I'm having a load of fun with my Canner and my spaghettie bolognaise sauce
turned out fabulous. I got 5, 1 litre jars and 9, 500 ml jars out of the
batch. I'm onto Chinese food next. Love the idea of take-away in the
cupboard.

I can make up all the recipes from scratch. Eg., Chinese chicken and sweet
corn soup. Steak in Black Bean sauce and also Sweet and sour chicken, but
I'v got a bit lazy these days and usually buy Canton Sweet and sour sauce
for my Sweet and sour chicken.

For the sweet and sour chicken, I will be adding chicken, pineapple,
carrots, onions, beanshoots, mushrooms, 5 spice powder, garlic honey, soy,
tomatoe sauce, vinegar dab a sugar. - commercial sweet and sour sauce.
The thickening agent already in the commercial sauce may make it look better
in the jar. In all of the recipes I will be leaving out fats and
cornflour.

What are your thoughts on cooking up recipes with commercial food/sauces
that have already been cooked once?

"Green Newb" > wrote in message
...
> I'm having a load of fun with my Canner and my spaghettie bolognaise sauce
> turned out fabulous. I got 5, 1 litre jars and 9, 500 ml jars out of the
> batch. I'm onto Chinese food next. Love the idea of take-away in the
> cupboard.
>
> I can make up all the recipes from scratch. Eg., Chinese chicken and
> sweet corn soup. Steak in Black Bean sauce and also Sweet and sour
> chicken, but I'v got a bit lazy these days and usually buy Canton Sweet
> and sour sauce for my Sweet and sour chicken.
>
> For the sweet and sour chicken, I will be adding chicken, pineapple,
> carrots, onions, beanshoots, mushrooms, 5 spice powder, garlic honey, soy,
> tomatoe sauce, vinegar dab a sugar. - commercial sweet and sour sauce.
> The thickening agent already in the commercial sauce may make it look
> better in the jar. In all of the recipes I will be leaving out fats and
> cornflour.
>
> What are your thoughts on cooking up recipes with commercial food/sauces
> that have already been cooked once?


I wondering what guidelines you're following for the processing times? I
would think with the mixture of ingredients you're doing that it would be on
the long side such as 90 minutes per quart. Processing time does depend on
the thickness of the mixture as well as the ingredients so how would you
know exactly? I've never seen recipes geared to canning for those things.
And I wonder how the commercial sauces would hold up. If I was making my
own sauce, I'd use ClearJel to thicken the mixture, but I've only used that
with pie filling.

--
-Marilyn

On Sep 10, 11:20*am, "Marilyn" >
wrote:
> "Green Newb" > wrote in message
>

>
> > What are your thoughts on cooking up recipes with commercial food/sauces
> > that have already been cooked once?
>

Thoughts, hmmm. you'd have to ask yourself if that particular
thickening agent would stand up to High temps and long cooking. It
probably would, but might break down. Also tend to loose flavor I'd
imagine.

Could I suggest either canning all the other ingredients then adding
the sauce just before serving, or even canning the veg and meat
seperately to protect the veg from such long cooking as the meat
requires and then having dump supper. dump the meat, veg and sauce in
a pan, heat and serve over rice or noodles. Sort of a la "La
Choy" ? LOL

I canned some things which were not a success before and they tend to
be the Mixed sorts of things. Chili was not a success, Sausage and
peppers was not a success ( OK flavor if you don't mind italian dog
food but looked like italian dog food as well) , Sausage and saurkraut
was not a success. Had to use catsup to add flavor to that one, after
opening it.

FWIW, Kitty

LOL Kitty, Dump suppers! . Yes I hate the thought of baby mush Take-away.
After my Apricot chicken experiment, I am definately going to cut the
chicken bigger and the carrots! Might be a work around. I'm only on the
starting block and you guys are near the finish, so your info is very
valuable to me - already been there done that kind of thing. Thanks so
much.

I have never water bathed vegetables and that was going to be my next post.
Regarding vegetables textures and should pressure canning or water bathing
be the method. I kind of have a feeling that everything will be mush no
matter which way you go.

I remember my mum bottling. carrots had texture, beans had some but I think
everything else was just hanging together.


"Kitty" > wrote in message
...
On Sep 10, 11:20 am, "Marilyn" >
wrote:
> "Green Newb" > wrote in message
>

>
> > What are your thoughts on cooking up recipes with commercial food/sauces
> > that have already been cooked once?
>

Thoughts, hmmm. you'd have to ask yourself if that particular
thickening agent would stand up to High temps and long cooking. It
probably would, but might break down. Also tend to loose flavor I'd
imagine.

