Introduction to More Exciting Pressure Canning

When people decide to acquire a pressure canner, it is usually so that they can preserve excess garden produce.  But there is so much more that can be done--so much that is quite tasty and will be very desirable in the dark days ahead.  Pressure-canned foods add variety to the diet, especially in a world lacking fresh and frozen foods.

Now, I'm not going to reproduce the Ball Blue Book of Canning (hereafter the BBB) here.  Everyone should have a copy of that for reference for basic guidelines, correct preparation, and accurate processing times.  What I do want to do is explore some ideas for using a canner to prepare some less conventional foods that will save you time and definitely boost morale.

Vegetables

Most vegetables are canned per instructions in the BBB.  There's just not a lot that is exciting or different to add.  And actually, I usually prefer to dehydrate vegetables when possible.  But there are some situations where the dehydrated version just doesn't work as well in recipes.  One of those is dehydrated shredded zucchini.  Don't get me wrong; I do actually dehydrate quite a bit some years.  But when I rehydrate the zucchini for making cakes and breads, it doesn't reconstitute perfectly.  And some baked goods I want to have absolutely perfect.  And of course, I do just put several bags of shredded zucchini in the freezer, but I'm preparing for a time without easy electricity, so every year or so I can a few pints of shredded zucchini.  It gets packed in jars and processed per instructions for squash in the BBB.  And then when we want zucchini bread or cupcakes, we don't have to wait for the dehydrated stuff to rehydrate, nor are we dealing with cupcakes that are a little on the chewy side because the zucchini didn't fully reconstitute.

The other exception around here is potatoes. Yeah, lots of people can potatoes, but we never really cared for the texture, and unless they were being used in a stew, we never seemed to get around to eating them.  However, there is that other more popular way of eating potatoes in this country, the French fry.  Even if the pressure canner was not used for anything else, it would be worthwhile (in this family, at least) to acquire just to be able to have French fries when the grid goes down. These fries are so incredibly divine. Unfortunately, I can’t give you a taste. You’ll just have to trust me. Canning French fries is one of the first articles I posted on this blog; as such, not a lot of people have read it yet. All the work is done in the canning; when you wish to eat some fries (which will be often!), open the jar and put the fries into a strainer. Thoroughly rinse and drain to remove excess starch. Deep fry in peanut oil until they reach a golden brown. If your family is just not into the food storage thing because it's too horrible to contemplate eating that stuff, give these French fries a try.  You'll see a complete one-eighty as they realize food storage can be really good.

Dry Beans
Dry beans aren’t a particularly exciting item to can, unless you get excited about saving money, time, and energy. Dry beans normally take hours to prepare for each meal. By utilizing a pressure canner, you prepare beans for several meals at once, saving money now and time down the road. So how is it done?  Dry beans are truly one of the easiest items to can and a great way to get started with pressure canning.  Basically, you soak the beans for several hours or overnight; rinse, drain, and cook; fill jars about 2/3 full; add boiling water and salt; and process.  It might sound like a lot of work, but it is really quick and easy, and not at all messy.  Complete instructions are here. 

Meats

Canning in the meat world is just like canning in the fruit and vegetable world--follow directions and be careful.  There's nothing scary about it, and preparing meats is a lot faster and easier than preparing produce.  All meats are canned exactly as outlined in the BBB.  However, here are a few ideas for preparing and packaging meats for other uses.  Food fatigue is a real thing, and having a variety of tasty and familiar foods in our menu will be essential to maintaining morale in the coming crisis.

