Help me plan my garden with your canning inspirations

I doubt we will have a garden this year, since the property will be all tore up with putting in our house. Although I've had gardens in the past, they haven't been as well planned as I want my big garden to be, because i had no room to store canned goods.

When I canned with my ex mother in law years ago, we used to make spaghetti sauce. It would cook down all day and still she bought tomato paste to thicken it. I would love to make spaghetti sauce again.. with a lot more in it than she put in... like onions, mushrooms, peppers, garlic, and even some with meat. However, I would like to know if anyone has ever used paste tomatoes to make sauce and would this eliminate the need to add canned paste?

My grandmother used to make a corn relish, but going through her recipes... I couldn't find her recipe for that. Does anyone here make that? My husband has never tasted it and I'd like to make some for him.

What are your most creative canned items? My daughter (who is so NOT into gardening or preserving... so I thought) wants to make salsa. Do you have a salsa recipe that you're especially pleased with?

Last week a friend of mine mentioned canning meat. She says you just put the meat in the jars with seasonings and cook it a long time - adding no liquid and it is wonderful. I've seen posts here that talk about canned meat... Do you have a favorite way of doing that?

I wish I had a relative to share these ideas with, but it skipped a generation in my family. My mother never canned or quilted. I'm so excited to see what you all are going to post...

 

Thank you. My husband loves spicy things... I'm more a mild kinda girl myself. I always tell him he likes to scare his taste buds to death with the foods he puts in his mouth.. :haha:

I love frozen vegetables! I just am not certain how to freeze them that will make them last. I have one of those food savers, but sometimes notice that when I take a package out of the freezer it came unsealed.

I wish we could've been in our house by now and then i could have a garden, but I'm sure I'll be busy with landscaping and putting in the orchard to get it started this year... and maybe some berry plants. We have TONS of wild blueberry plants on the property, but I picked them last year and they had no flavor... I was bummed because blueberry plants are so expensive!

Do you do a lot of canning? If so, and you could use an extra set of hands, I am hereby volunteering for "on the job training".

 

Thank you, that's a good idea and one I probably wouldn't have thought of... have those "rows" all lined up in my head..

 

Yeah, I have a lot of recipes in my head too... I tried to write down a recipe for stuffing, but with all the... little more of this, it needs a little more salt... ok, that tastes good... it was a mess! :haha:

You and your dad are such wonderful people!!! Your mom is very lucky!

 

Ok, I'm hungry now! I love carbs... and so do my thighs and hips... which is why they hold onto them so lovingly! Once we move out of this crowded neighborhood I can't wait to be outside doing something once again! I would love your recipe... whenever you get a chance to come across it.

I went to the store today and bought some seeds... I'm going to do some container gardening this year... I just can't wait.