June 16, 2017
Bulk Canning
Four hours of simmering marinara and the house smells like Italian spices! Oregano, sweet basil, flowery parsley, smooth garlic, marjoram, sage, thyme, onion, and rosemary flavors blend together with a yummy tomato base to make five gallons of nearly meatless red sauce (nearly, because we use one pound of finely ground meat for flavor). This is a family cupboard staple. We use our marinara for lasagna, in soup, for rice dishes, and our favorite way – as spaghetti sauce!
One pound of any noodle + one quart of marinara + a handful of meatballs = yummy spaghetti!
This cooks in the time it takes to boil noodles (usually 15 minutes) so it’s a fast meal.
We started making our healthy bulk marinara about 15 years ago. First we experimented with small batches for taste. When we got taste down, we started making full canning-pot batches. (Our canning pot holds 5.5 gallons, but we leave space for stirring, so each “batch” is 5 gallons.)
We spend about 4 or 5 hours canning and processing for one batch of chili or marinara. But after one batch, we have jars for 10 to 20 meals. They are perfect for any busy day. (Like when I’m trying to finish writing but everyone, including my tummy, is hungry!)
This helps on time and on budget!
Each 32 ounce jar of marinara costs us approximately $0.80 to make. Our chili is about $2.40 per quart jar. It is easy on the budget, it’s a taste we love, and we know what’s in it!
Now we bulk cook and process (can) many things: chili (our fully organic, vegetable packed, vitamin-loaded spicy soup), broths from our chickens, grapefruit juice, garden vegetables, and soups. This gives us healthier options with fast cook times! Since we can adjust the recipe to our liking, we develop bulk recipes that we love. (There are a few ratio rules to research and remember when attempting to process soups with heavy starches like rice, corn, and other grains – I keep a booklet with notes.)
Canning can sometimes create funny stories. For example: once, a little helper scooped out 4 tablespoons of crushed red pepper instead of 4 teaspoons and accidentally created “Dragon-Fire Chili,” which she and Louis loved (however, that has not been duplicated on purpose!).
Canned food is also easy to share! We once had truckloads of fresh grapefruit. It took us days to juice the excesses we couldn’t eat. We canned the juice and had fresh grapefruit juice for almost two years. (And so did most of our family!) We love to buy mountain apples by the bushel when they are in season and anything not immediately eaten turns into homemade applesauce – one of our favorites! Overly ripe peaches in the soup-stuff box at the local produce market? This becomes awesome peach preserves! Any overage of garden vegetables (like 12 bushels of beets) becomes canned away for a rainy day. (Actually, it was separated into beet greens and beet roots, processed, and opened as a side dish with at least three weekly meals until we ran out!)
Canning also saves us freezer space (we buy whole local beef & pork and save freezer space for Unca ChaCha’s occasional gift of venison).
As with any type of cooking, all the instruments must be clean, food fresh, and preparer(s) maintain a clean working environment. If you take these precautions and take it slow (plan an entire afternoon or whole day) the first few times, you just may discover that you enjoy this “old way” of processing and storing food. I love it!
Thanks for reading!
Type at you next time…
~Nancy Tart