• Beef. I can a good quantity of stew meat to be used as is in stews, but also to be shredded for use as taco filling, French dips, etc. Ground beef also gets browned and canned so that I can make soups and casseroles very quickly. 
• Pork. Some pork is canned in chunks for later use in chili or to be shredded for taquito filling or super quick pulled pork sandwiches. The Cooperative Extension has never tested the safety of canning smoked or cured meats, including bacon.  It may be perfectly safe; it may not be. 
• Bacon.  The Cooperative Extension does not recommend canning bacon for a variety of reasons, all of which are sound. That being said, there are still a lot of people doing it.  I admit to it myself, but now only for bacon ends and pieces, and not the strips that are "dry-canned."  I have posted on bacon in the past, including how people do it and exactly why the Cooperative Extension opposes the practice.  
• Chicken. Home-canned chicken makes for quick chicken salad sandwiches or adding to a summer salad for a main dish meal. And with a can of chicken on hand, it takes no time to get homemade chicken noodle soup ready when someone comes down with a cold.
• Chicken bones. This isn't being recommended as food for people, though apparently in some cultures chicken bones do get thoroughly cooked and mashed or blended in some dishes.  I'm not entirely sold on the safety of this in general, but it does work for making chicken bouillon.  However, chicken bones can be pressure canned, just like chicken meat is, for feeding cats.  After being pressure canned, the hollow bones are easily mashed with a fork and fed to cats. Unfortunately, the chicken bones are too high in protein to be fed to dogs (may cause kidney damage).

Convenience foods

Pressure canning is great for preserving the harvest, but it’s also ideal for making life easier with convenience foods for days when we're just too busy or sick to cook.  A ready supply of stew, chili, and soup provides peace of mind for those situations when they arise.  Each family will have its own favorite recipes, so I'll refrain from posting any here.  Most any recipe can be adapted for canning, one just needs to always remember to process for the time stated for the ingredient that needs the most time and highest pressure.  Read your BBB for specific guidelines here.

A pressure canner is going to cost $100-$300. But the peace of mind that comes from preparing your own food? Priceless.

Links to related posts:
A Few Thoughts on Pressure Canners
Canning French Fries  
Canning Refried Beans  
Canning Hamburger Patties
Canning Bacon 
Canning Chicken
Canning Ham
Canning Pork 

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com  

Canning Your Own Chicken Stock

Most commercial chicken stock on the market now is sold in those aseptic boxes rather than cans.  As such, commercial chicken stock doesn't have a great shelf life--two years in the best of cases.  However, there is the advantage of possibly being the better choice in earthquake country since there is no glass to break.
If you want to make your own however, because you don't live in earthquake country, or you think being able to control what exactly goes into your stock is important, here's a recipe for you. It's really pretty quick and simple, yet so nice to have to get meals together quickly. 

Homemade Chicken Stock
about 3.5 lbs raw chicken, cut into pieces
16 cups water
2 stalks celery
1 carrot
2 medium onions, quartered
1 tablespoon salt, optional*
8 peppercorns
2 bay leaves


Directions
In a large stock pot, bring all ingredients to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 2-3 hours, or until chicken is tender.  Remove from heat.

Remove all the solids by straining through a sieve or cheesecloth.  Set the meat and bones aside for another use.  Put the stock in the refrigerator until the fat solidifies, about two hours, and remove it.

To prepare for canning, heat the chicken stock to a boil.  And in the meantime prepare your pressure canner, jars, and lids as usual.

Pour the boiling chicken stock into hot jars, leaving one inch of headspace, apply lids and bands, and process:  20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts, at 10 pounds pressure and adjusting for your altitude per your pressure canner's directions.

Yield:  8 pints.

*In this recipe, as in most canning recipes, the salt is optional.  In canning, salt is not a preservative and it is not going to affect the pH.  It is for flavor only.  If you or someone you are preparing this food for is on a low-sodium diet, you can omit the salt and let individuals salt their food at mealtime.

As for the chicken you used to make the stock, you can use it to make dinner.  Casseroles, chicken salad sandwiches, and Hawaiian haystacks are good choices.  You can also dehydrate it to turn it into chicken bouillon.  

Don't throw away the chicken fat!  Like bacon fat, it can be used to saute vegetables and season savory dishes.   If nothing else, drizzle it over pet food.

If you don't have a cat, just toss the bones.  However, if you do have a cat, pressure canned chicken bones work well as an emergency cat food that we have resorted to several times when our daughters failed to tell us that we needed to re-stock the cat kibble.  Directions for this are at the link below.


