Thank you, Lori, for your nice words ! I am happy to help when I can. If questions are not asked, then I don't know how someone is to learn. Feel free to ask away !

Thanks from me too, Lori. I do think this is one of the nicest forums with a wide range of experienced posters - everything from gardening questions to dehydration to curing meat and fermenting peppers, not just canning.

A lot of my favorite recipes and inspirations have come from this Forum. It's always a pleasure to support another Harvester.

Carol

Home canning and the preservation of foods is not just for ladies you know.. There are a few of us who also do unusual things like fermenting most anything, drying most any kind of cheese into powders, making sour dough bread, and of course meat curing, sausage making, and the occaisonal gardeneng tip.

Lori,
I have to agree most emphatically! That's why I've been hanging out around here so long. I'm happy that I can now answer some questions but still learn things.
Melly

And ohmygosh the recipes that came out of the kitchens of these wonderful harvesting/canning/dehydrating/fermenting folks!!! I've printed too many to ever use.
(Sometimes when the weather is bad and the veggies are still seedlings under lights, because I got a very late start-like now- I look at those recipes and drool and dream.......)
Thank-you, from me too, for taking the time to share.
Rebecca

Lori,
I agree with you absolutely. I also lurk many other forums, and am always a little hesitant to post something out of fear of making someone angry because the question has been answered somewhere else and I couldn't find it. I have never experienced that here. I have learned so much from everyone here. I am so thankful for you all, for making everyone feel welcome, for your patience and knowledge. You have opened up a world to me that I would otherwise avoid because I have no where else to go to learn about these things. Pat yourselves on the back for a job well done. :)

Please add nice phrases for me as well. The "saves" on my computer all seem to lean toward recipes. As mentioned, so many things that have brightened my life these past few years.

A few years ago, I lost my hearing and my job went with it. Although I'm now close to 85 (give or take), I wasn't really ready for retirement mentally. It was so nice of all of you fine folks helping me through the "adjustment" period.

Have had so much fun with all of the new things. They say you're never too old to learn - this forum helps to prove it. I appreciate your patience with me also.

Soooo - I just "inherited" a bag full of - pluots, (I think they are - from my DL), and sitting here trying to figure out the best way to use them. They smell fresh picked - wonderful. Wonder if I can do sauce? Still have lots of jam from last year's frantic "jam sessions" so need something else.

You folks really make my day.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Bejay, I am so glad to have met you through this Forum. I hope I can handle life's challenges as well.

Okay, enough sentiment, LOL. Back to canning! KatieC has posted two recipes in the past that you might be interested in. One is a Peach Salsa; I don't see any reason why you couldn't use pluots. Flavor should be great; I'm just not sure about the color. Actually, I love that salsa recipe fresh.

Another is an Asian Plum Sauce, which is garlicky and just a wee bit hot.

Anyway, here's a link to Katie's website and her preserving recipes. Plenty of inspiration there. (And for those of you who don't know her, Katie is a Master Preserver who helped teach at last summer's Cooking Forum Canning Camp.)

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Katie's Canning Recipes

Bejay,
I know what you're talking. I'm right behind you at 71. [ I love the give or take ] I thought I knew everything about caning and putting up fruits and veggies. But, far from it. I have learned a lot on this forum. Linda Lou has been so very helpful. I never processed my pepper rings. She scolded me. Now I process them. Someone mentioned Katie C? Her Roasted Tomato and Garlic soup is a must have in your Harvest cellar. I visit this forum several times a day.

Pluots are GREAT!! One of the sweetest fruits you can find. There about 5 different types with yello, green or red skins and yellow or red flesh. You can make jam with them. They keep a while in the fridge too. There are very seasonal and are only sold during a short time of the summer. A cross between a plum and apricot. Dave Wilson nurseries has patented this fruit. Another similar one is a plumcot, but not near as flavorful or as sweet as a pluot. (pronounced- plew-ott). They remain quite firm and are nearly crunchy when you bite into them, kind of like a underripe peach, but with lots of flavor and sooo sweet! They keep up to a week or more in the fridge.

Ken - your description seems to fit what I had - tasted like a peach but quite firm.

I tried Katie's Asian dipping sauce, and it turned out great. Had some for dinner tonight, as an accompaniment for my batter fried fish - although to do it justice, would be best on the egg rolls.

Completely happy with the results.

Much obliged readinglady - another winner for Katie. Her beef burgundy was excellent - although next time, I will try to get a better cut of meat when I make it.

Bejay

I also love the plum sauce. I just wish I could eat it with all that sugar. Oh well. Perhaps when time permits I will make some with Splenda. My daughter moved into a home the first of the year. We purchased the 2 lots next door so our grandson would have a good place to play. On the lots is a plum tree, and we think they are Italian prunes. They would make good plum sauce.
She made some Vietnamese salad rolls. She said the plum sauce was OK on them, but would be better on the fried spring rolls. They are more like egg rolls, but I think themm better.
Oh, Shirley, I laughed when you said I scolded you ! It is only because I care about you ! Plus, I would not want your food to spoil after all that time and effort.

Hello Everybody,

I agree with the authors of this thread. I have been on GW since around February and besides the RR forum this one has been the least intimidating. I have posted "dumb" questions on other threads and been told to do a search. That is fine advice but I don't always have time to do a search. Sometimes, I will post a question before I leave for work in the morning hoping and knowing I will probably have an answer when I get home from work. I only have two days a week sometimes only one day to do my projects and if I need help with it I dont want to sit for what can run into hours searching.

I have my times when I love to sit and research stuff. I am a suburb girl from SE MA and now consider myself a veggie farmer with 4 acres of land and a 1/2 acre garden. I could not have done it without the internet and a couple of really good books and one friend we met when we moved to NC who encouraged us to grow our own veggies.

I learned to can when I was 12 from my sister who lived on Cape Cod and learned to garden and can from an elderly lady who was her neighbor. My sis is 20 years older than me so she loved teaching me to do this since my Mom was a true suburb Mom. My brother can't believe I grow all these veggies, he jokes when we were growing up we thought veggies only came in cans with a Green Giant on them. LOL

When my Dad died I was 14 so learning the canning from my Sis was real therapy for me.

Ok, I am rambling now, sorry.

It sounds like many of you have generous neighbors or friends that bless you with lots of fruits and stuff to can. I need to make more friends! :)

Looking forward to getting to know ALL of you!

Ditto the sentiments! I would have never learned how to can if I had to read it out of a book.