Could I suggest either canning all the other ingredients then adding
the sauce just before serving, or even canning the veg and meat
seperately to protect the veg from such long cooking as the meat
requires and then having dump supper. dump the meat, veg and sauce in
a pan, heat and serve over rice or noodles. Sort of a la "La
Choy" ? LOL

I canned some things which were not a success before and they tend to
be the Mixed sorts of things. Chili was not a success, Sausage and
peppers was not a success ( OK flavor if you don't mind italian dog
food but looked like italian dog food as well) , Sausage and saurkraut
was not a success. Had to use catsup to add flavor to that one, after
opening it.

FWIW, Kitty

In article >,
"Green Newb" > wrote:

> LOL Kitty, Dump suppers! . Yes I hate the thought of baby mush Take-away.
> After my Apricot chicken experiment, I am definately going to cut the
> chicken bigger and the carrots! Might be a work around. I'm only on the
> starting block and you guys are near the finish, so your info is very
> valuable to me - already been there done that kind of thing. Thanks so
> much.
>
> I have never water bathed vegetables and that was going to be my next post.
> Regarding vegetables textures and should pressure canning or water bathing
> be the method.

Have you done any basic reading on the subject? I recommend the
information at the National Center for Home Food Preservation at
www.uga.edu/nchfp (the NCHFP is housed and operated from the University
of Georgia in Athens, GA.

Unless you're pickling them, the only proper way to can vegetables is
with a steam pressure canner and meticulously following a
tested-reliable recipe.


> I kind of have a feeling that everything will be mush no
> matter which way you go.

It's easier to freeze vegetables than it is to process them in a steam
pressure canner.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - Yes, I Can! blog - check
it out. And check this, too: <http://www.kare11.com/news/
newsatfour/newsatfour_article.aspx?storyid=823232&catid=323>

Hi, Marilyn,
I'm sourcing out Clear Jell and may have found a supplier. Because my
recipe contains meat. I process 500 mls at 1.15 hours. I process 1 litre
jars at 1.30 hours. Both are 11 pounds per pressure, but on low, my stove
makes the pressure go up to 15 pounds per pressure. So I'm pretty sure it
would be safe.

Also when I make this recipe up normally, I have to add cornflour to thicken
it as its quite runny even after adding the Canton. So not too worried
about viscosity.

After pressure canning all the chinese recipes will have to be warmed up in
the microwave and thickened with cornflour before eating. Still Take away!


"Marilyn" > wrote in message
...
> "Green Newb" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I'm having a load of fun with my Canner and my spaghettie bolognaise
>> sauce
>> turned out fabulous. I got 5, 1 litre jars and 9, 500 ml jars out of the
>> batch. I'm onto Chinese food next. Love the idea of take-away in the
>> cupboard.
>>
>> I can make up all the recipes from scratch. Eg., Chinese chicken and
>> sweet corn soup. Steak in Black Bean sauce and also Sweet and sour
>> chicken, but I'v got a bit lazy these days and usually buy Canton Sweet
>> and sour sauce for my Sweet and sour chicken.
>>
>> For the sweet and sour chicken, I will be adding chicken, pineapple,
>> carrots, onions, beanshoots, mushrooms, 5 spice powder, garlic honey,
>> soy,
>> tomatoe sauce, vinegar dab a sugar. - commercial sweet and sour sauce.
>> The thickening agent already in the commercial sauce may make it look
>> better in the jar. In all of the recipes I will be leaving out fats and
>> cornflour.
>>
>> What are your thoughts on cooking up recipes with commercial food/sauces
>> that have already been cooked once?
>
>
> I wondering what guidelines you're following for the processing times? I
> would think with the mixture of ingredients you're doing that it would be
> on
> the long side such as 90 minutes per quart. Processing time does depend
> on
> the thickness of the mixture as well as the ingredients so how would you
> know exactly? I've never seen recipes geared to canning for those things.
> And I wonder how the commercial sauces would hold up. If I was making my
> own sauce, I'd use ClearJel to thicken the mixture, but I've only used
> that
> with pie filling.
>
> --
> -Marilyn
>
>

Green Newb wrote:
> I'm having a load of fun with my Canner and my spaghettie bolognaise
> sauce turned out fabulous. I got 5, 1 litre jars and 9, 500 ml jars
> out of the batch. I'm onto Chinese food next. Love the idea of
> take-away in the cupboard.

