THE ABCs OF CANNING

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Don't make the mistake of canning low-acid foods (which most vegetables are) in a boiling water bath — you're just asking for a case of botulism. Here's why: The water temperature won't heat beyond the boiling point with this method, which is necessary to destrol harmful bacteria.

The first step is to fill your canner with enough water to cover your jars; then add an extra inch of water to allow for a rolling boil. Then put the heat on, pack the food you're canning into hot, sterilized jars, and place the jars into the boiling water bath. (Again, when you do this, make sure your jars are boiling hot or they will crack.) You're now ready to load up your canner with the jars. Make sure that none of the jars are touching each other, and then cover the canner and watch it until it comes to a full boil (not just a simmering boil). Only then should you begin your time count. From time to time, peek in and make sure everything is going all right. Then, at the end of the processing time, remove the canner from the heat, and take out the jars one at a time. Use a jar lifter to do this, and place them gently on a dry, folded towel in a draft-free place. Do not attempt to tighten the seemingly-loose rings — it may cause the seal to fail.

As you can see, there's not much to this method of canning, and you can store high-acid fruit for 12 to 18 months. Those beautiful rows of red tomatoes, yellow peaches, and sparkling fruit cocktail sure do make a short day's canning worthwhile. Just wait until your family eats all that pretty fruit. It's a whole different taste from that bland, over-sweetened, tinny fruit from store shelves! (I won't even go near store-bought peaches — those hard, tasteless, syrupy lumps.)

PRESSURE CANNING

It's no wonder people fear pressure canning with all the circulating horror stories about canners blowing up! But the truth is, anyone who can boil water (and has half a lick of sense) can do it with no problem. Although there are a few different kinds of pressure canners, they all pretty much work the same. These canners are the best way to can low-acid foods such as stews, soups (not tomato), spaghetti, and almost all vegetables.

The canners are heavy-duty cookers with a steam-tight cover, a safety and exhaust port, and a rack to hold the jars off the bottom. Of course there's also the pressure gauge, which is what people fear most. With normal care and a once-a-year check up (often free or low cost) from your county extension office, the pressure gauge is quite safe and almost always works just fine. So relax and get to work.

First, sterilize your jars and lids in boiling water. Check jars for spoilage, before use. Most authorities advise boiling 10 minutes before tasting canned food, just to be safe. (I haven't poisoned anyone in 30 years of heavy-duty canning!) While you're doing this, you should prepare the food you'll be canning so it's ready to go. Place the rack in the bottom of the canner, and add boiling water, filling to two inches for large canners. Small ones only need one inch of water, but are less economical than the larger canners.

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