Yesterday I was able to break/cut the ham bone into three pieces. Each piece went separately into three batches of stock. They were simmered with carrots, onions, celery, bay leaves, pepper and a little salt. It was an all day process and by the end of the day, I had 40 pints of smoked ham stock.
This will be added to beans, mustard and collard greens — anything we cook that we want to have a bit of a rich, smokey flavor. I paid about $24 for the ham. We ate it two meals, I pulled enough meat off the bone to use in 16 batches of beans as seasoning, and got 40 pints of broth. Not a bad investment.
Today I’ve canned the tomatoes we picked the last couple of days. It amounted to 7 quarts of plain tomatoes and 6 pints of okra and tomatoes. I wish I could can at least 52 pints of okra and tomatoes . . that would be one pint per week. Not a lot, really! But the tomatoes are about to wind down.
The okra will continue to make, up until it gets cooler or until I quit watering it! I’ll can it separate from the tomatoes and there are plenty of canned tomatoes so I can make okra and tomatoes but it’s so convenient having them together in the jar. By the time the okra gets to producing really good, the tomatoes are ending.
Debbie Rhodes says
Do you get as much of a sense of accomplishment as I do to hear those lids “plinking” …. love that sound… Someone asked me the other day if I like canning… I can’t say I enjoy the canning so much… but I love the feeling I have after I am done!!
Judy Laquidara says
I do. I just wish the Tattler lids made the sound when they seal.
Melissa says
The tomatoes and okra mixture looks good. What do you do with them? I love okra but only know about frying it and that kinda defeats the purpose of a veggie.
Lee Ann L. says
I am wanting to learn how to can so bad! Maybe you ought to have a canning retreat and be a teacher! Bwahahaha! Good job! 🙂
Shirley S says
I love me some tomatoes and okra!!! For the past few years, I’ve pressure canned quarts of tomatoes/okra/bellpepper/onion for quicky dinners. In a saucepan, I’ll heat a jar full, add peeled frozen shrimp or sausage coins, simmer a few minutes and serve it over jasmine race. Makes plenty for 2 people. It’s our very favorite fast, easy dinner.
Judy Laquidara says
Sunday good. Makes me want some now.
Judy Laquidara says
It’s really good to add meatballs too and serve it all over rice.
Doreen says
I/we just finished supper BUT that all sounds/looks so wonderful…….love okra/tomatoes/onions/green peppers over/with anything!!!!!….. Okay, maybe not Cheerios!! LOL!
Diana W. says
I’ve never canned ham broth, we just usually cook a huge pot of soup with our ham bones. My smoky chicken broth however, Mark loves to use it for making brown rice.
Peg says
Judy, and all the rest of you canners, I’m so envious of your ability to can things! I don’t personally know anyone who cans these days and I really want to learn. I’m to cheap to experiment (i.e., LEARN). My mama canned everything she could get her hands on for so many years, but by the time I got interested in the art she’d given away her canning supplies.
So keep posting photos of all those beautiful jars. I’ll continue to live vicariously through you. Unless of course you want to take Lee Ann’s advice and host a canning retreat…. 😀
Suzanne says
I have never had okra-does it have a flavour that you can compare it to?
Sheryl says
mmmmm…that okra & tomatoes looks wonderful. I’m too afraid of my pressure canner to try it. But I do freeze okra/tomatoes/onions.
I canned a few jars of pickled okra Sunday night and am hoping it turns out well. I used Serrano peppers so I hope we can eat them!
barbara says
i make the same broth using the bones and shreds of meat from our home-smoked turkey. every christmas and every easter my supermarket gives away a free turkey if you spend $300 within a 6-week period leading up to the holiday. how hard is that? we almost always smoke the turkey and can the broth. smoked turkey chili isn’t bad, either! and that also cans pretty well. there’s a limit to how much turkey two people can eat and those turkeys are 20-pounders.