Now she is back to the same old Mom, looking at her flower catalogs, planning on buying new plants for spring, and taking cuttings from her houseplants.

So NEVER give up! Even when the days look very dark ahead. Miracles DO happen from time to time.

Readers’ Questions:

Canning cheese sauce

Cheese in a can, for nacho etc. I can’t seem to find any smaller than a gallon in our area. Once opened it sours quickly even in refrigerator. Freezing doesn’t work well either, plus takes up a lot of space. Is there a way to “can” the excess in glass jars? I don’t have an adjustable pressure cooker. But I do have a pressure cooker, anyway to do canning even without a pressure cooker? I’m a 6000 feet plus.

Steve Launer
Cheyenne, Wyoming

Although canning cheese is still an “experimental” recipe (there are no “approved” methods by government experts), folks have been canning and re-canning #10 cans of cheese sauce successfully for years, me included. I open a #10 can of cheese sauce, then put it in my oven at the lowest setting until the cheese is hot (not cooked). Then I quickly fill hot jars, leaving 1/2″ of headspace, wipe the rims, place hot, previously simmered lids on the jars and screw down the ring firmly tight. I process pints and half pints in a boiling water bath canner for 60 minutes. For higher than 6,000 feet (6,000-8,000 feet) altitudes, you will be increasing your processing to 75 minutes.  I use this cheese sauce a lot and we sure love its versatility. — Jackie

Gardening and preserving while working full time

I am particularly interested in canning some of the meal in jar ideas and ground meat and poultry…
Currently, our circumstances seem to mean that I may be taking on a full time job soon — including a long drive. If I’m hired I’ll be gone 5 days a week for about 11 hours a day. I still want to do my garden and do more canning — I’m just sure that having things like taco meat mix ready in a jar will make working so much easier on me. I guess that means canning will be relegated to days off, and I’ll need to get Hubby’s help.

My question is — if you had just a few days a month you could spare to do food preserving– how much do you think you could accomplish? Have you ever been in that situation? Do you think its nuts to try to do that AND work away full time?

Mary Thompson
Catawba, South Carolina

No I don’t think you’re nuts! You can accomplish a whole lot in your “spare” time. I have never been in that exact situation; I’ve worked outside of the home in my younger years and gardened and canned successfully, too. The great thing is that gardening and canning are very relaxing and pretty undemanding, as well. You can do other things while canning: the laundry, washing dishes, making supper, reading a book, or whatever. JUST BE SURE YOU ARE RIGHT THERE when the pressure canner is up to pressure and processing. Sneaking away then is foolhardy and can cause bad things to happen: over-processed food, a blown safety valve, or even (when the safety valve is plugged) a blown canner lid!

Start out relatively simple — smaller garden, less canning — then increase as your confidence increases so you enjoy your food growing and canning instead of becoming stressed out by it. By doing a little here and a little there, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your pantry will fill up.

It makes things much easier when you have help canning some of the more labor intensive foods. If your husband is willing, the two of you can accomplish much and enjoy it while you do! — Jackie

Organ meats

My husband and son just brought home elk. My son and his wife do not eat liver so I have a lot of liver and a couple of hearts in the fridge. We love liver and onions, but maybe not that much liver and onions. Do you do anything different with yours? How about the heart, got any good recipes for that?

Shirley Wikstrom
Stevenson, Washington

I’d can up some of that liver and onions! Just slice the liver into pieces about an inch thick, in pieces that will fit into a wide mouth jar. Pre-cook a bit to lightly brown the liver, then add your sliced onions. Pack into jars, leaving an inch of headspace. Make a broth out of your pan drippings and pour that boiling, over your liver, leaving 1″ of headspace. Process at 10 pounds pressure for 75 minutes (pints) or 90 minutes (quarts). If you live at an altitude over 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for directions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude, if necessary.

I’m not a big heart fan; I usually just peel and grind the heart with my other venison and make burger from it. — Jackie

Wrapping trees with screen

You indicated that you cut screens to put around young trees. Do you put the screens tight around the trees or do you leave a little space and how do you secure the screening?

Rhona and Brad Barrie
Strong, Maine

I try to put the screen fairly tight around the trees, wrapping it so there are a few layers. I secure it with used hay twine; I wouldn’t use wire as it could possibly damage the trunk of young trees. Protecting the trunks of young trees, even those with a diameter of 1-3″, with wire is totally necessary as voles, mice, and rabbits WILL eventually girdle and kill your beautiful trees without it. Mom thought her 2″ trunk on her favorite crabapple was plenty big enough to resist the critters. Wrong. In the spring, it was girdled white three inches high and dead. That’s such a sad discovery! — Jackie

Canning soup

I made some beef vegetable soup with barley which was very good and would like to make more to can. I am using 1 cup barley in 8 quarts of soup. How long should I cook it before canning it? Also, how tightly do you pack your meat in jars? Would you mind showing a picture? I am starting to can more meat as I only have to pay for the electricity once and don’t have to wait for it to thaw.

