Tribe.net. Local Connections yadda yadda http://greenthumbs.tribe.net/thread/1ec3e6ec-8ff8-4041-b944-b2ace67e361c#302165be-89a6-447c-908f-bb3f9263a463 2009-06-25T02:29:04Z 2009-06-25T02:29:04Z

I bought one at a used book sale called "Preserving Summer's Bouty" by Kluger. Also have a great 70s hippy book called "Better Than Store Bought", has lots of fabulous recipes not just pickling. I have a dear friend who has promised to come up in August to give me a lesson in canning. I'm so excited.

yadda yadda 2009-06-25T02:29:04Z Freyamorganna http://greenthumbs.tribe.net/thread/1ec3e6ec-8ff8-4041-b944-b2ace67e361c#7bb52a06-04f8-440c-b361-d597765d820a 2009-06-25T00:46:12Z 2009-06-25T00:46:12Z

I always learn so much from this site! I've always wanted to learn about preserving food. I'm going to try to find a book. Thanks. -Freya

Freyamorganna 2009-06-25T00:46:12Z yadda yadda http://greenthumbs.tribe.net/thread/1ec3e6ec-8ff8-4041-b944-b2ace67e361c#16a3c360-c9e5-4a87-b899-6b26871c2192 2009-06-25T00:36:01Z 2009-06-25T00:36:01Z

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. I will be doing some pressure canning this summer when the green beans come in. I might try my hand at pickling too. I used to just freeze everything but when the ice storm came in February we had 8 days with no electricity and lost most of what we'd put up. When I was a kid we spent a lot of time with my Granny who was from Mississippi. She'd always send us home with some pound cake, divinity and a mayonnaise jar full of pimento cheese. I've doubled my garden space this year. Right now I still think its too small but when August comes and I'm swimming in tomatoes I may change my mind.

yadda yadda 2009-06-25T00:36:01Z Cabrita http://greenthumbs.tribe.net/thread/1ec3e6ec-8ff8-4041-b944-b2ace67e361c#e8cb5df8-e80f-497c-80fd-d6a6539e8fa0 2009-06-25T00:24:12Z 2009-06-25T00:24:12Z

Peppers are a low acid food and cannot be canned safely unless you use a pressure canner. However, they can be pickled safely using just hot water bath canning. You can also pickle them and refrigerate right away without doing any type of canning, but the jars must live in the fridge. Adding acid to the mix will reduce the pH and discourage botulism bacteria. This is what you do when pickling, so pickling is inherently safer. You could can them as well, but I would advice getting a true and tested recipe (ball book of canning? or USDA?) and use a pressure canner. I love peppers and I am growing lots of them too. Methods we use are dehydrating; smoking and then dehydrating; smoking and then freezing; grilling, peeling and freezing; and also pickling. I have not tried regular canning even though we have a pressure canner, simply because I think we enjoy them better preserved these other ways.

Cabrita 2009-06-25T00:24:12Z wil http://greenthumbs.tribe.net/thread/1ec3e6ec-8ff8-4041-b944-b2ace67e361c#a17c43c4-061e-4e15-b55e-cf3673c342eb 2009-06-25T00:05:43Z 2009-06-25T00:05:43Z

I didn't even realize pimento cheese was southern. I bet some excellent homemade versions are out there, i can think of all sorts of possible ingredients. Even the mass produced stuff is pretty good. I'm growing some too this year. A heirloom variety. I would think you could cut them up and freeze them, if you have a freezer. We used to cut peppers up, including pimentos when we grew them, and freeze them on sheets of waxpaper on a tray in the freezer. This so they didn't all stick together in a clump. After they are frozen you can put them in freezer bags. That's what i'd do as it's so much easier.

wil 2009-06-25T00:05:43Z yadda yadda http://greenthumbs.tribe.net/thread/1ec3e6ec-8ff8-4041-b944-b2ace67e361c#0e022131-662e-46b4-8b94-9c83a1d66bbf 2009-06-24T23:26:27Z 2009-06-24T23:26:27Z

I'm a southern gal, so I'm envisioning a winter of lovely pimento cheese sandwiches. I found a website that says to scald them, peel and core and pack in jars, but it kinda thin on details. Having never put up peppers before, I want to make sure I do so safely.

yadda yadda 2009-06-24T23:26:27Z wil http://greenthumbs.tribe.net/thread/1ec3e6ec-8ff8-4041-b944-b2ace67e361c#ec0a8f11-3b2d-48ff-befe-c32232636bc1 2009-06-24T21:31:00Z 2009-06-24T21:31:00Z

You'll need olives. Lots of olives. Nothing but olives.

wil 2009-06-24T21:31:00Z Freyamorganna http://greenthumbs.tribe.net/thread/1ec3e6ec-8ff8-4041-b944-b2ace67e361c#c6e32a35-e82f-4ee6-bb1f-4e9462d58815 2009-06-24T19:23:38Z 2009-06-24T19:23:38Z

I think you can just put them in olive oil to preserve them. But I don't know if you need to cook them first. Good luck. Sounds like you'll be eating good this year. -Freya

Freyamorganna 2009-06-24T19:23:38Z yadda yadda http://greenthumbs.tribe.net/thread/1ec3e6ec-8ff8-4041-b944-b2ace67e361c#6dec0074-8533-40bf-a898-201560685c50 2009-06-24T15:15:06Z 2009-06-24T15:15:06Z

This year I planted a few pimento plants just to see if they'd survive here. The plants are producing nicely, the fruits are large but still green. Any suggestions on how to put them up? Canning, freezing?

yadda yadda 2009-06-24T15:15:06Z