# Thinking ahead to the holidays



## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

Stuck here with nothing I can do so planning what I will do later. I know you can your leftover turkey and ham from Thanksgiving and Christmas, but do you also can your dressing? My cornbread dressing is made in a crockpot with eggs in it. Think it would work?


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

It would seem to me that the pressure canner would turn it into a gooey mess, but I have been wrong before and I could be wrong now. That being said, there are those on this forum that can cake, which seems to turn out O.K. So throw a batch into the canner and see what happens. Just remember to use the proper amount of pressure and time. 70 min. @ 10lbs pressure for pints and 90 min. @10lbs. pressure for quarts.


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## farmers (Jul 28, 2012)

I like the idea, I am going to try it also. Let's post how it turns out.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

camo2460 said:


> It would seem to me that the pressure canner would turn it into a gooey mess,


Test batches will be interesting!

To avoid gooeyness, I suppose you could dry down/dehydrate it some before canning it?


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

My first thought was to add more broth to it so it wouldn't dry out so bad.


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

farmers said:


> I like the idea, I am going to try it also. Let's post how it turns out.


And since your way of making the dressing I am sure is different from mine, we can see how the results differ.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Oooooooo! This is an idea I like. My first thoughts would be to 'raw' pack your stuffing, add broth then can. But if you are canning leftovers that wouldn't work. I am going to try the 'raw' idea this year when I make my stuffing.


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

I figured Davarm had already tried it, but a search on stuffing and dressing didn't bring up anything.


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

Grimm said:


> Oooooooo! This is an idea I like. My first thoughts would be to 'raw' pack your stuffing, add broth then can. But if you are canning leftovers that wouldn't work. I am going to try the 'raw' idea this year when I make my stuffing.


I would not want to make it just for canning. Depending on how many people are here, we may not have any left. AND a lot of them who come will take some home and one of them has a mother who always wants her son to bring her a container of it. But if we don't have several people, I always have some to throw out. It will be interesting to see if we can open a jar of turkey and broth for gravy and also have canned dressing with it.


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## rhiana (Aug 5, 2013)

Canning dressing is questionable. The texture is very dense, similar to rice and other grain items, the inside of the filled jar might not reach high enough temperature to kill possible botulisms.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

SouthCentralUS said:


> I would not want to make it just for canning.


Good point. The dry ingredients by themselves take up a LOT less space!!!


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

SouthCentralUS said:


> I would not want to make it just for canning. Depending on how many people are here, we may not have any left. AND a lot of them who come will take some home and one of them has a mother who always wants her son to bring her a container of it. But if we don't have several people, I always have some to throw out. It will be interesting to see if we can open a jar of turkey and broth for gravy and also have canned dressing with it.


I always make extra that just sits in the fridge so I figure I'll toss some raw in a jar and can it. I might toss some cooked in a jar too for sh*ts and giggles.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

LincTex said:


> Good point. The dry ingredients by themselves take up a LOT less space!!!


Point taken. I could just can a few pounds of the pork sausage I use and store the dry mix.


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

rhiana said:


> Canning dressing is questionable. The texture is very dense, similar to rice and other grain items, the inside of the filled jar might not reach high enough temperature to kill possible botulisms.


Even packed loosely?


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

It can't be any more dense than raw packed meat, or sausage or hamburger patties. For added peace of mind check with Davarm, Gypseysue, or oldcoothillbilly.


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## rhiana (Aug 5, 2013)

camo2460 said:


> It can't be any more dense than raw packed meat, or sausage or hamburger patties. For added peace of mind check with Davarm, Gypseysue, or oldcoothillbilly.


I go with the National Center for Food Preservation recommendations on everything.

""These products are not recommended for canning; choose recipes that you can freeze. In fact, most of these products are not really "canned." The directions call for baking in the jar and then closing with a canning lid. Many recipes for quick breads and cakes are low-acid and have the potential for supporting the growth of a bacteria like Clostridium botulinum if it is present inside the closed jar. One university's research showed a high potential for problems. You will see these products made commercially; however, additives, preservatives and processing controls not available for home recipes are used."

I know dressing is not quick bread or cake, but it's similar.