Julia Crow
Gardnerville, Nevada

I would just make your soup and can it after the barley is barely tender; it doesn’t get mushy. I pack meats differently, depending on what they are. For instance, lightly browned ground meat is gently settled with a wood spoon; you don’t want it all mushed together or it will get like meatloaf. Diced meat can be more firmly packed, as are larger chunks. Just be sure to leave 1″ of headspace. Check out the picture on the blog of my canned smoked pork shoulder. Bear in mind that it shrank on processing, as the fat cooked out of it. To start with, it filled all but about half an inch all around it in the jars. (It was pre-roasted and hot broth was poured over it in the jars.) I LOVE my canned meats! — Jackie

Bitter bell pepper

I live in deep south Louisiana. Still have bell peppers growing in the garden and on the last picking they are bitter. What causes this?

Anne Martin
DeQuincy, Louisiana

The most common cause of bitter bell peppers is not enough watering. Try watering more, if this is the case, and you’ll quickly see an improvement in the taste. — Jackie

Deterring critters from the garden

I just read where you said to put wire fencing on the ground to deter critters from eating your garden. I was wondering if it might not work as well to just border your garden with it since the animals are apparently afraid to walk on it. Also, do you think it might deter fox and coyotes from going after my chickens if I border a large area with it where they range?

Lori
Southwest Ohio

No, I didn’t say to put wire fencing on the ground; that has never worked for me. My wire fencing is on 8′ posts, 6′ high, around my garden, orchard, and berry patch. I’ve had deer walk on wire, crawl under my deck, find open narrow gates, and, of course, hop over 5′ fencing to get in. I wouldn’t count on wire laying on the ground from getting your chickens, either. After all, they will dig under it, and even chew through light wire so walking on it wouldn’t be much of a challenge. Critters are a lot smarter than some people think! — Jackie

Making jerky, bologna, and how to prepare rhubarb for the winter

I know you are terribly busy, and may not have time to answer any or all of my questions. Do you have a recipe for deer jerky and deer bologna? Also I have first year rhubarb, what needs done to it before winter sets in here? We have had one hard freeze, hopefully it is OK. Take care, hope everyone is feeling better, my family had it too. Pretty bad stuff. Enjoy all your articles, only wish I had one-half of your knowledge.

Mary Ann Nelson
Franklin, West Virginia

Here are the recipes you wanted. With the jerky, you can substitute any spices and seasonings you wish, to suit your family’s taste. I make a dozen different jerkys and we like ‘em all!

BASIC JERKY

3 lbs lean venison or beef
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke

Remove all fat from meat and cut it into 1/2″ strips or rounds (I do this when I jerk backstrap or tenderloin). For more tender jerky, cut across the grain of the meat; for traditional jerky, cut with the grain for more chewy jerky. (For us old folks, I grind the meat without fat and make strips of that for even easier chewing; I use a “jerky shooter”…kind of a cookie press for meat available at most stores that carry canning/hunting supplies.

In a large crock or glass dish, combine the ingredients, except for meat, stirring well. Add meat, cover, and refrigerate. It helps to “slosh” the marinade over the meat a time or two during marinating time. In the morning, drain the meat and lay in your dehydrator, set at 145-150 degrees. Dehydrate until quite hard but still a bit pliable. Pliable jerky will NOT keep at room temperature for lengthy periods of time. Old-fashioned jerky was dried stick hard and would keep indefinitely. Store your jerky in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer if you plan on keeping it for a lengthy period of time. Ours never lasts more than a week!

HOMEMADE BOLOGNA

25 lbs. of ground venison burger (mixed with beef fat for the fat content in the burger)
3/4 lb. Tender Quick
1 qt. warm water

Mix and let stand, covered, overnight in refrigerator

The next morning, add:

1 Tbsp. black pepper
1/2 cup seasoned salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. garlic
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 qt. warm water

Mix very well and pack into hot, wide mouth jars, leaving 1″ of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars clean and place jars in a large roasting pan with warm water coming up to the shoulders of the jars. Insert a meat thermometer in the center of the meat in the center jar and turn on the oven to 200 degrees. Heat jars of meat until temperature in the center of the center jar reaches 170 degrees. Immediately place on hot, previously simmered lids and screw down rings firmly tight. Process at 10 pounds pressure for 75 minutes (pints) or 90 minutes (quarts). If you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for directions on adjusting your pressure to suit your altitude, if necessary. DO NOT USE THIS METHOD AND SKIP THE PRE-HEATING OF YOUR MEAT; IT IS NOT SAFE BECAUSE THE MEAT IS SO DENSE.

