Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

This fight is for everything.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

Bark louder, little dog.

This blog will pay for itself.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

He really is that stupid.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

A consequence of cucumbers

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Thanks for reminding me that Van Jones needs to be slapped.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House" / Canning Update

Canning Update

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Canning Update

Got the first run of peaches done today and another run of kraut. Gonna get the next run of peaches done on Tuesday. Had an entire cask of kraut go bad on me this year. Opened it up and 2-3 times the normal mold, and when I lifted the weights and then the cheesecloth, it just did not smell right, was mushy, and had a snotty like viscosity. I just chucked it all in the compost bin. No point taking any chances.

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38Comments

  4. 4.

    MagdaInBlack

    Those peaches are gonna be so good in January.  I’m just a bit envious

    Eta: chickens would eat that bad kraut. You need chickens ?

  5. 5.

    JPL

    The pictures reminded me what a good job you did on the kitchen.    It’s a nice workspace, for cooking, and canning.

  7. 7.

    RepubAnon

    They have some fancy crocks with one-way valves to let fermentation gasses out, and keep out unwanted microscopic visitors … this avoids the “usual mold” problem.  Check the home beer brewer sites…  “bubbler airlock” or “fermentation airlock” should yield results.

  10. 10.

    Mike in NC

    We have some neighbors who like to make their own pickles, so right now we have three jars of Bread & Butter chips.

  12. 12.

    steppy

    The peaches look real good. I’ve had kraut failure too. It’s nasty but it happens. Most times it works like a charm and is 1. Ridiculously easy and 2. Vastly superior to any other kraut.

    We did our first batch of crushed Roma tomatoes. Got 9 pints from 16 pounds of maters. Also 5 pints of pickled okra and 2 pints of pickled green beans.

    I wanted to put this in the garden update but was a bit busy.

  16. 16.

    CaseyL

    Those jars look glorious: as much art as food.

    I can’t remember how quickly you went through your summer canning over last winter.  How long did it last? Did you run out of winter before you ran out of canned tomatoes, fruit, etc.?

    No one in my family has ever done any canning or jamming.  Wonderful cooks in my family (I am not among them) but no home-preservation stuff.  I sometimes wish we had, and then I think about how many more pots and gadgets I’d need, how tiny my kitchen is, and decide I’m better off as I am.

  18. 18.

    Danielx

    A childhood friend remarked to my mother regarding botulism as she considered a compromised can: There’s no cure for it, Mrs. X.

  19. 19.

    John Revolta

    I remember long ago reading a Playboy Interview with Marlon Brando……….at one point for some reason they asked him “Is there anything that really freaks you out or disgusts you?” He answered (quoting from memory): “Did you ever notice when you’re talking to somebody, and there’s a little string of spit that goes from their tongue to the roof of their mouth? The viscosity (emphasis his) of some people’s saliva is really amazing”.
    Well, it’s kinda on topic!

  20. 20.

    Another Scott

    Nice peaches. Get a better crock (or a better techniques)?

    Relatedly, …

    Biden administration approves largest increase to food assistance benefits in SNAP program history https://t.co/rRK1O35rWV

    — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 15, 2021

    Eyes on the prizes.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  21. 21.

    mrmoshpotato

    TMI on the kraut gone bad. :)

    In other news, ?Millions of peaches, peaches for Cole, millions of peaches, peaches in jars, LOOK OUT!?

  22. 22.

    Gin & Tonic

    I’ve been finding lids are still hard to get. Not as bad as last year, but not like in the before times.

  24. 24.

    glc

    We bought some peaches and made peach tart. So we’re happy for now, I mean for the rest of the day. We’ll just have to eat something else come winter.

    There are a few things trying to grow in the yard. And a small rabbit who thought the bean plants were nice, but may have to move on to other things. He comes and goes, we’re hoping when he’s fatter he won’t be able to get through the fence. I hadn’t realized the openings were larger than a young rabbit. That still doesn’t look right but he moves through the fence like he doesn’t realize it’s there.

  25. 25.

    JoyceH

    A man who knows how to “put food by”! Cole has made the list for my post apocalyptic survival colony. We’ll rebuild civilization before you know it!

  26. 26.

