My Day of Canning

I have already completed 4 canning sessions (which is one reason why I have not been blogging), and as I get ready to start another batch, I thought I would blog along as I go.  You can enjoy the process too, and hopefully I won't make any mistake or have any mishaps as I go.  I plan to share my Monday's canning saga later……so you can learn from my mistakes.  :)

Here goes.

10:56 AM:  Drain and rinse garbanzo beans (11 cups, dried) that have been soaking since about 7:00 PM last night.
11:03 AM:  Put beans back in huge pot (my water bath canner), cover with about 3 inches of water, and place on stove with burner on extra high.
Wash, dry and put away bowl, colander, and large measuring cup used to drain and rinse big pot of beans.
11:06 AM:  Wash 16 pint jars, lids, and rings (that I will use to can these beans in).
Put 3 inches of water in pressure canner to bring to a simmer.
Turn oven on warm setting to place clean, dry jars in to keep warm.
Run down to basement to get one more lid and ring.
Periodically check and stir beans.  Waiting for them to come to a boil.
11:21 AM:  Put lids in small pot of water to simmer.
Dry jars and place in oven to keep warm.
Let rings dry on dish towel.
Stir beans…..almost boiling.
11:25 AM:  Skim icky foam off top of beans…..still not quite boiling.
Run outside to check if polaris is through cleaning the pool.
11:29 AM:    Skimmed more icky foam off top.  The beans are now boiling!  Set the timer for 30 minutes.
It is so nice outside this morning…..when Leanna and I ran at 6:00 AM, it was 59 degrees!  In July!  In Mississippi!  When I checked on the polaris (and the pool is clean so I turned it off and also took the water hose out of the pool because the water level is back up---I had backwashed the pool earlier and the water was down…), I was tempted to come inside, turn everything off, grab a book and go sit outside by my pool and enjoy the beautiful day.
WHOOPS!  The beans started boiling over while I was typing……I turned the heat down and skimmed off more icky foam.  All is well now!
11:35 AM:  While the beans are happily boiling, and I have everything ready, I am going to fold a load of clothes and put another load in the dryer, and another load in the washer…..checking back on the beans periodically…..
11:44 AM:  Pleasant surprise in the laundry room--there was NOT a load in the dryer waiting to be folded.  Just a few hang-to-dry items.  I found a sleeping bag that someone had left in the floor, so I folded it and put it away.  Checked on the beans.  Stirred them--they are doing great!  Finished my 3rd cup of coffee, and now I'm switching to water.
Scanned Facebook while waiting for the beans to finish…..(my laptop is on the counter right beside my stove)
11:55 AM:  Scanning The Happiness Project (also a title of the book I am currently reading) website.
Stirred the beans.  They are almost through with their 30 minutes of boiling.
11:59 AM: The timer is beeping!  The beans are ready to can.
I turned the beans down to simmer.  I will take each hot jar from the oven, fill with beans using a slotted spoon, then fill with cooking liquid using a ladle.  Add salt.  Remove air bubbles (using a small cedar tool hand-carved by my grandmother).  Wipe jar tops.  Place lid on top (removing the lid from the simmering water using my new magnet stick).  Put on ring.  Place jar in pressure canner.  Repeat until the canner is full of all 16 pints.  I'll let you know if I have any beans left over…..it's hard to guesstimate how many dried beans to prepare.
12:28 PM:  All 16 jars are filled and in the canner, but I still have some beans left.  I am quickly washing and heating 4 more jars, lids, and rings.
12:37 PM:  All 20 pints are in the canner!  The lid is bolted down, and the burner is turned on extra high.  I fill be following my canner's instructions--to vent steam for 7 minutes (it's not venting yet), and then putting the "jiggler" on 10# pressure, let it come to a jiggle, and start my timer for 75 minutes.  Then  I will need to reduce heat until it is jiggling only 1-4 times a minute….for 75 minutes.
I have a few beans left.  I am going to transfer them to a smaller pot, and cook them for about 30 more minutes, or until tender.  We will eat them for supper.
12:42 PM:  I drained the beans left in the huge pot.  And there were truly "a few" beans left.  Like about 10 beans!  So we will be eating some freshly canned beans for supper!  :)
Going to take a lunch break while waiting for the pressure canner to build up pressure.
1:05 PM:  The canner has vented, and I waiting for the regulator to jiggle.
Washing all my canning pots and such, and also cleaning up the kitchen from lunch and the refrigerator clean out.
1:11 PM:  The 75 minutes processing time begins now!
Still washing dishes.
1:32 PM:  Dishes are all washed.  Dishwasher started.  Now to fold clothes and put last load in dryer.
1:51 PM:  Going to walk down to the garden and pick tomatoes.  Since I have not had enough fun canning today, I am going to put up some tomatoes too!  I'll need 10 pounds to make 8-9 pints.  I have 7 pounds in my kitchen right now.  I hope to find at least 3 pounds of ripe tomatoes on the vines.
2:12 PM:  Back from the garden.  Big surprise!  We have green beans!  I picked a small amount, and so we will enjoy green beans for supper tonight too!  I picked 2 squash and a bunch of tomatoes.  I'm about to weigh out three more pounds and wash them all.
2:27 PM:  The beans are done.  I turned off the heat, and now I have to wait until the pressure gauge reads 0, then I can remove the regulator, and then the lid to let the jars begin to cool.
I am going to take a short break before I tackle the tomatoes.
Leah is sick today--she woke up with a sore throat, headache, and a fever.   I have been giving her ibuprofen every 4-5 hours, but she still feels poorly.  She is wrapped up in two blankets in the recliner in the den.
2:43 PM:  Ok.  Break is over. (I ate a bowl of oatmeal and looked at a quilting book….I want to make a quilt….maybe when I finish all of this canning!)
My big canning pot of water is almost boiling, so I better wash and core the tomatoes.
2:52 PM:  Put tomatoes in boiling water.  Prepared ice bath (all the contents from my ice maker in a dishpan and cold water) to plunge the tomatoes in after they boil for 90 seconds.  This makes the skins slip right off.
2:59 PM:  Peeled tomatoes.  Put tomatoes in large tray and quartered them. Put tomatoes and their juices in huge stock pot to bring to a boil.
Rinsed out canner and refilled halfway.  Put on burner to bring to a boil.
Beans have still not cooled enough to remove lid yet.
3:18 PM:  I have the tomatoes simmering.  The water in the canner is heating.  The pressure dropped to zero on the pressure canner, so I removed the lid and am now putting the canned garbanzo beans on the counter to cool.  I am waiting to hear the popping of the lids sealing.
3:29 PM:  The jars are washed and being kept warm in the oven.  The lids and rings are washed, and the lids are simmering in a pot of water.  The canning water is heating.  The tomatoes are simmering.  I'm going to give the jars just a few minutes more to get warm (while I check on the laundry) and then I will begin filling the jars with tomatoes.  I am not sure how many pints my tomatoes will yield yet.  We will see.
3:43 PM:  The clothes are folded.  I checked on Leah and gave her some Coke.  Everything is all ready, so it's time for me to start filling jars with tomatoes.
3:56 PM:  The tomatoes are in the water bath canner, and will process for 40 minutes.  It made 8 pints.
Now I'm going to clean everything up.
4:13 PM:  The dishes are done.  I am going to eat a snack and then take a shower while the tomatoes are processing.  I ran 9 miles this morning, and I have not had time to take a shower yet!
4:44 PM:  I am clean.  The tomatoes are out of the canner, sitting beside the beans, and all are cooling.

Canning complete.

I'm going to sit with Leah and rest a few minutes, and then I'll cook supper.  :)