....which is to say you cram that jar with raw meat to within an inch of headspace, push a knife or 'debubbler' down the side pressing against the meat to get rid of any air pockets, then put on the 2 piece lids (3 piece if you use Tattlers) and process at 10lbs pressure 75 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts. (depending on your altitude, it may require 15lbs pressure). Do NOT add any liquid with raw pack as the meat will produce it's own broth juices as it processes.

Dry soup beans. You can soak your beans first and I'm not sure of the amount of beans vs liquid to add per jar. Internet & YouTube is full of those answers. I have done the no soak, which is to just wash your beans & pick thru. Then add 1/2 Cup beans to each pint or 1 Cup beans per quart, add water or broth to within 1 inch headspace and process....75 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts at whatever your elevation requires (10 or 15 lbs pressure).
I've also done pintos with bacon, onions & garlic that made great refries. Even did beans with a ham hock stuffed into the jar and topped with ham broth, as well as split pea & ham soup. Though I will say canning dry beans do suck up much of the liquid in the jars and need more added when opened if using for soup.

Bacon---videos I had seen, everyone wrapped their slices in parchment paper, though there was one that the bacon was just stuffed into the jar without the parchment though I think it was ends & pieces. I found a great deal on bacon and just stuffed it in the jars & processed in the pressure canner. Now I can see why others have used the parchment paper to keep their slices as slices. What I have canned is good, but ends up as a big clump and no or few defined slices. Still works for lots of recipes though. Another point to make here, is that canned bacon is essentially cooked bacon and I'm not sure you can cook it further to crisp it up. I have yet to be successful on that score. But if you don't mind that and need bacon for another recipe, this works great. And not only that, but you have preserved all that bacon fat to be used elsewhere as well.

Butter---real butter, not margarine(I don't know, maybe you can)---butter is melted in a pot on the stove, bring to a boil & boil about 10 minutes, pour into hot jars and the lids and give it a shake, let sit on the counter and shake the jars about every 10-15 minutes to redistribute the fats & solids from settling or even separating. When they've cooled enough you can put them in the fridge to cool them faster, but still have to shake periodically until they've hardened....then store in a cool dark place. I've done this and it's worked fine. I may have missed a few shakings as the butter has a bit of grainy texture and just a little separation at the bottom of the jar......but it still tastes & spreads & cooks like butter. And NO this is not ghee. Ghee is clarified butter that has had the fats & solids removed. With canned butter, all the fats & solids are still there.

Cheese---this is another that is on my to do list, but from what I understand you put the cheese into the jars in a pan with just enough water to keep the jars safe from breaking. Depending on the size of jar you use, could be as little as 1/4 inch of water. Keep the burner down low so the water doesn't boil & possibly get into the cheese, but has to be hot enough to melt it. As the cheese melts, you add more till there is sufficient headspace, then put on the lids. There are great sources of information on this process on YouTube.


Then there's water....yes water. Yeah I know, I'm a nut BUT since I don't have an alternative water source, and not enough bottled stored up, this is another option. And NO, I don't haul out all the canning equipment to do a load of just plain old water....but when canning a short load of other foods, I have filled the canner with jars of water. It can be processed either WB or PC right along with whatever else you're canning. Just sayin.
 
#11 ·
I read a lot of internet post about canning dried beans so after 50 lbs here is what I now know works the best

1) Sort beans and then rinse
2) Soak 18 hours in cold water in refrigerator. Some say over night but I have found 16-18 hrs works the best
3) After soaking cook on medium until almost a boil. Get jars ready to use while beans are cooking
4) Add any spices to jar first
5) Add beans leave at least 1" head space then fill with juice from cooking.
6) let set while filling other jars
7) remove air bubbles
8) top off liquid again til the 1 " head space
9) Put on lids and rings and adjust
10) Pressure can @ 10 psi with a weighted pressure canner or 11 psi with a dial gauge canner
11) Pints 75 minutes and quarts 90 minute
You should end up with beans that have enough liquid that pour out of jar easy.
 
