# Ok this is my warning...



## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

I just got in my first canner, got a big American Canner through Amazon, 5 cases of cans, all the tools, plus a book, 100 extra lids with sealers and and addition 100 lids...

So... With that said, next Friday a good friend is going to show me the basics in canning apple sauce 25 lbs of apples... After that I am sure I am gonna bug ya all!

Just wanted to give a heads up, and a big thanks in advance!!!


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

LOL! good luck with the apple sauce! I haven't tried that yet but I do intend to. 

I've got another 17 pints of chicken breasts on the stove right now, and I'd say try a little of everything. I love my meatloaf, and my chili is excellent!!! 

buying the AA cannery led to me to other purchases, for instance I just bought a food mill for processing tomatoes and veggies like that so I can make my own pasta sauce with meat. 

Grats and good luck!


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

Thanks... And here is my 1st stupid question...

I have 5 boxes of pint and 1 box of half pint jars...

What should I really have on hand??? I am thinking another 300 pints and maybe 100 1/2 pint? Family of 3. 

Already have a years worth of manufactured canned goods now...


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

invision said:


> Thanks... And here is my 1st stupid question...
> 
> I have 5 boxes of pint and 1 box of half pint jars...
> 
> ...


I buy them as I use them, and as I use my goods, it just enables reusing them. That's worked well for me so far. The chili especially is something I go looking for when I'm hungry and I leave a few pints at work for days when I'm too busy to leave for lunch.

I just keep adding to my stores, it was ham when those were on sale the week of Christmas, I elected NOT to do Turkey during Thanksgiving because I didnt want to spend the time processing the meat with a knife, it's far more efficient to cut up boneless skinless chicken breasts than save $1 on the cost of the meat but spend hours and hours and hours of time getting it ready to can.

I started canning food in Oct I think, and I'm about to achieve 20 dozen jars. that does not include butter, jams, or meatloaf I've made in quarts! (and I think I have about 25 of those or more)

chicken and beef are staples, you cant go wrong, since you have a family, things like quarts of chicken make sense. It all depends on what you want to do with it when you open the jar!


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

invision said:


> Thanks... And here is my 1st stupid question...
> 
> I have 5 boxes of pint and 1 box of half pint jars...
> 
> ...


If you have a years worth of commercially packed goods, count them. You'll probably need that many jars if you're looking to have a years worth of home canned stuff.

I have roughly 2000 jars. Some folks will read that and say  Others may find that number woefully inadequate. I've never had them all filled at once but I never turn any away either if I find a really great deal.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

400 jars would be a nice start for a family of 3.

To some if they canned 400 jars a year they will think they have canned a LOT. to others that'll just be a good week.

Only you will be able to figure out what to do with some time. I have a feeling that won't be enough for you.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

I never use anything smaller than pint size myself... (pints, quarts, 1/2gal)

I would think 400-500 is a good START  :teehee:


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I use lots a pints. There good fer meat cause ya get bout a pound in there. Good fer veggies cause it works out bout right fer a meal. Also good fer butter, lard an bacon.

Quarts, I use fer hot dogs, chilli, beans an such cause we use em fer large meals an such.

Only time I use smaller 1/2 pints be fer shrimp (I be the only one what eats em know) fish (momma ain't a big fan, but she'll eat it) jelly's an such.

Now, that may be totally wrong fer yall. Ya might eat different then we do, so, set down at each meal with a note book. Write down what ya had, bout how much an do this fer a month. After doin that, yall have a perty good idear how much a what ya need an what size jars ta buy. 

Personally, ya can never have to many jars! I shop round fer em, buy new when they be on sale, rummage sales, auctions an give aways as well as thrift stores.

Wide mouth jars be nice fer meats cause they come out lots easier.


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## partdeux (Aug 3, 2011)

And how are you going to store those jars... and the next 500 hundred that follow them?


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Right now, I'd buy them as you need them. Let's say you get a great deal on ground beef and want to can that. What's the best size for your family? Generally speaking, you get a pound per pint - so are you better off canning quarts or pints? That's what you have to figure out. It's not about what are the best sizes to have, but what are the best sizes to have _for your family_.

