Fresh Food IN A JAR

The two basic types of canners used in this book are the water-bath canner, which essentially boils jars of food, and the pressure canner, which uses pressure to get food to cook at a temperature higher than boiling. Pressure canners are divided into two main types, those that use a dial to adjust the pressure and those that use weights.

Canners can be made of aluminum, enameled steel, or stainless steel. The most practical size canner for home canning is one that holds 7 quarts or 8 to 9 pint jars. All canners should come with a rack for jars. Some have a rack that allows two layers of pint jars.

Used canners can be a good deal if all the parts and instructions are still intact. Since pressure canners have several different methods of locking the lids and adjusting the pressure, having the instruction manual is critical.

CHOOSING A CANNER

If you will only be canning fruits, tomatoes with added acid, pickles, jams, and jellies, you could just buy a water-bath canner.

If you intend to can vegetables other than tomatoes, or meats and soups, you will need a pressure canner.

A pressure canner can be used as a water-bath canner, but the opposite doesn’t work. Water-bath canning usually takes less time.

Pressure canners with dial gauges need the gauge checked yearly. See Chapter 20 for information.

PRESSURE CANNERS

Pressure canners work by building up pressure inside the canner so food cooks at a temperature hotter than boiling.

Temperatures above boiling are needed to kill harmful bacteria and fungi in low-acid foods.

With dial pressure canners, you read the pressure on the dial and adjust the heat to maintain the pressure needed.

With weighted pressure canners, you adjust weights on a vent to change the pressure. Follow all canner instructions carefully.

If a pressure canner is old or has seen a lot of use, the rubber gasket on the lid may need to be replaced. The dial on a pressure canner that uses one needs to be checked each year. See Chapter 20 for resources for this.

The canner should not be more than 4 inches larger in diameter than your largest burner. Canners that will be used on electric ranges need to have flat bottoms.

Steam canners are fairly new. They have a shallow pan to which you add a few cups of water and then a high domed lid that fits over the canning jars. Steam heats the jars. Some recent research suggests they can be used safely for the same foods as a water-bath canner. However the processing charts in this book should not be used with steam canners.

WATER-BATH CANNERS

Water-bath canners heat jars of food in boiling water. They have a rack to hold jars off the canner floor.

Water-bath canning is safe for high-acid foods only. Always follow the recipe directions for the type of canner to use.

Water must cover the jars in the canner by at least 2 inches for safe canning.

At higher altitudes water boils at a lower temperature, so adjust the amount of time for processing food by your altitude.

HOW THE CANNER WORKS

Canners work from the heat of the burners on your stove. Gas or electric burners are fine.

Never use the oven, a microwave oven, or Crock-Pot to can.

You adjust the heat on your stove to keep the water boiling or the correct pressure going in your canner.

If the water stops boiling in water-bath canners or the pressure drops in pressure canners, you must start counting processing time all over once the boiling or correct pressure is resumed.

JARS & LIDS

Most large retail stores now carry canning jars and lids, at least in the summer months. There are numerous sources online and through mail order for jars and lids if you can’t find them locally. (See Chapter 20 for sources to buy jars.) Buying jars can be considered an investment, because if you take good care of them you can reuse them for many years.

Buy jars that are standard American measures, such as quart, pint, and half-pint for ease in following recipes and processing times. Make sure they have standard openings so that you don’t have to hunt down special lids every time you use them.

Buy jars that are labeled for canning and not storage. Some jars are also freezer safe now. Plain jars will cost you less, but fancy embossed jars may be your choice if you like to give away jars of canned food. Embossed jars are as safe as plain jars to use.

SIZES AND TYPES OF JARS

Common jar sizes are quart, pint, and half-pint. These may have regular mouths or wide mouths.

Widemouthed jars allow you to place larger pieces of food into the jars, such as large pickles. They are processed like the same size jar with a regular mouth.

Jars come with rounded or square sides. There is no difference in processing time between the two.

For best results use the jar size called for in a recipe. It isn’t safe to guess at processing time.

TYPES OF LIDS

Modern lids are actually two pieces: the “lid” and the screw band. The lid has a ring of sealant that makes an airtight seal on the jar rim.

The seal is made when canned food cools and contracts, creating a vacuum and pulling the lid down in the center.

