Monday, March 27, 2023


Simple apple canning from start to finish. Can apples the old-fashioned southern way. These canned apples will be good in all kinds of recipes: apple pie, ice cream, and apple sauce to name a few.

Apple Canning Tips

1.. Start with the best apples. Choose apples that are firm, ripe, and free of blemishes. 2. Peel and core the apples. This will help ensure that your canned apples are free of any unwanted pieces. 3. Use light syrup. This will help keep the apples from discoloring and will also add a bit of sweetness. 4. Fill the jars with the apples and syrup. Make sure to leave about an inch of headspace at the top of the jar. 5. Process the jars in a boiling water bath. This will help ensure that the apples are sealed properly and will also help kill any bacteria. Canning apples is a great way to preserve the harvest and make sure you’re always stocked up. With these tips, you’ll be able to enjoy delicious canned apples all year round! 2. Peel and core the apples. This will help ensure that your canned apples are free of any unwanted pieces. 3. Use light syrup. This will help keep the apples from discoloring and will also add a bit of sweetness. 4. Fill the jars with the apples and syrup. Make sure to leave about an inch of headspace at the top of the jar. 5. Process the jars in a boiling water bath. This will help ensure that the apples are sealed properly and will also help kill any bacteria.



Wednesday, March 22, 2023

How to Can Cowboy Candy - Make Your own Jalapeno Pepper Sweets


Where Did 'Cowboy Candy' come from?

Have you tried 'Cowboy Candy'?  They are sweetened pickled jalapenos and if you like a spicy yet sweet snack they will definitely put a smile on your face. Cowboy candy, also known as candied jalapenos, is a sweet and spicy treat that has been gaining popularity in the United States. This delicious snack is made by pickling jalapenos in a mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices. The result is a sweet and spicy treat that is sure to tantalize your taste buds.

The origin of cowboy candy is a bit of a mystery, but it is believed to have originated in the American Southwest. This region is known for its spicy cuisine, and cowboy candy is no exception. The combination of sweet and spicy flavors is a perfect match for the region's cuisine.

Cowboy candy has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many restaurants and grocery stores offering it as a side dish or condiment. Folks gobble the stuff down as a snack at festivals and fairs. The combination of sweet and spicy flavors makes it a great sidekick to a variety of dishes, from tacos to nachos.

The rising popularity of cowboy candy has spread beyond the Southwest, with many people in other parts of the country enjoying it as well. It is especially popular in the Midwest, where it is often served as a condiment for burgers and hot dogs. It is also a popular topping for ice cream and other desserts.

No matter where you are in the country, cowboy candy is sure to be a hit. Its sweet and spicy flavor is sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you wanting more. So, if you're looking for a unique and delicious snack, give cowboy candy a try. You won't be disappointed!

Cowboy Candy Recipe

Here's one recipe for Cowboy Candy, use this recipe to start, but people are always coming up with different ingredients and spices, don't be afraid to experiment.

Ingredients:

-2 pounds jalapeno peppers
-2 cups white vinegar
-2 cups apple cider vinegar
-2 cups granulated sugar
-2 tablespoons kosher salt
-1 tablespoons garlic powder
-2 tablespoons onion powder
-1/2 tablespoon black pepper (optional, suit to taste)

Instructions:

1. Start by washing and drying the jalapeno peppers. Slice them into thin rings and discard the stems and seeds.

2. In a large pot, combine the white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Add the jalapeno pepper rings to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Carefully ladle the peppers and liquid into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.

5. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth and place the lids on top. Secure the lids with the rings and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

6. Allow the jars to cool completely before storing in a cool, dark place. Enjoy!

Pressure Canning Pork Loin The Right Way

 Pork is one of my favorite meats, it's less inexpensive than steak, but if prepared correctly it can be just as delicious. Pork generally contains a lot of fat, but being on the keto diet, fat replaces carbs. Did you know that pork fat is one of the most nutritious foodstuffs? Below is a video from That 1870's Homestead about properly preparing and pressure canning pork loin. Get some great canning tips from an experienced canner.


