WINTER CANNING DEAL!
My friend, The Amazing Laura, from 10 Things Farm just shot me a note about a fantastic discount on Tattler Re-usable canning jar lids!
“TODAY ONLY they’re 40% off so you can get 100 standard and 100 wide mouth lids for a little over $85.00, shipped. Each lid is a BPA free plastic topper and a rubber ring. You can use them over and over and over, which is awesome!”
http://www.markdown.com/markdown-tattler-lids/?refcode=MjA3NTEzfHw2NHx8OTQwNTl8fDEzMw..
I think Laura is inspired. She had no way of knowing that I’m right smack-dab in the middle of a Canning Skillz Camp. Seriously. We even have matching aprons that say “Bean there, done that!”
It all started because of wonderful Visiting Teachers. When they called (1) at the first of the month to confirm their standing appointment, I told Paula that she’s always welcome to come over and do the sit on the couch thing, but what I REALLY need in addition to hearing the message is her (2) help in learning some new skills. See, I believe our visiting teachers are meant to be a RESOURCE and there’s soooo much I want to learn from these two women.
Paula immediately agreed and offered to (3) share her deluxe 18 quart Pesto pressure canner and quickly teach me a slick method for canning sprouted beans. Later that same day I was talking to a friend, Melanie, in Las Vegas, telling her about my next big adventure in homemaking, and she agreed to drive the 7 hours to be part of the fun. She even sewed and embroidered the matching aprons. Who does that?
On Tuesday, Paula and her equally talented companion, Pam, showed up at my door. One was carrying the (4) Ensign magazine and the other was carrying the canner. Melanie and I had our bottles washed and ready to fill and the cans of dried beans (5) from our food storage were waiting on the counter. The whole lesson, including a beautiful spiritual thought about watch care, took about (6) 30 minutes.
After Paula and Pam left, Melanie and I dove in and started to (7) do exactly what my visiting teacher taught. Fast forward a couple of days, and we have completed 4 or 5 batches of beans, experimenting with different canning techniques.
Paula’s sprouted beans will be the final adventure on Friday. Right now, those bottles are (8) patiently waiting, covered on the counter, and we’re bathing/draining each one with fresh water every morning and night. There better not be any _ _ _.
So beans have clearly “bean” the focus, but we’re working on (9) other skillz 
too. We’ve each sewn a couple of infant car seat covers…
and we’ve taken a few runs at braided roll dough. Today there’s going to be some shopping/treasure hunting at NPS. But we’re all about the skillzzzz. I’m continually repenting for not learning MORE of this good stuff from my dear mother.
And speaking of repentance, I just gave my American Express, over the phone, so that Melanie can bring a brand new pressure canner home from the store. Shhhh. It’s going to be a present for Paula. Yup. In exactly two days, I broke the one she’s had for the past eight years.
Doesn’t matter. This week’s experience has been worth every penny, and I only hate myself a little bit. It (10) doesn’t have to be perfect to be of tremendous value.
Tags: learning from each other, pay as you go, visiting teaching skills
January 12th, 2012 at 11:32 am
I want to go to bean camp! Er…canning skilz camp! That sounds like way too much fun!
(Did I just say out loud that canning beans sounds like way too much fun?)
January 12th, 2012 at 11:42 am
Oh dear…they are already sold out!
January 12th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Liesa! Thank you so much for having my mom up their with you. I’m going to pick her brain when she gets home. I’m starting a holistic nutrition program next month and have been looking for ways to get more beans and sprouted foods into my diet and this will be an an answer to my prayers! You’re fabulous. Just thought you should know.
January 12th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
OK, I have two questions, if you please.
1. Is there a line in the US that divides the people that call them jars and the people that call them bottles? I was actually confused for a while when people would say they were ‘bottling’ stuff…or that they were packing it into bottles..because I never heard that, ever, until a couple years ago. I’m curious if it’s a ‘west’ thing?
2. You said “experimenting with different canning techniques”. If there’s one thing I had drilled into my noggin from the get-go, it’s that you don’t ‘experiment’ when you’re canning, because you might change the acidity and grow some nice jars of botulism and kill off the family. Obviously, you’re still alive, so I am just asking if you have some base line that you never cross…or something? I’m not trying to fuss, I’m trying to learn.
