Lisa-in-Germany, were we twins separated at birth?? I could have written *exactly* the same post, but subbing “Sister” for “Dad.” I love the Karo filling but I can’t stand the nuts. I don’t like nuts of any sort. Mother thought a dish wasn’t fit to eat until she had found a way to put nuts in it. It made for an interesting childhood! ETA: OMG, I just saw how old this post is!

momj74 LOL. So far I KNOW about: Blueberry pies (yes that's plural), apple pies (again more than one), pecan pie (and yes I've been asked to bring one too and she knows I'm a great baker), pear tart, cranberry bread, brownies, GF bread, trifle, TWO turkeys... I know we will be there for 4 days but I truly hope she doesn't push all this food. I'm on day 8 of 90 for WW (small goals) and I will be SO mad if I ruin it. I am going to take all my ingredients weighed out, mis en place and mixed if appropriate and bake at her house. Thanks for all the advice

What exactly is "approved" sources? I don't imagine the government approves any sources other than themselves, so who is doing the approving? Is there some kind of list somewhere you are referring to? Or do you mean only use recipes listed on the NCHFP website? The Ball Corporation (Jarden in Canada) publications on home canning have been held as THE approved source for over 100 years. The are often referred to as the canning bible and are well known for their ongoing research and updated publications on safety issues. This was long before the USDA or FDA came into existence. Also for decades Rodale Publishing was also regarded as totally safe in their canning publications. Unfortunately they quit maintaining the currency of their canning publications when NCHFP was created but with a few exceptions most of their publications are still valid. In addition there are the USDA and FDA publications, all the publications from NCHFP, all the publications from the many land-grant university extension services, and many publication from well-known food scientists such as Linda Ziedrich, Ellie Topp, Margaret Howard, etc. People who have the educational credentials and research background to know what they are talking about as opposed to the many bloggers and authors that merely subscribe to the "it hasn't killed anyone yet" school of science. There are a number of discussions here about what constitutes approved sources, which books are approved and which should be avoided, and reviews of various canning blogs pro and con. There used to be a number of MFP's (Master Food Preservers) that participated here on a regular basis and we made a concerted effort to review new publications and websites as they came up. Unfortunately Deanna and I are the only ones we have heard from since the move to Houzz but all that past info from the others is still available here and classes are available to anyone who wishes to takes them through their local county extension service. If you don't want to invest the time in getting the MFP credentials then take some basic classes or even the basic online course offered by NCHFP is a place to start. Honestly I find a lot of this kind of arbitrary. I'm sure it does seem that way when one is new to the process or has none of the underlying science training. But they aren't arbitrary. There are valid reasons, based in research and testing for all these guidelines. So everyone is left choices: (1) to either get the training so that they do understand it all and know where changes can and cannot be made (2) or accept them at face value and do them in order to have the assurances of safety they provide (3) or to challenge, question, ignore, and criticize them and just do their own thing when it comes to canning as long as they willingly accept the associated risks that come with that approach. The internet has plenty of blogs and forums that have adopted #3 approach and preach against the accepted guidelines. In some cases it is because they don't know any better, in some cases it is because they don't care, and in some cases it is because they claim to hate the government and reject all that it stands for or represents. This particular forum has long had the reputation of being safety oriented, or rejecting the make-it-up-as-you-go-along canning methods, and a place where those new to home canning can get safe advice. Are the guidelines perfect? Of course not. But they are the best and safest options we have available. Dave

Yep you can freeze boston cream pie....the custard filling will seep into the cake some....but that's oK by me! And you can freeze whipping cream. It won't whip as high when thawed....but it will do just as well in soups etc. How about caramel sauce?....That will keep a while in your refrig....if you don't eat it by the spoonful> ! cup butter 1 cup[ white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup cream Pinch of salt 1 tsp vanilla stif all together and cook slowly in a heavy pan over medium heat....bring to a simmer and cook about 3 minutes.....It's OMG good! Or Ann T;s scones,,,,also will freeze when baked.....check her blog "Thibault's Table"