Screw bands are removed after the jar has cooled and can be reused. Lids cannot be reused.

Plastic storage caps can protect jar lids from rusting or being knocked loose.

You can buy used jars if they are clean and you examine them carefully for chips and cracks. Even unused lids may not seal well after a few years of storage, so buy new lids. Screw rims are reusable, but the inner lid is not.

The color of a jar doesn’t affect food safety. Most modern jars are clear, but occasionally blue or green jars still show up. People used to think that the color of the jar kept the food inside from discoloring in storage and kept the vitamin content from being lost. This won’t happen if you store jars correctly. You can use any color jar if it is made for canning.

JARS AND LIDS NOT TO USE

Glass lids with wire bails or rubber stoppers are not safe to use for canning.

Old porcelain-lined metal caps that are used with rubber rings are no longer considered safe for canning.

Jars recycled from commercially canned foods should not be used for home canning. They are not manufactured to withstand home-canning methods. The rims may not fit home-canning lids.

Jars with cracks or noticeable scratches or that have chipped rims are not safe to use.

STERILIZING JARS

Jars should be washed in hot, soapy water before use. They should be sterilized if they will be processed for less than 10 minutes in a water-bath canner.

To sterilize, place jars in a large pot with 2 inches of water over the top of the jars.

Bring the water to a boil and boil 15 minutes. Keep jars hot until filled.

A dishwasher with a sterilize setting can be used to sterilize jars. Keep them hot until filled.

SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT

When you first begin canning, you may want to keep your equipment purchases small. There are certain things that are helpful, however, that will make your canning experience much more pleasant. These items will keep you from getting hurt in the process of canning and also aid with food safety.

You can safely look for bargains at garage sales and flea markets. Older but serviceable equipment is often for sale. Some of the older gadgets may be hard to find today, but the hardest part for many people is knowing how to use those gadgets! You may want to ask older relatives and friends if they have canning equipment they no longer use.

JAR AND LID LIFTERS

Canner racks may be too heavy for many people to safely lift when they are filled with jars.

Jar lifters allow you to move one jar at a time and keep your fingers away from boiling water.

The grip part of the jar lifter is placed under the screw band. Jars are lifted or lowered while in an upright position, never tilted.

Lid lifters have a magnet so that slippery lids can be easily grasped and lifted from hot water.

JAR FUNNELS AND BUBBLE STICKS

Unlike cone-shaped funnels, jar funnels fit securely on jars so you don’t have to hold them in place.

Pint and quart jars generally have the same size mouth openings, and the same funnels can be used on both. Wide mouthed funnels will be needed if you use wide-mouth jars.

Bubble sticks remove trapped air from jars before processing so less shrinkage occurs.

Bubble sticks are often combined with lid lifters. Never use metal objects in the jars.

A kitchen timer is an indispensable canning tool. Almost all canning recipes require that you time the processing and many parts of the precooking and preparing food stages. Having a timer ensures proper processing time and keeps you from forgetting when you began timing. A timer that fits in your pocket may allow you to leave the kitchen as the food processes.

Lid racks hold small canning lids so they are easy to pull up out of hot water. They save time and make a magnetic lid lifter unnecessary. You can also put your lids in a mesh bag like the one onions come in. Simply suspend it in the hot water from the pot edge with a big S hook.

PROPER WAY TO OPEN JARS

Jars should be opened carefully so you don’t damage them and can reuse them.

A jar wrench is used to remove screw bands that are on too tightly or have rusted onto jars. It is not used to tighten screw bands.

A lid opener breaks the lid seal without damaging the jar rim.

Lid openers are old-fashioned bottle openers with squared ends, not a punch end. Plastic or rubber-coated metal is best to avoid scratching the rim.

LABELS ARE ESSENTIAL

Although you can see what’s inside, canned food should be labeled.

The food name and the date it was canned are the most important things to put on each jar. You may want to note seasonings, too.

Dating jars makes it easy to rotate food. Properly canned food may be good for several years but is better if consumed within 12 months.

If you plan to reuse jars, place stick-on labels on lids, not jar sides, or write on lids.

FOOD-PREP EQUIPMENT

Some food-processing equipment for canning is rather specialized, but other things may already be in your kitchen. If you believe that you will be canning on a large scale, food-processing equipment will make the job much easier.