3. (Sorry, couldn’t stop at 2) Marie is absolutely right about you being fabulous. Just sayin’.
January 13th, 2012 at 12:53 am
Laura you should be running your own camp and charging people to come spend a day with you! I seriously think that would sell. Give the term Home School a whole new meaning!
As far as the lingo goes, my mom used all three: bottling, canning, packing. Here’s another one: sitters or tenders for child care? And then there’s sofa or couch?
I hope I’m not taking any crazy risks with my canning experiments, but the people who have shared their methods have years and years of success behind them. I guess my base line is that I try to really listen to years of success and I think there may be a bit more flexibility than the books suggest?
I do not feel fabulous, but thank you Laura! Love you~
January 13th, 2012 at 12:57 am
Marie! I wish you were here with us! Lizzie was playing “Be Still My Soul” and I was thinking that it was one of the pieces you sang for my mom’s funeral. What a beautiful memory and gift you gave us. Nothing could have been better. I’m hearing all about your amazing cooking and I’m so impressed. Tell me how you make your famous spaghetti sauce? Your mom says you’re totally capable and very talented with the culinary arts! xoxoxo
January 13th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Tenders? Isn’t that like chicken nuggets? I’ve never EVER let a chicken nugget watch my children.
I have noticed the term “bottling” to be more common when people are talking about fruit to when they’re discussing other foods. “Bottling beans” has a lovely alliterative quality, though. I have thought before that “canning” is a bit of an odd term for a process that doesn’t involve cans, but “jarring” might be…jarring for some people.
I’m intrigued by the idea of canning SPROUTED beans. Will you do a comparison post for us on sprouted vs. nonsprouted?
January 13th, 2012 at 11:50 pm
You know, the first time someone said something to me about ‘canning’ being an odd term because cans are not involved, I think my brain froze up for a minute, because we’d always said ‘canning’ without really thinking about the whole can vs. jar thing. You’re right though – ‘jarring’ sounds like it’d give me an anxiety attack…and to me, bottles have necks on them.
Which reminds me…somewhere in my weird canning stuff, I have a glass bottle with a beans label on it. Truly, the neck of the jar is like a soda pop bottle (though the bottle is more squat overall), but according to the label, it held beans. I can just imagine trying to get them in, or out!
Time for bed already!
-Laura
January 14th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
I certainly will, Elizabeth. Really interested to see if the sprouting makes the beans easier to digest. I’ve been told that sprouting the beans makes them about 300% healthier. What do you think?
(For the record and as far as I’m concerned, canning is always a little jarring :I)
And what about a sitter? Would you let your children be cared for by a sitter?
January 14th, 2012 at 11:28 pm
Why did that make me lol? Not sure. Maybe it sounds like something I would do. Remember when I took a jar straight from the canner to wash off the gunk from the outside of the jar? BANG!
Thanks for sending me to bed with a smile, Laura!
January 16th, 2012 at 11:02 am
I say preserving!
Doesn’t have to be pickled or candied to be preserved, does it? I don’t know… Preserving just sounds more sophisticated, right?
Sprouted beans! So here is the cool thing about sprouted THINGS (not to be confused with bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts etc.); Depending on what you sprout, beans, barley, quinoa… The nutrition becomes more bio-available. So, even though the actual micronutrient content would improve from about 300-500%, that doesn’t mean you get 500% of the nutrients, but your body can take what it needs from the excess. Pretty cool huh? Beans really are one of nature’s perfect foods.
Liesa, I’ll have to give you my recipe when I come by this week. Easier to explain in person. It’s a copy cat of Scarpetta’s in NY. I honestly have a hard time eating tomato sauce from (almost) anywhere else because this one is just that good!
January 16th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
Oh, I like that! PRESERVING sounds so noble, and sophisticated. (I’ll have to add that to my Miss America speech.)
Thanks for the info on sprouted beans. I’m serving them tomorrow so I’ll let you know what we think. The nutritional benefits sound amazing.
Can’t wait to hear the recipe for your special sauce!