So funny that you ask about kernel removal...We have always used a good sharp knife and a big bowl with a small bowl sitting in the bottom inverted. This year my hubby said that we should find tools so tools we went out and got. One broke on the first cob. The other wore out our arm in a few more. We went back to the old way. Works much faster than fuddling around with new gadgets. Maybe some of the other preservers will chime in here and help us both out. Do you notice how much I used the word "we"? One hundred and forty four ears of corn get done much faster with "we" than if it's an "I". In my kitchen the "we" part leaves when the canner comes out for he is a little afraid of it but it is a "we" even for the filling and lidding of the jars. He has learned all the little rules slowly and surely and the reasons for the rules. I am proud of him. Now I mostly do it by myself but it is sure nice to have that partner in doing this job. After all he likes to eat the stuff... I am no different than anyone else. I read my books, go on line, and learn what works for me. Everyone who cans will tell you that. The most important thing to remember is to do it safely, don't cut corners, and follow the USDA Guide lines. http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publi ... _usda.html Also I don't do that all in 1 year. It's an ever evolving thing. Believe it or not, I rotate my stock every Monday, just like in a grocery store. That means I draw up to the front all jars and move rows of food over, leaving open space to add whatever is coming up next. This year I may grow, and buy, a large amount of one thing and next year I may do something else. I always can about half year more of the food than I may need just in case of a food shortage like maybe corn this year. Well, I have gone on enough for now. I only want to add that many years ago, when my daughter was with me, I bought 600 or 800 pounds of tomatoes (at 10 cents a pound) and canned them every-which-way all in 36 hours all by myself. Now, that was a big job. Barb in Pa.
Oooooooh! Woooow!!! Way better than aisle 3 of the grocery store. Just love those see through cans!! I have heard stories about pantries like this......but to actually see one......wow! Jerry
That's Absolutely Beautiful! I'm truly impressed. I haven't done pressure canning in several years. I make 12 pints of my favorite salsa. I make a few pickles. I'm making my husband his favorite dog relish. (The man shouldn't even be eating hot dogs). I freeze or dehydrate most of my veggies. I'm growing partial to dehydrating. I have six quarts of onion slices put away. I'm not sure we'll even use them all before next year's crop is ready. Since we live in a warm climate I grow something all year round so we eat seasonally.
I seem to have help husking the corn, but that is it... To cut the corn off I have used a fillet knife for the past several years. My favorite knife is from Warther's Museum in Dover, OH. Get any Warther knife and you will be amazed at it's quality. They have the nicest fillet knife I have used. I did buy a gadget this year from the kitchen store called a corn zipper. It does work well, but you need to get the hang of it. It is made by zyliss. (another great quality gadget company, fyi)...
carolyn keiper, I use a fillet knife also. I love these gadget stores. Thank you. You sent me out a Googling. I have the Zipper but I think the knife actually takes less work for me. All my work this week has been running very slow. Today is potato canning day after egg delivery. I will get to all my little jobs this week. Barb in Pa.
I think I like the fillet knife better also ( as long as it has been recently sharpened), but the zipper is safer if someone is helping. I don't think I would let my husband loose with the fillet knife for the corn on the cob only the electric fillet knife while filleting the catfish.
Yup, as I suspected. My first FIL taught me to use a paring knife to get kernels off, I was just hoping someone would say, 'oh the most wonderful new tool...' LOL My first FIL was a wonderful man, he lived on a dairy farm in western PA. He was recently widowed and took it upon himself to train his son's new city-wife country ways! He took me to see a series of women in the area, each renowned for a recipe... then they would teach us and then we'd go home and make it together. We had such fun! Except corn wasn't fun. The corn that is grown for cows and silage has a narrow time frame for human consumption. As soon as it's picked it starts to turn to starch. My FIL had me follow him with a basket, we'd have a pot of water boiling and he'd husk the corn and put it in my basket, when I had a dozen ears, I had to run (yes, run!) to the kitchen from the field to put it in the boiling water for exactly 3 minutes, then we'd wrap to freeze.... to this day I am not sure he wasn't having fun with me because people have fallen on the ground laughing when I tell this story... My new FIL hardly ever speaks to me and I now see that as a blessing!
What a mass production. It doesn't seem like so much but I am tired. Now they are just cooling off then tomorrow they will be de-banned and washed and put on the pantry shelves and the shelves will be labeled just like at a grocery store. Barb in Pa.
Cris, try a high quality fillet knife. The flexible blade is much nicer to use for cutting the corn off the cob AND make sure it is newly sharpened and wear a kevlar glove if the sharp knife worries you. You can buy them at a kitchen store and it is much cheaper than stitches or the inconvenience of superglue(which is what I generally use for my worser cuts). A parry knife blade isn't long enough to make a good or easy draw up the cob.
I just finished reading an article in Canning and Preserving from the editors of Hobby Farms magazine. Got a few good ideas one dealing with cutting corn off the cob. Use a bundt-cake pan to hold the ears of corn upright as you cut them off. I going to try it hope you all will too.
featherphobia, I have heard about that before. I will try that next corn day, which shouldn't be this year. Barb in Pa.
Featherphobia, That is a great idea. I wish I had a bundt pan to give this a try....maybe my MIL has on, I'll check if I get some corn to put up.
hi barb sorry been away last week, I just wondered what you put in the cans of corn with the corn? also after seeing your impressive pressure cookers any suggestions on make and model? as i'm looking to buy a new one.
Sure, I raw pack it with a little sugar and boiling water. They are Mirro model 92122, 22 qt with two plates. I know you can get ones that will do more jars but I had to fit them on my stove top. It really depends on weather you like the weight or dial guage and how you need to can. I like the giggler weight and I can allot at one time. So these canners are the way I can get the most jars on my stove top at one time. That would be 56 pints or 14 qts at a time. Barb in Pa.
