January cold snap, three jars didn't seal

 We're coming to the end of a most unusual January for us, weather-wise. Our local weather guru maintains a fact-filled website that I frequently consult. According to years worth of data, our average January temps hover at 30F. We won't hit the mark for 2022. It's been cold. Our high today was 22F. It's still much, much, much better than January of 1994 when we saw a record low of -21F. 

Yes, I'm ready for our traditional January thaw, even if it's not arriving until February. 

My project of the day was canning another batch of chicken along with four pints of stew beef chunks. I have a Presto 23-quart canner that will process eighteen pints at once so I planned accordingly. I also FORGOT to get a picture, so I dipped into the files for an old one of Chicken Under Glass, as we refer to it. 

All four pints of beef sealed, as did eleven of the chicken. Three jars did not seal, and those jars had Harvest Gold lids. Was it because of that brand lid? Three other jars with the HG lids sealed just fine. I can't say I've had any trouble with HG lids, so did it have something to do with the cold weather? It's something I'll keep an eye on and track. 

Those three jars were not lost. I let one of them cool and set it in the fridge to chill and I'll make a batch of chicken salad for our lunches this coming week. The other two jars went into filling for baked chicken pies. I made two pies and we had one for dinner. The other is in the freezer for another meal down the road. The remaining filling has been bagged, labeled, and frozen for use over toast or biscuits before winter is over. A failed seal rarely means lost food. Sure, I had to toss today's menu out the window, but not any food. It's all good. 

But I am going to research the temperature thing because you never know. If it possibly can have an effect on the jars sealing, I'll avoid canning when it's this cold. It's just one more thing to learn on this journey. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

Seven jars, seven seals, seven meals

I'm calling it a success - seven jars, seven seals, seven meals. The first canning project of 2022 is complete. 

Last January, I canned vegetable soup and we opened the last jar back in mid-December. In 2021, I followed the Ball Book closely, but this year I went just a tad rogue. I had several small baggies of leftover veggies in the freezer and those, along with a small baggie of frozen diced potatoes, were added to the mix. That's really not much of a transgression. Because I add small bits of beef to my vegetable soup, the quarts have to process for ninety minutes. Beef and potatoes both require the ninety-minute process time so it's all good. 

We're in the waiting phase now. Tomorrow morning I'll wash the jars, test the seals, and put the jars on the shelf. It may seem strange, but if a jar would happen to not seal, or come unsealed, you have twenty-four hours before you need to throw the food out. So in the morning if a jar has unsealed, guess what we're having for dinner? Just put the jar in the fridge and reheat it when we're ready. But I don't think there will be any problems. Each jar was bubbling when I pulled them out of the canner and each jar sealed almost as I set it on the counter. There was no siphoning, either. 

Canning is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. I don't try to rush through any of it, so from start to finish, this project took five hours. This was the first time I used the weighted gauge "jiggler," which did seem easier than relying on the pressure gauge. The pressure gauge still worked so I was able to determine that the jiggler kept the internal pressure level at ten psi without any intervention from me. I brought the water to almost boiling, put the lid on the canner, and set my stove to where experience has taught me is the "sweet spot" for pressure canning. I allowed the canner to vent a steady stream of steam for the required ten minutes and set the jiggler in place. I watched for the jiggler to start jiggling, which coincided with the pressure gauge reading ten psi. I then set the timer for ninety minutes, and simply monitored all was proceeding as it should. 

My only concern was the amount of steam the jiggler allows to escape to regulate the pressure. My canner calls for three quarts of water to be used to process under pressure. I paid a fair amount for the canner, a Presto 23 QT, and I did not want to run it dry. I didn't need to worry. Several inches of water remained when the batch finished. 

I doubt I'll ever stop learning about home food preservation. Methods are improved and new products make the process easier. It may not appeal to everyone, but for me, it's a simple country pleasure that reminds me of my roots. And I like that. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)