Your rhubarb will be just fine. It won’t hurt to cover the plants with a nice mulch, just to be sure. But rhubarb is a very, very tough plant! That’s one reason I love it so much. — Jackie

My oldest son, Bill, called last night and told me he had an “extra” deer for me. David and I have been hunting, but so far all we’ve seen have been does and fawns. Call me a fool, but I won’t shoot a mom with babies; they need her if the winter is bad, in order to survive. They haven’t learned the ropes yet. We’ll get a dry doe or a young buck. We aren’t trophy hunters and I prefer a tender, large deer to huge antlers any day. I love the hunt, especially this year, where the days have been above freezing and beautiful. I love the canning and eating. But I DO hate the killing. (Remember that I can’t cut the head off a chicken?)

But between hunts, I’m helping get ready for winter. I cleaned out the chicken coop and put the shavings on the flower beds, am pulling tomato cages and hoses from the big garden, and am splitting cedar kindling for the stoves. Will has been working on logs for the second part of our new hayloft, putting the bulldozer back together, and working out details for the stairway to the new loft. It’ll be much better than a ladder for us “older” folk! We not only plan for today but for ten or twenty years down the line.

Readers’ Questions:

Canning peach pie filling

I canned peach pie filling using a recipe I got off of Canning USA. It called for cornstarch. I heated the peach filling thoroughly and then water bathed them for 30 minutes. They seem to be OK. What do you think?

Can you give us your version of a good, safe canned recipe for peach pie filling?

G. Koskinen
Celina, Texas

We canned peach and other fruit pie filling for years, using cornstarch. Now there’s Clear Jel, a refined cornstarch product that is recommended instead. Plain cornstarch seems to thicken more and there is concern that the center of the jars might not heat thoroughly enough for safe processing. Personally, I wouldn’t toss my pie filling. But I would use Clear Jel in the future…just to be safest. Here is a recipe using Clear Jel, which is available in many health food stores and markets in Amish and Mennonite communities, or sometimes at your local extension office:

6 quarts, sliced, peeled peaches
7 cups sugar
2 cups + 3 Tbsp. Clear Jel
5 1/4 cups cold water
1 3/4 cups bottled lemon juice

For fresh peaches, place 6 cups at a time in a gallon of boiling water and boil for 1 minute to heat thoroughly. Drain and place in covered container to keep warm. Do remaining batches. Combine recipe water, sugar, Clear Jel in large kettle. Bring to a boil and stir until it thickens. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute more, stirring to prevent scorching. Add peaches gently and stir well. Continue to simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pack immediately into jars, leaving 1″ of headspace. Process for 30 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. If you live at an altitude over 1,000 feet consult your canning book for directions on increasing your processing time, if necessary. — Jackie

Making a living in a new community

My husband and I are planning on purchasing land and moving to another part of the state where there seems to be a nice self-reliant community. Organic farms, dairies, herb farms, and naturopathic doctors abound. I’m trying to think of a way that I can contribute to that kind of community and hopefully bring in a little extra income. I’ve been thinking about what I’ll do for the past few weeks, and finally I asked myself, what would Jackie Clay do? I know this isn’t exactly your area of expertise, but I wondered, for a self-sufficient woman such as yourself, is there ever a service you wish existed that you would gladly pay for just to make life on your homestead a little easier? Perhaps not now since you’ve got your routines more or less down, but maybe when you first started? Or something that you wish you had time to learn that would save you time and or money on your homestead but you just keep putting off because you’re too busy with all of your responsibilities? I find you to be an extremely reliable and delightful source for information on many things I am up to lately, I thought it couldn’t hurt to see what you had to say about this.

Erika Fey
Milwaukie, Oregon

The one thing I can think of right off the bat is a nice, cheerful, dependable person to help with “grunt work” on the homestead, whether it be fencing, gardening, painting buildings, carpentry, barn cleaning, helping with elder care, etc. Wow, what a bonus. Especially if it was at a reasonable rate. For instance, I had to have help with Mom after she got out of the nursing home after a bout with pneumonia weakened her. We were paying $30 an hour for someone to bathe, dress, and help care for her! (I was kind of “force fed” that service by helpful social workers.) Luckily she got strong enough that the help was no longer needed.

