Have you started canning or freezing from the garden yet?

[nmeadows0101]

I am been looking on the web for how to's on canning or freezing.

I have green beans coming in now and squash trying too.
Green Beans I will have blanch and freeze since I don't have a pressure canner.
squash If I can I am going to roll in flour and corn meal after I slice it up and , then toss it in the freezer.

tomatoes are just starting to pop up. I was hoping for enough to make salsa and can some tomatoes but I don't think that will happen this yr. I made need to go to the stocksale and get some.

Corn is still growing , not ready yet.

Beets- I will have to look up on the web to see how you know when they are ready. I want to water bath them ( pickle beets)

cuks- are growing but not coming in yet.

What are you canning or freezing? Do you have a good recipe to share

Thanks

[jennspen]

I have a great salsa recipe I've used for the past two years. It tastes really authentic.
Here is the link. Beware it makes alot!

Are you planning on canning your salsa and if so how do you do that without a pressure canner? I would love to put some of my salsa up but I'm scared that I wont can it right and we'll all get botulism or something.

As far as the squash, we are starting to get some. Do you usually put flour and corn mill on it before you freeze and how well does that work? I have been just cutting mine up and freezing it but it tends to be mushy when it thaws.

Does anyone have any ideas for cucumbers? We are gonna have alot and I have no idea what to do with all of them!

[nmeadows0101]

As far as the squash, we are starting to get some. Do you usually put flour and corn mill on it before you freeze and how well does that work? I have been just cutting mine up and freezing it but it tends to be mushy when it thaws.

mine was just a little last winter when I fix it, but it fried up ok.

You can cut it up and just freeze, or I have before.
Salsa cans just like tomatoe , in the water bath.
A friend told me to can them in the waterbath for the same amt. of time you would for tomatoes.
You will hear them ping after you take them out and you will know if they are sealed or not.
I buy about 3 jars a month sometimes. My teen goes through it more than we do.

YOu can freeze salsa too.

[flyingv]

We can every year. Ususally green beans, black eye peas, pickles, pickled okra, whole tomatoes, tomatoe juice, jelly, and apple butter. For the past several years we have done salsa. The salsa recipe we used is in the ball canning book.

[nmeadows0101]

here is a salsa recipe that you can can - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/P...il&servings=64

[jennspen]

I froze salsa the year before last and it was too watery when it thawed.

[mum2hba]

Does anyone have any ideas for cucumbers? We are gonna have alot and I have no idea what to do with all of them!

Make pickles! We made some pickles last night with cucumbers from our garden using this recipe. Emeril's Homemade Sweet and Spicy Pickles Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Food Network They are the best pickles we have ever had. (and you don't need a pressure cooker to make them)

[janastanley]

Its still too early in our area to harvest much of anything. We have lettuce, spinach, green onions, leeks, and parsley that we have been harvesting. I have been dehydrating the leeks and parsley. I chopped and froze the green onions. The lettuce and spinach are eaten right away.

We won't have tomatoes, cukes, or peppers until mid-July. Corn will be ready in late August. Pumpkins and winter squash will be ready in October.

Hopefully we will get a decent fruit crop this year. We had freezing temps come and go when the fruit trees were blooming, so we are all worried that there will not be a fruit crop in our area this summer.

[saving-n-va]

This is my first garden and my first year to do canning. Mom used to do it years ago, but I don't remember what she did. When we go to see my folks in August, Mom is giving me her canner (hot water bath) and as many jars as I want. She has a ton.

I'm hoping to make for canning salsa (even if I have to buy the tomatoes from the farmers market), pickles and applesauce/apples. And hopefully will have some pie pumpkins to cook, puree and freeze, and some green beans (they are flowering now).

[to1drland]

This yr. I'll be

canning... salsa, diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, black beans, blackeye peas, navy beans, pinto beans, sweet pickles, apple pie filling & maybe pumpkin.

freezing... Peppers(hot & mild), corn, zucchini, butternut squash & acorn squash, and blackberries.