Salsa, maters and canning

[Dropy]

I got a couple good size boxes of Maters. I wanna make salsa and try my hand at canning it. But i have never canned before. Where do i start?

[bacpacker]

I assume you have never canned anything before? How many folks are you canning for?

I would recommend you the book by Ball, who is a major canning equipment manufacture, Ball's guide to canning. It's pretty comprehensive and has receipes in it.

I really don't know how to answer you without a little more info.

[ladyhk13]

Also there are pre seasoned salsa packets in with the canning items that you add to your tomato's and can. I believe all the instructions are on the packet. It might be the easy way for your first time so you don't have to buy all fresh ingredients and cut them all up. I bought a package but haven't tried it yet.

[JustAPrepper]

I agree with BP...Ball Blue Book.

[Dropy]

Well i bought the book, canner thing, tongs and i have 3 new flats of pint jars. I just finished peeling and seeding the maters. I will prolly make the salsa tomorrow. I bought 3 of them spice packs to use this time around.

[Dropy]

First time canning and it is for learning purposes mainly right now. I got 8 people live in my home but i am only canning the certain amount because it is all i have today. I will learn from these first couple of batches then go from there to bigger batches.

[ladyhk13]

I just canned 1 batch using that Salsa mix in the package....I tasted it before putting it up. It has a nice little kick to it, not too spicey but enough to get your tongue. The package says it will make 5 pints but I only got 4 out of it but I guess it depends on how big your maters are.

[Dropy]

Ok lady, thanx for the info. i got church tonite so i wont be able to finish till tomorrow after work. will make the salsa and can it all tomorrow. will let ya know how it goes.

[bacpacker]

Sounds like your on the right track. The pack mixes are good, my wife always uses Mrs Wages for her bread and butter pickles. I'm sure they make salsa mix as well.
We didn't like the Ball brand mixes as well.

[LUNCHBOX]

BP, are you and the misses going to pickle anything? I ask because with having chickens we are getting eggs to fast to use. I have tried the pickled ones and they are ok. I thought it would be a good way to keep them and use them in small quantities.

[ladyhk13]

Sounds like your on the right track. The pack mixes are good, my wife always uses Mrs Wages for her bread and butter pickles. I'm sure they make salsa mix as well.
We didn't like the Ball brand mixes as well.

The mix is Mrs Wages.....yum yum!

[bacpacker]

Mrs Wages is the best we've found and we've tried most everything we have ran across. We have only pickled Pickles, dill, and bread and Butter. We want to try pickling our own garlic. We love it with beans and cornbread, but have never tried to make it our self.
I really don't care for pickled eggs, but if we start getting over ran with eggs my test may change.

[ladyhk13]

bacpacker...there is a way to store fresh eggs for up to like 2 years. Ya coat it with some form of a wax, can't remember which one it is but I'm sure I can find out if you are interested.

[SmileyTHFK]

bacpacker...there is a way to store fresh eggs for up to like 2 years. Ya coat it with some form of a wax, can't remember which one it is but I'm sure I can find out if you are interested.

Lady - If you could find a reference for the egg/wax thing, I know more than one or two of us would find it informative.

[ladyhk13]

Ok guys..here is one thing I found. The lime solution isn't something I would probably do but it is an option. I would do the water glass method myself but to each their own. The link where I got this particular info is:

Long term storage of eggs (http://thesurvivalpodcast.com/forum/index.php?topic=5709.0)


PRESERVATION WITH LIMEWATER.--To prepare limewater for the preservation of eggs, dissolve 1 pound or 1 pint of salt and 1 quart of finely slaked lime in 3 gallons of water, stir the solution at frequent intervals for a day or two, and then allow the liquid to settle. Place the eggs in tall stone crocks or kegs with their pointed ends turned down, filling the receptacles to within a few inches of the top. Pour the clear limewater over the eggs so arranged, allowing it to rise an inch or two above the top layer. Then stand the vessel in a cool place where the temperature will not exceed 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Eggs so treated will keep for at least 6 or 8 months. The only objection to this plan is that the eggs preserved by it sometimes acquire a slight lime taste.

PRESERVATION WITH WATER GLASS.--Putting eggs down in a solution of water glass is without doubt the most satisfactory method of storing them in the home. So effective does this method prove that the housewife who has a convenient and proper storage room should not fail to take advantage of this way of laying up a supply of eggs.

The commercial form of water glass is usually a mixture of potassium and sodium silicate, which, besides being cheaper than that which is chemically pure, is the kind that is preferred for the purpose of preserving eggs. A good quality of it either in a sirup-like solution or in the form of a powder retails in drug or grocery stores for about 10 cents a pound. To make a solution of the desired strength to preserve eggs satisfactorily, dissolve 1 part of water glass in 7 parts of warm water that has first been boiled to drive off bacteria, mold, spores, etc. One quart of water glass will make sufficient solution to cover about 12 dozen eggs. With the solution thoroughly mixed, it is ready to pour over the eggs.