While now I have a helping partner, Will, on the homestead to help with “grunt work” around the place, it would have been nice to have someone come a couple of days a week to help out while things were hectic.

You’ll have to search your talents and likes for things you could offer. Everyone has them and it just takes a little creativity to get going. — Jackie

Making candles

I don’t know if you would think that this falls under the self reliance category or not, but I have a question on candles. Every time I go to make candles in a glass container the middle always sinks in. At first I thought that it was because I was cooling it off too quickly so I tried to cool it down slowly, but still does the same thing. Any advise on this?

Alissa Ray
Morganfield, Kentucky

I used to make candles to sell at art and craft fairs. This dip is called a well and as your candle cools and the well forms, simply reheat wax from the same batch and fill in the well. With less wax that is hot, it will make a nice flat surface. — Jackie

Canning olives

How do you re-can olives? We got a real good deal on some gallon cans, and want to put them in 1/2 pint jars.

Daryl Kaufman
Seymour, Missouri

I got a bunch of #10 cans of sliced black olives given to me by dear friends and I searched for two days to find canning directions! I finally did from the University of California. I canned up a can of them and they turned out great with no softening at all. I drained the olives and brought the brine up to a boil, then packed the olives into hot half pint jars, poured the boiling brine over them and processed them for 90 minutes at 11 pounds pressure. This is for pints or half pints. If you live at an altitude of 1,000 feet or lower, you can use the standard 10 pounds, as I live at 1,500 feet and need to boost my pressure up a bit to compensate for a little higher altitude. — Jackie

Corn relish

I just got the special on your new book with the older Recession-Proof Your Pantry book, and figured I’d start with the older one first. There’s a recipe in there for a corn relish that I can’t wait to try, but our fresh corn is all gone for the season, so I plan to try it with frozen whole kernels from the store. Think it’ll work?

Howard Tuckey
Lisle, New York

Yes, you can certainly make corn relish from frozen corn from the store, but of course it won’t be as good as when you use fresh corn from your garden! Enjoy it. — Jackie

Canning ground meat

I was watching a video on line where a guy canned ground beef/venison. He did a raw pack and processed it for 75 minutes at 10 lb pressure. I decided to try it his way with my venison. I opened a can and it was still reddish on the inside, like it was raw. Is it safe to use or do I have extra dog food?

Thomas Boyd
Mountain City, Tennessee

Canning ground meat this way is not recommended, especially if it is not heated first in open canning jars placed in a roasting pan containing the jars of meat and water to evenly distribute the heat. The meat needs to reach 170 degrees in the center of the jars BEFORE the lids are put on and the jars placed in the pressure canner. While your meat MAY be okay, I, personally, would be leery of it. If you have just canned it, I would open the jars and freeze the meat. (If you freeze it in the jars, the expansion of the jars with only 1″ of headroom, may crack the jars.) The same if you use it for dog food, which would be a shame. Next time, why don’t you lightly brown your meat or make meatballs out of it, then can it in broth. You’ll be much safer and have a nicer end product. — Jackie

Because I’m not much help (usually), I’ve been putting screen around the trunks of all our fruit trees to keep voles, mice, and rabbits from girdling them in the winter. So far I’ve done more than thirty trees. Wow, I didn’t realize we had so many. Not complaining, though.

I also tarped the pile of hay in our new hay loft. Just in case. We’ll be getting more square bales of hay and a few of straw too, but for now, I wanted to be extra careful of our hay; a little moisture and it begins to mold real quick.

And we finished stacking the wood shed part of the storage barn. So far, we have 11 cords of dry, split wood on pallets in there. It looks SO great. We’ve also got two cords in the unheated enclosed porch next to the greenhouse, so we can bring in wood for the stoves, even when it’s night, raining, or snowing and nasty outdoors. What a great feeling!

No, we aren’t ready for winter yet, but we’re getting so much closer to being ready. The big truck’s snowplow is all fixed up and next to the storage building, ready to hook up, and we’ve been moving stuff out of the way in order to plow when we need to. This time of the year you never know when a foot of that white stuff might drop on our parade.

Readers’ Questions:

Kohlrabi

I am looking for kohlrabi recipes. I never knew they would get so big!

