Canning/bottling jars

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Canning/bottling jars
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jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35056
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Nov 03, 13 12:45 pm Post subject:

Luath wrote:

Jamanda wrote:

What are you preserving? If it's jam or jelly you don't need to do the putting it in to the water and boiling. If it's meaty then I think you do.

Only preserve anything meaty by pressure canning; water bath/oven method not safe.

In which case I can't think of any occasion when you'd need the water bath method.

pollyanna

Joined: 03 Nov 2012
Posts: 221

Posted: Sun Nov 03, 13 11:57 pm Post subject:
You would need it for bottling fruit.

SeedSaverEmma

Joined: 13 Nov 2013
Posts: 4
Location: Maarn, NL & Naumburg (Saale), De

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 13 3:33 pm Post subject: Reusing Jam Jars

Hi everyone, I'm new around here and a keen grower. Lately my thoughts turned to stuffing things into jars - and being the kind that's mean, thought of using all those jam jars that get thrown away.

Only I'm terrified of them going bang!! When Oldish Chris says

Quote:

As for modern jam-jars, just imagine what its like in a factory, with thousands of jars whizzing along conveyor belts! The jars are designed to take quite considerable heat shocks. In 40 years of lackadaisical home preserving I've never had a problem.

I thought to pop them in a home-made boiler (an enormous, watertight coffee tin) and start boiling them from cold and then let them cool from boiling thus allowing the glass to expand and contract slowly, reducing possibilities of explosions.

What is your experience? I'm bottling Grunkohl (kale) for the winter as there's a lot around right now.

Help, please!!! I don't want to have to scrape this stuff off of the ceiling ...

pollyanna

Joined: 03 Nov 2012
Posts: 221

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 13 4:13 pm Post subject:
Frankly it sounds like you will end up with an explosion. If the pressure gets too high how will the vessel vent????

Luath

Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 761

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 13 4:16 pm Post subject:
I wouldn't do kale/vegetables without a pressure canner, not acid enough, danger of botulism present.

SeedSaverEmma

Joined: 13 Nov 2013
Posts: 4
Location: Maarn, NL & Naumburg (Saale), De

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 13 4:31 pm Post subject:
Guess I'll just have to munch it! There's a lot on sale in bottles this side of the channel though - how do they do it?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45420
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 13 4:49 pm Post subject:

SeedSaverEmma wrote:

There's a lot on sale in bottles this side of the channel though - how do they do it?

Probably using the water bath method, but the UK/US are more risk averse so the recommendation is to use a pressure canner (bit of a misnomer as you use jars not cans).

I'd rather use a pressure canner and know that it's safe.

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 13 4:55 pm Post subject:

SeedSaverEmma wrote:

Guess I'll just have to munch it!

There's a lot on sale in bottles this side of the channel though - how do they do it?

At a guess, in big machines designed for it, not to mention a factory chemist, aided and abetted by a microbiologist, checking the process.

SeedSaverEmma

Joined: 13 Nov 2013
Posts: 4
Location: Maarn, NL & Naumburg (Saale), De

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 13 5:03 pm Post subject:
I guess you're right. I guess it could go in the freezer? Thanks for all the help and ideas. Now where can I get acidic kale seeds??

VM

Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 1748
Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 13 11:11 pm Post subject:

Jamanda wrote:

In which case I can't think of any occasion when you'd need the water bath method.

You need the water bath method for bottling fruit, fruit purees or compotes and some pickles and relishes - basically things which are not cooked as long and don't have as much sugar in as jam or chutney.

The Pam Corbin book I use is quite helpful on this - tells you how long things will keep without water-bathing. So rosehip syrup that I just made keeps about 3 months on its own but longer if you do the water bath thing.

When I have done it for whole pickled cucumbers it considerably lengthens the time they stay good. But it is a pfaff so I usually do some jars only - and label them all accordingly.

VM

Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 1748
Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 13 11:15 pm Post subject:
Hello Emma Kale - you should be able to pick it or buy it through quite a lot of the winter - that's the great thing about it. that it is hardy. But if you want to store it then yes, freezer, definitely not home bottlling/canning. Not sure it freezes very well as a straight green veg but I freeze it in soups or stews.

SeedSaverEmma

Joined: 13 Nov 2013
Posts: 4
Location: Maarn, NL & Naumburg (Saale), De

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 13 6:56 am Post subject:

Yes, and of course, it's always better when frosted too. Popping it in the freezer for a week at this time of year improves it considerably! So it got itself chopped and cooked and stuffed into little boxes to freeze. It was like when the kids were tiny, we'd freeze their food in ice-cube trays, and then bundle it all into bags!

It's just that I had a lot of kale right now someone was throwing a whole heap of plants away - I cannot think why as they are winter hardy. There are things the Dutch do in gardening that defies any logic or sense.

Back on topic, I'd thought of popping it in jars because then it could be taken in a basket when travelling to Naumburg. It's eight hours on the train and whilst the trains have electrical sockets, I'm not sure if they'd appreciate my bringing my freezer with me

Plus there's no electricity there either, it's a little rustic just yet, shall we say?

chickenann

Joined: 28 Aug 2013
Posts: 59

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 13 9:37 pm Post subject:
I was canning apples in syrup, and tomato puree/sauce thingy, so not meat-based but not cooked with sugar like a jam/jelly would be. Emma, if you wanted to take some with you, then could you defrost some and pickle it - like kale equivalent of sauerkraut?

Luath

Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 761

Posted: Fri Nov 15, 13 11:33 am Post subject:
Dried kale chips are supposed to be good too, but not tried them myself

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