Water Bath Canning - How to get started!

Fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful and inexpensive in the summer, but what about the rest of the year? Wouldn't it be great to preserve and save those fruits and vegetables for the winter when pickings are slim? Canning is a great way to do this and save room in your freezer. There are 2 methods of canning: Water Bath Canning and Pressure Canning. The difference being this: Watter Bath Canning is for canning things that have a high acidic value (jams, some tomato sauces, etc), while Pressure Canning is used for items that have a low acidic value (green beans, and other whole vegetables). Now, I haven't done any Pressure Canning myself, so if you are interested in Pressure Canning, please try this resource. Everything from here on out will be about Water Bath Canning.

To get started, you will need a couple of tools:
- A large pot or Canner: When I got started I used my stock pot because I wasn't sure if I wanted to invest in a canner. It worked well, but I was always worried that something would go wrong - the jars were just barely covered by the water by the recommended amount. If you think you'll can more than 4 times, I would invest in a Water Bath Canner. Look for these at walmart (they ONLY have them during the canning "season" - summer) or your local hardware/homegoods store. I got mine for $25.

- Jar Grabber: This is basically a huge set of tongs that you use to take the finished jars out of the BOILING HOT WATER. You are going to want one of these so you don't end up with 2nd degree burns. They run about $10 or less at your local hardware/homegoods store.

- Funnel: This is to make sure that what you are canning safely makes it into the jars. There are special funnels for wide mouth jars, which is what I use. If you are going to can anything liquidy (jams especially), definitely get one. About $5 or less at your local hardware/homegoods store.

- Ruler: It is important to not leave too much space for air in your jars, and most recipes tell you exactly how much space is okay - having a ruler on hand in the kitchen is very helpful if you are not good at eyeballing 1/2 of an inch or less.

- Canning Jars: I would recommend checking your local craigslist or freecycle before buying these at the store. They can be found at walmart, some grocery stores, and my favorite - your local hardware/homegoods store! (You will need the corresponding canning rings for these jars) They amount of jars you will need depends on what you are canning and how many jars can be filled with your recipe.

- Canning Lids: These are NOT reusable. Please don't try, because it is not safe. They aren't very expensive, and you can find them the same places you can buy jars.


Now that you have everything to get started, what are you going to can? Think about the fruits and vegetables that are in season before you decide what to can. Buy things that are in season, on sale, or growing in your yard! The following is a list of what I made last summer - my first summer of canning!

- Peach (show above) & Plum Jam - I used the recipes and instructions that come with Certo - a type of pectin used for making jams. Making and canning jam is what I would recommend for starting out. There are a few different kinds/brands of pectin available at the grocery store with the other canning supplies. Each kind/brand has their own recipe and instructions for canning. Make sure you read all the instructions before you start and make sure you are ready to can before you start making the jam. It might even be best to read the instructions before you decide what kind of jam to make - it will tell you how much of each kind of fruit you will need to make that kind of jam, and also how the fruit must be prepared to begin. The fruit must be perfectly ripe - not under ripe or overripe so timing is key!

- Tomato Sauce - The key to make tomato sauce safe to can is adding lemon juice to raise the level of acidity. It is important to follow an approved recipe. The time in a water bath canner is pretty long for tomato sauce - 30+ minutes depending on your altitude. Feel free to divide this recipe in half or more as long as your preserve the ratio of ingredients.

- Salsa - Ball has some great mixes that you can buy at the grocery store. I used one of them to make and can salsa. The directions are included in the packaging. This also has a relatively long time for processing.

Apple Season! Fall is apple season in my neck of the woods and I found myself up to my ears with apples! I managed to can both apple butter and apple sauce this year.

Apple Sauce - I used my food mill and my arm was killing me by the end, but it was definitely worth it! I did not add any sugar to my apple sauce and it is absolutely delicious.

Apple Butter - I followed this recipe, but I did something a little different because I was making a very small amount of apple butter (I ended up with 1 jar). Instead of starting with apple sauce, I sliced up my apples and put them in the crockpot whole for about 6-8 hours on low. When they are done, they will be VERY soft, and you can just mash them with a potato masher! Then, add the spices, etc, and continue to cook as the recipe entails. This will cook down A LOT, so you will start out with tons of apples and end up with a much smaller amount of apple butter, but it will be delicious. I also used my emersion blender in the crockpot to get it very smooth and I cut back on the sugar and used honey instead. Oh, it was so delicious, we were just eating it right out of the pot.