Canning Pork Loin The Right Way

Canning pork loin is a great way to preserve your favorite cuts of meat for later use. It’s a simple process that can be done at home with the right equipment and ingredients. With the right technique, you can enjoy delicious, canned pork loin for months to come.

Before you start canning, it’s important to select the right cut of pork loin. Look for a lean cut that is free of fat and gristle. Trim away any excess fat and gristle before canning.

Once you have the right cut of pork loin, it’s time to prepare it for canning. Start by washing the pork loin in cold water and patting it dry with a paper towel. Cut the pork loin into cubes or strips, depending on the size of your jars.

Next, you’ll need to season the pork loin. You can use a variety of seasonings, such as garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper. Mix the seasonings together and sprinkle them over the pork loin.

Once the pork loin is seasoned, it’s time to start the canning process. Fill your canning jars with the pork loin cubes or strips and add enough water to cover the pork. Place the lids on the jars and screw them on tightly.

Now it’s time to process the jars. Place the jars in a large pot of boiling water and make sure they are completely submerged. Boil the jars for 90 minutes, making sure to check the water level every 30 minutes.

Once the processing time is up, remove the jars from the pot and let them cool. Once the jars are cool, check the seals to make sure they are tight. If the seals are not tight, the jars will need to be reprocessed.

Now your canned pork loin is ready to be stored. Store the jars in a cool, dry place for up to one year. When you’re ready to use the canned pork loin, simply open the jar and enjoy.

Canning pork loin is a great way to preserve your favorite cuts of meat for later use. With the right technique, you can enjoy delicious, canned pork loin for months to come, so grab your canning stuff and make it great.

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Canning Tasty Blueberry Pie Filling and Strawberry Rhubarb Juice - 5 Fav Canning Recipes

 Canning blueberry pie filling step-by-step, with some conversation thrown in. What do you think about clear jel versus cornstarch? Discover some great tips on how to can some great-tasting pie filling from freezer to pantry. Check out why and how you should be canning Rhubarb Juice.




What are the 5 Most Favorite Canning Recipes in the US right now?

What are the 5 Favorite Canning recipes in the United States? Check this out! The newest recipe - for canning okra is 50 years old. The most favorite canning recipe currently in the United States is Boston Baked Beans - a 300-year-old recipe:

1. Boston Baked Beans (Northeast, 300 years old): This classic New England dish is a staple in the region and has been around for centuries.
 
 2. Chow Chow (South, 200 years old): This Southern favorite is a mix of vegetables, usually including cabbage, peppers, and onions, that is pickled and served as a condiment.
 
 3. Pickled Beets (Midwest, 150 years old): This sweet and tangy dish is a favorite in the Midwest and is often served as a side dish or as part of a salad.
 
 4. Bread and Butter Pickles (West, 100 years old): This sweet and tangy pickle is a favorite in the West and is often served as a condiment or as part of a sandwich.
 
 5. Pickled Okra (South, 50 years old): This Southern favorite is a mix of okra, peppers, and onions that is pickled and served as a condiment.


Wouldn't some homemade pie go down good during this cold snap?

Canning Blueberry Pie Filling


Saturday, September 5, 2020

Canning Tomatoes Using the Water Bath Method


Tomatoes are probably the most canned vegetable. This enjoyable canning video goes into great detail on the water bath canning process. It's easy to see each step. An emphasis is placed on canning safety and lots of canning tips are revealed by this experienced canner. 

The water bath method has traditionally been considered safe for tomatoes as they are high-acid vegetables. However, the acidity of some tomatoes has decreased in recent years. If there is any doubt, lemon juice can be added to the tomatoes to increase acidity. As with all canning projects, it's important to start with a clean kitchen and work area. Make sure all surfaces and utensils are thoroughly washed as shown in the video.