In selecting eggs for the purpose of storing, be careful to choose only those which are clean, fresh, and perfectly sound, and, if possible, infertile. It is advisable not to wash them before they are put into the preservative, for they will keep better if their bloom is not removed. Place the eggs in receptacles in the manner explained for preserving eggs in limewater, and over them pour the water-glass solution until they are all covered. If the eggs so prepared are stored in a cool place, they will keep as long as those preserved in limewater; besides, there will be no danger of their acquiring any foreign flavor.

The whole article is on the link, I just put in a small part of it for you to read. If anyone tries it soon please let us know how it turns out!

[ladyhk13]

I was reading that some people used vasoline or paraffin wax as well but I didn't see their results to how long or how good the eggs were in the end. I will continue to search and see what I can find.
Editing now...here is a study that was done on brown eggs but I assume there isn't much difference. I am adding the link and the conclusions. You can go to the site and read the study...it's not too terribly long.

http://www.darkbrowneggs.info/#/wash-egg-or-not-for-storage/4551985715


CONCLUSIONS
At the end of seven months (all of our experiment that was finished and processed at the time this issue went to press), then, we had drawn these conclusions about our egg preservation experiment:

[1] Unwashed, fertile homestead eggs seem to store much better than washed, unfertile agribiz eggs. Why? Probably for the simple reason that they're unwashed ... and not because they're fertile. Hen fruit, as it comes from the chicken, is coated with a light layer of a natural sealing agent called "bloom". And, while a good wash may make a batch of eggs look more attractive, it also removes this natural protective coating ... leaving the eggs more subject to aging and attack by the air and bacteria in the air.

[2] The very best way we've found to stash eggs away for long-term storage is in a sealed container at a temperature of 35° to 40°F. Their whites may become somewhat runny looking over a period of time, buteven after seven months—the cackleberries stored in this manner smell good, taste good, have a good texture, and—in short—seem "almost fresh".

[3] The widely touted idea of covering eggs with a solution of one part waterglass (sodium silicate) mixed with nine parts of boiled and cooled water does indeed seem to work better than any other "room temperature" preservation method we tried. If our experiences are any indication, though, it's really good for only about five months and is a distant second to controlled refrigeration.

Another point: As good as some eggs kept in waterglass were, almost every batch we opened seemed to contain one real stinker. Which makes it a superior idea to open any waterglassed egg (or any egg, for that matter) separately into a cup ... where it may be inspected before pouring it into a skillet, pan, or dish with other food.

[4] Unwashed, fertile eggs submerged in a solution of 16 parts water/2 parts lime/1 part salt, packed in lard, and coated with lard seem to keep at room temperature almost as well as unwashed fertile eggs that have been given the waterglass treatment. Washed, unfertile eggs do not.

[5] Unwashed, fertile eggs packed in dry sand or coated with vaseline and stored at room temperature keep a little longer-but not much-than unwashed fertile eggs that are just left lying out at room

[Dropy]

SO last night i made my salsa and canned my firt time ever. Only direction i had was the packcage, Ball Blue book and the directions from the pot i bought to can in. Made 7 pint jars of salsa boiled em for 40 mins. Set em out all night and checked em this morning. All the lid tops are sucked in and not doing the "pop/clicky" thing when i try and press on the "Button" on top. SO i guesse they all sealed good??

I has a happy it went well. :cool:

[JustAPrepper]

Great job! If you're lids are sucked down that means you done good!

[Dropy]

Great job! If you're lids are sucked down that means you done good!

WOOT!!!

~Does the happy canning dance~

[bacpacker]

Dropy, be sure to keep them stored in the dark. A pantry, pie safe, or cabinet works well.

[dragon5126]

I'm suprised nobody mentioned freezing them. very simple process, but limiting in scope, as they need to be shelled, so you need to open them into suitably sized containers seal them up and put them into the deep freeze, and use them for baking, omlettes, scrambled eggs, french toast and similar. You can also fry them but the yokes tend to break. Thaw the containers in the fridge for a day before use, DO not open them until you are going to use them to prevent spoilage. an Ideal use for those small margarine containers you didnt want to dispose of...

[ladyhk13]

I'm suprised nobody mentioned freezing them. very simple process, but limiting in scope, as they need to be shelled, so you need to open them into suitably sized containers seal them up and put them into the deep freeze, and use them for baking, omlettes, scrambled eggs, french toast and similar. You can also fry them but the yokes tend to break. Thaw the containers in the fridge for a day before use, DO not open them until you are going to use them to prevent spoilage. an Ideal use for those small margarine containers you didnt want to dispose of...

A lot of people freeze their eggs but I think of the "what if there is no power" and ya have to store them for a long time without refrigeration. Also chickens lay more certain times of the year so maybe larger families would benefit from storing eggs in this manner if shtf. I am going to go to the big city tomorrow and see if I can find the glass compound and try the experiment to see how they stand up. I know it may be months before I find the results but I'll give it a go. If any of you have tried this technique please tell us or are doing it keep us posted as well and we can compare notes on what works and what doesn't.