    Kattails

    Cole, if you have a means of de-seeding berries that doesn’t leave you in an apoplectic fury, do up some raspberries to add to the peaches. Dame Nellie Melba knew a thing or two about desserts.

  30. 30.

    Narya

    I had the same thing happen to a jar of kraut (I don’t come close to your efforts—a couple of mason jars per year unless I know I’ll get to see my parents, because I always bring some for them when I visit). It got this weird layer on top, which I decided was Kahm yeast, and it was mushy and not tasty, so I tossed it.

  32. 32.

    Xavier

    If memory serves, I once heard a food scientist claim that no one had ever been poisoned by fermented vegetables.

  33. 33.

    eclare

    Have you ever thought of getting a deep freezer and freezing fruit?  My parents never canned but froze a ton of fruit every year.

  34. 34.

    Another Scott

    MakeSauerkraut.com:

    Sauerkraut with thick, stringy, slimy brine occasionally develops early on in the fermentation process due to the production of dextrans by rapidly growing strains of Lb. cucumeris and Lb. plantarium bacterium. Dextrans are high molecular weight polysaccharides made from glucose molecules, hence the slippery, syrupy brine.

    This occurs especially at elevated temperatures or when fermenting vegetables high in sugars, like beets, carrots or sweet peppers.

    Banish Slime with These Tips

    * Ferment at cooler temperatures. This is especially important during the first few days of fermentation when the lactic acid bacteria are creating the lactic acid necessary to preserve your sauerkraut. Look around your home for a cooler spot or ferment during a cooler season. A temperature range of 65-70°F (18-21°C) degrees is best.

    * Reduce the quantity of high-sugar vegetables. Since slimy brine is most common with high-sugar vegetables, keep them to a minimum especially if fermenting during elevated temperatures. Leave it to ferment longer, up to a month or move to the fridge for a few weeks. See: Which Vegetables and Seasonings Should I Use to Make Sauerkraut?

    * Consider the use of a starter culture. If you live in a warm climate and are having repeated batches of sauerkraut with slimy brine, look into using a starter culture to ensure that the necessary strains of bacteria populate your ferment. I’m not a fan of using starter cultures, but I know some living in tropical countries have had success using them.

    * Give the bacteria some time. Place in refrigerator for a few weeks to give the various bacteria a chance to rebalance.

    * Add a 2% brine. If you’re fermenting just grated carrots, cover them in a 2% brine (1 tablespoon salt to 2 cups water) before fermenting.

    * Shorten fermentation length. If your sauerkraut has more than the recommended amount of sweet vegetables or fruit, move to your refrigerator after just 10 days and leave there for a couple of months to finish fermenting.

    That looks like a good site with lots of good tips for lots of “my fermented stuff has X, what’s wrong”.

    (I suspect, though, since you’ve been doing this a while, that you already know these things.)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  35. 35.

    dww44

    @eclare: I freeze peaches and blueberries a lot.  Just to add to cereal year round.  Works and is definitely cheaper than the frozen fruits in the store.

  36. 36.

    sab

    I am in awe of successful  canners. My family doesn’t do that. Our motto is ” botulism is not your friend.”

  37. 37.

    HinTN

    Not that I’m superstitious or anything but I do adhere to that old adage, “Not the bowels and not the feet, the head’s the best” when it comes to preparing cabbage for the crock.

    Al y’all whinging about a little mold or rot on top of a crock of kraut just need to get beyond your vinegar version and try some real salt cured product. (Ever looked at the mold on the side of a salt cured ham?) That is all.

  38. 38.

    J R in WV

    Very late to the thread, but I first learned about canning from my grandma, the same one who taught me how to shoot her .22 rifle, which she used to protect her garden.

    Many years later I worked as a camera operator for a WV Public TV station as we produced a TV show about food preservation with some Dept of Ag Home Ec experts. Each show was a straight through 30 minute deal, but it took us hours to get ready as the ladies worked to have each stage of today’s food preservation ready.

    Late in the afternoon we would start recording video, and they would show preparing the food, boiling jars and lids, packing jars, actually canning, opening the canner and lifting jars out,. Boiling water bath, pressure canning, drying jerky and fruit, freezing meats and veges. Then we got to take preserved or prepared foods home !! The best TV work I ever did!

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