I used to help my grand parents several times a year. I want to carry it on with my family. Should I be looking for a starter kit or just start collecting jars and tools? What's your favorite thing to can? I like beets.

I only do salsa, and chow-chow. I freeze everything else. I use whats called a hot bath for the salsa. I just let the jars seal for the chow-chow, and keep it refrigerated.

I do a lot of canning. Pickles and preserves mostly. Just get yourself some ball jars, lids, and rings. It is really pretty simple.

where do you get the jars, wal mart or local stores?

WM has a canning section. You can get everything there.

I got mine at HEB.

Made salsa only last year and just ran out.... Can't beat it!!! I suggest you make a few trail runs on your recipes and find out what you like. I gave a bunch of it to friends with the rule being that when the jar was empty you HAVE TO return it or you get nothing the next round. Surprised that I got almost all of them back!!!

good idea on the jars

Also, you can reuse the rings, and can buy the lids separately.

You can cook the salsa all day to thicken it or you can cook it 30 minutes and add tomato paste near the end, the way I do. I use 4 jalapenos per pint. I add some vinegar, and a little sugar. I save my own jars, but seldom get returns.

Bill, you got me really close to the salsa recipe. If you get a chance will you fill in the blanks for me? I like it just hot enough to start looking for the water after 5 or 6 chips.

Using a 4 to 5 quart sauce pan. I start with about 1/3 full of chopped onions. (about 4 large). I slice some rings of my jalapenos for color, and chop the remainder in the food chopper. Next I add the skinned, and chopped tomatoes. (chopped in the food chopper.) Salt, sugar and about a quarter cup of white vinegar. Cook that for around 30 minutes until the onions turn clear, and add a couple of cans of tomato paste. Dip into pint jars with about a half inch head space. Put them in a hot bath covered at least 1/2 inch, and boil for 20 to 30 minutes.

I can a lot of meat such as deer, wild hog and fish but haven't done any veggies or such.

How do you prepare the meat?

We just cut the meat in 1" or so cubes/pieces and fill pint jars almost to the rim leaving some space. We do not put ANY seasoning at all in the jars. We season the meat when we use it after it is cooked but some use some exotic type seasonings while canning the meat. Place lids & rings on jars and place in cooker , pour enough water in cooker to bring water level up to about halfway up on the first level of the jars. DO NOT tighten the rings on the jars while cooking. Cook at 10 PSI for 90 minutes. Allow pressure to die off and remove jars from cooker, tighten lids, finger tight only, listen as the jars cool and the lids seal with a pop and it's done other than the eating. We love the ease of making a meal with it. I take a jar of the deer or hog and mash it up, pour BBQ sauce over it and have ready made BBQ sandwichs for a quick lunch.

dlallder, i do the same thing. to strech it out a bit i will pour the meat in a pan add onion soup mix(dry) a can of cream of mushroom soup. pour over rice makes a fine meal only minutes to make. great camp meal

Sorry to be slow,is the meat raw or cooked when it is being jared?

it's raw, it cooks during the canning process

Thanks guys! starting to look in canning a little,my Grandmother canned a lot, when I was young,dont remember A lot about it!

Thanks for the full recipe Bill. I'm going to give it a try! The more I think about the more excited I am about getting into canning. I used to complain and disappear when it was time to work in the garden and prepare especially shelling peas with my grand parents. If only I could do it one more time with them.

Very true!

hard to beat home canned veggies

I am no means an expert but do can sauerkraut, mustard greens, green beans, carrots and such.

The first thing you need to order is the "Ball Blue Book Of Canning" it is the canning bible. Great recipes and techniques are explained in great detail. Next go to Wal-Mart and get a stoneware water bath canner for about $19. Get some pint and quart jars, an accessory kit and some extra lids and rings.This will get you stared on the high acid foods such as jellies, pickles, salsa and such.

Later on when you decide to do low acid foods like green beans, and other vegetables you'll need a pressure canner. I'd get the biggest one you can afford. The best one there is the All American but the Presto from Walmart will work.

Thanks Old Town, hope to get by wally world this week

Big Lots and Fred's are a little cheaper on jars and lids