Survival 101: Save Dollars By Canning

Since the 1850’s, the practice of preserving food by way of canning was already a popular practice in the United States. Food preserved by using the methods of canning can last for more than a year if it is done properly. There may be more than a thousand food recipes in North America alone that can be cooked and preserved thru canning, but for a beginner, making his very first canned recipe can be a great achievement in itself.

Canning your vegetable produce is also a great money saver as well as a great survival skill. It does not only preserve what you have reaped in your garden but it also gives you delicious and mouth watering canned recipes right at your fingertips.

Canning when done right can really be cheap. So, if you want to try canning as a way of preserving and storing your vegetables, herbs, and fruit produce, then, these are the things and materials that you will be needing and their relative costs.

• Canning Jars, Lids, and Bands- You can get brand new quart jars for about $1.40 per piece. These jars can be reused ten times. By reusing your jars, it’s just like spending $0.14 a jar for your next canning recipes. For your jar bands, you can get it for about $0.70 per set and jar lids for about $0.40 a piece. Both jar bands and lids can be reusable. Thus, the cost per jar to be used for canning is less than a dollar.
• Pressure Canner- Today, the cost of pressure canner ranges from $80-$100 depending on the brand. But these pressure canners can last for more than 20 years. So, pressure canners can be a great investment if you plan to preserve your garden produce thru canning method.

To put it simply, canning as a way of preserving your garden produce will save you not only time and money but it will also give you satisfaction and assurance that what you have preserved is 100% free from preservatives and truly organic. You will also have the option to do all your favorite vegetable, herb, and fruit recipes and preserve them by canning, always at an arm’s reach when you crave for it.

If you have a large garden at home and your garden produce is abundant, you will not be only saving pennies but dollars just by canning your favorite garden harvest. Bellow are 6 easy sample recipes for beginners in canning.

6 Easy Recipes for Beginners in Canning

1. English Marmalade

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Seville or bitter oranges
• 1 large lemon
• water
• 8 cups sugar

Preparing an English Marmalade needs time. Three days to be exact. Here’s how to do it.

• On the first day, prepare your oranges and lemons by removing their ends and cutting them in quarter length sizes. All of the seeds should be removed and the fruits should also be sliced as thin as possible. Next, put everything in a large kettle and add cold water. Mix everything, cover, and leave it overnight.
• On day two, take your kettle and bring it to boil. After finish boiling, remove it from the heat. Again, mix everything by stirring then cover your kettle. Leave it again for 24 hours.
• On the third and final day, bring your kettle again to boil then add sugar. While simmering, continuously stir your jam for two hours. When you notice that the peel is already soft and transparent, bring it again to boil, cooking it for about 30 minutes. Finally, let your jam settle for a few minutes then seal it in your sterile jars.

2. Apple Ginger Jam

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. tart cooking apples
• 2 1/2 cups water or fresh apple cider
• 3/4 cup sugar per cup of fruit
• 2 small lemons, rinds finely grated and juice
• 4 oz. crystallized ginger, finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger

Here’s how to prepare an Apple Ginger Jam

• Wash and cut your apples then put them in a large kettle with water. Cook your apples until it becomes very soft. After cooking, strain your apples and return it to the kettle.
• For every cup of fruit, you must add ¾ cup of sugar. Then, add your ginger together with the lemon rind and juice.
• Finally, cook it slowly until it becomes thick, and then seal it in a sterile jar.

3. Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cranberries
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup water or . cup water and . cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• finely grated rind of 1 orange
• 2 cups sugar (half may be white and half brown

 Preparing Cranberry Sauce is as easy as 1-2-3. Here’s how.

• Using a blender or food processor, chop your cranberries.
• Put your chopped cranberries in a pan and bring it to boil. As it boils, stir your cranberries inside the pan. After stirring, continue boiling your cranberries in low fire leaving it uncovered for about ten minutes.
• Add sugar and continue cooking your cranberry sauce until it thickens. Continuous stirring is also recommended.
• Seal in sterile jars when the spicy cranberry sauce is cooked.

4. Rhubarb Apple Chutney

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. frozen rhubarb or fresh, if available
• 3 cups cooking apples, finely chopped or grated
• ½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup currants or chopped raisins
• 1 orange
• 2 ½ cups brown sugar, or half white sugar
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

You can make your own rhubarb apple chutney in just two easy steps.

• In a pan or large kettle, add onions, apples, and currant or raisins with your rhubarb that was already chopped into small pieces. Grate some orange rind coarsely then cut the fruit from its membrane and remove all the pitch. Chop the fruit then mix all the ingredients together.
• Cook it for about an hour until the mixture has thickened. Let it settle for a few minutes then seal it in sterile jars.

5. Winter Pickles

Ingredients:

• 1 long English cucumber or 2 long, slender summer cucumbers
• Brine ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1 ½ cups water

Syrup ingredients:

• 1 cup cider vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon mustard seed
• 1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices (can be tied in a bag)
• a few drops hot sauce (optional)

Here’s how to prepare winter pickles.

• Wash and cut your cucumbers into chunks and put them in a bowl. Soak it overnight in a salt and water solution. Make sure that all of the cucumbers are completely submerged into the solution and leave it overnight. In the morning, rinse your cucumbers with clean water.
• Put your cucumbers into a large pan and then make your syrup ingredient. Let your syrup simmer for about ten minutes.
• After ten minutes, add your cucumbers to your syrup mixture and bring it to boil. Put your hot cucumbers covered with boiling syrup into sterile jars then seal it.
• Store finished products in the refrigerator.

6. Ginger Pear Jam

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. pears, whatever type is readily available
• 1-2 teaspoons powdered ginger (adjust to taste)
• 7 ½ cups sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 bottle or 2 pouches liquid pectin

Make your very own Ginger Pear Jam. Here’s how to do it.

• Grind your pears using a food processor very finely then put it into a large pan.
• Add your sugar, ginger, and lemon juice. Mix, and let it boil for a minute or so.
• Add liquid pectin and seal your finished ginger pear jam in sterile jars.

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