In a couple more weeks it will be time for us to start canning. Our garden is coming along nicely and hopefully I will have plenty to can this years. I have canned for years, and the older I get the more ways I try and find to make this time of the year easier on me. I pretty much do all the canning myself, my hubby helps out when he can but he works 40 plus hours a week and comes home and has his own farm work to do.
I find it easier if I start planning ahead and start getting things gather up and cleaned up, so it will be ready to go. I even try and plan ahead of time for quick and easy dinners.
1. I like to give my kitchen a good cleaning and remove things that I don't need so I have plenty of room to work and put my jars. I want to have plenty of countertop space.
2. I start getting my jars out of storage and soaking them. I either wash them all by hand (which I prefer) or if I just really don't have the time I will put them in the dishwasher. Just seems like they are cleaner when washed by hand.
3. I make sure I have all my canning supplies gathered up and ready to go. I make sure I have enough lid, wide mouth and regular. I do a lot of canning, so I pretty much stay stocked up on them.
4. I try and plan meals that can go into the crockpot or oven. By the time, I get up early pick beans, string, wash and put them in jars ready for the canner, last thing I want to do it worry about cooking on the stove. It's hard to cook with a canner going. I usually try and can around 70 or 77 quarts of beans every year.
5. I like to go though all my old canning and see what needs to be dumped and cleaned out. So that, I have room for all my new canning. I should be doing this one now. That way I can have my shelves cleaned and organized, ready to go.
6. I like to make sure I have a list of things I would like to can, and have all the ingredients needed and ready to go. Recipes too.
I think that is about it. I'm looking for to canning this year.
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