Meat and Taters

It's been a bit hectic here....as usual.....which has kept me from updating the progress of the Corned Beef.  I have moved it into the fridge...each chunk in a zippy bag filled with brine.  Tomorrow I will cook a piece and see if it's done.....

This week potatoes are on sale at one of our local stores.  They were at my canning price of .29/lb so I bought 120# to put up.  Today we started the process.....I say we because I enlisted (drafted) my mom to help.  I really despise peeling potatoes....and lucky for me, she's glad to help any way she can.  (Thanks mom!).

Once she has them peeled, we put them in a soaking solution that prevents browning...

The soaking solution is just a 1000 mg capsule of Vitamin C mixed with up to a gallon of water.....

From there I cut them into large chunks and return them to the soak.  You can skip this step and put them straight into the jars, but during the canning process the starches will break down and the jars will be cloudy.  I'd rather cut them up and then scoop them into jars from the soaking solution.  Once the jar is full, I add boiling beef broth.  I don't use water and salt any more because I have found that using the beef broth eliminates some of that "canned" potato flavor. 

3 canners running now, these 2 on the stove...the 3rd is on my little single electric burner.  I sure do miss doing my canning outside, but I think we will be under a burn ban for months to come.

We got about 50# done today....will do 3 loads a day until they are all done.