I have been scouring the internet for an answer to this very question. I have canned for a number of years but only got into canning meats with a pressure canner for 2 years now. After Thanksgiving I decided to can turkey broth. I also followed Ball Book exactly. I had never experienced all that pinging before! I caught a sale on chicken quarters, canned the meat with no problem and then canned the broth with all that pinging again! Might it have something to do with canning liquids only? The seals are all good but are the contents safe? The only answer I found was one lady who said she leaves her broth sit in the canner for at least an hour after the pressure has fallen before she removes the lid and that solved her ping problem. I have not used any of my canned broth yet since I was searching for an answer as to whether or not it was safe. I will try leaving it sit for an hour the next time.

This thread has got me thinking (dangerous, I know). There are many, many mushrooms available, both fresh and dried. Further experimentation is called for. For instance, dried porcini mushrooms are available. Porcini are one of the most prized, most flavorful mushrooms on earth. I'm pretty sure they would work well in Rachelellen's, Linda's or Ann's soup. Several dried and canned mushrooms are available in Asian markets, notably the dried Chinese black mushroom. Black mushrooms are used in hot and sour soup, but would they be good in Rachelellen's, Linda's or Ann's soup? Maybe it would be the wrong taste. I don't know. The ordinary white mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and the portobello (also Agaricus bisporus, just a different strain)are nice, but very mild in flavor. For those craving more mushroom taste, different species may be an answer. Jim

1.__________________________________________________________ Pastitsio Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Sun, Nov 17, 02 at 15:18 pastitsio is one of those recipes that has as many variations as there are people making it. the first time i ever ate it, it had been prepared by part of my fiance's family and i loved it! i very stupidly broke off the engagement before getting the recipe...a few year's later i tried a recipe listed in a magazine, which didn't turn out to taste a whole lot like what i remembered. after much tinkering, this is what i remember of the treat john's family had introduced me to and hope you'll like it too! Pastitsio Simmer together for 40 minutes 2 T butter, 2 large diced onions, 1# ground beef, 32 oz can of ground, peeled tomatoes (in their juices), 8 oz can of tomato sauce, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp cinnamon, a couple of grinds of black pepper in the interim, melt in a small sauce pan 3T butter, 1/3 C flour, 2 ½ C milk, 1 ½ tsp salt, a little pepper, ½ tsp nutmeg stir all of the above for several minutes until it thickens then bring it to a boil for a minuteremove from heat whisk together 1 C of egg beaters (or 3 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk) and stir this into the flour and milk mixtureset aside 1C of the sauce and add in ½ C of ricotta cheese Spray a 9 x 12 baking pan with a cooking spray and lightly cover the bottom of the pan with dry bread crumbs Measure 2 C of elbow macaroni and cook only until its still fairly firmdrain the macaroni and put half of it in the pan with the bread crumbs. Cover this with all of the meat and tomato sauce. Pour the béchamel sauce that doesnt have the ricotta in it, over the meat sauce. Sprinkle this with ½ C of grated parmesan cheese. Add the rest of the cooked pasta on top and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Pour on the ricotta-enriched white sauce and sprinkle on another ½ C of parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow it to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting. 2.__________________________________________________________ Moms Lasagna Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Sun, Nov 17, 02 at 16:33 another dish which seems to have hundreds of variations but this is the one my family grew up on! Moms Lasagna Sauté 1 medium chopped onion, 2 cloves crushed garlic in about 2 T olive oil, and then brown 1# ground beef (I usually do ½ beef and ½ sweet sausage) Drain the meat and then add and simmer for about 1 ½ hours: 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes, 1 small can of tomato paste, 2 C water (I use 1 C water and 1 C dry red wine), 3 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp red pepper, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp dried basil, a bay leaf Partially cook 12 lasagna noodles and drain them (i usually only use 9 but sometimes the dish seems to need 1 or 2 more). Arrange in layers in a 13 x 9 pan: A layer of noodles 1# ricotta, divided into half 1/3 of the marinara sauce 8 oz mozzarella cheese, divided in half grated cheese repeat the layers on the top one, pour on the rest of the marinara sauce Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before cutting 3.__________________________________________________________ oven baked rice Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Thu, Apr 3, 03 at 21:42 oven baked rice serves 6 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked, 1 med onion, chopped, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1/4 cup slivered almonds, 1/4 cup chopped celery1 tsp parsley flakes, 2 cans beef bouillon or 2 cans chicken stock, preheat oven to 350 degrees. saute rice, onion, mushrooms, almonds and celery in butter until rice begins to brown. add parsley and 2 cans of broth. bake in covered baking dish for 45 minutes or till all liquid is absorbed

Stupid simple in my house is shopping in the freezer. We were away for a month and came home exhausted and while un-packing i took out a few 1/2 pints. Caramelized onions and mushrooms, garden salsa, duck stock. DH back to work the next day and did not shop yet so i pulled out a pint of homemade chili and a pint of chicken stock that was frozen with some roasted chicken meat and some white beans for a chicken/chili soup. -upside down as i just ran some warm water to release them from the containers. Every time i roast and make stocks i start a pot of beans and freeze various containers....some just stock and some with beans and some of the meat. I don't have the time to cook every day with working full time but i have a garden harvest and homemade stocks and veg that make a quick homemade meal. With my usual basic pantry i like to start with something fresh in our medium enameled soup pot, then add my homemade frozen, then a fresh garnish. (goat cheese, parm, cilantro, lime, etc) Toast some croutons or parm toast points. I actually took that pic for my Mom. Dad loves my soups so i always pack a cooler of frozen pints and qrts they can mix-n-match but Mom gets confused and 'saves' them. I even gave written instructions to pick at least two and even taped some groups together but she took them apart. I even made a couple soups while visiting from the stash and she got a bit upset that i was using up her 'gift', : ) At least when i visit soon i'll have some quick freezer goodies to cook for them. : ) ...And restock another batch. I'm thinking to just prep fully prepared pint soups all ready to go since they are getting confused. They have a few 1/2 pint of my precious garden leeks but don't know what that is. No stick blender, blender or Cuisinart or any cooking appliances. Never had any of that growing up. I call on Sundays and it is always "what do i do with the leeks?"....cute and adorable they are. I just lightly saute my garden leeks with shallot and garlic and freeze some right away but make a killer soup after harvest.