Kathy Vilseck
Coldwater, Mississippi

Neither did I. But then we usually eat them up when they are a lot smaller! I use them for a lot of different recipes. One of my favorites is to slice them raw into sticks and serve them with a dip. We really like them that way — nice and crispy sweet. I steam or boil them diced then serve with a cream or cheese sauce, use them in stews, casseroles, and any other mixed dishes; they fit into everything so nicely. I even grate raw ones into my salad and coleslaw. Such a versatile vegetable! — Jackie

Pantry inventory

I am currently wondering how to catalog all the stored goods in the pantry and root cellar. How do you do this? Do you keep a list of what you put up each year and then cross one off when you use a jar? Or just go take a look on the shelves to see what’s left? Or is there some other way to keep track? If there is a nice, simple way to do this, I’m sure you thought of it long ago. Please tell me your method.

Sandy Stone
Central Minnesota

No, I don’t keep track of things in my pantry. I probably should, but just don’t have the time. What I do is to keep things arranged in sections: beans, carrots, fruits, ham, chicken, etc. Then when I add new stuff, I move the old jars to the side and add the new food to the rear, sliding the older jars to the front to be used first…kind of like a kid’s puzzle. I do the same when I add new dry goods, like flour and sugar to a plastic garbage can they are stored in. That takes a little more work, but I don’t add new bags too often and in that way I keep the new foods down lower, using the older up first.

For my canned goods, I just look on the shelves and mentally keep track of what I have there…especially when I’m planning a garden. That way I am sure to plant plenty of the food I’m running lowest in…say sweet corn, carrots, or rutabagas.

Eventually, I would like to keep a little notebook down there and mark down how many jars of whatever I have, but my life will have to slow down a lot to have that much extra time! — Jackie

Breeding goats

I read your blog about Thor, your Boer buck, and was wondering why you would breed a meat-type goat with a dairy goat? My instincts tell me that there might be a decrease in your milk yields with the offspring as they are no longer pure dairy goats. He is a magnificent looking animal and I hope you have much success. How does one go about determining how to improve a herd?

Deborah Motylnski
Brecksville, Ohio

Although Boers are “meat” goats, I’ve seen many who came from real milkers. My old buck, Rocky, had a mother who I SAW milked and she gave two quarts at an afternoon milking. She also had a great udder…and I used to show dairy goats! The reason I am crossing my dairy goats with Boers (from good milkers) is that many dairy goats have light bone and not a whole lot of body substance. Therefore they don’t make kids with much meat and they don’t seem to have the subsistence to milk and survive for a long time.

I’ve had great success by crossing Boer with my Nubians. I still get the flashy colors, gorgeous ears, and lots of milk. But the resultant offspring have heavy bone and a large barrel (for eating more roughage and turning it into milk), as well as heavier shoulders, neck, and rump, where the meat is if you want to eat your extra wethers.

Rocky is a tall, great looking buck, but a little light in the rear. We bought Thor because he is from good milking lines and has a great, very thick rear and shoulder. He IS shorter than Rocky. So we figure that between the two…breeding Rocky’s daughters with Thor and Thor’s daughter (that we also bought) with Rocky, we just might get great offspring.

To improve your herd, always look at them with an impartial eye. Is your doe’s udder too long and dangly? Does she have weak legs? Could she give more milk than she does or milk strongly for a longer time? Breed your does to a buck who either has the traits your doe lacks or has a mother and female siblings who do. You’ll never get the perfect goat, but the harder you try to breed in better traits, the better your overall herd will be. — Jackie

Canning apple pie filling

I am going to can apple pie like grandma used to do. Since she is passed on, I am not sure of the time to process in the canner. I am thinking 15 min. at 10 pounds. How does that sound?

Viki Mowatt
Everett, Washington

Grandma probably used corn starch or flour to thicken her apple pie filling. Neither is recommended today, as both can make so dense a product that the heat can not reach the center of the jar, making safe processing unsure. Now it is recommended that you use a refined corn starch product, Clear Jel, which is safe to use in canning. To use this as a pie filling, use 1/4 cup Clear Jel to 6 quarts sliced apples, spices, 3/4 cup bottled lemon juice, 5 1/2 cups sugar, 5 cups apple juice, 2 1/2 cups cold water.

Peel the apples, slice them and drop in water containing ascorbic acid (powdered vitamin C) to prevent browning. Place 6 cups at a time in a gallon of boiling water in a large pot. Bring to boiling and boil 1 minute. Drain but cover in a bowl to keep warm. Repeat with other apple slices. Combine sugar, Clear Jel, apple juice, and water in large kettle. Bring to boil and boil until thickens, stirring to keep from scorching. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring to keep from scorching. Add drained apple slices and immediately fill hot jars with mixture, leaving 1″ of headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 25 minutes (pints and quarts). If you live at an altitude over 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for directions on adjusting your time, if necessary.)

