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An Old Dog learns a new trick.....


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Met a lady today who told me how to bake cakes and short breads in a mason jars....by lidding it after it has baked, the cooling down process will create a vacuum sealing the cake allowing it to stay fresh for up to year....first thing tomorrow there's going to be a batch of something in the oven, and hopefully some goodies in the pantry for later...

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I recognize this. It is essentially 'canning' the baked item. Lidding the jar while hot would create a low pressure inside. However, the preservative action is probably due to the heat of baking and then the seal against contamination. Make sure you have the lids pressure-cooked to minimize introduction of microbes on them and handle them very carefully, taking them hot from the cooker and quickly to the jars. But if it works for green beans, it'll probably work for bread.

One note, Mason jars may not be that compatible with baking temperatures. Be careful if any shatter in the process.

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We also used old mayo' jars as well and those would break once in a while in the pressure cooker. But heating in an oven could be less even so I would think the risk of breakage greater. Our old mason jars were all survivors so I think we had already lost the weak ones.

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When I was a kid there were a lot of Steamed Puddings, many had suet in them.

In fact the Spotted Dick is a steamed pudding these seem like they might/could work in a mason jar.

Eamonn

Come to think of it so is a Christmas Pudding

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When I was a kid my mother would bake breads and cakes in mason jars, we'd take them to summer camp for a nice treat. She'd also store them in the basement for a rainy day.

 

I have done it a lot myself, it is pretty cool, my family gives them away as Christmas presents. I do a Cinnamon roll type cake that is really good, you can also do banana breads, pumpkin bread but one of my favorites is Boston Brown Bread. You can also bake these items in a can and can them.

 

You need to use the wide mouth mason jars and if you give them a spray of Pam they will just fall out when you are ready to eat them. We use this technique for our family food storage the bread and cakes sit on the shelf next to the preserves we make.

 

I have done this with my scouts they think it is pretty fun, there are tons of websites that deal with this, just do a google search for Bread in a jar.

 

John

 

 

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This recipe is easy to do, but the instructions must be followed exactly. The nicest thing about giving Bread-In-A-Jar is that those who receive it can keep it until they get over the holiday food blahs.

 

Bake in pint size wide mouth canning jar, seal immediately upon removing from the oven. It will keep on the shelf for up to one year. Take jars out the oven one at a time. When jars have cooled enough to handle them, tighten the tops. As jars cool, they will seal. 2 2/3 c. sugar 4 eggs 2 c. canned pumpkin 2/3 c. water 3 1/3 c. flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground cloves 1 1/2 tsp. salt 2/3 c. nuts

 

Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and water. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add to pumpkin mixture into greased wide mouth pint jars, filling half full. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. When done, remove one jar at a time, wipe sealing edge with paper towel or cloth and screw cap on tightly. The heat will vacuum seal the jar and the bread will keep up to one year. Makes 8 pints.

 

VARIATIONS:

Substitute for pumpkin, one of the following:

 

2 cups shredded apples or carrots

 

1 bag whole ground fresh cranberries

 

1 can whole cranberry sauce

 

1 3/4 cup applesauce plus 1/4 cup pineapple

 

1 3/4 cup applesauce plus 1/4 cup raisins

 

2 cups mashed bananas

 

2 cups apricot

 

2 cups shredded zucchini

 

2 cups chopped fresh peaches

 

This comes from: http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1732,146189-238202,00.html

 

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