Any good canning/pickling forums out there?

[homegrown13]

Tried my hand a pickling/canning last year, and had varying results. My homegrown salsa was awesome.... my pickles... not so much.

I have a bigger garden this year, and while I will definitely can my salsa again this year, I'm hoping to pickle and can some green beans this year... so long as I can figure out and fix the issues with their growth.

It would be nice to find a forum for canning to dive deeper in to... yes, another hobby.

Thanks in advance!

[cynthia_h]

I know that we've had some pretty thorough discussions about canning and all here at THG. They tend to cluster (for some reason ) in the July through September time frame; at least, they have in 2008 and 2009!

And I've seen them all over the map: Fruit Growing, Vegetable Growing, Tomatoes, Organic, etc.

I'm enduring a particularly intense time right now: my work has gone off the charts *and* my 6-year-old Bernese Mtn Dog (105 lb) just had a knee rebuild (TPLO) last Wednesday. So we moved my computer downstairs so that "Mommy" can help Doggy outside each and every time he needs it, sleep on Doggy's schedule, *and* keep up with work. Oh, yes, we have a 10-year-old dog and two cats, and DH has a job as well.

All of which is to say that, ordinarily, I would do a look-up for you, but tonight I can't. Sorry! But the recipes, techniques, and encouragement are here to be found. I am one of the canners myself, so looking for key words and then scanning threads is a way that I know from my own experience will get you some good info.

But they aren't segregated into their own forum. People want to can whatever they happen to have gotten lucky on that season, and who--ah--CAN blame them?

Cynthia H.

Vergil is having a relatively calm evening tonight...no whining, barking...just panting and being blatantly bored. Even with a new bone.

[homegrown13]

Thanks for the reply Cynthia. Best wishes to your "family."

I figured I could find some good info here. Along with my fermenting hobby (yes, I brew my own beer - and have grown my own hops ), my wife thinks I'm nuts that I would want to take this on (along with my sights set on cheese making in the near future, ). I jest, she actually finds it to be one of my charms.

I will certainly keep my eyes open in the coming months for some canning/pickling threads.

Cheers!

[rainbowgardener]

I don't know of canning forums. But cynthia is right. Typing the word canning into the Search the Forum feature brings up 19 pages of listings.

If you want to narrow that down you would use canning AND .... whatever you are interested in.

[mtmickey]

homegrown13, there's always room for another hobby. We also grow our own hops, make beer and wine, and can whatever we can. I don't know of any canning forums (never really looked), but get yourself the blue ball canning book. It is fabulous and has great pickling recipes. I always put a LOT more dill than the recipes call for and have had delicious pickles. Their recipe for bread and butter pickles is also fabulous.

[kimbledawn]

Tell me when you find one but tell us what the problem was and maybe some of the canners can help you.

My first year of canning was last season and my salsa was great but we has some trials with the pickles. Some things I did discover was:

For Crisper firmer pickles, soak them in very icy water for 1 hour before canning

always taste your brine

My hubby didn't soak his and they were soft.

Dawn

[DoubleDogFarm]

I may get wacked for this one, sorry about your hubbys soft pickle.

I've done some of all of the above. Beer brewing, Mac and Jack, has been our best so far. Canning, vaccum sealing, dehydrating. I'll be branching out into building a bread oven and smoke house soon.

I think Helpful Gardener, could use a few more categories. IMHO.

[rkunsaw]

https://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_06/sauerkraut.html
This is one of many sites about canning.We can and make kraut,freeze and dehydrate.Usually things come out good...sometimes they don't
Larry

[gixxerific]

I agree DDog and was going to quietly suggest yet another forum on HG. A canning would be great. Just look quite a bit of the people on here have big to hue garden with so much overflow you have to do something with it right. I just got a canner for Christmas and this will be my first year. I'm up for a learning adventure. But I do have grandma who has been a farm girl all her life, she know a thing or 5,000 about canning, where do you think I got all my jars from.

I know HG has almost too many sections as it is, at least compared to other gardening forums. But maybe we could sneak it in with the recipe section.

Back to topic I did a Google search and here area few forums for you I will be bookmarking them myself.

[url=https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CBUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcanningpantryforum.yuku.com%2F&ei=4YgFTPjeHp3CMprB8Ts&usg=AFQjCNEtdTFZ2dW0FKbSi5Dxyq1XgkrH2A&sig2=qeCnyoH5wTl06eoXsaVy5Q]Canning pantry forum[/url]
[url=https://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=24]Recipe Czar[/url]
[url=https://www.freshpreserving.com/]Ball (they make the jars the should know how to do it[/url]

I hope these are legal to post I didn't really check them out too much but they will be a good start.

Good luck to you and me, we are going to need it.

[webmaster]

Thanks for those links, Gixx.

Should we have a canning category? Or is that branching out too far?

