Wednesday, September 25, 2013

And Then...

I decided to try my hand at canning.  You must understand that, although I can cook, I'm not enamored with cooking.  But I do like a challenge and I hadn't tried canning before.  My mom had made relish years ago but she didn't remember what she did.  Honestly, I think my grandmother did most of it!

So, armed with some internet research, canning jars, ingredients, and a friend's large pot, I dove in.

I learned a lot.

1. The size of my kitchen (read teeny) is detrimental to the process.
2. The recipe that says it makes 9 pint sized jars of relish requiring a large bowl, large pot, and large colander, really means gigantic when describing those items.
3. Due to number 2 above, I threw away a lot of diced up green tomatoes.
4. A food processor would be handy.  All that hand chopping is tiresome.  But because of the aforementioned teeny kitchen there is no room for a processor worth buying.
5. However, despite the odds being heavily against me. It worked!  I made relish!
Batch 1 - green tomato relish 
This morning I went out to buy smaller canning jars.  Half pints this time.  This afternoon I'll be at it again.  It's fun in a masochistic sort of way.

2 comments:

Bernard said...

"A teeny kitchen" and a huge workshop down stairs. Sound just right to me.
We must get our priorities right. :)
Our family did loads of 'canning' as you call it during the 1940's. War and all that. We used to call it 'bottling', although in fact they were sold as 'Kilner Jars'. My Mom used to pack jars with layers of stick beans and dry salt. The salt came in giant blocks and I had the job of grating it up. Fruit was bottled in a syrup (sugar & water).
In later years we, like you have here, used the jars for chutneys and pickles as freezers made bottling vegetables redundant.
Cheers B.
PS A PVA glue worked OK with the keys. Time will tell?

deb said...

Yep, would certainly rather be in the workshop! So now...in that teeny kitchen...where do I store the canned goods? Might have to be in the workshop!

You might find that PVA is not flexible enough and when the wood of the key underneath expands and contracts with humidity changes the keytop loosens. Oh, that's right, your weather goes from humid to soggy...might be fine. If you should have a problem, let me know and I'll send a care package!