Planning the Garden for Canning - or Freezing or Pickling or Dehydrating

This article was also published at Sustainable Dakota Digest. Photos courtesy of Maria Birch, Sharon Enos and Susan Weisflock.
 

Photo courtesy of Maria Birch

How many quarts of home canned tomatoes will your family eat over the winter? No matter if it is just one quart or fifty quarts, you can grow those tomatoes right in your garden.

A small piece of ground or even a container garden can produce enough tomatoes – or most any fruit or vegetable for preserving.

Photo courtesy of Susan Weisflock

Harvest dates for produce grown in South Dakota can range from May to November. Dakota Rural Action publishes a handy chart of South Dakota Harvest Dates.

Plenty of publications are available online to help you learn the ins and outs of gardening, and to acquaint you with the various styles of gardening – traditional gardens and container gardens, to name a few.

Start planning that canning garden by determining which style garden works best for you.Then figure out what to grow. Start small, do not overdo it. There is nothing more discouraging that having home grown produce spoil because you cannot get it canned, frozen, pickled or dehydrated fast enough.

A small crack on a tomato or a black spot can be cut out. Fully ripe tomatoes make excellent juice. Tomatoes that are moldy or smell bad belong on the compost heap. So do mushy or molding cucumbers. Limp or overgrown cucumbers make excellent relish.

Photo courtesy of Susan Weisflock

Fifteen tomato plants will easily yield 15 quarts of tomatoes. Would those fifteen quarts help get your family through the winter?

Just know that you might not be canning all 15 of those quarts at the same time. The season will start with slow yields, maybe one or two ripe tomatoes a day. When August rolls around, prepare to can and freeze. This is peak tomato season.

A raised bed garden just 6-feet by 4-feet could hold those 15 tomato plants. This compact space makes it easy to manage the garden. Weeding, watering and harvesting will be a breeze. The four-feet width makes it possible to reach the center of the garden without walking on the soil.

Photo courtesy of Sharon Enos

This means you could plant some other things around those tomato plants. This type of intensive planting or companion planting is a common practice in Southeast Asia and other areas of the world where land and water are scarce. This type garden is not planted in rows, but rather in “blocks.”

A tomato plant might be surrounded with lettuce, carrots and onions or chive plants. This method of planting conserves water, garden space, and helps keep weeds down.

Beans and cucumbers make good companion plants. They could share a raised bed. Plant a dozen or so bean plants in one-third of the bed and plant a 12 to 15 cucumber plants in the rest of the bed. The cucumbers will yield 15 to 20 quarts of 3- to 4-inch pickles or up to 30 quarts of 1- to 2-inch pickles.

The beans will yield 15 or more quarts of beans – either canned or frozen. If garden space is not available, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash and herbs can easily be grown in a container garden.

Photo courtesy of Maria Birch

Just imagine a mini-herb garden in an old water pail sitting just outside in the sun near your kitchen door. All you have to do is step outside to snip off oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, chives or lemon balm to add to the tomatoes you are canning.

Enjoy your gardening experience. There is nothing quite like produce fresh from your own garden. And nothing tastes better on a cold winter night than tomatoes or other produce home-canned from your own garden. 

Photo courtesy of Susan Weisflock

Resource Materials
Vegetable Gardening, Rhoda Burrows and David Graper, South Dakota State University Extension, http://pubstorage.sdstate.edu/AgBio_Publications/articles/EC668.pdf

South Dakota Harvest, Dakota Rural Action, http://sdlocalfood.org/dates.htm

Growing Tomatoes in the Home Garden, Rhoda Burrows, SDSU Extension, http://pubstorage.sdstate.edu/AgBio_Publications/articles/FS915.pdf

Specialized Gardening Techniques: Wide-row Planting, Square Foot Gardening and Raised Beds, University of Wisconsin Extension, Helen C. Harrison, http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/A3384.PDF

Raised Bed Gardening, Christopher J. Starbuck, University of Missouri Extension, http://extension.missouri.edu/p/g6985

Small Space Gardening, Mother Earth News, Feb./Mar. 2012, http://www.motherearthnews.com/article.aspx?id=2147498802

