Canning Season is upon us NOW!

We have been very busy at PMG the past few months helping people get ready for canning season. Here in Washington, near Seattle the weather has been very cool, cloudy and raining. The only things doing well in the garden are the greens, like Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Kale ect. Although our family and all our neighbors like eating fresh greens, the question came up, how can we preserve with canning some of these greens, especially the Mustard Greens and Kale.

Just for your info, we found a Cajun cook on YouTube who shows how to cann Mustard Greens. Here is how for retort bags. Really the same as jars just in your bags.

1) Steam the greens until wilted.
2) Precook bacon and onions together.
3) 1/4 teaspoon Season Salts, he had a special southern style but I think a flavor of your choice would do fine.

Add bacon, onions, wilted greens and season salt into container glass jar I choose a retort. Then ad water to cover. Put your lids on or in the case of retorts seal in your vacuum packer. Now pressure can 11 pounds of pressure, he said for 70 minutes for the 8 oz jar or in the case or retort packages a bit less for 4 oz but only maybe 5 minutes as the bacon needs the time.

This is one I will be doing this year, store what grows!
Happy canning!

Retort Canning of has NO Scientific data from the FDA or USDA for home canners.  The concerns come from non acid foods such as meats!  We are expressing our experiences, but by no way are these experiences authorized data. Can at your own risk!  
As they say, "Re-Heat before you Eat" on any home canned product in glass, cans or retort for best safety practices.  
All home canning is AT YOUR OWN RISK! 

Retort Canning, more on prep, care and safety tips.

Vacuum packing is storage not preservation. Retort canning is a bit of both. While you are stuffing retort bags, sealing them it can take up to 30 minutes or more. Be safe put sealed bags on ice or refrigerate while you are processing the balance of the bags to fit into a pressure canner. Bacteria and botulizum can grow very fast in a warm non oxygenated container. Be safe keep all products very cold until you are ready to fill the pressure canner and start the cooking process.

When we have only one or two bags say from left over roast, or chicken. We vacuum seal them and then freeze them. When we have collected enough frozen packages we thaw them in the fridge over night and then put them into the pressure canner for processing.

Here is a quick video.




Retort Canning of has NO Scientific data from the FDA or USDA for home canners.  The concerns come from non acid foods such as meats!  We are expressing our experiences, but by no way are these experiences authorized data. Can at your own risk!  
As they say, "Re-Heat before you Eat" on any home canned product in glass, cans or retort for best safety practices.  
All home canning is AT YOUR OWN RISK!