Modern electric equipment is great, but even some hand-cranked food-processing equipment can be a big help. Buy what you can afford and what seems practical for the job at hand. Equipment that has multiple applications other than canning makes a larger purchase more justified.

Once again look for used equipment to save money, and ask relatives and friends if they have equipment they can give or loan to you. You may want to borrow a piece of equipment to use before you buy one, to see if the time and effort it saved you is worth the cost.

FOOD SCALES

Many older canning recipes list weights of foods instead of standard amounts. To use them safely, you must carefully weigh ingredients.

Weighing your food surplus may give you a quick answer as to whether you have enough of an item to make a certain recipe.

New digital scales make reading the scale easy but are slightly more expensive.

Food scales have many uses in the kitchen. A good food scale has the capability of weighing both ounces and pounds.

FOOD PROCESSORS FOR PREP

If you do small amounts of canning, a small inexpensive food processor will probably handle many prep steps for you.

If you plan to do large-scale canning, a processor that handles large quantities and has a variety of blades and attachments can be a major help.

Most food processors do not have a straining feature, something that separates seeds and skin.

Some prep work cannot be handled by food processors, such as peeling and coring.

Larger is not necessarily better; even large canning jobs may require only minimum amounts of food processing—for example, chopping one or two onions. Small choppers may work just as well.

Small handheld submersion blenders allow you to smooth some food right in the pot while it cooks and can save you time. However, they are impractical for large, deep pots of food.

A jelly or candy thermometer is quite handy when making jams, jellies, and sauces. Modern digital thermometers are easy to read and worth the small extra cost. If you intend to can meat, you may want a meat thermometer. Some meat and jelly thermometers now come with timers that beep when the right temperature is reached. Good thermometers ensure a good product.

FOOD STRAINERS ARE HANDY

Food strainers, sometimes called food mills, are essential if you intend to make seedless jams or certain juices and sauces.

A hand-cranked food mill can work for small canning jobs. Even regular kitchen strainers and colanders can be used for straining small amounts of food.

Large electric food mills may also peel or slice foods and are great for large jobs.

Many foods need to be blanched or softened before being put into the strainer.

USING A JELLY BAG

Jelly bags are used to make clear juices and jellies. The stand holds the bag over a bowl or pot.

A jelly bag can be improvised by lining a colander or strainer with two layers of cheesecloth.

Crushed food is put into a jelly bag and the juices are slowly allowed to seep through the material.

Moisten bags before food is put in them. Never squeeze or press the food; let juices drip out into the bowl.

OTHER FOOD-PREP TOOLS

One of the top food-processing tools in the kitchen is your stove, of course. Both types of canners recommended in this book need to sit on a stove top to heat. Stoves with one or two extra-large burners are especially helpful when it comes to heating canners and large stock pots.

Before air-conditioning became common, people who did a lot of summer canning often had a stove outside or in the basement. Canning can be hot, steamy work. If you don’t have air-conditioning, a good fan is an essential piece of equipment.

Since cooling jars of canned food can take up a lot of counter space for many hours, you may want an extra table that is sturdy and heatproof. Your counters and tabletops will need clean towels or wire racks on them to hold hot jars. This protects jars from contact with cold surfaces, which can crack them, and allows them to cool faster.

PEELING AND SLICING TOOLS

Processing food for canning requires some good paring and slicing knives. Keep them sharp.

Specialty prep tools, like the apple corer and slicer, and apple peelers, are handy if you process lots of apples.

There are special peelers for peaches and other soft fruit and tools that pit cherries.

Mandoline slicers keep fingers safe and allow you to make decorative slices. Corn cutters remove kernels from the cobs quickly and safely.

CANNING REQUIRES EXACT MEASUREMENTS

Several sets of measuring spoons and cups should be available for canning.

Glass and metal measuring cups are probably safer around heat than plastic measuring cups. Find utensils with easy-to-read markings.

Don’t substitute things like teacups and tableware for measuring spoons and cups. Canning measurements need to be exact in many cases.

A set of plastic tubs with lids is handy to store measured ingredients until they are used.

And of course most kitchens have pots and pans, slicing and dicing tools, peelers, graters, ladles, spoons, and even things like melon ballers and garlic presses, which are all useful when processing food for canning. Before beginning, check your kitchen for these items and have them ready to use.