Growing Cucumbers, Peppers, Squash and Tomatoes In Containers, Ohio State University Extension, http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1645.html

Container Gardens, Colorado State University Extension, http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07238.html

Vegetable Gardening in Containers, Joseph J. Masabni, Aglife Extension, Texas A & M, http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/guides/e-545_vegetable_gardening_containers.pdf

Carrots love tomatoes, companion planting for a healthy garden, Mother Earth News,  Feb./Mar. 1992 http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/carrots-love-tomatoes-companion-planting-for-a-healthy-garden-zb0z11zbug.aspx

The Larder

It's that time of year again when the larder is getting low. Need to do some Planning for Canning to stock up that larder. Stay tuned for info and tips on how to figure it all out.

Canning Action

With help from Tyra, Alysha and Alex, WOOFers at Muddy Pumpkin Farms, this is what went into jars in a five hour period. The final shot is short a few jars. One batch in the canner, and another waiting to go in. Hal and Mark were kept busy bring stuff in and checking on us.

We're going to call it a good day's work.

TOMATO MARMALADE

 

Over run with pear or cherry tomatoes? 

Make tomato marmalade.  

What does one do with tomato marmalade? Spread it on toasted herb bread, or place a dab atop a slice of goat cheese on a cracker, or use as a condiment for a beef sandwich.  So goood......

Tomato marmalade can be simple – tomatoes and sugar boiled together until thick.  Herbs, such as rosemary, oregano or thyme can be added, and will enhance the flavor.

The formula:

• For every pound of tomatoes, use a pound of sugar.
• For every pound of sugar, use ½ cup water.
• For every pound of tomatoes, use one bunch of herbs, ¼ cup or more, optional.
• Yield: 1 half-pint jar for every pint or .75 pounds of pear or cherry tomatoes.  
• One pint of tomatoes equals .75 pounds.
• One pound of sugar equals 2.25 cups.

TOMATO MARMALADE

Yield: 4 half-pint jars

Equipment:

Kettle for cooking marmalade

Canner with jar rack and lid

4 sterilized half-pint jars with lids and bands

Ladle

Jar lifter

Magnetized lid lifter

Small kettle for preparing hot lids

Ingredients

Herbs, optional

4 pints or 3 pounds pear or cherry tomatoes

3 pounds or 6.75 cups sugar

1 ½ cups water

Sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar, optional

Method

• Wash tomatoes and remove stems.
• Remove dead leaves from herbs, wash.
• Put water, sugar and herbs (optional) into the kettle.
• Put kettle on medium heat and stir to keep sugar from sticking.
• Bring mixture to boil and boil for 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes.
• Leave lid off and do not stir.
• Allow mixture to simmer, without stirring. The liquid will become clear as the tomatoes begin to sweat out their juice.
• Cook until thick. Decreasing heat if necessary.
• When the mixture begins to carmelize – taking on a brownish color - add a splash of sherry vinegar and stir.
• Ladle hot marmalade into jars, leaving ½” head space.
• Wipe the rim with a clean damp cloth.
• Apply a hot lid and band.
• Using a jar lifter, put jars into a boiling water bath canner.
• Process in a boiling water bath: 10 minutes for half-pints.
• Using a jar lifter, remove jars from canner and place atop a towel in a draft free area.
• Listen for the ‘ping’ that indicates the jar is sealed.
• When cool, press on the center of the lid to check for a seal – lid will be concave and have no “give.”
• Remove band and reuse. 
• Wipe jar and store in pantry.

If you are new to canning or need a refresher, check out these articles on Sustainable Dakota Digest:

A Compendium of Useful and Important Information for Boiling Water Bath Canning

Home Canning: How to Get Started

First learned about tomato marmalade at Culiblog. Have been a fan ever since.

Canning extravaganza as community building

Canning extravaganza and the building of a community.

That sounds like a good title for an article on the value of creating good food and sharing that with a community of willing learners. The article is coming, the photos are here.