But I'm rather paranoid about food safety. Some people can cake, dairy, etc.. and have no problems.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

SouthCentralUS said:


> I figured Davarm had already tried it, but a search on stuffing and dressing didn't bring up anything.


Yea, I've canned leftover cornbread dressing and it came out OK. I did take into account its density when I had it in the pressure canner, I added 30 minutes per load of pint jars and cooked it at 10psi.

I preferred dehydrating it and storing it vacuum sealed. To prepare it I mixed it with water and baked it like a fresh batch of dressing and it was descent but no where near fresh made. It also makes good breading for chicken and pork chops when dehydrated and crunched up into a course meal.

On a different note, my daughters call "SHTF", the "Holidays" so if anyone overhears us at the grocery store or anywhere else talking about preparing - they wont immediately know what we are talking about. If someone hears you talking about buying something for the holidays it wont arouse much suspicion. The thread title made me think of it so just thought I'd throw that out.


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## carolexan (Dec 28, 2010)

I have never canned dressing, never crossed my mind. It will be an interesting experiment. I vaccum pack my dressing bread crumbs also. Looking forward to the results from everyone.


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## backlash (Nov 11, 2008)

SouthCentralUS said:


> Stuck here with nothing I can do so planning what I will do later. I know you can your leftover turkey and ham from Thanksgiving and Christmas, but do you also can your dressing? My cornbread dressing is made in a crockpot with eggs in it. Think it would work?


Finally someone that puts eggs in dressing.
My Grandmother did that .
I tried to get my wife to add eggs but she looked at me like I'm insane. 
Never used a crock-pot but it's an interesting idea.


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

Everyone who eats my dressing wants the recipe. If anyone here wants it I will post.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

*dressing*

:surrender:


SouthCentralUS said:


> Everyone who eats my dressing wants the recipe. If anyone here wants it I will post.


Yes please, and may I save it to my folder ?


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

Yes you may.

Crockpot Dressing

8 inch pan of cornbread, crumbled
8 slices white bread, torn in pieces
4 raw eggs
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup chopped celery
1 ½ T sage
1 t salt
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth

Mix all together in crockpot and put 2 T butter on top. Cook for 2 hours on high or 3 to 4 hours on low.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Saved, and thank you. The recipe sounds great will have to give it a try.


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## Idaholady (Apr 24, 2010)

So, you think we are going to enjoy another Thanksgiving or Christmas this year? LOL I always think each year will be the last as we knew it.

And, what makes you think we'll have electricity in a few months? So many rumors flying around about false flag EMP by our govt. Anyway, just kidding....... 

To be on the safe side, I would keep my items separate; then put together the day before or the day of the dinner. Food poisoning is not a lot of fun.

You can make up a batch of broth; dehydrate the other items or have the ingredients vacuumed sealed and ready to go.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

That cream of chicken soup is an interesting twist, other than that your recipe looks pretty much like ours, gonna try the soup the next time we make it.

BTW, you can dehydrate "Cream of Chicken Soup" and it takes a heck of a lot less space to store. You could have a good supply of it for Holiday(SHTF) use without dedicating a lot of storage space to it.



SouthCentralUS said:


> Yes you may.
> 
> Crockpot Dressing
> 
> ...


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

When you dehydrate the soup, what do you pour it on? Can you use a tray with a small side or a pyrex baking dish with a 2 inch side? How thick do you pour it?


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Davarm said:


> BTW, you can dehydrate "Cream of Chicken Soup" and it takes a heck of a lot less space to store.


Please tell us how to do this!


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I just empty the can onto a fruit leather tray, spread it thin and dry it at about 120 until its completely dry. It comes out kinda like aquarium gravel but it will soften and mix up fairly easily when hot water is poured onto it and it sits for a while.

Cream of Mushroom dehydrates pretty well also.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

I would have never thought to try that. Once something is already in a can, it usually gets stored only in that way until ready for use.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I wouldn't have thought about it either but someone(Neldarez I think) jokingly brought it up a while back and I tried it just for grins and giggles.

Buried somewhere on the site is the post of how/what I did, maybe in the dehydrating thread but I haven't seen it in a while.


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