[gixxerific]

Thanks for those links, Gixx.

Should we have a canning category? Or is that branching out too far?

I wouldn't mind one. This site is getting pretty big. It does take a while to get through all the post. But than again this site is about finding information. With a more varied sectional it would be easier for such task. But where do you stop again comes into play.

Put it to a vote, Like I said it could be paired up with the recipe section, but than it might get lost in there. So far be it from me to guide this endeavor.

[DoubleDogFarm]

It's true, You can continue to expand or pare down. Work on quality instead of quantity.

A few topic I like.

Small Livestock
Greenhouse and outbuildings
Market Gardening

[hit or miss]

Here's a couple to peruse-

https://canningusa.com/TableofContentsGeneral.htm

https://www.simplycanning.com/index.html

As with any discussion of canning a note of caution. Use recipes from the internet at your own risk.

The link in a post above is for the National Center for Food Preservation and is very good plus all the recipes have been tested.

There are some more out there if you look.

The Ball Blue Book is a great resource too.

I agree that a section for Food Preservation would be great!

[jal_ut]

Should we have a canning category? Or is that branching out too far?

I would say no. Gardeners are an interesting lot and everyone I know has varied interests. I don't care what subject you ask about on this forum you will get plenty of feedback. I know some get antsy if subjects are off topic, however if you make more forums you will spread out the activity until you have some headings that get almost no use.

Personally, I would prefer to have fewer headings and have a good brisk turnover. I have several forums that I check most every day. On each one of them I will generally check only one topic. It gets to be a ratrace if you try to check each topic on several forums.

Preserving the harvest is something that all gardeners do to some extent. Lots of experence here on that subject. I am sure I am not alone on that. I will be happy to respond to queries on this topic, but am not likely to be reading all the other topic headings.

FWIW

[jal_ut]

[url=https://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_05/chicken_rabbit.html]Look at this page. There is lots of good info on this site. Not a forum.[/url]

[gixxerific]

[url=https://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_05/chicken_rabbit.html]Look at this page. There is lots of good info on this site. Not a forum.[/url]

Great link Jal I had that bookmarked before my PC crashed. I forgot about it.

Thanks

[crobi13]

Thanks for those links, Gixx.

Should we have a canning category? Or is that branching out too far?

I would LOVE a canning category!

[Ozark Lady]

I say Yes!

Some forums have great categories, but too much...uh...uncensored items! And therefore are not pleasant to visit.

I have 2 forums that I can safely visit, this one and goats. But the others, I must pick categories very carefully and still occasionally they are offensive, in language, and content. But, they have great info and links, that just aren't here, because there is no place to put them.

To be sustainable: would be the whole concept not just a piece here and there. I would like to see food preserving, homesteading, cottage businesses, soap making, alternative energy, livestock, reuse and recycle threads. And simply put the threads on a use it or lose it rule. If a thread is not used x amount of times per month, then just break it up and put it in the doesn't fit category.

I find the search feature very unhelpful. I have to know what I want, and still usually can't find it. I don't imagine that I am the only clutz, who gets annoyed and gives up looking for something, that I know is here, but I can't find the right key word.

[DoubleDogFarm]

I find the search feature very unhelpful. I have to know what I want, and still usually can't find it. I don't imagine that I am the only clutz, who gets annoyed and gives up looking for something, that I know is here, but I can't find the right key word.

Maybe this is why some of the same questions seem to get ask over and over. People like to use forums as chat rooms, show and tell. You could just use Google search and find all the information you are looking for.

One category, Sustainability, this would work for me and cover most topics.

[Dixana]

I would LOVE a food preservation forum! I mean, I have 20 tomato plants, we can't eat them all!!!!
Not just canning though, freezing, drying, etc. too!

[garden5]

[url=https://canningpantryforum.yuku.com/]Here[/url] is one that looks pretty active and [url=https://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f94/]here[/url] is another one.

[gixxerific]

[url=https://canningpantryforum.yuku.com/]Here[/url] is one that looks pretty active and [url=https://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f94/]here[/url] is another one.

nice links G5 way to go.

And DDF "sustainability" sounds good with several things thrown together. Otherwise this site will get un-navigable

[cynthia_h]

I think the OP was asking for canning forums/discussions that members could vouch for. I'm pretty sure he's thoroughly capable of doing an Internet search!

If anyone has experience with these canning forums, please tell us more about them. I've found lots of discussions right here, although having a "home" for them, whether it be called Sustainability, Keeping the Harvest Going, or whatever, doesn't matter to me.

(Not much does, this week...)

Cynthia

Vergil is having a hard day...I can't seem to get a handle on his pain level, and he is panting and whining. I've given him the max doses, and using the trank just tranks him; he'll still feel the pain but be unable to let me know. Seems very unfair, so I'm not doing it. If he can't drop off to sleep, well, maybe....