# Canning



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

Anybody doing any canning?? If so what have you put up so far??

I canned 21 quarts of green beans. Also, I canned a quart and a pint of cucumbers, onions and jap peppers. After it sits for about a month it is so good. I eat them with pintos or just right out of the jar. A quart don't last long. I will try to put up aroud 10 quarts this year. My peppers are not doing as well as I like but the cucumbers are outstanding.

I also did a pint of pickled okra. My version. Okra with jap peppers or a bunch of crushed red pepper with a little onion. Will do more when the okra starts to come in a little faster.

Darin


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

Not canning this year due to downsizing the garden.Eat as it grows.The way this economy is going might have to re-up the garden next year.My cukes,Burpee Burpless Hybrids, did poorly this year.Thinking about going back to the old Marketeer next year.Which kind did you plant ?


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

Burpee Burpless Hybrids. Mine are great this year. I did have to water my entire garden a few times. There are some deformed looking cukes on the vines but I just pull them and toss them up in the woods. Only been a few. Last year was a different story. Mine did horrible. They were all deformed and small. The ones that I did get tasted funny. For the past 2 years I could not find the burpless seeds. I had to plant Straight 8. They did fine this first year but last year was horrible. Not sure if it was the seeds or what. But it was a total failure.

Last year my tomatoes sucked to. The vines just died. Every single vine died in 2 weeks. This year they are doing great. 

The only thing I am having trouble with is okra. The plants are huge and healthy looking but they are producing very few okra. No clue why. Corn is fine. Except for the squirrels eating it. But I have killed 4. 

I have been kicking around the idea of adding a 2nd garden for more corn. Or just to alternate the garden spot each year. I always plant my entire garden in greens in the fall for the entire neighborhood. Everyone on our road comes to pick them. When everyone gets all they need I just turn them under. 

The garden started out as a hobby but has turned in a great food source for 12 months of the year. I still give away way more than I eat. 

Darin


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## Tater639 (Apr 6, 2011)

My pickling cucumbers are doing great! My zuccini was doing great until this weeks's heat. My squasg died out weeks ago. Green beans are excellent and canned my first 5 quarts Monday. Bell Peppers are producing amazingly. As far as your okra goes, you have to whack off the bigger leaves with a stick or knife. Sounds dumb, but mine and my inlaws were in the same boat last year. Mother in law read to do this, we just cut ours off instead of sticking it. It tarted mass producing after that. She did the same again about a week ago. Read about it or look it up if it sounds crazy, but worked for us!
As far as the cuke, onion, and jap, is that like a relish/chow chow? Sounds great!


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

I got the idea from a guy at the local bootleg joint. He sells quarts for $5.00. He just crams it in a jar and pours vinegar over it.
It don't seal. I do mine a little different. With the high acid content it really does not matter if it seals. But I prefer it to seal.

I take and peel and slice the cucumbers in thick circles. I take the peppers and slice them just like they come in a jar. I slice the smaller ones long ways. I take the onions and just cut them up in pieces about as big as a quarter. The last 2 quarts I cut them up about hte size that you sprinkle on a hot dog. I cram all this in a jar, add a teaspoon of salt. I bring 3 parts white vinegar, 1 part apple cider vinegar and 1 part water to a boil. I then pour the boiling liquid into the jar almost to the top. I then put on the flat and ring. It seals itself as it cools. I then let it set a month before I start eating it. The cucumbers are not crisp. They are softer than a pickle but they take on the heat of the peppers. The onions are the same way. If you like a little heat with your pintos you will love this. We eat it with everything. It is not a relish I don't guess. Not really pickled. It is just good. I leave cukes, onions and peppers in bigger pieces. It has a strong vinegar taste. If you use all apple cider vinegar it is overpowering.

I am thinking about adding a little sugar to a batch to see how it does. 

Darin


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

I did cut all the big leaves off the okra plants. I picked it yesterday and got a bunch. I always cut all but the top leaves every time I pick. It does make a difference. I am sure the deer will find it soon and end my okra for the year.

We ate fried okra last night for supper. It was delicious. Rolled it in flour and corn meal seasoned with salt, pepper and cajun seasoning. 