You might want to purchase something like the Chun King canned Chinese
food products to see how something like that turns out and see if you
are still enthusiastic about such a project.

B/

"Brian Mailman" > wrote in message
...
> Green Newb wrote:
>> I'm having a load of fun with my Canner and my spaghettie bolognaise
>> sauce turned out fabulous. I got 5, 1 litre jars and 9, 500 ml jars
>> out of the batch. I'm onto Chinese food next. Love the idea of
>> take-away in the cupboard.
>
> You might want to purchase something like the Chun King canned Chinese
> food products to see how something like that turns out and see if you are
> still enthusiastic about such a project.
>
> B/

The Chun King/La Choy stuff always comes with the "meat" and sauce in a
separate can from the vegetables. I use the term meat loosely here because
it seems to be some chopped, formed and pressed concoction masquerading as
meat. But the separation keeps the vegetables reasonably crisp for canned
vegetables and you heat the meat stuff first and then add the vegetables
near the end of the cooking time when you're reheating them so they don't
get overcooked. So I'm thinking that probably if you mixed them together
for processing and had to process for the ingredient that takes the longest
time, which would be the meat, it would take 75 minutes for pints and 90 for
quarts. And since when you're canning a vegetable like green beans it only
takes 20 minutes for pints and 25 for quarts, I really think the vegetables
might be cooked to mush. So perhaps canning the meat and vegetables
separately would be the best answer.

The sauce, though, I'm still thinking that it would best to concoct your own
and use ClearJel to thicken it. I was looking at the Ball Complete Book of
Home Preserving, specifically the chili recipe, and it says not to use
commercial chili seasoning mixes because they may contain thickeners not
recommended for home canning.


--
-Marilyn

Marilyn wrote:

> The Chun King/La Choy stuff always comes with the "meat" and sauce in a
> separate can from the vegetables. I use the term meat loosely here because
> it seems to be some chopped, formed and pressed concoction masquerading as
> meat. But the separation keeps the vegetables reasonably crisp for canned
> vegetables and you heat the meat stuff first and then add the vegetables
> near the end of the cooking time when you're reheating them so they don't
> get overcooked. So I'm thinking that probably if you mixed them together
> for processing and had to process for the ingredient that takes the longest
> time, which would be the meat, it would take 75 minutes for pints and 90 for
> quarts. And since when you're canning a vegetable like green beans it only
> takes 20 minutes for pints and 25 for quarts, I really think the vegetables
> might be cooked to mush. So perhaps canning the meat and vegetables
> separately would be the best answer.

Or maybe can the meat and freeze the veggies in a vacuum-sealed bag in
the freezer, already cut up the way you want them? I really dislike most
canned veggies, and can't imagine eating them on purpose unless I had to.

Serene


--
42 Magazine, celebrating life with meaning. Inaugural issue is here!
http://42magazine.com

"But here's a handy hint: if your fabulous theory for ending war and
all other human conflict will not survive an online argument with
humourless feminists who are not afraid to throw rape around as an
example, your theory needs work." -- Aqua, alt.polyamory

Okay I'm getting the picture nicely, thank you. I thought the guy writing
about Chun was being sarcastic,so its a real product? lol. Oops.

I could do the meat as you say, that sounds a good way of doing things. I
can make my own sauces. If its not presentable in the jar, well I just won't
eat it and will waste it, so its really important to me about presentation
and texture. Cracking open my Presto book because your saying 75 mins for
pints etc. This is great tks!

"Marilyn" > wrote in message
...
> "Brian Mailman" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Green Newb wrote:
>>> I'm having a load of fun with my Canner and my spaghettie bolognaise
>>> sauce turned out fabulous. I got 5, 1 litre jars and 9, 500 ml jars
>>> out of the batch. I'm onto Chinese food next. Love the idea of
>>> take-away in the cupboard.
>>
>> You might want to purchase something like the Chun King canned Chinese
>> food products to see how something like that turns out and see if you are
>> still enthusiastic about such a project.
>>
>> B/
>
> The Chun King/La Choy stuff always comes with the "meat" and sauce in a
> separate can from the vegetables. I use the term meat loosely here
> because
> it seems to be some chopped, formed and pressed concoction masquerading as
> meat. But the separation keeps the vegetables reasonably crisp for canned
> vegetables and you heat the meat stuff first and then add the vegetables
> near the end of the cooking time when you're reheating them so they don't
> get overcooked. So I'm thinking that probably if you mixed them together
> for processing and had to process for the ingredient that takes the
> longest
> time, which would be the meat, it would take 75 minutes for pints and 90
> for
> quarts. And since when you're canning a vegetable like green beans it
> only
> takes 20 minutes for pints and 25 for quarts, I really think the
> vegetables
> might be cooked to mush. So perhaps canning the meat and vegetables
> separately would be the best answer.
>
> The sauce, though, I'm still thinking that it would best to concoct your
> own
> and use ClearJel to thicken it. I was looking at the Ball Complete Book
> of
> Home Preserving, specifically the chili recipe, and it says not to use
> commercial chili seasoning mixes because they may contain thickeners not
> recommended for home canning.
>
>
> --
> -Marilyn
>
>