You’ll like your apple pie filling in a jar. — Jackie

Canning chicken gravy

I made way too much home made chicken gravy. It’s good and I will freeze it if that’s the only thing to do but, I was wondering if canning is an option. The gravy isn’t too thick, just a little flour and a lot of good broth. What do you think?

Liz Davey
Brighton, Michigan

The thickness of a gravy is the key to safe canning. If in doubt, add a little more broth to make it a light gravy, then thicken it upon use. — Jackie

I’m busily cutting old screens I saved from the dump to make protective sleeves for all our fruit trees so the sneaky voles don’t tunnel under the snow this winter and girdle them. It’s pretty disheartening to have the snow go away, only to find chewed, white bare circles around the bark of your treasured fruit trees and knowing that they are dead. And as we have more than 35 fruit trees now, that’s a lot of cutting and tying! I finished the orchard trees and now have to do the dozen plum and cherry trees on the edge of our big garden. Whew! But it’s a good feeling to know that they are safe.

We had a few kohlrabi that didn’t get pulled this summer and they got HUGE. I left them, as I had other things to do. Today I noticed that the huge bulbs had little bumps on the sides; new little kohlrabis! How weird. Leaves and all! We’re going to have them for dinner tomorrow night and I’ll let you know how they tasted.

The pantry looks great with all those potatoes, onions, carrots, and rutabagas, along with all the other great canned food. How comforting!

Readers’ Questions:

Using grey water to water vegetables

If you use the wash water from washing clothes to water turnips, carrots, and spinach, will it make them have a soapy taste?

Becky Mangum
Ethridge, Tennessee

It could. Instead, use grey water to water such crops as tomatoes, peppers, corn, squash, or others that you don’t directly eat from the root. You could eat spinach if it’s not directly watered so the grey water gets on the leaves. You not only have to think about the soapy taste, but possible bacterial contamination. It’s been found that grey water often has traces of E. coli in it and you could become sick from eating salad greens sprayed with your own grey water. — Jackie

Outdoor stove for canning

I am interested in purchasing an outdoor propane stove for canning or possibly cooking in case of an electrical outage. I read with great interest the article in BHM on how to organize an outdoor canning party. However, even after consulting the experts at Penn State recommended in that article, I cannot determine the best outdoor stove to purchase. In the guidelines to the Presto pressure canner, they recommended no more than a 13,000 btu stove, yet other articles suggested nothing short of 35,000 btu’s to get such a large pot boiling and keep it going at the correct temperature. Some articles even say large pots should be positioned between two burners. Though you did not write the article, could you give me some guidelines that I could use when purchasing a propane cooker for outside cooking and pressure canning?

Ann Stoner
Port Matilda, Pennsylvania

Several catalogs carry a very simple L.P. stovetop that is very inexpensive. Among them are Northern Tool and Harbor Freight. Both of these work very well for canning. You don’t have to position the pot over two burners; one is very adequate and they turn up or down just like your kitchen range, making pressure canning very easy. They hook to a larger propane tank, such as a 20#-100# tank so you get by much cheaper and get more uses before you need a refill.

The one thing I don’t like about canning outdoors is that if there is a stiff breeze, it can crack hot canning jars, right out of the canner. I even close my kitchen window near my kitchen table while removing jars from the canner as long ago I lost four quarts to breeze-related cracks while they were just out of the canner. In the old days, we had summer kitchens outside. These were screened shelters with a kitchen range in them, large tables, and sometimes even a sink. We could get together and process lots of food in a short time without heating up the house. But the windows were able to be closed against a breeze from one side or the other so the jars did not crack.

Now, jars will not crack MOST of the time when you are canning outside, but believe me they can. So watch those breezes! Maybe you could set up in the shelter of the side of your garage or house. I’d hate to see anyone lose precious food! — Jackie

Underground root cellar

I want to build an underground root cellar. The only thing that I can find on the subject is having one in your basement. I don’t have one. Do you know of where (or who) can tell me how to make a root cellar. I know that BHM is selling a book on root cellaring but I am not sure that is what I am needing. I am looking forward to my birthday so I can get your new book. I know that I am going to LOVE it!

Alissa Ray
Morganfield, Kentucky

Yes! Buy the book by the Bubels on root cellaring. It’s really good and gives plenty of alternatives to having a root cellar in your basement. It’s a total coverage on the subject and you’ll get plenty of help there. I hope you like the new book. Happy Birthday! — Jackie

Basic canning video

Totally enjoyed the latest video, Jackie! You know maybe in your spare time (hahaha) a video of some basic canning for the newbies to canning! Enjoy your books, have ‘em all!

