Learn to Can for Homegrown Flavor
(Page 2 of 5)
August/September 2005
By Roberta Bailey
Perhaps the best-known type of bacteria found in improperly canned food is Clostridium botulinum, which produces a potent toxin that is odorless, colorless and deadly even in small amounts. Botulism cases are rare, but to avoid exposure, it’s important to follow any canning recipe exactly, and to be particularly cautious with low-acid foods.
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Acidic foods, including most fruits, are processed in a boiling water bath. Most vegetables are low-acid foods that need to be pressure canned, and you should also use a pressure canner for any combination of acidic and nonacidic foods. However, some low-acid foods can be canned with a water bath canner if you follow a specific recipe. For example, cucumbers are low in acid, but when you add vinegar to the recipe, to make pickles, they become a high-acid food that can be processed in a water bath.
Essential Equipment
Water bath canners are available for $20 to $30, but a good pressure canner can cost as much as $200. Both should come with a rack to keep jars off the bottom of the pot.o not try to use a pressure cooker for canning; they are not large enough to hold most canning jars, and they do not maintain reliably consistent pressure.
Every canning book or instruction manual comes with charts detailing common foods and their respective canning methods, and also typically includes step-by-step instructions of the entire canning process. Local Extension offices often have free pamphlets on the proper way to can dozens of different fruits and vegetables. Another good source of canning information is the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. This is a thorough booklet with complete instructions and recipes, which you can buy for about $5 [(800) 240-3340; www.homecanning.com].
Other essential equipment includes canning jars, a large measuring cup, a long-handled spoon, a canning funnel, a jar lifter and any cooking pots needed in preparation. Canning jars come in two styles: modern jars with two-piece metal lids, and old-style jars with glass dome lids, a wire bail and a rubber gasket. The U.S.epartment of Agriculture recommends using the modern jars, and always using new metal lids. The other part of the lid, the metal bands, can be reused.
Both wide-mouth jars and regular jars work well for canning. Wide-mouth jars are a little more expensive, but they’re also easier to fill with some foods, especially whole fruits or pickles. When choosing jars, check for nicks on the rim or cracks in the jars, and discard any imperfect ones because they will not seal properly. Using recycled commercial food jars is not recommended — they are meant to be “single-use” jars, and may not withstand the high pressure of home canning.
Let the Canning Begin
Before you begin canning, read your recipe carefully and have all the equipment and ingredients on hand. To keep projects manageable, start with a small project that fits the time you have available. I avoid canning burnout by not trying to do more than one canning session a day and by interspersing large tasks, such as canning dozens of quarts of tomato sauce, with smaller, more interesting projects, such as trying out a new recipe for tomatillo-mint sauce.
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