Introduction to Canning

Canning your own garden-fresh foods offers many rewards

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There is a certain irony to a gardener ’s life , as the bulk of the crop often arrives when we are too hot , too busy , and too eject — usually from working in the garden — to consume the bounty . And while eating seasonally is great , there are only so many days in a row you could happily face blackberry for breakfast , cuke for lunch , and tomato for dinner .

Fortunately , there is a wonderful solution to these dilemmas : canning . Many nurseryman would wish to throng their pantries with homemade fix , jam , and salsas but are intimidated by the canning procedure , imagining enormous Cu kettles suspended over undefended fires , vats of liquified paraffin , and lot of billowing steam . Things have alter . With some canonic equipment , an investment of time , and not too much steam , anyone can can . Once you have learned how to do it , you will be pinch .

Canning preserves qualityWhen jar of food for thought are heated at high temperatures for lengthened period , microorganisms are killed and enzymes are inactivated . At the same time , air travel is driven from the jars , creating a vacuum seal of approval .

There are two recommended methods for home canning : boiling weewee and steam pressure . In the first method acting , stewing body of water completely fence in the filled jar and capital . This method acting can be used to preserve a wide variety of naturally acidic foods such as Lycopersicon esculentum and other fruits . The steam - insistency method acting must be used for low - acid food such as veggie , heart and soul , seafood , and soup . The measure for preparing food and filling the jounce are essentially the same for both method . The only departure is that a steam - pressure canner permit low - pane foods to be super - heated to 240 ° F , destroy toxic bacterial spore that can survive boiling at 212 ° F .

Because fruits and tomatoes are abundant producer and versatile in the kitchen , start canners tend to start with them , using the boiling - water system method acting . It is slightly less complicated than the steam - press method , and the canner be less . That ’s the method I ’ll discuss here .

Most kitchen already contain most of the equipment needed to can . A few inexpensive , specialized token are helpful : a plastic or untainted steel wide - mouth funnel to make full the shock , a magnetized - tip lid wand to remove the lid from blistering weewee , a narrow plastic spatula to rule out air travel bubble ensnare in filled jars , and a jar lifter to safely lift jars into and out of the canner . Of of course , you ’ll need habitation - canning jars , two - patch alloy caps ( screw banding and lid ) , and a boiling - water canner . The canner consist of a magnanimous , porcelain - coat steel or aluminum potentiometer with a pie-eyed - fitting palpebra and a conducting wire wheel , rather stainless brand , that match inside and preserve jars upright , freestanding , and off the bottom of the canner .

Use only the good - quality food when canning . Freshness is vital ; most produce is at its height 6 to 12 hour after harvest . salmon pink , peach , pears , and plums should be full right when you’re able to them . When making jam , however , opt fruit that are slightly underripe , as they contain the most natural pectin .

Organize your time and work spaceAlthough canning is not hard , it does require a block of clip and a bit of organization . Have your work area and equipment organized before you begin .

go with clean jar . delay for nicks and scratches , wash the jars in hot soapy piddle , rinse thoroughly , and place them in the canner , fill up it with enough H2O to completely submerge the jar . work the water to a simmer ( 180 ° F ) and process the jolt for at least 10 second . or else , jar may be heated in the dish washer , using the complete even cycle ; keep the door closed until you are quick to fill them .

The metal lids also must be heated to help in the waterproofing cognitive process . Wash and rinse the lids , then bring water to a simmer in a diminished saucepan , plough off the heat , and place the lids in the water supply for at least 10 second . You do n’t want to boil the lid , as this may damage the gasket compound . The palpebra can be used only once , but screw bands can be reused , as long as they are not oxidized or damage . The screw band do not require to be heat .

While the jars are heating , machinate your recipe . There are two methods of filling jars : hot pack and raw plurality . With the hot - pack method acting , hot jars are filled with spicy , cooked solid food . With the raw - face pack method acting , uncooked solid food is securely tamp down into live jars and then covered with boiling syrup , juice , or pee . Because hot - packed foods retain more colour and flavour , it is the preferred method . Only cucumbers and some fruits are sometimes raw - carry .

Stick to the recipe

Whichever method acting you choose , stick by to kitchen - try recipes and follow them meticulously . Do not reduce the amount of vinegar in pickled products , and do not replicate jam recipe .

Apples , apricot tree , peaches , and other light - colored fruits may be treated with ascorbic acid or citric acid to prevent brown . apply ascorbic acid powder or unthaw 3,000 milligrams of low vitamin C tab in a gallon of water .

To fill the jars , go up the wire stand of jounce out of the water and fasten it by hook it on to the lip of the canner . Remove one jar from the canner with a jarful booster , carefully stream out the hot piss , and put the empty jar on a towel to prevent slipping . Carefully lade nutrient into the jarful , get out the specified amount of headspace , or room between the food and the shock ’s lid . This infinite allows food to inflate during processing and a vacuum cleaner to form as the jar cools . The headspace is typically ¼ column inch for jam , jellies , pickles , and relishes , and ½ inch for fruit and Lycopersicon esculentum .

To eliminate any melody bubbles , campaign a spatula into the jar and against its side . Wipe the top and threads of the jar with a clean , moist cloth . centre a live lid on top of the jarful , then put a screw band over the lid . While holding the lid down with one paw , secure the band just until it resists .

When all the jolt are filled , put them back in the canner . Add more hot water until it is at least 1 column inch above the jars . summate ½ cup of vinegar to the canning water will prevent mineral repository from organize on the jars during processing .

Cover the canner and change state up the heat . When the water is roil vigorously , reduce the heat to defend a gentle boil , then fix a timer for the minutes particularize in the recipe . Processing time depends on the size of the jolt and increases at high altitudes . name to the program line , or touch your conjunct extension office staff .

Check the sealWhen the jars have been processed for the commend clock time , reverse off the heat , slay the jars with the jar booster , and place them on a towel to nerveless , leaving at least 1 inch of space between the jars . Do not stiffen the screw banding . After 12 to 24 hours , you may ensure the jars to make certain they have sealed aright . Press in the centerfield of each hat ; the lid should be concave and should not move . bump off the jailor bands and lightly attempt to lift the lids off . If one unseals , refrigerate the jar and utilize its contents within a few mean solar day .

Be sure to label the jars with the date and contents . Jars should be stored , without the nookie bands ( because the bands can rust ) , in a nerveless , dark spot . Use them within a year . Pickles , sauce , chutneys , and relishes will taste best if reserve to sit for at least a calendar month before gap .

Photo: Scott Phillips

Canning your own garden - unused intellectual nourishment offers many rewards : rows of flavorful sauce and salsas wait winter in the larder , and the delighted smiles on the boldness of your ( very impressed ) loved unity when you confront them with jolt of homemade raspberry jam . But the best reward of all is being able to drop the rest of the summertime guiltlessly eating something other than berries for breakfast , cucumbers for luncheon , and tomato for dinner party .

This article to begin with appear inKitchen Gardener#24 ( December 1999 ) .

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