Canning Season

Canning Season - Hard Work in Hottest Weather
by Nancy Steadman (Permission to Post given by Nancy Steadman a.k.a my Mom)

"Canning' season is here again, and as I ladle my vegetable soup into jars, I think back to my childhood, and how different canning time was then. My Mother and Father were divorced and my mother and I went to live with my Grandparents, who had eight children. Since my mother was the oldest, I was only three years younger than her youngest sister. With this house full of people, my Grandmother had to "put up" a lot of food for the winter.

My Grandmother had electricity, but no running water. the water was carried from a spring about a fourth of a mile from the house. The water was dipped from the spring with galvanized buckets. I, being the smallest person in the house, carried water from the spring in a thoroughly washed lard bucket which was as much as I could tote.

The first step in the process of "canning" was to haul out the glass jars that had been emptied during the winter, and  wash them. Granny had two galvanized wash tubs which were usually used to rinse clothes that were washed on the wringer washer, but were turned into "soap and rinse" tubs for the jars.

While washing my jars in the dishwasher, I think about what a tremendous task it was just to clean something back then. The water was heated in a dishpan on the wood range and then poured into the tubs. Washing jars was one of my jobs. I didn't like doing it, but gladly went under the shade tree with the tubs to escape the horribly hot kitchen. Even though Granny had electricity, she had no electric stove or air conditioner.

The jars were then placed upside down on the stove in a long pan, with only enough water to cover the mouth of the jar. This was done to sterilize the jars. The lids were added to the water also. The jars and lids were boiled for about two or three minutes. The jars were then set upright in the hot (not boiling) water so they could be filled with vegetable or fruit or whatever was to be canned that day.

Granny would fill the jars with fresh vegetables from the garden: tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, beans, peas, okra, potatoes, beets, and then some of these were mixed together to make vegetable soup, (my favorite). She would also can apples, pears, peaches, blackberry jelly, blackberry jam, all these foods we couldn't wait to dig into when winter came.  It was our touch of summer when the cold winds of winter blew around the house.

When I married, I was happy to escape "canning season". Mama carried on the tradition, but I wanted to part in it. It was too much trouble. But, now I realize, as I admire my own jars of vegetable soup and canned peaches sitting on the counter, that I was missing something. It was the satisfaction to be had from doing something that my Grandmother had to do in order to feed her family.

Squash

I always have more squash than we can possibly eat. Normally I eat it, freeze it or give it away. I had never heard of anyone canning it. I found it on Pinterest  via deborahfantasia.hubpages.com . I even looked it up in the Ball book of Home Preserving which only had winter squash.  I talked to my grandmother and she said they used to can yellow summer squash when she was younger until they bought a freezer. Freezing is not an option for us this year as we have way too much fish, wild turkey and deer. 

How to Can Squash 

Canning squash is really easy.  The reason for this is there is absolutely no pealing, coring, or removing seeds.  All you have to do is wash your squash, now cut it into the size pieces you desire.  Get you jars and lids ready by boiling them or running them through the dishwasher.

Put your cut ups squash into a pot of water and boil for a couple minutes. Using a slotted spoon pull out your squash and put it into your jars.  Make sure to leave about 3/4 of an inch space from the top. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of canning salt to each pint jar and 1 teaspoon for each quart jar.  Now add the boiling water (that you cooked it in) to each jar, making sure to leave about an inch space from the top. You want to make sure to get out any air by using a flat (plastic) knife or something similar.  Now place your lids on and then screw the bands down on jars. Put in your pressure cooker at 10 pounds for 30 minutes for pint sized jars and for quart sized jars for 40 minutes.  While cooling do not pick up jars or move them around. It's best to just leave them overnight on your counter or table top. It is also best when you remove them from the pressure cooker to layer a few cloth place mats or dishtowels under the jars because they can bust due to the temperature change if placed directly on a cold counter.

Bread and Butter Pickles

Ingredients

16

cups sliced small to medium pickling cucumbers (4 quarts)

8

medium white onions, sliced

1/3

cup pickling salt

3

cloves garlic, halved

Crushed ice

4

cups sugar

3

cups cider vinegar

2

tablespoons mustard seed

1 1/2

teaspoons turmeric

1 1/2

teaspoons celery seed

Directions

1. Combine cucumbers, onions, pickling salt, and garlic. Add 2 inches of crushed ice. Cover and refrigerate for 3  to 12 hours.
2. Remove any remaining ice from pot. Transfer cucumber mixture to a large colander set in a sink; drain well. Discard garlic.
3. In a large pot combine sugar, vinegar, mustard seed, turmeric, and celery seed. Bring to boiling; stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cucumber mixture. Return to boiling. Remove from heat.
4. Pack hot cucumber mixture and liquid into hot, sterilized pint canning jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.
5. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner 10 minutes (start timing when water begins to boil).