Darin


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## FISHHUNTER (Apr 22, 2009)

Haven't done any canning, but I've gotten some nice harvests of green beans from my bucket garden and have blanched and frozen some good packs for winter dinners. Plan on putting in some more seed/plants for the fall harvest. Also my tomatoes have done pretty good in the buckets too. Thinking about tilling up the yard next year, but wife isn't very happy about the idea. Anyhow, from what I'm reading, you pros are "doin' it. Keep on keepin on.!!


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

I made a raised bed this year for my wife to grow sunflowers, pumpkins and gourds. It turned out great. It is only like 10x12. I filled it with dirt and rabbit droppings. I covered it with black plastic and just punched holes where I wanted the seads. No weeding. Just lay a slow running water hose on the plastic and it runs into the holes. The rabbit poop will not burn plants. 

If you do decide to bust up a spot in your yard and then you decide to never do it again the grass will come back. Just level it out with a rake and keep the bigger weeds knocked down. You won't be able to tell it was there the following year. But I guarantee your wife will love the fresh veggies that come from the garden. Gives you something to do as well. I spend a lot of time in my garden until the plants mature and then I just go out every day or so and pick. Squash and cukes are dieing back now. The corn is almost all picked. 
I will run the cultivator thru it in another week or so and plant a patch of peas. Then in late August or early September I will plant the majority of the garden in mixed greens. Greens and peas are easy to freeze. They keep for a long time to. I am still eating peas from 2 years ago. 

Try a raised bed next year. You can plant stuff closer together in a raised bed because you do not need to walk thru it to weed it if you use black plastic or some other form of weed fabric. You can even use news paper or leaves. Just make a layer aroudn each plant and weeds will not grow up thru it. I prefer black plastic. After your plants are dead you can rip up the plastic and put a new piece on next year. You jsut have to make sure you keep the water to it when it is hot. 

There is a guy down the road from me that had a inground swimming pool that the liner split. He did not want to replace it so he filled it with dirt and it is now a garden. Looks funny but his corn and tomatoes look great. Also has a chain link fence around it to keep critters out. 

My garden started out as a hobby but now I rely on it each year. I still give more away that I keep for myself. 

Darin


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## BubbaHoTep (May 26, 2008)

Darin,

Thanks for some really good ideas on this thread! 

I haven't canned anything yet, but the half runners are coming on (and pretty thick), it seems. They're probably a couple of weeks away from the first run. I was very late getting everything in the ground this year. So far, two small tomatoes and some squash is what I've gotten. We got some rain tonight, so there should be some cucumbers early next week.  There were some really small ones on the vine, but it has been so hot and dry. They needed water badly.


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## Tater639 (Apr 6, 2011)

My plan was to do a lot of canning of green beans. However, the bugs decided that was not in their plans and ate most all the leaves on them. I used 7 Dust 3 times so far and they are still tearing them up. The bottle says you can only use it 4 times a season, so I guess I'll just buy my beans at the farmer's market and can those. Any tips on natural insectiside to deter this again???


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

Liquid 7. Spray the hell out of the whole plant. The bugs are eating the leaves from underneath. It is hard to get the dust under the leaves. With the liquid just put the sprayer near the ground and point it up. Works well. There are other things to use but I don't remember the names. I have used stove ashes with success. Flour is good to dust cabbage. 
Go to Southern States or another local farm store. They will point you in the right direction.

They sell a natural soap that you mix with water and it is all natural. Good luck!!

Darin


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## chessieohio (Jul 25, 2011)

Gotta can some pepper butter, green beans & hot peppers in ketchup sauce this month. I will be canning deer meat in the winter!


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

Tell me about green beans & hote peppers in ketchup sauce. Sounds good.


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## chessieohio (Jul 25, 2011)

Peppers in Ketchup Sauce ....for Finger_Mullet

2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Vinegar
40 oz Ketchup
1 tbsp. salt
2 gallons of peppers sliced
Bring all to a boil then add peppers. Boil for 10 minutes & then can at 10 pounds pressure for 35 minutes for pint jars. I normally use jalapenos or wax peppers but they're all good!


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

That sounds good. 

Darin


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