In article >,
"Green Newb" > wrote:

> Okay I'm getting the picture nicely, thank you. I thought the guy writing
> about Chun was being sarcastic,so its a real product?

It's a real product.


> lol. Oops.
>
> I could do the meat as you say, that sounds a good way of doing things. I
> can make my own sauces. If its not presentable in the jar, well I just won't
> eat it and will waste it, so its really important to me about presentation
> and texture. Cracking open my Presto book because your saying 75 mins for
> pints etc. This is great tks!

Have you read through the Presto book (I'm assuming this is the manual
that came with your canner)? That would be a good idea if you haven't
yet.


--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - Yes, I Can! blog - check
it out. And check this, too: <http://www.kare11.com/news/
newsatfour/newsatfour_article.aspx?storyid=823232&catid=323>

On Sep 10, 9:36*pm, "Green Newb" > wrote:
> Okay I'm getting the picture nicely, thank you. *I thought the guy writing
> about Chun was being sarcastic,so its a real product? *lol. *Oops.
>
> I could do the meat as you say, that sounds a good way of doing things. *I
> can make my own sauces. If its not presentable in the jar, well I just won't
> eat it and will waste it, so its really important to me about presentation
> and texture. *
> > --
> > -Marilyn


If presentation matters to you, then try this. make enough of your
recipe up for one meal, only cook all your veggies as long as
recommended for the longest one. Then see what they look like and
feel like in your mouth. the texture will be pretty mushy on some of
them, but might feel fine for others. but it will give you a little
bit of an idea what everything will feel like when you eat it, and you
might see the colors and textures are to bland. and when you can them
they get knocked around a bit more and will not look as crisp
either.

Another thing I didn't think of before is this. recooking a sauce for
as long as required for canning may change the flavor, weakening some
spices, intensifying others.

FWIW, Kitty

"Kitty" > wrote in message
...
On Sep 10, 9:36 pm, "Green Newb" > wrote:
> Okay I'm getting the picture nicely, thank you. I thought the guy writing
> about Chun was being sarcastic,so its a real product? lol. Oops.
>
> I could do the meat as you say, that sounds a good way of doing things. I
> can make my own sauces. If its not presentable in the jar, well I just
> won't
> eat it and will waste it, so its really important to me about presentation
> and texture.
> > --
> > -Marilyn


If presentation matters to you, then try this. make enough of your
recipe up for one meal, only cook all your veggies as long as
recommended for the longest one. Then see what they look like and
feel like in your mouth. the texture will be pretty mushy on some of
them, but might feel fine for others. but it will give you a little
bit of an idea what everything will feel like when you eat it, and you
might see the colors and textures are to bland. and when you can them
they get knocked around a bit more and will not look as crisp
either.

Another thing I didn't think of before is this. recooking a sauce for
as long as required for canning may change the flavor, weakening some
spices, intensifying others.

FWIW, Kitty

Kitty, Barb, Marilyn, Serene, this has given me a lot to think about. I
have reached the state of mind of separating the meat and veg, specially
when I compared the cooking times of vegies compared to meat. Also my own
sauce from scratch will be the way to go. No double double anything lol.
Thanks for your patience in helping me.

I thought Carrots raw packed would take the longest time, instead I was
shocked to read that greens take 70 minutes. WOW. Thats not good. Thats
really bad hmm...I haven't made this dish yet and am so glad I asked!.
Serene, my freezer broke a month ago and I lost all my soup stocks, meats,
etc. That happened after ordering my canner, Then our power went down not
long after that!. Food might be safer in the cupboard for the time being .

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the positive input.

Green Newb wrote:
> Okay I'm getting the picture nicely, thank you. I thought the guy
> writing about Chun was being sarcastic,so its a real product? lol.
> Oops.