I hope this has gotten you excited about canning and preserving your fruits and veggies - the harvest season will be here before you know it!

More resources:
http://www.freshpreserving.com/
http://www.pickyourown.org/
http://canningusa.com/
http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/foodpres.shtml
http://www.pickyourown.org/canningresources.htm
http://www.foodsafetysite.com/consumers/resources/canning.html

Frugal Ingredient - Oatmeal for Anytime!

Yesterday I talked about buying a large container of oatmeal to save money on breakfast. What to do with that big container, though, if you are tired of a bowl oatmeal after a few weeks?

Oatmeal can be a main ingredient in Muffins, Granola, Pancakes, and much more! But enough about breakfast foods...

Oatmeal can be incorporated into more than just breakfast! A well-known favorite is oatmeal cookies. Quaker Oat's Famous Oatmeal Cookie Recipe is the best one out there, in my opinion. There is a plethora of variations on this cookie as well. Baking your own cookies at home is always a frugal choice over buying packaged cookies. There are plenty of variations on this recipe as well. Adding any flavor of baking chips (chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate, etc) will definitely give this recipe new life.

In addition to use in sweet foods, oatmeal can also be used in Meatloaf, Meatballs, and more meatballs!

By the time you've tried all these different ways to incorporate oatmeal into your everyday eating, you'll have to go out and buy some more!

What are some of your favorite recipes involving oatmeal?

Frugal Ingredient - Oatmeal for breakfast

Oatmeal might not seem like a frugal food when you look at the instant packets in the cereal aisle of the store. They can run up to $3 a box (or more!) for just 6-8 servings. Not my idea of an inexpensive breakfast.

But on the bottom shelf below all those "convenience" oatmeals, you can find oatmeal that comes in a large container for a considerable amount less per serving. Whether you get Quick Oats or Old Fashion, the process for making a bowl of oatmeal is the same. If you are unsure about the measurements, they are usually right on the side of the container.

Not a fan of "plain" oatmeal? Add fresh fruit, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup or anything else you can come up with! Buying dehydrated fruit pieces from the bulk section of your grocery store can add a bit of fun to this normally boring breakfast, too. The sky's the limit with this one, so have fun and enjoy!

Trent over at The Simple Dollar makes his own oatmeal packets. Check out the post for a cost analysis and some ideas about flavoring!

What do you like to have in your oatmeal? Please share your concoctions in the comments! My personal favorite is a little bit of cinnamon and brown sugar and a handful of raisins.

Tune in Friday for more things you can do with that large container of oatmeal!

Making a Meal Last - Macaroni and Cheese

Whether your family prefers Kraft Mac and Cheese with the powdery cheese sauce mix, or the slightly classier velveeta-style, I wouldn't be surprised to find out if the last serving is scraped out of the pan and every noodle is gobbled up. The best way to stretch a box of macaroni and cheese is to add 1 cup of macroni noodles from the pasta aisle. These are bigger and will possibly have a different cooking time. Here's how I do it:

Mac-and-Cheese noodles cooking time - 8-10 minutes
Macaroni cooking time - 6-8 minutes.

After the water has come to a boil, add in the mac-and-cheese noodles and set a time for 2 minutes. When the timer goes off, add 1 cup of macaroni and re-set the timer for 6 minutes. Test for done-ness when the timer goes off the second time. And don't forget to stir!
Prepare the sauce in the normal manner - it will still cover all of the noodles and you'll have 1-2 more servings! Whether you are feeding more mouths at once or you end up with leftovers, extra food for a low cost is never a bad thing!

This can be done with whatever type of noodles are your family's favorite - I just find that macaroni tends to go on sale more frequently.

