Canning with My Grandma - Summer 2023

We made salsa, pickles, and cowboy candy!

I want to have a big garden next year and plan on doing lots of canning. I felt so honored to learn from my grandma who has been canning for years! I had taken a canning class this summer that was put on by ISU. I think canning is such a good skill to have! It saves money in the winter and if you are snowed in (like I was this week) its food you can use that just in your basement or cellar.

The salsa and cowboy candy were made using a water bath canner. Since the things we were canning were a certain acidity, we could use water bath. Other things you can make with water bath is jams, jellies, or other acidic foods. We didn't use a pressure canner this time. If I want to make green beans for example I would have to buy or use a pressure canner. The pressure ensures that the food will retain its quality over time.

The pickles were not made using a water bath or pressure. She had a recipe of:

-Dill (we picked from her garden)

-Mini Cucumbers (from her garden)

-A few garlic cloves

-Vinegar / Water mixture ( I think it was 50/50) She makes a huge tub of the mixture when she is making alot of pickles

-Pickling Spice Mix

After adding all the items to the large glass jar, we tightened with plastic lid and put in the fridge overnight but she said to possibly to do longer if possible (1-3 days)