What you need to can your harvest

[amymcg]

Since so many of us are gardeners, I thought I would share some info to help some newbies in canning. Please feel free to add anything I might have missed.

Equipment:

Water Bath Canner (Large pot)
Can lifter (for lifting hot jars out of canner)
Canning funnel (this is a large mouth funnel)
Canning Jars
Canning Lids (not resusable)
Jar rings (holds the lid on the jar while processing)

This will take care of most of what you will be canning. Some vegetables (low acid) require a pressure canner. But if you're canning tomatoes, making pickles, etc, then the water bath canner is much much cheaper and is used more than the pressure canner anyway.

You can get a kit on Amazon to get started that includes the canner and all accessories as well as the Ball Blue Book

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&tag=myreturntomus-20&creative=9325&path=tg/detail/-/B0000BYCVN/ref=ase_myreturntomus-20?v=glance%26s=kitchen">Ball Canning Kit

[Miss Chick-a-BEE]

I need help with what ingredients to use. I tried my first batch of canning pickled vegies last year, and they taste terrible. I had no clue what I was doing. I basiclly just used vinager, oil, and threw in some regular spices (can't remember what now). Is there a way I can fix it? I've had them jarred in the fridge for a year, and they were still crispy last I check a couple months ago. I tried another taste, and they were still awful. Too vinagery, but that was my main ingredient. Is is possible to pour the whole mass of it (6-8 jars) in a bowl and redo it some how? If so, what could I try?

The veggies are broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. My mom used to make a great canned veggie with these when I was young, and all I remember was that they were oily and tasted great.

Beth

[amymcg]

You can try adding sugar to the mix, but in the future, nix the oil
 If they taste bad, throw them out, you can't re-can them. . .

Now. . .I think you should probably try a recipe. . .  If you don't have the Ball Blue Book of Preserving, you should get one. They are usually next to the canning supplies.  Good tested recipes. . .Here is one for mixed pickles - what you made. I imagine you can use whatever veggies you want. the real key here is the liquids.

1 1/4 pounds cuckes cut into 1 inch slices
2 C sliced carrots
2 C sliced celery
2 C peeled pearl onions
2 Sweet Red peppers cut into strips
3 C Cauliflower
2 hot red peppers cut into rings
1 C canning salt (Don't use regular salt)
4 C Water
2 C Sugar
1/4 C mustard sed
2 TBS celery seed
6 1/2 C vinegar  

Combine veggies. Dissolve salt in water and pour over veggies in a bowl. Let stand 12-18 hours. Drain, rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine sugar and spices and vinegar in a large saucepot and boil for 3 minutes. Add veggies and simmer for 5 minutes. Pack ingredients while hot into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles and put on caps. Process for 15 minutes in boiling water canner