Chun King. Yes, it's a real product, and that was a real suggestion
since it seems some people like pressure-canned bean sprouts or bell
peppers. Make up your own mind.

Brian "the guy" Mailman

Never heard of Chun King. I would prefer someone who has tried similar to
let me know their results. If you haven't tried it, put a lid on Chun eh?
lol. I've seen lots of commercial bottled vegies and they look lovely.


"Brian Mailman" > wrote in message
...
> Green Newb wrote:
>> I'm having a load of fun with my Canner and my spaghettie bolognaise
>> sauce turned out fabulous. I got 5, 1 litre jars and 9, 500 ml jars
>> out of the batch. I'm onto Chinese food next. Love the idea of
>> take-away in the cupboard.
>
> You might want to purchase something like the Chun King canned Chinese
> food products to see how something like that turns out and see if you are
> still enthusiastic about such a project.
>
> B/

"Green Newb" > wrote in message
...
> Never heard of Chun King. I would prefer someone who has tried similar to
> let me know their results. If you haven't tried it, put a lid on Chun eh?
> lol. I've seen lots of commercial bottled vegies and they look lovely.
>

The thing you need to be aware of for home canning is that there are some
things that just are not possible to do and duplicate the results you can
get in a commercial cannery.

Chun King and La Choy are both brand names for canned Chinese food, usually
something like chow mein. I buy it once in a great while when I am too lazy
to cook anything but want something cheap and quick from the store.


--
-Marilyn

Point noted about not everything can be canned. Chow Mein, Yum.
Everyone is wondering what I am reading. I have read my Presto canner
booklet from front to back, but concentrated on the meat sections so far. I
also check into the USDG site and compare recipes and pounds per pressure.
So far everything seems the same as my Presto book.

"Marilyn" > wrote in message
...
> "Green Newb" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Never heard of Chun King. I would prefer someone who has tried similar
>> to
>> let me know their results. If you haven't tried it, put a lid on Chun
>> eh?
>> lol. I've seen lots of commercial bottled vegies and they look lovely.
>>
>
> The thing you need to be aware of for home canning is that there are some
> things that just are not possible to do and duplicate the results you can
> get in a commercial cannery.
>
> Chun King and La Choy are both brand names for canned Chinese food,
> usually
> something like chow mein. I buy it once in a great while when I am too
> lazy
> to cook anything but want something cheap and quick from the store.
>
>
> --
> -Marilyn
>
>

In article >,
"Green Newb" > wrote:

> Never heard of Chun King. I would prefer someone who has tried similar to
> let me know their results. If you haven't tried it, put a lid on Chun eh?
> lol. I've seen lots of commercial bottled vegies and they look lovely.
>
>
> "Brian Mailman" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Green Newb wrote:
> >> I'm having a load of fun with my Canner and my spaghettie bolognaise
> >> sauce turned out fabulous. I got 5, 1 litre jars and 9, 500 ml jars
> >> out of the batch. I'm onto Chinese food next. Love the idea of
> >> take-away in the cupboard.
> >
> > You might want to purchase something like the Chun King canned Chinese
> > food products to see how something like that turns out and see if you are
> > still enthusiastic about such a project.
> >
> > B/

It's one thing to can plain vegetables that look lovely and something
else to can vegetables that you would want to enjoy in a stir-fried
dish. There is also the added possibility that some (most?)
commercially-processed products contain additives for crisping that are
not readily available to the home preserver.

Chun King is a brand of canned Chinese food manufactured (still? I
don't know if Jeno still owns it) by an Italian guy named Jeno Paulucci.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeno_Paulucci


--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - Yes, I Can! blog - check
it out. And check this, too: <http://www.kare11.com/news/
newsatfour/newsatfour_article.aspx?storyid=823232&catid=323>

Green Newb wrote:
> Never heard of Chun King.

Before you morphed again with this nick, I'd never heard of you.

B/

On Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:27:24 GMT, "Green Newb" >
wrote:

>I'm having a load of fun with my Canner and my spaghettie bolognaise sauce
>turned out fabulous. I got 5, 1 litre jars and 9, 500 ml jars out of the
>batch. I'm onto Chinese food next. Love the idea of take-away in the
>cupboard.
>
>I can make up all the recipes from scratch. Eg., Chinese chicken and sweet
>corn soup. Steak in Black Bean sauce and also Sweet and sour chicken, but
>I'v got a bit lazy these days and usually buy Canton Sweet and sour sauce
>for my Sweet and sour chicken.
>
>For the sweet and sour chicken, I will be adding chicken, pineapple,
>carrots, onions, beanshoots, mushrooms, 5 spice powder, garlic honey, soy,
>tomatoe sauce, vinegar dab a sugar. - commercial sweet and sour sauce.
>The thickening agent already in the commercial sauce may make it look better
>in the jar. In all of the recipes I will be leaving out fats and
>cornflour.
>
>What are your thoughts on cooking up recipes with commercial food/sauces
>that have already been cooked once?