Friday, August 28, 2020

Stocking up on Essentials: Canning Supplies Mason Jars

Stocking up on essentials like canning supplies can be a chore, but it feels good to know you have plenty of essential items in case of any emergency. Luckily, we can share the best tips on how to stock up on what's really needed the most...

It's me, Simply Cherie, helping you stop living in chaos one organizing project at a time. I want to extend a warm welcome to all of you new subscribers to my channel and to this community. It has been great again, to see all your comments, your answers, advice, tips, and observations. Keep it coming. I think it's really helping me and other people. In this video, I'm going to show you my new stock up haul. They are mainly canning supplies and beans. I'll start over here. So in another haul, I showed these mason jars and some stuff for canning. I also will do a separate video for this, but it's The Complete Guide to Home Canning.

It was recommended by an awesome YouTube channel. And I can't remember it right now, so I'm just going to put it in the description box below. So I've basically printed this out from the web and filed it the way I usually organize a binder. A few weeks ago, I had mentioned that I couldn't find any mason jars and someone in Northern Arizona said that they had a whole stock in their Walmart. So I ran to Walmart and sure enough, there were eight of these 32 ounces or quart jars from Walmart. So I got four. I really wanted to get all eight, but I left four, got four.

And I've been back twice, and they're still wiped out. So I was lucky to get those. So, if you see mason jars, grab them. Also, I was very lucky that there were two of these Presto 16-quart pressure canners. And I have no idea how to pressure can, but I found that channel and she said to get this Complete Guide to Home Canning. I'm going to be following her. So maybe I'll be doing some canning videos in the future.

This was $78. And I was about to buy it two days prior on Tractor Supply Company, because someone had mentioned it there, it was $99 there plus shipping. So I was very lucky to see this at Walmart. I also thank you guys for all your advice about the Food Saver jars. This was actually sent from Amazon. So I went ahead and I bought it. And it took a couple of weeks for them to send this out, but it arrived. I still have one from the Food Saver website to arrive. This doesn't have the the hose so that one's supposed to have the hose. So I'm just going to keep waiting for that. So it says pending. So who knows. And I got this pectin. This was also from Walmart. It's the collapsible funnel from this brand, which I've seen there. And then I have this silicone canning rack. So see that. And then some citric acid. Okay. And of course in the other haul I showed you, I have this. What's it called? The bubble remover and then this jar lifter and some more mason jars, but that was in another haul.

Okay. Since I have expanded my prepper pantry, and I've now expanded it to more than a month. So I had to move the blankets that were in that closet cause it's in a bedroom closet. So I got these, you know, these large vacuum bags to put the blankets and pillows that are there. And you suction it out, out the air with a vacuum. And I stuck it under our bed because I'd rather have my prepper pantry in the closet and blankets under the bed versus food under the beds. But it's up to you if that's the space that you have, make good use of under the bed storage.

And then again more mason jars. And I finally got a Water Bob. This has been in my wishlist, honestly, I'll let you know for about three years, and I never got it, but now I finally got it. And it was out of stock for a while. So once it was in-stock, I grabbed it and through Amazon. And what you do is you just put it on your wishlist. And then I go through my wishlist every couple of days to see what's in stock.

I also got these small personal water filters. They're like the Life Straw. They are sold as a set of four. This was a better price than other ones that I've seen. And I'll show that whenever I show my bug out bag. But my bug out bag was incomplete. I needed these. I finally got them. And then let's move over here. Someone had asked why do you get both meat and beans? Obviously beans are probably more nutritious. Not, probably they are, but I guess it's for variety. If that answers your question. We do eat meat, and we do eat beans. So why not get both? So I got a bunch of corned beef.