So start canning first and see what sizes you're always using. Then stock up.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

partdeux said:


> And how are you going to store those jars... and the next 500 hundred that follow them?


In the original boxes.

I don't have the original boxes for all my jars but having about 900 jars filled leaves me space in the boxes I do have to house all the empty's.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Like Uncle Joe, I keep mine in original boxes ifin I got em, then onta shelves. Them what don't have boxes I keep in a huge cabinet I have. Wouldn't be real hard ta make up some good heavy duty wood shelves fer yer canned goods niether. Ifin I was gonna make shelf's fer my unboxed ones, I'd put a nice lip all the way round the shelves just ta keep jars from slippin off.


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

partdeux said:


> And how are you going to store those jars... and the next 500 hundred that follow them?


I have a 3000 sq ft unfinished basement with 12 foot ceilings, I have plenty of storage .

Ok, thanks everyone... I think I will shoot for 400 right now... Will do sauce and jelly/jam first, then some green beans, then work up to chicken, beef, and chili...


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## partdeux (Aug 3, 2011)

invision said:


> I have a 3000 sq ft unfinished basement with 12 foot ceilings, I have plenty of storage .
> 
> Ok, thanks everyone... I think I will shoot for 400 right now... Will do sauce and jelly/jam first, then some green beans, then work up to chicken, beef, and chili...


planning to just stack the jars on top of each other 12' high?

I have built racks, and there was a nice one presented on the website here, used heavier duty book shelves, moved on to commercial restaurant type wire racks, and the last ones I bought were heavy duty storage racks.

Watch for local sales on jars in late sept into early october. Also watch for estate sales, but at one, they were selling the jars at 1.50 each... because they were the older heavier duty glass ones :nuts:


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

goshengirl said:


> Right now, I'd buy them as you need them. Let's say you get a great deal on ground beef and want to can that. What's the best size for your family? Generally speaking, you get a pound per pint - so are you better off canning quarts or pints? That's what you have to figure out. It's not about what are the best sizes to have, but what are the best sizes to have _for your family_.
> 
> So start canning first and see what sizes you're always using. Then stock up.


Good advice. Most of my recipes are calibrated for a pound of beef or chicken so I can my meats in pints. If the SHTF and there is no refrigeration, I do not want to open a quart of meat and have no way to keep the part I didn't use.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

kejmack said:


> Good advice. Most of my recipes are calibrated for a pound of beef or chicken so I can my meats in pints. If the SHTF and there is no refrigeration, I do not want to open a quart of meat and have no way to keep the part I didn't use.


That is kinda the way we look at it. If I can it in 2 pint jars vs one quart I am only out 1 lid. That and I can put more though the canners with pints. If I'd spoil the second pound of meat that 12 cent lid will look pretty cheap compared to $3+/lb meat.


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

partdeux said:


> planning to just stack the jars on top of each other 12' high?
> 
> I have built racks, and there was a nice one presented on the website here, used heavier duty book shelves, moved on to commercial restaurant type wire racks, and the last ones I bought were heavy duty storage racks.
> 
> Watch for local sales on jars in late sept into early october. Also watch for estate sales, but at one, they were selling the jars at 1.50 each... because they were the older heavier duty glass ones :nuts:


Lol... No I have shelving units...

Thanks for all the advice all!!


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

I've wanted one of those America can sealers for years. It's been on my list, but I could never justify the expense, as I would use mine mostly for dry goods. Maybe someday.... I can't wait to hear your experiences. What do plan to mainly use yours for?


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

k0xxx said:


> I've wanted one of those America can sealers for years. It's been on my list, but I could never justify the expense, as I would use mine mostly for dry goods. Maybe someday.... I can't wait to hear your experiences. What do plan to mainly use yours for?


Ok, my friends wife and I were successful with no explosions or emergency room visits... Now, I am joking, I actually cook 99.9% of all meals at the house... So I know my way around a kitchen.

First off, my friend's wife is 71 - so as she said, my mother would be so proud of me for passing down skills she taught me. She was literally happy as could be the whole time to be showing me... And trust me, she and I don't always see eye to eye on a variety of topics - she loves guns, but doesn't understand the need for ARs for example.

