When it comes to storage space, and the shortage of it, my solution has become my dehydrating machine. Not only does it save space, it ensures that the veggies are safer when it comes to those annoying power cuts. The way the grid here is being over used with all those awful electric vehicles I daresay we'll be in for more outages than ever - especially when the heaters go on as the weather gets colder.
Yes I worry about that as well. That's why I only can jellies and fruits. Tomatoes are weird, some people say they're fine while others say add vinegar,so I just freeze them. I did see a recipe for ketchup, so I was thinking about making 1 batch, to see if my granddaughter likes it. We go through A LOT of ketchup. She has it on everything!
Learning to can has been one of the best things I ever learned! My freezer is small and fills quickly. I can tomatoes, beans, carrots, cabbage, apples, plums, make jams and jelly from the garden. I can some meats and one jar meals such as stew, also dried beans, broth etc They are shelf stable and I don't have to worry when the power goes out. Tomatoes that are water bath canned need extra acidity, so lemon juice or vinegar is added. If you pressure can them you don't need the extra acidity. Lots of little rules for our canning safety, if you follow a trusted recipe its foolproof
Netty—I am delighted to read your preservation comments on here. Other than jams and tomato concentrate, I do not can things. If I ever have a serious shortage of space I might try it. Still, reading about your accomplishments is inspiring. Canning is…or was popular years ago over here. Perhaps it still is but I do not actually know anyone that does it. Folks dry veggies more and more. I have tried that was not pleased wit the technique or result. It was a drying machine. I think we need some Texas weather to do it right. With canning, there is an old wives tale here that goes— if someone is menstruating during the canning process, the contents can/will spoil. I have never read any evidence of this being true. Is this known in Canada?
I've run out of freezer space now so anything out there has to stay out there. I've just looked it up,It was said that menstruating women were thought as unclean and wasn't allowed to touch food or water. Don't know about Canada.
I know Netty, it is remarkable what a person will believe. Also remarkable that anyone would think this up.