#12 ·
@Green Lilly and others........look thru this thread and decide for yourself if you're willing to try any of the mentioned taboo practices, since there are shortages on canning supplies.

If you are considering reusing metal lids, or using store bought jars w/lids......you can always do a test run on a couple of jars to see for yourself. It is a way to save on canning jars & lids for other foods.

In both those instances, wash the jars &/or lids by hand in hot soapy water with a bit of bleach. Using a clean dishcloth, wipe the neck & threads of jars and the threads & seals on the lids firmly. Enough pressure to clean all surfaces, yet not enough to damage it. Thoroughly rinse with hot water. Lids should be put in a saucepan of hot water on low heat for several minutes. Then fill, seal & process as you normally would. I've never used store bought jars in a pressure canner, so can't answer to that, but I have used them in the water bath to can similar products as what was sold in them. I have reused canning lids in the pressure canner with success.

If you don't have enough of either jars or lids to save & reuse now......then start saving them now for next year. Canning lids are easy....after you've opened the jar and washing it to put it away for next season, also wash the flat lid, then put it upside down on the jar with the ring to hold it in place, so the seal doesn't reseal itself to the jar.

If you can put your pickles into pickle jars and tomatoes, sauce, diced, salsa or pizza sauce into tomato based jars.......then you just saved that many canning jars to use for other things.

Also to mention here is the risk factor of the foods being canned. Of course things like meat, beans, veggies are low acid and carry higher risk, fruits are high acid and have lower risk, pickles & ferments are also high acid because of the vinegar &/or salt content. As well as jams that use high amounts of sugar, which are all methods of preservation in themselves (vinegar, salt, sugar)

Just something to consider,
 
#16 ·
The first time I tried it, about half of it was just as good as when I canned it, even with a little separation that needed poured off. The other half was still usable, though more for cooking than for spreading....in that it had developed kind of a weird sour smell. I had stored it in a dresser drawer in the bedroom in the coolest part of the house.

This time, it's currently in the garage fridge, and if needed will be moved to the pantry.
 
#17 ·
,personally, I have wb green beans, corn, carrots, raw packed chicken, broths, spaghetti sauce with burger, etc successfully .
Im usually a "nazi canner" but.... I lost my pc in a fire this spring and have yet to replace it. I have 5 quarts of turkey broth that I want to save and no freezer room. I want to do this the safest way possible - HOW do you water bath broth safely?
Thankyou! Looking forward to exploring this forum now I've found it.
 
#23 ·
First off, the official rules.....

We all know the USDA canning rules, that change periodically and I personally think are intended to instill fear of doing any home canning and rely on big AG commercial products that provide much profit for them and more risk & cost to the consumer. As for the risk, the list is not inclusive but includes the quality of the foods such as GMO laden, meat producers inhumane treatment of animals and a host of other questionable & suspect methods of getting large amounts of food on store shelves to an ever increasing population with fewer acreage & farms to do it with.....including countless product recalls for various reasons.

Botulism is very real as is other bacterias that can affect your food. These things can happen even in commercially canned foods, but the risks are higher at home.....if you're not careful. And to guard against it, the USDA recommends all home canned low acid foods be boiled 10-15 minutes before consuming.

Low acid foods such as meat, beans, fish, vegetables, etc are recommended to be pressure canned at atleast 10lbs pressure, depending on your elevation which can also determine time of processing.

High acid foods such as fruits and tomatoes or tomato based products can be water bath canned. Though many of todays tomato varieties are not as acidic as older ones and is recommended to include some type of acid (lemon juice, vinegar, citric, etc) added.

Then there's the rules of only using metal lids one time and ONLY one time and having to continually buy more......also promoting corporate profits vs consumer costs. As for those metal lids, if anyone has noticed in the last couple of years have now been labeled 'SureTight lids, helps keep foods sealed now up to 18 months' …...but many experienced canners know that home canned food, if properly processed and stored, will stay sealed and good for many years. So I'm not sure what's the scoop on this new marketing spin other than Ball/Kerr/Jardin or whoever now owns the company, has changed the formula of the rubber seal and no longer recommend they be simmered before use.