Links to related posts:
DIY Chicken bouillon
Pressure canning chicken (and bones for the cats)

For further reading:
https://www.freshpreserving.com/chicken-stock---pressure-canning---ball-recipes-br1070.html
https://food-hacks.wonderhowto.com/how-to/why-you-should-never-throw-away-chicken-fat-0160956/
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/caution-when-using-chicken-fat-for-cooking/
https://www.thekitchn.com/good-question-what-to-do-with-1-66534

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com

Magic Mix Soups: Creamy Chicken Noodle and Cheesy Potato and Broccoli

Magic Mix is really pretty versatile stuff.  We've already covered how it makes a fabulous substitute for cream of whatever in a can.  (Actually, I think it's way better, so it's not fair to call it a substitute.  That suggests it's not as good as the original.)  However, you can also just skip the part of making the soup substitute and go straight to making a creamy soup.  And you can do it really quickly.   

Cheesy Potato and Broccoli Soup

1 cup Magic Mix
2 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sour cream
2-3 baked potatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped, cooked broccoli
1 teaspoon salt
Garnishes--bacon bits, green onions, additional shredded cheese

Combine Magic Mix and water in saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken.  Stir in remaining ingredients and heat through.  Ladle into soup bowls and garnish, if desired.

Family reviews:  Husband thought it was a bit on the rich side.  I loved it and had seconds.  And I really loved that it was very quick to make.  The kids weren't around to try it.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

8 cups water, divided
3/4 cup Magic Mix
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon
1 pint canned chicken
2 cups sliced fresh carrots (or 1 cup dehydrated + 1 1/2 cups water)
2 cups chopped celery (or 3/4 cup dehydrated + 1 1/2 cups water)
3/4 cup chopped onion (or 3 tablespoons dehydrated + 2/3 cup water)
4 cups uncooked noodles

In a large pot over medium-low, whisk Magic Mix into 2 cups water until smooth, stirring until thickened.  Add remaining water, bouillon, chicken, vegetables, and noodles.  Cook until vegetables are tender.

Links to related posts:
Dry Milk
Magic Mix 
Banana Cream Pie with Magic Mix
Magic Mix Beef Stroganoff and Cheeseburger Mac
Magic Mix Fudgesicles
Coconut Oil for Butter in Magic Mix 

 © 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com

Expanded Food Storage--Pressure Canning Chicken

All right, this is going to be a pretty short post because canning chicken is so very easy. 

Raw pack:  Canning raw chicken is almost brainless.  Fill jars loosely with raw meat pieces "in suitable sizes for canning."  I aim for 1/2-inch to 1-inch cubes.  Allow 1-1/4" headspace.  Add salt, if desired, 1 teaspoon per quart, 1/2 teaspoon per pint.  Do not add any liquid.

Hot pack:  Boil, steam, or bake chicken until it is about 2/3 cooked.  Fill jars with pieces and hot broth.  Allow 1-1/4" headspace.  Add salt, if desired, 1 teaspoon per quart, 1/2 teaspoon per pint. 

To process the jars, follow the directions that came with your pressure canner.  Meats and other low-acid foods must be preserved using a pressure canner, not a pressure cooker, and not a water-bath canner.  Directions vary slightly but significantly among pressure canners, and so you must use the directions that came with your canner.

Now for just a few notes.

Something one of my physiology professors shared--super high-level stuff:  "A pint's a pound the world around."  What this means for you is that about one pound of chicken will fit in a pint jar.  But loosely packed, it will be a little less chicken.  If I were canning ten pounds of chicken, I'd plan on using twelve pint jars.  

Chicken (and rabbit, by the way) are the only meats that require 1-1/4" headspace.  They expand more than other meats during the canning process.  

If you are canning chickens that your raised and freshly butchered yourself, chill those chickens for six to twelve hours before canning.  Trust me on this.  If you don't, you'll be sorry.

You may can chicken with or without the bones.  Processing times with the bones are less than without the bones.  No, that's not what one would normally expect, but it is true.  The USDA says so.

If you have cats, you might wish to can the chicken bones to make food for them.  To do this, cram as many bones as you can into the jar and then add boiling water.  Process with your other jars of chicken.  To feed the cat, pour canned bones into a bowl and mash them with a fork.  That's all it takes.  Do not feed this to dogs.  The protein content is too high for dogs and will harm their kidneys. 