The Great Value brand, which is Walmart, because that's much cheaper. Then I got this one that I don't even know how to say that Hereford brand. So I'm good with the corned beef for a three-months supply. And then I'm good with the deviled ham for probably a two-month supply. So I do plan to get more of those ketchup. We probably go through one of these ketchup every three weeks. So I need more of those. And then someone, I don't, I can't remember which channel, but one of those fabulous channels said to get the pasta sauce, not in the cans, but in these jars because they can be used as mason jars. And I just thought genius. So I started getting these, I only got two because I stocked up on a bunch of tomato sauce already.

So just getting two, and we'll use that for more mason jars. See it's like that one. Okay. And then over here, I got some beans, beans and more beans. As you can tell from the brand, it's a Great Value. That's Walmart. I got here. These are two, four-pound bags of pinto beans. And since now I have mason jars and the sealer. Once I get the hose, I will be selling these for long-term food storage. So right now my prepper pantry is zero to one year. And then one year to five years, mid-term storage, and then five years plus, long-term storage. So I've also been doing some long-term storage.

I'll show that in another video. Here, I have black beans. So, four two-pound bags, so eight pounds. Eight pounds, black beans. We love black beans. We always eat black beans. So that's good. We always eat red kidney beans. They didn't have many of these. So what I've been trying to do is I count how many are on the shelf. And I try to leave some. I would have liked to get more of these or bigger bags, but this is what they had. And then split peas and green split peas. Good for soups. And also four one-pound bags. Lentils, four one-pound bags. I had gotten lentils in my other stock-up haul, but I wanted to add more because in the comments you've been giving lots of me say a handful of recipes or things to do with lentils. And I got inspired to do more cooking with lentils.

And then here, chickpeas. So there were not too many bags of these. So I only got two. I do want to go back and get more of these. By the way, I'm particular with the mason jars. But I guess when it gets to the point where there are no mason jars, I'd probably get whatever. I prefer the quart-size jars and then the pint and half-pint jars and wide mouth. And I like Kerr because of the fact that they don't have a lot of etching on the side of the bottles. You know, Ball has that, all that fancy stuff everywhere, and then the lines. So I just like Kerr because it has just the name here. And then all the other three sides are just blank. [Music]. I hope you enjoyed this stock up haul of canning supplies and more beans. Let me know in the comments below what you've added to your stock uphaul, whether it's more long-term food storage or even tools to help you start your long-term food storage, like a canner or mason jars, vacuum sealer, dehydrator.

I'd love to know. And I'll see you in the next one. Is the clutter in your home leaving you exhausted? I can help you stop living in chaos. Go to my website and schedule a free 20-minute virtual home organizing assessment. simplycherie.com.

The absolute best place for food presentation is the website: National Center For Home Food Preservation. There you will find the latest information on food preservation.

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Canning Jars and Lids Shortage - Are You Paying Too Much?

 Heads up! Canning jars and lids shortage and reports of price gouging. Is it getting harder to find jars, lids, and other canning supplies where you live? If so, you may not be alone. Reports of shortages and even price gouging are coming in from all over...


Reports of canning jars selling for $15 a case. Shortages being reported at brick and mortar stores like Tractor Supply and Wal-Mart as well as online outlets. 

It's possible that the factories that supply raw materials like aluminum are closed/closing or having difficulty finding workers...

I’m in Alabama and there are no jars or lids to be found. When things get “normal” again, I will be buying up a few years supply of canning lids. God Bless Everyone!!

 First toilet paper then Lysol now canning jars along with freezers and refrigerators. It’s only just begun ...

 Ball is still making jars and lids, but they had an estimate of how many they need every year, and this year, suddenly, everyone is canning. People who have never canned before are canning. This very same thing happened in the 1970's during the recession, and Ball's corporate leaders failed to predict the amount they would need. It actually went to congress, you can Google it . So, it won't be forever, just stock up when you CAN. (no pun intended) wink.

 Some areas of the country seem to be having shortages while other areas have canning supplies in normal quantities. What's going on?