Tattler lids are the one exception. Rubber seal and separate plastic cap, can be used repeatedly for years if properly cared for and are rather expensive up front but can pay for themselves in no time.

Only approved canning jars should be used, manufactured by Ball, Kerr, Mason, etc (no store bought food product jars or lids)




Now that you understand the rules......now comes the rebellion :devil: But I will say this.....I am not promoting anyone to do this(these) I'm just saying it can be done, IF, IF, IF absolutely necessary in a crazy mixed up world where the 'rules' aren't possible for whatever reasons. And even then, ONLY if you are an experienced canner with some years under your belt. I am in NO way suggesting a new inexperienced person that doesn't have the first clue on canning or food safety try any of this. Now that being said, here we go...….


1. Most foods can be waterbath canned, even low acid vegetables, meats, etc and at one time (up until the 70's) was an accepted method of canning, though processing times were 3+ hours, depending on the food. (personally, I have wb green beans, corn, carrots, raw packed chicken, broths, spaghetti sauce with burger, etc successfully and even shorter times, but I have done it for many years and was how I was taught by my Mom & aunt who also done it this way for many years before that.) I will also say here that I have finally moved to a pressure canner and have used it successfully for many foods I would have never done in a water bath. Like dry soup beans or pumpkin, potatoes, ham, bacon,(yes BACON) etc

2. Reusing metal canning lids......ONLY if the lid is not damaged in anyway from previous use/removal and seal is intact and clean. Sometimes when you remove a lid it can create a nick, or the rubber seal has worn thin and the metal shows thru, or even the seal can get mold growing and make black spots. Any lids in such condition should be thrown away and not reused. They are damaged and your jars of food won't seal properly.

3. Store bought food jars that have a rubber seal in the lid that comes down over the thread of the jar......like Ragu (and others) jars can be reused, but only with high acid type foods. I do reuse many a salsa or pickle jars, but for similar type foods.....such as homemade salsa canned in store bought salsa jars, pickles canned in pickle jars, etc.....namely because it's near impossible to get the pickle smell out of a pickle jar, no matter how well it's washed or even soaked with baking soda. So it's easier to use pickle jars for them.....and it saves my other canning jars for other foods.
A...….old mayo jars must be mentioned here. In the past, when the jars were actually made of glass (not plastic), Hellmans or Best Foods would fit perfectly with regular mouth lids & rings and Miracle Whip would fit wide mouth lids/rings...….then of course they changed it so that just as you were tightening down the lids with that last twist, it would spin free....then the jars went plastic. Back when the jars were glass and the lids would tighten all the way, I did use them for canning......until a few broke in the canner (WB) so I gave that up, but I've heard some people still use them old jars.


4. Open Kettle canning.....used to be another popular method of canning, but is rarely heard of now days cause of dem rules, ya know. The actual method is to put HOT food into HOT jars, cap with HOT lids & rings and set upside down on the counter for about 10-15 minutes, then turn right side up....as the product/jar cools it creates a vacuum seal......no processing needed. I do this with jams, jellies, & pickle stuff. Jams have plenty of sugar for preservation and the pickle stuff has vinegar. Sometimes I do this with tomatoes and sometimes in a WB, just depends on either whats in it, or if I have other canning projects.


I'm sure there are others, but these are what I can think of at the moment. And I can't say it enough...…..any canning methods, whether by the rules or not, you and only YOU can make such judgement calls and hopefully it's based on your own experience to guide you. If you choose not to do any of this, that's great. I can respect that...….I'm just saying that if you do chose to rebel, you better damn well know what you're doing.
I am hoping you may be able to help me. This is my first post so please be kind. I am currently disabled due to 3 surgeries this past year on my back. I knew they were coming so I prepared by buying an older lady's canning jars that her family was selling. Pickle jars, old mayo jars, bail jars, ones that need the glass lids, etc. Where can I find instructions or guidance for canning each type of jar? Or even what lids go on what jars? I have asked on the collection sites and of course they tell you cannot use them anymore but I wanted to try. Thank you for your help!
 
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