Just a question to those that do it, if you really do save money with it or if its more of just a hobby and you know whats in the can instead of buying the store bought ones. Would like some input into starting to can.

thanks!

Having a MUCH better product than you can buy commercially. Canned HOME GROWN tomatoes, and canned beef (where ya gonna buy that). Making use of resources that would otherwise go to waste, without using up freezer space.



Charlie

Much better food canning your own over buying store stuff.

It probably doesn't save much money. What it does provide is a much higher (in my opinion) quality in canned goods. Also, you know exactly what goes into it so there are no surprises. Finally, I know that I do and you may find a certain satisfaction of eating your own home grown canned goods when the snow is flying and you're all warm and cozy in the house. There is something fulfilling and wholesome about it.

Y'all all nailed it!!

I make raspberry jelly out of raspberries I planted since I moved out in the country. I know for a fact you cannot buy anything close to what I end up with. Last year we canned spaghetti sauce with our tomatoes, better than anything you can buy. Well worth the effort.

if you could be off making 30 dollars an hour rather than canning, your right you can't save a dime on it.

if you can't be off making money say if your laid off , you have plenty of time on your hands can away.

you also can't compare your product to the cheapest cans at the store.

if you have a premium product when your done then you would have to compare it to a premium small batch canned product.

it is much like reloading , do I save money over bulk fmj no not if I include my time , but I can shoot a premium bullet and load for about what bulk fmj costs if I don't pay myself at my going rate.

if I had to pay my self at my going rate I could almost never save money. but I have a limit to the hours I can work for my employer around 45-48 a week is about all I can typically get. that leaves me some time to "save money" on other things I cut my heating costs by about $1250 with wood cutting I guess more like 1000 because I probably have to figure 2- 250 a year on saws supplies and equipment , just put a new intake manifold in the wife's SUV saved about $600

if none of this make sense you your not a canner.

Keep in mind that this is what is going into a fueling your body. You trust yourself and would you rather use your own home grown canned goods or trust a factory given the choice? It's pretty clear if you ask me.

I make both turkey and venison chili , which I can . I make it the way I like it with the ingredients I like . There are no preservatives or anything in it that I can't pronounce like in store bought . It is absolutely worth it imo .

X2 but I normally vac pack and freeze meals. Same difference though.

It's certainly a skill worth knowing and having the tools on hand to do so.............just in case the Dems get their way one of these days.

We can when we have an abundance of something that we enjoy and it is seasonally available.
Mostly we can tuna, string beans, and tomatoes.

if none of this make sense you your not a canner.[/quote]


Nope im not a canner but I understand what everyone is saying. lol! Im looking at the american one..21.5 quarts but which size is best? Also canning books you recommend? While im asking, I was wanting to use a separate single propane stove burner in the garage, not using the kitchen do any of you do it that way? Having a separate stove?

Your county extension service will have good info. I think the US Dept of Agriculture will also.

The big American canner is nice, but a slightly smaller and far less expensive Presto will do the same thing. It is not something you use very much. Either will last a lifetime.

Check eBay for a used canner or a new model at a discount. Very little maintenance. Mostly gaskets.

you don't need crazy heat , you need a controllable burner your going to back it way down once your up to pressure.[/quote]



size of canner , do you eat a quart at a meal or a pint at a meal?

My family I want one that will process as many quarts at a time as I can but I met a couple at a farm market who canned everything in pints they prefered the size they were older and not big eaters a pint was a meal for them.

The value depends on what your canning. Elderberry syrup, which sells for $2.50 to $8.00 an ounce at a store or online is definitely much cheaper to pick and put up yourself. Most pickles and some canned fruit are cheaper to put up yourself too.

Keith

Money saved- I drink 8 ounces of tomato juice about 300 days or more per year instead of 6 ounces of OJ. Based on current prices that saves about $110 per year. I make and use 70 pints of salsa per year. Current prices would save about $200. I also can 30 qts of stewed tomatoes and that saves another $50. Sure there are costs in plants, seeds, canning equipment, jars, and spices etc. but for tomatoes I can save a bit. The real advantage for me is no salt in the juice or salsa. Most years all the peppers, tomatoes, onions, carrots etc. are home grown.
I also freeze several pint bags of green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet corn etc. I also crush and freeze several pints and qts, of strawberries, raspberries and some asparagus. I don't add any sugar to any of the berries.

I am sure I could buy potatoes and onions cheaper than raising but I like the potatoes and onions I raise. With sheep compost we don't need to buy inorganic fertilizer. We can and do also eat a lot fresh. By planting smaller sections of some veggies about every 3 weeks we can get fresh for several months. I also do things like spread out cabbage plantings and use that for salad late season. Cabbages store for a long time and are much lower cost then lettuce if you need to buy it. Once investments are made for the most part savings are there but eating what you know is a bigger deal.

Bryce

I can deer way faster than cwf, and way cheaper than some pay processors.

I saw garden plants at 4 bucks each, my goodness.

The guys covered all the bases very well.

My only additional thoughts are:

Most plants in most grow zones are seasonal. Typically 2-4 weeks per year.
Canned goods can remain edible for many years, sometimes decades.
Thus preserving allows us to enjoy foods not only out of season,
but also to cover poor years with the surplus from years of plenty.

Another angle is the modern supply chain makes everything from everywhere available anytime.
What if it is interrupted and shelves are empty? What if there is no firm date on when they'll be full again? What if prices skyrocket due to scarcity, inflation, etc?

"Better to have and not need, than need and not have."

I have the All American model 921......which I suspect is the 21.5 quart. That is liquid volume....not canning capacity. Mine does 7 quarts and is supposed to 19 pints, but I can only fit 18.....two layers of 9 each. I'd buy it again. BTW, instruction manual that comes with it has all you need to know, but as for canning books, the Ball Blue Book is considered the gold standard. You can get those new at most book stores, or used off ebay or Amazon. Basic information hasn't changed much in 50 years.

On the heat......I have moved the heat part of my canning operation from the kitchen to an outside screened in porch......and use a propane fish cooker with smaller 60,000 btu banjo burner. During the actual cooking process, the canner uses very little heat to maintain steam, but getting it up there is a different story. You put a couple inches of cold water in the bottom, heat that up to a mild boil......load product, seal up the canner.......then apply heat.....lots of it. Canner comes up to steam without the weight for several minutes.....goal is to replace all air in the interior with live steam.....before you slap on the weight.......and then it has to heat a few minutes more before the weight (jiggler) starts dancing....meaning canner has come up to pressure. You then process for as little as 10 minutes to as long as an hour or more......then cut the heat, let the steam drop off, then remove product......reload and repeat. And around here, this is usually done with vegetables in July or August. Done inside, all that heat inside the house works against the AC. So it works better for me outdoors.

Canning meat in winter would be a different story. I'd want that heat inside.

I'd only add one more thing. Our normal tap water is very hard.....lots of calcium. As water boils off, calcium concentrates, so using hard tap water leaves a white chalky film on everything. Jar lids, and canner alike. So I only use soft water in it. If you don't have soft water, you can used distilled.....or live with the white chalk. It doesn't hurt anything but appearance.