Anyone out there - it's been over 2 years since I've posted

Well, I'm in my 3rd Spring of living off-grid in a southcentral KY county. I finally got a garden planted this year, and it's coming along nicely. No pics this time around. I rarely get online anymore, just when I come to a friend's home to charge my cell phone. Last time I was online was in February!

Using a woodcookstove has now become routine, as well as heating water on the stove to bathe, do dishes, and do laundry. I still need to get better at preparing for Winter as far as stocking up on wood. Though the past 2 Winters have been mild with very little snow. My first Winter here, I got snowed in twice, even though I have a 4WD truck.

Learning to can on a woodcookstove has its challenges. Keeping the fire hot, and getting a good amount of coals going to begin with is the key. I bought some pig meat from a neighbor whose son had raised two hogs - I got 65 lbs of ground meat, and 10 lbs of loin. That was at the end of March, and I'm hoping they will raise more hogs, and then get them butchered in the Winter, and I would buy a whole hog this time around.

I've gotta get a new digital camera, and will take some pics of the place, and see about getting some of the garden. My dogs got ahold of my other camera, I haven't tried it, but maybe it still works. Sorry it's been so long since posting - I hope someone is out there somewhere! LOL

I'll try to post each time I get online from now on with any news. At least then it will be a number of times in a year. HA!! This is a rather boring post, isn't it - I just don't have my creative cap on today!! Take care everyone, and I hope to be in touch more often than every 2 years!!LOL

Way Back Wednesday - Canning Jars

I recently put an ad on Craigslist in the antiques section

for old canning jars. I want to use them to store

dry goods in the cabin in case of bugs and the dreaded

rodent of country-living -- the field mouse.

I was contacted by Maureen who is originally from Wisconsin,

I could tell by her accent. Actually I guessed Minnesota or

North Dakota - I was close. At any rate she told me that

she had about 47 old canning jars, blue and clear ones,

mostly Ball, some Atlas, and a Carbonic (I think) -

it is one of the clear ones with the wire bale.

These are some of the ones I unpacked from the boxes she brought

them to me in. She was gracious enough to pack them in

old wine bottle boxes - just perfect for my move on the 25th.

I don't know what these small bottles are unless they were used

for cream? Unless they were used somehow to can? I don't know.

These are some of the zinc and glass lids that she gave

me to go with all of the canning jars.

I probably paid too much for them. About a $1 a jar.

But I've always loved the looks of the blue Ball jars. 

And some are the old type that say Ball Perfect Mason.

I'm washing them up in the dishwasher now so that they

will be ready for me to use once I move and can

settled in enough to start putting my dry goods that are

now in plastic bags, and boxes into the jars for safe keeping.

Just wanted to share with Ya'll this great find of mine.

On a Way Back Wednesday.

Take care everyone, and have a blessed Wednesday.

From central KY - Fayette Co. 

Dutch Spiced Cabbage

Taken from the Melting Pot files of the Yahoo group Home Canning


If you are new to canning, see the link to the National Center for Home Food Preservation website in the previous post where you will find canning directions and other canning recipes.

2 heads red or green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup salt
1 gallon vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp each mace, allspice, cinnamon
1/2 cup honey


1. Sprinkle shredded cabbage with salt and let stand 24 hours.
2. Press moisture out of salted cabbage and let stand for 3 hours.
3. Boil the vinegar for 8 minutes with water and spices. Add honey.
4. Pour hot liquid over cabbage. Keep in large bowl or earthen jar, or can by heating to simmering.
5. Pack hot cabbage and liquid into hot canning jars to 1/2 of the top of the jar.
6. Cover with hot juice, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles.
7. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes for pints or 20 minutes for quarts unless you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet; then consult your canning manual for directions for adjusting your time to match your altitude if necessary.

Canning Apples Studded with Cherries & Raisins

Taken from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving pg 160.

If you are new to canning, go to this site to learn the basics of canning and find other recipes.

National Center for Home Food Preservation

http://uga.edu/nchfp/

Apples Studded with Cherries & Raisins

Makes about 8 pint jars or 4 quart jars

8 lbs medium-sized tart apples (such as Granny Smith), cored, cut length-wise into eighths, treated to prevent browning, do not peel apples (my note)
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tbsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups water
1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Prepare canner, jars, and lids.

2. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine apples and sugar. Toss gently to coat apples. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes. Add dried cherries, raisins, lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes.

3. Using a slotted spoon, pack hot fruit into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar. Ladle hot syrup into jar to cover fruit, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot syrup. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

4. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process both pint and quart jars for 20 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 10 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

I am canning this recipe today. I'll post later on in the week to let you all know how it turns out.

Happy Canning All!