Anyway, first thing we went and got 25lbs of a variety of apples... Cooked them down whole (quarter but not pealed) with a little sugar and cinnamon - and it smelled incredible... The hard part was actually grinding the sauce through a device to separate seeds and peels... She wanted to do it this way, maybe for memories, cause the device (she called it a potato ricer) was definitely 1940s or 50s - Bakelite handles... Anyway, after that was done, filled each jar, used the canner for a water bath, and every jar sealed perfect. Totally awesome experience. It felt good to learn something, give some enjoyment to someone, and learn a lot of dirt about my "brother" that I can now tease him about...

Thing I would change, I have an awesome hand peeler... I can skin a potato in seconds... I think what I would do is peel and core the apples to skip the potato ricer... Main reason it was extremely time consuming, as well as messy this way...

So my question would be, I understand that she cooks the peels for the pectin, which helps give the sauce some thickness and taste... Could you perhaps use a metal pasta strainer basket and cook the peelings in that with the apples? Or without and then use a bigger strainer to "sift" out the peels?

As for what I pan to can... Start with veggies, move up to soups - beef and chicken... Then move on to chili and beef and chicken... I think that I will do limited veggies since I already have a ton... Perhaps corn, green beans, etc - one run each, then move to the soups... The soups, and meat will be what I can the most this year.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

I use a foley food mill.

There is no way you could peel, core and seed them faster then that food mill.

Plus we don't have any waste but the seeds and peels.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

I have a potato ricer and I love it. It is a bit messy, but really makes great mashed potatoes and apple sauce


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

PackerBacker said:


> I use a foley food mill.
> 
> There is no way you could peel, core and seed them faster then that food mill.
> 
> Plus we don't have any waste but the seeds and peels.


I beg to differ. I started out cooking everything and then running it through a Foley. Then I started using a peel/core/slicer.

When you're doing a 10qt pot of apples the Foley gets bound up with the peels and seeds and needs cleaned out after about 3 rounds. You can do an apple with a peeler/slicer in just a few seconds. Then you can run the entire 10qts of cooked apples through the Foley to smooth out the lumps (if so desired) in a couple minutes. Having done it both ways, I'll always peel/core before cooking. IMHO it's much faster in the course of the entire process.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Yup, peeler,slicer does a good quick job. Ya can run a bunch a apples through in a short time. An ya know what? It don't do a bad job on taters niether!

I run the taters on it that I plan on dehydratin. I take the "tater core" an slice them so I don't waste nothin.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

UncleJoe said:


> I beg to differ. I started out cooking everything and then running it through a Foley. Then I started using a peel/core/slicer.
> 
> When you're doing a 10qt pot of apples the Foley gets bound up with the peels and seeds and needs cleaned out after about 3 rounds. You can do an apple with a peeler/slicer in just a few seconds. Then you can run the entire 10qts of cooked apples through the Foley to smooth out the lumps (if so desired) in a couple minutes. Having done it both ways, I'll always peel/core before cooking. IMHO it's much faster in the course of the entire process.


To each their own. I want the peels and seeds in there anyway.


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## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

UncleJoe said:


> I beg to differ. I started out cooking everything and then running it through a Foley. Then I started using a peel/core/slicer.
> 
> When you're doing a 10qt pot of apples the Foley gets bound up with the peels and seeds and needs cleaned out after about 3 rounds. You can do an apple with a peeler/slicer in just a few seconds. Then you can run the entire 10qts of cooked apples through the Foley to smooth out the lumps (if so desired) in a couple minutes. Having done it both ways, I'll always peel/core before cooking. IMHO it's much faster in the course of the entire process.


Any suggestion which peeler, core, slicer? I was figuring to chop both ends off an apple (minute loss) and then use a hand peeler I have that is like just running your hand over the outside and it peels (it's from kitchen aide). And then slicing the apples and de-cording them by hand...


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I've got a new one (old one be a antique) I picked up at mills fleet farm. Don't remember the brand. Can't say as I remember how much either. Dang I ain't much help. Let me see ifin I can find it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-RED-3-i...059?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f072c9eb

Be perty much what I got.

Iifn ya can find a antique one, I'd nab it.


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