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Canning From the Ground Up
Salads, Flavor Favorites
Even though salads have been enjoyed since ancient times, the variety can be both tempting and visually pleasing.
As we become more and more health conscious, salads become more popular, usually people think of vegetables when salads are mentioned.
However, there are numerous fruit salads at every family gathering and pot-luck in the country! Salads can contain anything from apples to zucchini and anything in between, just use your imagination.
Although lettuce has been the starting point for most salads, there are many other foods favorites you can start with:
*Watercress, cabbage or spinach
*Oranges, apples or grapefruit
*Beans or frozen peas
*Broccoli
*Potatoes
*Meats and seafood
Just about any food you can think of can be turned into a salad with a modest amount of creativity! You can create many kinds of salads:
*Jell-o salads with fruit
*Fruit salads with yogurt
*Green salads with every kind of vegetable imaginable
*Coleslaw
*Potato salad
*Tuna salad
*Chicken salad
Again, the varieties are endless, and the list can go on and on to eternity. One of my favorites includes a green salad with sunflower seeds or cashews, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, onions, carrots and ranch dressing.
With the dressings you can get just as creative, ranch, French, blue cheese and Italian are your basic dressings.
Now try some of these, mix a little concentrated orange or lemon juice to French dressing or mayonnaise for a delicious fruit salad dressing.
How about a dressing for grapefruit made with, sugar, pepper, paprika, dry mustard, grapefruit juice and catsup?
Add a little chili powder to concentrated juice, horseradish a cooked egg and mayonnaise for a spicy new taste.
Every nationality has their own favorite flavors in salads, get together with a few friends for a salad party; you would be amazed at the variety you will see.
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Taking Control One Area at a Time
Standing in the middle of your kitchen and looking at all of the areas that food is stored can be intimidating!
Just pick one area at a time and start, put the trash can close by and start throwing out anything that hasnt been used in a while. Opened cereal boxes that no-one likes, open boxes of cookies etc. etc. etc.
You will be amazed at the amount of space these things take up in your cupboards and drawers. Here are some important rules to consider when cleaning out cupboards and drawers:
*All items must be visible, face all labels forward
*Put taller items in the back
*Put similar items together
*Clear plastic containers can keep small awkward shaped items together
*Pasta sauces should be near pasta
*Rice vinegar and soy sauce could be together
*Set up your cabinets for maximum usage, lazy susans can hold all of your bottled goods (labels out) rather than having to dig behind one to find another
*Shelf steps can be used to put things at different heights on the same shelf, this is especially helpful if all of the items are the same size, like canned soups
*Keep your herbs and spices alphabetized, it saves time
When cleaning out drawers, consider where you use the items most, and put them close to that area if at all possible.
The drawers closest to your work area should hold the items you use the most.
Try to avoid stacking pots and pans that you commonly use inside of each other. Limiting the size of a stack of pans to three makes them easier to get to; this may mean that you have to stack items you dont use very often higher.
Look at your counter tops, if you dont use and item at least a couple of times a week, put it in a cabinet out of the way.
This opens up the counter top for things you use more often. Organize your kitchen to best suit you and your needs, you will be in there more often than anyone else. |
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Pressure Canning
1Put 23 inches of hot water in the canner, using a jar lifter, place filled jars on a rack.
2.Fasten canner lid securely. Leave the weight off the vent or open the petcock, heat at the highest setting until the steam flows from the petcock or vent.
3.Maintain high heat and exhaust the steam for 10 minutes, place weight on vent or close petcock. In the next 3-5 minutes the canner will pressurize.
4.Begin timing when the pressure is at the recommended pressure or the weight gauge begins to jiggle or rock.
5. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady pressure at or slightly above the correct pressure.
6.When the timed process is complete, turn off the heat, and remove the canner from the heat if possible, let the canner depressurize. Do not force cool a canner, it can result in spoiled foods or damage to the seal.
Cooling with cold water or opening the vent before it has depressurized will cause seal failures and loss of liquid from jars. It may also warp the lid of older canners causing steam leaks. Older models will require about 30-45 minutes for depressurizing.
7.After it is depressurized, remove the weight from the vent or open the petcock, wait about 2 minutes, unfasten the lid and carefully lift away from your face, this is to prevent burning.
8.Remove the jars with a lifter and place on a towel or cooling rack. Do not retighten the lids when you remove the jars from a canner, this can cut the gasket and cause the seal to fail.
Cool the jars at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Place jars on racks or towels to prevent damage to the counter top.
After 24 hours, remove the screw caps and test the lids for proper seal using one of these methods:
*Press the middle of the lid with your finger, if it springs up when released it is not sealed.
*Tap with the bottom of a teaspoon, a well sealed lid will make a high-pitched, ringing sound.
*Hold at eye level and look across the lid, it should be slightly concave in the center, if flat or bulging, it is not sealed.
If a seal fails, the jar may be reprocessed and resealed.
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