Now that I have tried canning pickles, jams, meat and veggies I am feeling adventurous about trying other things. I want to avoid freezing as much garden produce and canning instead as I want to save freezer space for meat. I am wondering if there is a rule of thumb for adapting recipes for canning and how long to process? For example ... I like to make red cabbage and apples in the fall with garden produce and I usually freeze it. I am wondering if this could be canned instead, and how long I would need to pressure can it for? Or my moms recipe for kale with smoked bacon? Would I can it for as long as the longest ingredient needs?
I've tried it and on something's it worked and others it didn't. I did can venison stew and it turned out okay but the carrots were too soft from over canning, still good but at the same time the potatoes were perfect. I didn't look for any recipe's but I'm going to check and see if I can find some. I like the idea of opening a jar that is a meal in one plus saving my freezer space also. I just checked 'on line' and there are some recipes and instructions on soup plus more.
I've found that recipes that incorporate tomatoes do the best. Marinara sauce (but I freeze this because even a pint jar is a LOT for two people), meatless chili canned, and then added to browned beef and heated, and apple pie filling--no tomatoes! It's nice to have a quart of apple pie filling ready to put into a pie shell, bake, and have it ready for dinner dessert.
After doing a lot of digging, I did find some info about canning red cabbage and apples. It has vinegar and sugar and so it seems that it can be processed in a water bath canner for 20 minutes. This is great! Now to look for kale and double smoked bacon instructions ...
Sure! I found this particular one on a Facebook Prepper and survivalist group page. It is pretty much the same as my recipe, only it includes canning directions. I used to freeze it. You need 3/4 cup water, 1 head red cabbage shredded, 3 apples peeled and chopped, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 2 tablespoons butter, canning salt. DIRECTIONS: Place water in a large saucepan and stir in cabbage, stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender. Now it's ready to serve. CANNING: Sterilize jars. Separate the cabbage from the juice. Add 1/4 cup canning salt for each head of cabbage used. Add the canning salt to the juice and bring to a boil until the salt is dissolved. Fill each jar half full with cabbage, add 1 cup juice to each pint jar, 2 cups juice for quart jars. Fill each jar the rest of the way with cabbage. Use a no metallic utensil to remove air from the bottom and sides of the jars. Leave 1/2 inch head space at the top of the jars. Put the lids on the jars tight then back off 1/2turn. Place jars in canner and bring to a boil, then process for 20 minutes. Then turn off heat and let jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner and place on a towel (not on a cold surface)cover jars with a towel and let sit overnight. Remove rings, check seals on lids, wash, label and store.
