I agree with the other posts. IMO "homemade" means "from scratch" or mostly so. I have a friend who sells homemade pies and cookies at her store. She makes them at the store and the ingredients come from a restaurant supply company. It's the only option with the health department. Yet her...
Pickling Lime-
Raw Pack - Don't heat them in the brine, just stuff them into the jars. Pour your hot brine on top to correct headspace.
Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment -
HTH
I think there was a problem with certain older canners. Probably the companies that went out of business. If you're worried, have your canner tested. If all is well and you follow the directions, you should be fine. I think most of the newer canners have tons of safety aspects built in.
As...
:barnie :he :barnie
2 full canner loads and I have only 6 sealed to show for it. That includes reprocessing a second load. :ep
I now have a freezer full of pearsauce.
Pressure or waterbath, doesn't matter. Everything pristine and followed to the letter, doesn't matter. Salsa, applesauce...
I've never found vinegar that wasn't 5%. I buy those big jugs of the white vinegar.
This year I've been using the pickling lime followed with the Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment. Everyone we've opened so far has been crisp. I know the lime must have something to do with it as the...
IME extension offices only test the dial gauges. The gauge only, not the canner itself. Weighted gauges don't need testing for accuracy.
I myself have an old AA which was MIL and her mom's before her. Personally I hate it and have worried for years it would blow up on me. I made DH use it...
Pies and syrup. Dried for baking.
Try putting a tarp or sheet down and shaking.
Honestly if it's like the mulberries at our old place between the kids, DH and animals snacking, there was rarely enough bulk to do anything with. The kids would come back in with stained hands and mouths and a...
The pear honey sounds delicious. I've been gone and came home to the first 25 ripe lbs. They went to cinnamon pearsauce today. I've got another 25 lbs in a bag I think will be good for pear halves tomorrow.
I'll probably do more pearsauce (kids love it) and pear butter for gifts later this...
I did the pickling lime followed by raw pack with the Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment this year. I think I got more spears crammed in and had less shrinkage. Plus the pickles were crisp rather than mushy.
I think the pickling lime preshrunk them some and made the spears stiffer and...
I've read the 10 min rule too. I've always just reheated as needed, but I've never timed it.
On the temp thing I would say it's more learning the settings for your stove and practice. Then just repeat. Like simmering the lids, but not boiling. Through trial and error, I now know to set my...