Earthly Eating

Water Bath Wonders:
Pickles, acidic tomatoes and sweetened chutneys or fruit preserves have a pH level below 4.5 that retards bacterial growth, so they can be canned in a large water bath canner. A water bath canner is nothing more than a large pot with a metal tray or rack that holds glass jars at least a half inch off the bottom. They are not expensive to buy new, and used ones often can be found at thrift stores because not many people do water baths when canning anymore with all the convience on the shelves at the supermarkets.

Canning jars last for decades, so look for them used as well. Each time you reuse a jar, you will conserve all the materials and energy that it would be needed to create a replacement for the one you used. Jars sealed in a water bath canner need no refrigeration and most last for months, some times years. It is also very important to closely follow the recipes and instructions that come with your canning equipment to avoic food contamination.

Crop:

• Cucumber, pickled: Peak season is summer. A salt and/or vinegar bath runes cucumbers into pickles. Add sugar, fruits and other vegetables to make chutneys. May also be frozen.

• Fruit, whole or chopped: Peak season is summer to fall. Any well-washed fruit covered with sugar syrup can be canned this way. Use a pressure canner for sugar-free fruit canning. May also be frozen.

• Fruit preserves, jams and jellies: Peak season is summer to fall. Jams and jellies concentrate the harvest into small containers, plus small jelly jars require only 10 minutes of processing time. May also be frozen.

• Rhubarb: Peak season is early summer. Sweetened rhubarb pie filling is easy to can; add strawberries if you have them on hand. May also be frozen.

• Tomato: Peak season is summer. Tomatoes with added herbs can be canned in a water bath canner, but use a pressure canner when including zucchini, okra or other low-acid vegetables. May also be frozen or dried.

**With all the buzz over human cloning, there was already a puppy cloned in South Korea in 2005. Over at My Friendly Pets, Susan Mead has a full story on the human cloning, as well as the Aprill 2005 dog cloning. Read it here.**
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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Carob Shake
Serves: 2

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and serve.

Happy Eating!