Making a Meal Last - Tacos

Tacos are a quick and easy meal to put together - mostly because once you are at the table, some assembly is required! And that is what makes it a fun meal. For me, a meal of tacos involves the following:

• Tacos Shells or tortillas (about $1-$2 for 10 servings)
• Grated Cheddar Cheese (grate your own and you are most definitely saving money)
• Shredded Lettuce (use what's on sale - iceburg or romaine both are equally yummy)
• Salsa (I am particular about my salsa, but you can usually find a store brand for $1-$2 a jar)
• Sour Cream (about $2 for a medium size container)
• Diced Tomatoes (if it's in season, I buy fresh, otherwise just drain a can!)
• The all-important ground beef filling (enhanced with a $0.50 package of taco seasoning)
  

The last time I made tacos, I had 1 pound of meat and a very hungry boyfriend. I knew I wanted to make sure that there were leftovers so I could make my famous taco salad the next day for lunch. How could I make 1 pound of ground beef outlast my boyfriend's appetite? The answer: A can of pinto beans. I rinsed and drained a can of pinto beans and browned them right along with the meat and followed the directions on the package of seasoning. It was flavorful, added extra healthy protein to the meal, and I successfully had leftovers for the rest of the week. I plan on trying this with black beans next time.

Making a Meal Last - Storage Solutions for Leftovers

Air is the enemy of food. Being able to store your leftovers in an air tight way will allow you to store them safely until you want to eat them. There are a LOT of options out there. Getting started might be expensive if you are starting with nothing, but it doesn't have to be. Let's go over some of the options there are nowadays.

• Disposable Options
• Plastic Bags
• Plastic Wrap/Tin Foil
• Reusable Options
• Containers like rubber maid or Tupperware
  
• Containers like ziplock or gladware
• Containers from products you already buy

The disposable options that I listed are going to give you a smaller start-up cost, but in the long run, you might be spending more money. Personally, I reuse plastic bags, plastic wrap, and tin foil whenever I can. Rinsing a plastic bag and letting it dry out is not that difficult and it saves the bag from the landfill for at least a few more uses.

The reusable options will have more of an up-front cost, but they also have the added benefit of, well, being reusable. There are many sizes and shapes available. However, they will take up some space in your kitchen. Using containers from products you already buy - margarine tubs, yogurt containers, and anything resealable - does not come with any additional cost, however, I would not advise freezing or reheating in these containers as many are not meant for extra use.

Personally, I use all of the above options. I have slowly amassed quite a collection of containers from shopping sales an using coupons. I have also bought Tupperware at yard sales and thrift stores.

Containers can be used for:

• portions of dinner from the night before
• loose cereal, beans, or rice when the bag breaks

Plastic bags can be used for:

• portions of pretzels, chips, or cut fruit or veggies in a packed lunch
• keeping homemade cookies from getting stale
• keeping flour and sugar in to keep the bugs out

Plastic Wrap and Tin foil can be used for:

• wrapping meat in meal-sized portions to be frozen
• wrapping uneaten block cheese
• wrapping anything that might be an unusual size/shape
• covering a plate of food to bring to a relative or friend

What are your favorite food storage solutions? Please share them in the comments section!

Frugal Ingredients - Keeping the Pantry Stocked

Keeping cooking staples in your pantry is a great way to keep your cooking costs lower. Buying items on sale that you know you use often is a great way to lower your cost per meal. If you are just getting started, starting over after a move, or looking for some new ideas, here is a list of what I always keep on hand:

• Flour
• Sugar (regular, brown, and confectioners)
• Baking powder/soda
• Salt
• Vegetable Oil and Olive Oil
• Herbs and Spices
• Rice
• Pasta
• Beans
• Oatmeal
• Tomato Sauce
• Diced Tomatoes
• Salsa
  
• Crackers
• Cereal
• Cheese (mozzerella, cheddar - in the fridge)
• Eggs (in the fridge)
• Milk (in the fridge)
• Better-Than-Bullion (chicken or beef - in the fridge)
  
• Chicken Breasts (in the freezer)
• Ground Beef (in the freezer)
• Frozen veggies (in the freezer)

Buying all of this in one shopping trip will make it an expensive trip, however, a lot of these are non-perishable and can make more than a few meals. You will not find yourself replacing them very often. And when you see that items on this list are on sale, stock up! You know you'll use them.

Just looking at this list, I can make chili, cheese omelets, soup, flour tortillas, nachos, crackers and cheese, pasta with meat sauce or chicken parmesan. That's just a few things I came up with off the top of my head. Keeping a well stocked pantry/fridge/freezer with things that YOU like to use in your cooking will save you a lot of trips to the grocery store. It will also help you to feel secure that even if you don't know when your next paycheck will show up, you know you can make yourself dinner!