For further reading:
Ball Blue Book:  The Guide to Home Canning and Freezing
The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning 
https://www.freshpreserving.com/chicken-stock---pressure-canning---ball-recipes-br1070.html
http://prepared-housewives.com/diy-canned-chicken-pressure-canner/  (super-detailed, complete, blow-by-blow report on how to can chicken with lots of pictures for the super-nervous first-timer who can't believe it's as easy as I've described above)

More Magic Mix Entrees--Chicken and Rice Casserole and Macaroni & Cheese

Up for today are a couple more recipes to try with Magic Mix.  All ingredients for the first are food storage items in this house; for the second, only the cream cheese isn't food storage, but even that can be substituted with some yogurt and butter powder.

Both recipes were adapted from entrees found at StoreThisNotThat.com.  They have some fantastic recipes there using food storage items.  They're just more focused on regular conditions and simply rotating food rather than being able to prepare good meals under the more challenging conditions the interesting times ahead may present.

Chicken & Rice with Green Beans
2 pints canned chicken, drained, with juice reserved
2 cups Magic Mix
1 can (15 oz) cut green beans
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
3 cups rice
water

Measure reserved chicken juice and add enough water to make 1 1/2 cups.  Pour this into a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in Magic Mix.  Cook until thickened, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and gently fold in chicken, green beans, rice, and 3/4 cup of the cheese.  Pour into 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Macaroni & Cheese
 2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions and drained
1/3 cup Magic Mix
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz cream cheese (or 4 oz plain yogurt with 1 tablespoon butter powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Combine Magic Mix and water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir rapidly until mixture thickens.  Add the cheeses and seasonings, and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.  Gently fold in macaroni.  Pour into a 9x9" greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. 

DIY Chicken Bouillon

It is so nice to have a couple of like-minded friends when it come to preparedness.  It's even nicer when they are also concerned about all the garbage in prepared foods and seek alternatives for healthier eating.  

I really hate the little cubes of chicken bouillon at the store because they're loaded with garbage, but the organic stuff is just too expensive.  So most of the time I used home-canned chicken stock where possible, but I never have enough of that.  It never occurred to me that I could just make my own at home.  Yeah, I know, it seems like something simple that everyone else probably knew about.  But just in case there are one or two more people like me, I thought I'd share a couple of recipes for DIY chicken bouillon.

The main ingredient here is nutritional yeast flakes.  I'd heard about them but never paid much attention, so I had to research them to find out more.  Nutritional yeast flakes are not brewer's yeast or bread-making yeast.  They are adored by vegans for some kind of cheese-substitute and adding flavor to their foods.  It's a little bit pricey, in my opinion, running about $8.00 per pound in the bulk section at my local Winco.  Apparently, most people get it at their health food stores.  Of course, Amazon has it, too, but the best you're going to do price-wise looks like about $10.00 per pound.   It has a two-year shelf life.  I couldn't find any information on whether it lasts longer if vacuum-sealed, but it seems as if that would be the case.

I've included two recipes here; you can find loads more online.  Give them a try and see which you like better.  They differ substantially in the amount of herbs.  I like lots of seasoning, but some people like their food a little more subtle in flavor.  Because some chicken bouillon is just too salty and some people need to watch their intake, I recommend using less salt than initially called for and then adding in more until it suits your taste buds.

DIY Chicken Bouillon #1

1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon basil

DIY Chicken Bouillon #2

1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons minced dry onion 
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon thyme 
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder

The chicken flavor comes from the nutritional yeast.  But what do we do when we can't get nutritional yeast?  My good friend Renee thought and thought about this dilemma, and finally came up with the perfect answer:  powdered chicken!  While freeze-dried chicken could be used very easily, it would be less expensive to use dehydrated chicken.  Those who have done it already know that dehydrated chicken loses a lot in texture when it is rehydrated.  It just doesn't turn out all that well for eating.  But it's great for turning into powder for making bouillon. 

Thanks, Renee!

Links to related posts:
Cream Soups and Recipe Replacements
Spanish Rice


© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com   

26 january 2023