Ginger Cornell
Sweet Home, Oregon

That sounds like a great idea, Ginger. The trouble right now is that in my spare time, I sleep. Maybe on down the line we’ll figure something out if Dave and Annie think it’s a good idea. — Jackie

Waterbath canning

Have read your new book cover-to-cover twice and absolutely love it. In a lot of your canning recipes with high acid foods, you use the water bath method. Exactly what does the water bath canning do? I have canned tomato juice, pickled beets, salsa, peaches, pears among other things very successfully without using the water bath method–just fill the jars with the hot food and let them cool. I make sure the jars and the food are very hot, but I have canned this way for 30 years with complete success, all jars seal, and no spoilage. Of course, I use the pressure canner for green beans, canning whole tomatoes, and a host of other low acid foods. Am I missing something?

Barbara Ford
Mount Washington, Kentucky

The method you use was common in years past. It can certainly work. BUT it has “holes” in it. The food is not heated long enough to kill certain molds, bacteria, and other “spoilers” that could not only spoil the food but make you sick. Just like canning green beans or other foods in a water bath canner, for long periods, can work, but it’s not safe, by far. For some foods, such as jams, jellies, or pickles, using the hot pack method that you use, is safer as there is either a very high acid content…like in the pickles or a high sugar/acid mix as in your jellies and jams. Usually these foods, if not properly sealed, will soften or mold, not make you sick. But for others, using the boiling water bath is much safer. If I didn’t feel it was necessary, I sure wouldn’t do it! — Jackie

Large canner

I’ve been researching and shopping (getting a headstart for Christmas!) for a second canner and I’ve all but decided on an All-American. I’m writing to ask your opinion though on if the All-American 930 that boasts it can hold 14 quarts would be the way to go or to stay with a smaller one that can hold only 7 quarts. I know that I want to have a canner tall enough to stack pints but I hadn’t thought about stacking the quarts. I knew you could lead me in the right direction. Thank you for all that you do!

Marlana Ward
Mountain City, Tennessee

I love my old, clunky, huge canner that holds 16 quarts or 22 pints, but it is terribly heavy, even empty. I use that when I’m canning large amounts and want to finish quickly. But I’m now using my smaller canner more often. I can double deck pints and half pints and I still get a lot done at one time — and the clean-up is easier on my back! It’s totally a personal choice; you spend less time doing a batch of canning, or have a lighter canner to handle that will do a decent batch at one setting. — Jackie

Great advice for self-reliance

Love your column and blog. Based on your advice and the instructions in my Ball Blue book, I started pressure canning and dehydrating this summer. Now as I walk into my kitchen, I see the following: home canned veggie-beef soup simmering on the stove, a loaf of homemade bread, a bar of homemade soup by the sink, a very active sourdough starter on the counter, and surplus apples my hubby brought home from Arkansas in the dehydrator. Thanks for being such an awesome mentor for all of us who hope to be as self-reliant as possible!

Marianne Williams
West Monroe, Louisiana

Such letters keep me writing! I’m so happy that you’re so actively becoming more self-reliant. Keep up the good work. — Jackie

Trimming rabbit teeth

I need your help. We are trying to raise rabbits (for pets), but we are running into trouble with their teeth. Right now our buck has teeth that are about 1 1/2 inches and the tops ones are curling back into his mouth, and the lower ones are just too long. He is having trouble eating and I have to help him get his water daily. What can I do? I’ve tried giving him wild plants to eat, but that didn’t help keep his teeth trimmed. Can we do anything ourselves, or do we need to take him to the vet?

Sheila Devane
Seffner, Florida

Unfortunately, this condition is often hereditary. While you can take him to your vet and have his teeth trimmed/filed, I would not use him for breeding because he will likely pass this genetic defect on to his babies. If you still want to keep this buck for a pet, have his teeth trimmed, then keep some wood in his cage for him to chew on. Rabbits like chewing on such wood as apple, pear, aspen, cottonwood, or young willow. Give him wood that is at least a couple inches in diameter, not little twigs or branches. You want him to wear down his teeth naturally, if possible. This may or may not keep this problem from recurring. — Jackie

Off flavor in boar meat

I was reading about domestic boar pigs and that sometimes their meat has an off flavor etc. How can someone have a breeding program and still use the meat from boars? Also for young male pigs, does castration prevent the off flavors in adult meat?