Your enthusiasm for your new hobby is commendable but, I think you
should possibly slow down just a bit.
Unfortunately, not everything lends itself to being canned.
Spaghetti sauce is one thing but, IMO, canning complete Chinese meals
is a whole different ball game.
Have you found a recommended recipe from an authoritative source for
such a thing or are you, like you say, just making up the recipes from
scratch?
I have never attempted anything like that but, I'd guess that trying
to pressure can a complete Chinese meal in a jar would result in some
homogenous mixture akin to canned baby food. Part of the true
enjoyment of Chinese food is the yin and yang, the crispness of the
vegetables contrasted with the softness of the meat and/or noodles,
which would not be possible if it was pressure canned. It would
probably end up like a thick soup or thin stew.
One final note, USDA recommends that soups to be canned should not be
thickened so your commercial sauce containing thickening may be out.
If aesthetics isn't high on your list, go for it and let us know how
it turns out. Also, let us know how you fare with your chopsticks on
the resulting dish ;-).

Ross.

Lot of negativity going on about this, glad I haven't made the dish yet.

> wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:27:24 GMT, "Green Newb" >
> wrote:
>
>>I'm having a load of fun with my Canner and my spaghettie bolognaise sauce
>>turned out fabulous. I got 5, 1 litre jars and 9, 500 ml jars out of the
>>batch. I'm onto Chinese food next. Love the idea of take-away in the
>>cupboard.
>>
>>I can make up all the recipes from scratch. Eg., Chinese chicken and
>>sweet
>>corn soup. Steak in Black Bean sauce and also Sweet and sour chicken, but
>>I'v got a bit lazy these days and usually buy Canton Sweet and sour sauce
>>for my Sweet and sour chicken.
>>
>>For the sweet and sour chicken, I will be adding chicken, pineapple,
>>carrots, onions, beanshoots, mushrooms, 5 spice powder, garlic honey, soy,
>>tomatoe sauce, vinegar dab a sugar. - commercial sweet and sour sauce.
>>The thickening agent already in the commercial sauce may make it look
>>better
>>in the jar. In all of the recipes I will be leaving out fats and
>>cornflour.
>>
>>What are your thoughts on cooking up recipes with commercial food/sauces
>>that have already been cooked once?
>
> Your enthusiasm for your new hobby is commendable but, I think you
> should possibly slow down just a bit.
> Unfortunately, not everything lends itself to being canned.
> Spaghetti sauce is one thing but, IMO, canning complete Chinese meals
> is a whole different ball game.
> Have you found a recommended recipe from an authoritative source for
> such a thing or are you, like you say, just making up the recipes from
> scratch?
> I have never attempted anything like that but, I'd guess that trying
> to pressure can a complete Chinese meal in a jar would result in some
> homogenous mixture akin to canned baby food. Part of the true
> enjoyment of Chinese food is the yin and yang, the crispness of the
> vegetables contrasted with the softness of the meat and/or noodles,
> which would not be possible if it was pressure canned. It would
> probably end up like a thick soup or thin stew.
> One final note, USDA recommends that soups to be canned should not be
> thickened so your commercial sauce containing thickening may be out.
> If aesthetics isn't high on your list, go for it and let us know how
> it turns out. Also, let us know how you fare with your chopsticks on
> the resulting dish ;-).
>
> Ross.

In article >,
"Green Newb" > wrote:

> For the sweet and sour chicken, I will be adding chicken, pineapple,
> carrots, onions, beanshoots, mushrooms, 5 spice powder, garlic honey, soy,
> tomatoe sauce, vinegar dab a sugar. - commercial sweet and sour sauce.
> The thickening agent already in the commercial sauce may make it look better
> in the jar. In all of the recipes I will be leaving out fats and
> cornflour.
>
> What are your thoughts on cooking up recipes with commercial food/sauces
> that have already been cooked once?

I am more curious to know how long you are processing your chicken.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - Yes, I Can! blog - check
it out. And check this, too: <http://www.kare11.com/news/
newsatfour/newsatfour_article.aspx?storyid=823232&catid=323>