Over the weekend I turned 25 lbs. of bacon into 38 half pints to add to the shelves. A general rule of thumb is that 1 lb. of meat equals one pint canned. Considering the amount of bacon I set aside for eating and to add to baked beans, along with the amount I consumed for 'quality control,' (Come on. It is bacon. The temptation was just too great.) the amount canned was just about right.
Last evening I set 4 quarts of white beans to soaking and they are now in my big electric roaster, cooking. Later this afternoon I will jar them up, add a little cooked bacon to each jar and process them. The recipe can be found HERE.
This recipe is kind of fussy and time consuming, what with the pre-cooking, but I have tried several recipes and methods over the years and found this one to be really good. It is worth the time and trouble.
I have a long list of food I need to can up before prices become too outrageous. I hope my kids won't be too unhappy with me if I wind up needing them to lug more jars up the stairs. :)
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You probably remember the old saw, "A pint's a pound the world around."
ReplyDeleteGorges...Nope. I had forgotten all about it. Thanks for the memory poke. :)
DeleteYum! Sounds delicious and nutritious, Vicki. Hope your home won't get too warm. Your shelves are going to have a winter's worth of good foods ready to heat up on cold Minnesota days. Down here in Iowa, I am still doin'the slicing and dicing gig. I won't complain though as the dehydrated veggies will be on the shelves soon and ready for adding to soups and hot dishes this winter. Everyone should expect food prices to go up, particularly with Iran's latest attacks. I expect fuel prices to rise, which will increase the cost of shipping. They will increase the food prices to cover increased shipping costs. This is one more reason to practice food storage; as if we needed another reason. Take care...CW
ReplyDeleteCW...I got the cooking part done today but the canning will have to wait until tomorrow morning. The best laid plans and all of that. :)
DeleteI love having the dehydrated veggies on hand for soups. I make lots of soup over the winter. My crock pot is my best friend! I need to dry a few more items and will try to get that done next week. The more I can get done now, the less it will cost me. You are spot on about food prices heading skyward. If this Iran thing gets totally out of control, it won't be just the price of food that will be affected. I just don't know how those who ignore the need for food storage will survive. Keep on prepping!!
Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a link to how you can your bacon? Even though I don't do it any more because hubby was always fussing about this or that, I still have my water bath and pressure canner - though I suppose I should get the pressure regulator checked somewhere.
And who doesn't like bacon? :)
LindaG...There are several ways to can bacon. Some wrap slices in parchment paper, roll them up and can them in wide mouth jars. There are all sorts of YouTube videos on how to do it that way. I tried that method and it worked OK. Others just pack raw bacon, usually in pieces, into jars and can it that way. That works, but the bacon needs to then be browned before using. I like my method the best.
DeleteI slice the bacon into about 1-inch pieces and lightly brown them. (A Dutch oven works well for this.) Then they are drained in a colander over a bowl to catch the grease, which I save to use for frying. I was going to can the grease but canning jars are at a premium here, so I filled a pint jar for the fridge and just poured the rest into freezer bags and froze it for later use.
I pack the cooked bacon pieces in half pint jars, tamping them down fairly tightly because they will shrink a little bit in processing, leaving a 1-inch headspace. I do not add any liquid, just wipe the jar rims with a paper towel soaked in vinegar. Vinegar will cut any grease on the rim. Then just put on the lids and rings. The bacon is processed in a pressure canner for 75 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure for my elevation. The time is for both pints and half pints.
I use half pint jars because that is a good amount for one or two people. I add the bacon bits to scrambled eggs or casseroles or scalloped potatoes. If I want bacon and eggs for breakfast, I don't care if the bacon is in slices or pieces. It is all good. :)
County Extension Offices will check pressure canner gauges. Neither of my canners has a gauge, so I have never needed this service, but maybe an office in your area could check yours for you.
Hope this helps.
That helps a lot, Vicki. Thank you. :)
DeleteDo you mind divulging your source for decently priced bacon?
ReplyDeletechipmunk...I'm sorry. The bacon came from a private source that isn't open to the public. I do know that my local Sam's Club has bacon for a couple of dollars per pound less than the grocery stores.
DeleteThanks Vicki. I was guessing that was the case, but thought I'd check.
DeleteVicki~I noticed you said you don't use uncured bacon. Due to the breast cancer, I need to avoid cured meats because of the nitrates and nitrites. Would canning bacon still work if I used whole strips with parchment paper?
ReplyDeleteI realized the other day, I only had hard white and red wheat for grinding. Just ordered 80 pounds of vacuum sealed soft white wheat for cookies and cakes. Time for another inventory update to see where the holes are. Red
Red...I once used smoked bacon (uncured) and canned it just the same way I did this batch. The canning process turned it into a slimy mess. That was my one and only experience with uncured bacon. I really don't know how strips of uncured bacon in parchment paper would work.
DeleteI really wish I had the space to store wheat, but I just don't. Nor do I own a grinder. So I store all purpose flour, freezing it for a few days to kill any creepy crawlies and then transferring it to zip lock bags and storing those in buckets. I would rather have wheat, but this method for storing flour has worked so far - no bugs and it hasn't turned rancid.
I did an inventory last week and found holes. I have more canning and dehydrating to do as far as the food goes, plus I am way short on lighting should we lose electricity. I wonder if those outdoor solar lights that people use to line their driveways might work - just set them in a sunny window during the day to recharge. Maybe?
Good morning, Vicki. I noticed your comment on the need for more lighting. I have not tried the outdoor solar lighting, however, I have tried and really like two other light sources. The first is a small handled, pull-up LED lantern. It provides a huge amount of light; enough to light up a room. My son has ordered them on Amazon for around $10-12 apiece. We all have them in our bedrooms plus take several when we travel. They come with a battery and they have lasted for several years. The other light source that I really like are small battery powered tealights. They also come with their own batteries. I purchased a package of a dozen for around $10 at Hobby Lobby (one of my favorite conservative Christian businesses). I always take several with me when traveling to sit on nightstand of hotel room or in the bathroom; very small, light weight and each last for many uses. They are a great help when waking up in an unfamiliar place or getting up during the night. I think both are very reasonably priced, last a very long time, and are much safer than lit candles. Have a great day...CW
DeleteCW...Thanks so much for the info on alternative lighting. I haven't really done any research into options, but I know I don't want to rely on candles or any fuel based lighting. Storing fuel in an apartment is questionable at best. I have added your suggestions to my 'list of stuff' and really appreciate your help.
DeleteI can almost smell your bacon cooking over here in Cokato.
ReplyDeleteRob...I am not surprised. The smell went throughout the entire building, I'm told. :)
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