Todd Goodnight
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Yes. The meat from boar pigs often does have a bad flavor and smell when cooking. What I did when we raised many pigs was to use a young boar to breed my sows, then when they were safely bred, I would castrate him. After feeding him for a few more months, he would be butchered while still weighing about 250-275 pounds. There was never any off taste or odor and the meat was delicious. By using a young boar, he could be castrated when still light enough to be manageable, then butchered at a little above “ideal” weight. It worked well for me

And yes, again. Castrating young boar pigs while they are still on the sow or thereafter, prevents this off taste. — Jackie

This year we will be breeding our new milker this year, Fawn, and one of the triplet does, Jewel, first. That way we’ll have an experienced doe and a new mom kidding around the same time and we won’t have to break in two new milkers at once. It goes smoother that way for everyone concerned. It’s an exciting time, as we are planning for those great spring babies!

We’ve got the breeding pen built and Will’s welding up a gate for it, so we’ll soon be moving Thor up out of the goat pasture. He’s such an awesome buck that it’ll be neat having him up where we can see him more.

Readers’ Questions:

Applesauce

I made 2 batches of applesauce last night, the second batch was fine but the first batch did something I have never seen before. I made 7 pints in regular mouth jars. Everything the same as I always do, they looked fine after processing but as they sat they seemed to separate leaving a layer of what looks like sugar syrup in the bottom of the jar and the applesauce on top. I only used about 1/3 cup sugar for the whole batch. 4 of the jars are sealed tight and the headspace is the same, but 3 of the jars the sauce is touching the underside of the lid. The seals seem tight but there is definitely applesauce inside the rims as when I tried to unscrew them they were sticky and tight. Any suggestions to prevent this happening again? Is this still OK to eat?

Michelle
Southwest Harbor, Maine

Is it possible that you processed that batch a little too long? Sometimes this causes “boil-out” of applesauce and could have resulted in the applesauce absorbing a little liquid from the kettle. That would be my guess here…and that’s all it is. But as long as the jars are sealed, the applesauce is fine to eat, but I would use it first, before the “normal” ones because the acid fruit could cause the underside of the lids to begin rusting after awhile. — Jackie

Cleaning water tanks

The water supply for my off grid home is an underground spring collected in two 2800 gallon tanks. I test the water a couple of times each year for bacteria and have never found any. My question is what is the best method for cleaning the tanks and how often do I need to do it?

Ken Bishop
Rancho Mirage, California

If your storage tanks are underground or otherwise out of the sunlight and there is no opening to the outside, save perhaps an overflow pipe, they shouldn’t need cleaning very often. If you can open one, use a flashlight and take a good look at the bottom and sides of the tank. As long as it looks clean and your tests come back negative, I wouldn’t worry about it. If you are getting sediment, algae, or a mineral coating on the tank sides, you can drain your tanks, one at a time. Open them up, use a new broom with a long handle and some diluted bleach in hot water (1/2 cup bleach to 5 gallons of water) to scrub out the tank. Then rinse it well, at least twice with clean water, pumping it out or otherwise keeping it from your house water lines, until the water and the tanks look and smell pristine. There are no “guidelines” for how often this should be done so we just have to rely on common sense on this one. — Jackie

Washing eggs

Should I wash my farm eggs before I put them in the fridge. Do you put your eggs in the fridge?

Pam
Bigfork, Montana

I wash my eggs only if they’re in need. Clean ones go right into the carton and into the fridge. I try not to use detergent unless they won’t come clean as it removes the protective coating naturally on eggs. But I want my eggs clean, too. So if they are soiled, I use a nylon scrubby pad and a bit of dish detergent, if necessary. If you keep clean shavings or straw in your nest boxes and clean bedding on the coop floor, you’ll have more clean eggs that don’t need washing. — Jackie

Canning Oscar Mayer wieners in tomato sauce

Years ago we had wonderful canned Oscar Mayer wieners with a tomato sauce. These were great for cub scout cook outs. I’ve checked and they don’t exist anymore. I’ve also looked for recipes for canning wieners and can’t find any. Is it possible to do at home?

Don Wood
College Station, Texas

Yes, you can home can your own wieners in tomato sauce. The only trouble I’ve had canning hot dogs is that they swell a lot during processing. The taste is okay, though and maybe they wouldn’t in sauce. Just make your tomato sauce and slice your wieners, adding them to it. Leave 1 inch of headspace and process pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. Be sure to take into consideration any altitude adjustment necessary if you live over 1,000 feet; consult your canning book. I’d use wide mouth jars for ease of dumping out the canned food. — Jackie