We used to pack dried beans that way, but I was a young married then and I'm on Social Security now, so to say it's out of date is really understatement. I have a 1982 canning book, and the pack then was par-cooked beans hot packed, so raw pack went by the wayside long, long ago. Not to mention the raw beans absorb most of the liquid. So aside from the safety issues, what you're likely to be left with is half a jar of crunchy dry beans and no liquid. So in short, forget those instructions. Don't even think about it. (And why anyone would recommend cornstarch with a naturally starchy product like beans is beyond me.) Carol

Last year I made a few jams and jellies, but this year was my first year to do a lot of canning with both BWB and pressure canner. I have been to the pickyourown website, and last year, I made some jams from their recipes. This year I looked at some of their other recipes and realized that they didn't all follow safe guidelines. I didn't know any better last year, but this year I had a lot more information because of the helpful people here who promote safety in food preservation. You asked about juices, and I don't know what you're looking at specifically, but I can tell you that I was very happy with the juices I canned. I have dewberries and blackberries and made juice from them. We had a lot of tomatoes and my husband loves tomato juice. I made plain tomato juice and a tomato-vegetable blend that has a spicy zap that is spectacular. I have a pear tree that was prolific this year and I canned a lot of jars of pear juice. No sugar or sweetener needed. I followed the apple juice recipe for the pears. Next year I will make a larger variety of juices. I bought a Roma Fruit/Vegetable strainer that I really like, but it is a pain to clean, like you said about your juicer. I also strained the juices through jelly bags after I put them through the Roma. I followed only tested recipes from the USDA bulletin, which I ordered from Purdue University, the Ball Blue Book, Ball Complete, and University of Georgia's So Easy to Preserve. I purchased Small Batch Preserving, but found it didn't have as much for me as I expected. At any rate, I found that I didn't need any recipes that weren't in these books, although I did make Annie's Salsa and Roasted tomato garlic soup from this website. I feel confident that by staying with the tested recipes, and following them closely, my food is safe to consume. Jill

Hello Gary, I do think hot-packed fruit has a better flavor, but frankly, it's a royal pain, and cold-packed peaches still taste wonderful (especially compared to the commercial ones) so why bother? They will float; it's the nature of the beast. Your comments about halves reminded me of my dear MIL, who took great pride in the appearance of peaches and pears in the jar. Even when canning 400 quarts, she nestled each half pit-side-down just-so in the jar. I agree with Ken (and also I believe Linda Lou has mentioned it previously) that there's a benefit in sprinkling some ascorbic acid on prior to bottling. If the canning g*ds are with you, it isn't necessary, but if there's any air left at all, it helps prevent that unattractive browning. That is especially true now that so many have gone to a reduced-sugar syrup. Carol

Meats may be canned ground, in strips, cubes, or chunks. Your choice and the same processing time. You may can them hot or raw as long as you remove all the excess fat. But unlike poultry there are no tested provisions for including most bones in meat canning as they usually qualify for the "remove all large bones" (to insure proper heat penetration) requirement. Use the bones for stock. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Canning meats