Grandma's Pickling Spice Recipe

Grandma was known for her kitchen skills. People sent her letters with special requests for her canned goods. They knew a good thing when they tasted it!

Grandma's Pickling Spice Recipe
2 Tablespoons Mustard Seeds
2 Tablespoons Whole Allspice
2 Teaspoons Coriander Seeds
2 Teaspoons Whole Cloves
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Dried Red Pepper Flakes (or more if you like more heat)
1 Bay Leaf, Crumbled
1 Cinnamon Stick, 2 Inches In Length

 We never purchased pickling spice at the grocery store. I didn't realize one could do that until I was well into my 20s.

Home Canning ... Another Word for Sustainable

So very happy to see Sustainable Dakota Digest published an article I wrote for them: Home Canning: How to Get Started.

Sustainable Dakota Digest is designed to foster sustainability in Western Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Northern Nebraska.

Facebook: Sustainable Dakota Digest
Twitter: SD Digest, hashtag #sustainsd

Canning - A Way of Life

The truth be told, I cannot remember when I stared canning. What I do remember is that home canned food sure tasted good. In our multi-generational home, Grandma canned enough for us to eat all winter and then some. As 6- and 7-year olds we were stationed at wash tubs to clean cucumbers, tomatoes, beets and more. Swathed in an apron, standing on a little wooden stool, armed with a vegetable brush and a square of muslin we worked away at our task. It was a big deal to be promoted to jar stuffer as a 9- or 10-year old. Teenagers managed the loading and unloading of the hug copper boilers loaded down with 20 or more jars of pure goodness.

We were never without food, could feed unexpected company by opening a few jars, and had plenty of fancy canned things for gifting. Grandma categorized relishes, chutneys, certain jams and jellies and her famous pickled beets as fancy canned - not everyday fair, intended for gifts or eating on special days.

My dream is to start a canning school, to teach a skill I learned as a child, and from which I have benefited my entire life.

Larder or Pantry, if you prefer, Chapter II

Moroccan cauliflower and carrots
Moroccan beets
Salsa, steaming hot
Curry pickle relish
Yellow tomato marmalade with lemon thyme and sage
Red onion relish

Larder or Pantry, if you prefer

Added to the larder this week:

Canned tomatoes, the yellow lemon boys get the award for eye-appeal
Salsa
Christmas pickles using Grandma's recipe
Cherry Koolickles
Lime Koolickles
Caramelized onion relish
Dill pickle relish
Sweet pickle and pepper relish
Zucchini relish with a bit of a kick to it
Marinara sauce
Tomato juice
Armenian dill pickles

And there is still more produce hanging around the kitchen and pantry just waiting to go into a jar.

Need more shelving...

Canning Season

Are you in the throes of canning?   I am.  Using mostly variations of my grandma's canning recipes.  Written on index cards--some while I was still in high school.

Do you have a favorite canning recipe?

Canning Season

So excited about using the strainer gizmo to make tomato sauce tonight.  It will cook down overnight in a crock pot with the cover askew.  And then come Tuesday, into jars and a hot water bath. Post bath residence will be amidst other jars of canned goodness in the larder, or pantry if you prefer.

Oh, yes, then there's the pickling party on Tuesday.  Well, providing the cukes arrive in time.  Ordered three bushels from the lovely Hutterite family who was selling produce near the house this past Saturday.

So what's your favorite thing to can...or your favorite canned thing to eat?

Photos to follow?

Canning, canning

Ran out of freezer space long ago - probably mid July. So it's drying and canning for me. What's in those jars?

Sun dried tomatoes - Cherokee purple cherry tomatoes, yellow pears, and red cherry tomatoes
Tomato marmalades of all descriptions. Here's a great recipe to start off your tomato marmalade collection.
Pear chutney
Apple pear chutney
Citrus mango marmalade

Waiting on a load of grapes and tomatoes from Dr. Soozi's garden. Grape juice to start with - until we can figure out what to do with it. And stewed tomatoes.

I can't wait to dive into all these goodies when it's cold and freezy outside. Ohhhhhhh the taste of summer.

And then there's been the kefir, yogurt and mozzarella making episodes. More on them later.