Don’t forget an apron. An apron keeps food from splashing on your clothes and often has a handy pocket to hold essential items—and you always have something to wipe your hands on. There are aprons designed for men or women. If you do a lot of canning, you may want to invest in heavy-duty, water-resistant aprons. If you have lots of small helpers, buy a box of plastic disposable food-service aprons.

COLANDERS AND STRAINERS

Having several sizes of colanders and strainers is very helpful when canning. Colanders generally have larger holes than strainers.

For canning, stainless steel or aluminum colanders and strainers are preferred over plastic.

Your colanders and strainers should be large enough to rest on the rims of your pots so you don’t have to hold them. Some colanders have stands.

Large colanders that are squared and fit over a sink are excellent for washing produce.

POTS AND PANS

In addition to the canner, you need saucepans or stock-pots for precooking, blanching, and processing food.

Stockpots generally have straight sides, two handles, and a lid. Saucepans usually have one longer handle.

At least one stockpot should be large enough to hold a complete load of jars with 1 to 2 inches of water over the top to sterilize jars or keep them hot.

The best material for saucepans and stockpots is stainless steel or aluminum.

PRESERVATIVES & SPICES

In some canning recipes certain ingredients, such as vinegar, are essential as preservatives, and in other recipes they provide flavoring. Sugar, salt, and lemon juice can also be essential or just flavors. Unless you know for sure that an ingredient is just for flavoring, never omit it or change the quantity.

Salt is generally a preservative in pickling recipes, and amounts shouldn’t be altered. In recipes where just a small amount of salt is used, it is usually a flavoring and can be omitted. Sugar is essential in most jam and jelly recipes to make the juices jell. In canning fruits, some fruits look better and have a better texture when canned in syrups made with sugar.

Canning your own food allows you to adjust spices to suit your taste or to remove spices that aggravate allergies. In general, spices are for flavoring and the amounts can be altered or omitted entirely. However, if you take away the dill, your pickles won’t taste like dill pickles. Removing other spices may also remove a unique flavor associated with that product.

VINEGAR

Vinegar for canning should always be 5 percent acidity, whether it’s white or cider vinegar. Anything else may result in food spoilage.

Buy commercial vinegar for canning so the acidity is always known.

Cider vinegar does have a slightly different taste, but usually the type of vinegar only matters for looks; white vinegar makes a clear liquid.

Vinegar is usually part of the preservative for a canned product, and the amount in a recipe should not be changed.

SALT AND SUGAR

Salt used in canning should be labeled for canning or pickling. Kosher salt can also be used. This salt does not have iodine or other additives.

Beet or cane sugar is fine for canning. Do not use any sugar with additives. Brown sugar is used for flavor in some recipes.

Honey or corn syrup can sometimes be substituted in recipes for sugar, but they add their own flavors.

Don’t use artificial sweeteners or salt substitutes unless the recipe calls for it.

Try a small batch with your substitutions or omissions before processing huge quantities, and taste it to see if it’s what you expected.

Some canning spices are seldom used in other cooking. Buy small quantities that can be used in one season and keep them in dry, airtight containers. Spices lose flavor quickly after being opened. Seasoning packets that contain spice mixtures can be a good buy for small batches. Buying spices separately gives you more control over what and how much goes into your canned product.

PRESERVATIVES, THICKENERS, AND ACIDIFIERS

Lemon juice can be used like vinegar to acidify foods for safe canning. It’s also used to preserve color in fruits.

Citric and ascorbic acid can be found with canning supplies and are used to acidify food or preserve fruit color.

Pectin causes fruit juices to jell. Some pectins need extra sugar to work; others work without it.

Cornstarch and other thickeners should not be used in canned foods. To thicken fillings for canning, use Clear Jel only.

FLAVORING

Whole spices can be tied in cheesecloth or put in a tea ball and used to flavor foods that are precooked.

Some whole spices are used in jars for flavor and appearance, such as dill flowers.

Substituting powdered spices for whole may produce a cloudy appearance or sediment on the bottom of the jar.

Be careful when using spices not called for in recipes. Some spices become bitter or develop off flavors during the canning process.

TYPES OF CANNERS

JARS & LIDS

SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT

FOOD-PREP EQUIPMENT

OTHER FOOD-PREP TOOLS

PRESERVATIVES & SPICES