How are you *using* your canning inventory???

**MsMarieH** · 02-23-2011, 01:35 PM

Some things are easy. I have no problem whatsoever using up grape jelly, strawberry jam, peach butter - even if it is just on biscuits or PB&J sandwiches. The banana split in a jar I made last year was AWESOME and very tasty on ice cream.

Other things, however, are more of a challenge.

For example I made a batch of the zesty peach bbq sauce from the ball blue book. It seems so odd though, being more like a salsa than a traditional barbecue sauce that I haven't yet been able to make myself try it. LOL

I also have a batch of ginger pear (supposed to be jam but ended up) sauce that I used last night with pork chops. It was ok, not great.

So, I'm just wondering how many people out there are kind of like me. You make up these great stockpiles of canned goods, and you can be pretty good about using the "traditional" stuff like diced tomatoes and whatnot, but when you try new recipes, you really aren't sure of what to actually DO with some of those recipes afterwards.

Tell me about some of the more unusual recipes you try and tell me about some of the unusual things you do with home canned goods, whether traditional stuff or out of the ordinary.

There's a really nice little blog out there called foodinjars that includes a feature periodically she calls Open Jars, where she tells you what to DO with the stuff you can. That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for here.

**shoiji** · 02-23-2011, 04:00 PM

I do have a nice stockpile of store bought canned goods that I know I need to eat up. Was just thinking about this today. Need to start using up the canned corn.

**Judi Dial** · 02-23-2011, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by shoiji

I do have a nice stockpile of store bought canned goods that I know I need to eat up. Was just thinking about this today. Need to start using up the canned corn.

If your canned corn is creamed corn, I recommend my corn cheese soup (see my recipes). It's filling, tasty and cheap!

On the other hand, I use canned kernel corn in a corn casserole recipe I got from food.com (previously recipezaar.com). It uses a pkg of corn muffin mix, a can of creamed corn, & a can of regular corn, if I remember correctly. I can't make it too often, we just chow it down!

btw, if it was me? I'd use that zesty bbq sauce on smoked pork or a ham?

Judi

**frugalfranny** · 02-23-2011, 04:14 PM

First........if it is a new recipe I only make a small batch until I know if I like it.........and it gives me enough to experiment with it.

I MAKE NOTES (in pencil) in my canning book.....for the date tried, if I liked it, what I would alter/change next time.

I don't really have any recipes............I just PLAY........think about things that might 'go together' and do it. IE: if you are making a soup and the base is tomato.........add any 'tomato items' you have.

I would put the ginger pear jam in a sweet and sour sauce in a heartbeat............that should/could be good!!! The peach sauce would be tried in the crockpot with ---probably--pork chops. But might do that with a sweet and sour dish too.

I wasn't real crazy about a batch of salsa that I made last year with yellow and red tomatoes....just didn't have the 'zip' that I like in salsa but decent taste..........so I am using it in soup. Have added a small can of paste(to make it thicker)..........and put it over meat.

Just added some jam to the peanut butter bread recipe that is posted on here.

I just try things...........and keep the 'new batch stuff' small........and MAKE NOTES.

**pinetree** · 02-24-2011, 01:27 PM

I made a plum sauce one year, it was suppose to be like jam but ended up runny, the DIL just mixed it in peanut butter and ate it on a sandwich, she liked it better than using jam.

I would try the peach bbq sauce in the crock pot with chicken.

I try not to can recipies that I'm not sure we will eat. I did pickles one year and ended up throwing them all away, what a waste.

**frugalfranny** · 02-24-2011, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by pinetree

I try not to can recipies that I'm not sure we will eat. I did pickles one year and ended up throwing them all away, what a waste.

But how do you know until you try them?

Do you get ALL your canning recipes from someone else/friends?

RE: the pickles..............I HATE sweet pickles so if the recipe sounds like it would be anywhere NEAR a sweet pickle, I won't try it. But.......I can 'tolerate' cucumber chips/pickles and have used summer squash and gotten some decent recipes with that........but I keep the batch really small as I won't eat them like I do dill pickles.

**MsMarieH** · 02-24-2011, 04:46 PM

I think I might have tried incorporating the pickles into things like tuna salad or potato salad where their flavor could be disguised...
Sorry they ended up being a waste.

**oheoh's momma** · 05-25-2011, 11:56 AM

Try the peach bar beque sauce with some orange or apricot jelly and make sticky chicken> It would be delish

**thefrug** · 05-25-2011, 01:30 PM

The canned corn I would add some diced sweet peppers and some onions and fry it all up together in some butter. Yummers.
The peach bbq sauce sounds like it's make a nice glaze for a ham steak on the grill or even some grilled chicken.

**Josephhgoins** · 05-25-2011, 02:36 PM

My grandmother always made grape julip. We loved it as kids. Basic recipe is 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of grapes in a quart jar. fill the jar with water and process 10 min at 5 lbs.

We always used concord or fox grapes but last year I found some white grapes on sale and used those. It had no flavor at all. I kept trying to find a way to make it go away and finally decided to just pour it out.

Next time, I will buy the white grapes and just eat them.

Best thing I ever canned? My Grandmothers cinnamon pickles!!! I made 100 Quarts one year and that was the best!

**sunshine** · 05-25-2011, 08:31 PM

Corn? I make corn fritters YMMM!

**zakity** · 05-25-2011, 09:45 PM

Oooo... Corn Oysters are good too!

corn oysters

1/2 can drained corn
1 beaten egg
1/4 cracker crumbs (6-8 squares)
1/4 flour
1/4 baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfuls into small amount of hot fat in skillet. Flatten slightly and pan fry until brown, about 3 minutes. Turn once.

**mndtrp** · 05-26-2011, 07:54 AM

I don't can anything that I'm not sure I'll want to eat later. I have had an experience where canning changed the consistency of the food, but managed to find a way to make it palatable.

**peanut** · 09-13-2011, 05:35 PM

I am not fond of how sweet some canning/preserving recipes are. So if I get a recipe that is too sweet I will often pass it onto people with sweeter taste buds as a gift.

I try not to can things we don't use. I used to, but found I couldn't use everything up. the year I had to throw out 9 pints of plums was the end of that for me! We used to eat plum upside down cake, but not that year.

It went bad before I got to it.