Anything that you will be storing on a shelf at room temperature should be processed according to USDA guidelines.

The BAll Blue Book is a great reference for safely canning home foods.

Sure, water-bath and pressure canning are time-consuming, but to me, it is worth it for the peace of mind, knowing that my foods are safe for my family.

There are 2 types – one with a wire bail that holds the top down (cheapo versions of these are often sold as cannisters). They form a light vacuum with a rubber gasket, and then you snap down the wire lock you take them out of the water.

The other type uses flat glass tops that seal by formation of a strong vacuum. The glass tops are held on during processing by removable clips.

With both these time-proven methods, your only replacement costs are new rubber gaskets every few years (and now they are making them out of food-grade silicone, so they last even longer).

Google “weck canning jar” for links to one major manufacturer.

@#25 mike crosby: These pickled carrots are softer than raw carrots but still crunchy. I think you are asking if you can take the liquid from a can of store-bought pickled carrots and use that to make your own pickled carrots. I wouldn’t recommend it; the level of acidity may not be safe to preserve the carrots without the high-heat canning process they do in the factory. But you might try this recipe but first cook the carrots to a soft texture (boil them in water or steam them until they are the texture you like) and then pack them into jars and add the hot vinegar mixture.

@#29. If you skip the heating of the canning steps, it does take longer for the carrots to soak up the flavors. I’d give them 3-4 days in the fridge. You can speed this up by submerging the raw carrots, garlic, peppers and spices in the vinegar mixture before you pack them in the jars. Use a bigger pot, of course, and heat everything at a simmer for about 10 minutes. Then pack the jars and pour the hot liquid over the veggies. That will infuse the carrots with the flavors quickly without the canning step.

I’d love to hear how your carrots turn out!

I’ve only tried making pickles once (there’s a great recipe in the Ruhlman book ‘Charcuterie’, but mine ended up being discarded as I tried making them at room temperature during a cold Scottish winter and forgot to allow for central heating (d’oh!)

I like the idea of using the refrigerator, but in some of the recipes I’ve read it suggests that this greatly slows the time before the pickles are good to go. How long do you normally find it takes?

Forgot to say, but I always find a mix of different peppercorns adds an extra dimension to pickles (more spice, but without any extra chili).

My son LOVES these things and hardly ever gets them for himself, because they’re so expensive. This recipe is perfect: I’ll make them for his birthday!

Thank you.

And can I boil the carrots and take the mixture from the can and will it speed up the process?

Kris, I am the volunteer coordinator for the Interstate Farmers Market in North Portland. We are looking to have guest chefs at each market (we will have 2 markets this season, Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning) that would be willing to share a recipe or 2 with our customers within a 45-60 minute period. We will provide money for the chefs to shop for the ingredients at the market before the demonstration. Might you be interested in doing a chef demo (or 2) sometime this summer?

Our season starts May 18 and runs through September 28, and this kind of pickling recipe – or anything like it – would be perfect for a demo.

Feel free to email me at IFM.volunteer@gmail.com for more info if you are interested in sharing your skills with the market.

Thanks,
Stefanie Snider

Volunteer Coordinator, Interstate Farmers Market
IFM.volunteer@gmail.com
http://www.interstatefarmersmarket.com

cheapskate news: they have organic lemons at wal-rats right now (at least in my region). yes i said organic in the same sentence as that great agent of free market capitalism. and not ironically. so load up cheapskate lemon curders (like me!).

ps- mmm… duck eggs!

Lemon Curd (in the microwave)

7 ounces superfine sugar
2 eggs (I’m using duck eggs)
½ cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 lemons-worth), and zest of three lemons
2 Tbsp melted butter
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. Add zest, juice and melted butter.
Microwave in 60-second intervals, stirring in between, for a total of 2-4 minutes until thickened and coats the back of a spoon (draw finger down to make a line that doesn’t fill in). Cook only 30 seconds at a time when it’s getting close. Pour into small containers (such as 1/2 pint jars).

(I cooked 2.5-3 minutes with duck eggs.)

Keeps in fridge 1 week or freezer for up to 6 months.

So easy!

If you’re making something gourmet (e.g., pickled carrots) then it could be cheaper/tastier even if you have to pay for produce.

When deciding what to can think about *why* you’re doing it…use up homegrown veggies, save money, make something unusual or??

Scuse me, ma’am, but the mention of ***lemon curd*** without its corresponding recipe is tantalizing and most cruel.

Kindly share your formula for this extraordinary elixir.

OK, PawPrint posted a link to a recipe, but it’s untested–though it looks legitimate. However, you’re the champion jelly maker, so, kindly share!

I didn’t even bother to process them – I made 2 pints and stuck them in the fridge.

http://hi–howareyou.blogspot.com/2011/01/winter-canning.html

I satisfy my canning craving by keeping berries frozen in the freezer. I pick as much as possible when ripe, blueberry and rasberry mostly and salmonberries when I can get them, and then pull them out for making jams whenever I feel like canning.

Home-canned meat is incredibly good.

I don’t know if anyone can answer this, but is there some rule that you shouldn’t use grocery store produce for canning? I read somewhere else that you should only use produce from your garden or from a farmer’s market. I live in the city and so I can’t have a garden, and I find that produce at the farmer’s market can be expensive (although I would love to support local growers, I don’t really have the budget for it right now).

And more generally, I would love (and I mean *LOVE*) to see more articles on canning and food preservation. There have been so many articles on rising food prices and I’m experiencing this with my own shopping. I’m not eating a lot of processed food, I’m cooking from scratch, etc. and it’s still getting to be a bit much. Eating healthy is important, so I’m hoping to get into the habit of buying produce while it’s in season and cheaper and then preserving either by canning, freezing or drying. I’m not sure though if this will save me a lot of money.