Learn to Can for Homegrown Flavor
(Page 4 of 5)
August/September 2005
By Roberta Bailey
Pressure canners will have either a weighted or a dial gauge. For a weighted-gauge pressure canner, start timing the process once the appropriate weight begins to lift and let off steam. With a dial gauge, monitor it closely and begin to time once the gauge reaches the appropriate pressure. You will have to adjust the heat source to maintain steady pressure. In altitudes higher than 1,000 feet, a dial gauge is recommended because you need to accurately increase the pressure 5 pounds for every 3,000 feet of altitude, and a dial gauge allows you to change the pressure in smaller increments than a weighted gauge.ial-gauge canners need to be checked yearly by your local Extension office or by the company you purchased it from to make sure they are reading accurately.
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When processing time is complete in a pressure canner, turn off the heat and let it sit until the gauge naturally falls to zero. Wait a few minutes, then open the vent. Next, open the lid and remove the jars with a jar lifter. In a water bath canner, turn off the heat and remove jars from the water. Set them, spaced well apart, on a soft cloth. Space around the jars allows cooling to occur naturally. If a jar cools too rapidly it can break.o not tighten the lids unless they are very loose. As the jars cool, you’ll hear them “pop” when they are properly sealed. If a jar does not seal, it can be refrigerated and the food inside should be eaten in the next few days.
Once the jars are cool, remove the metal bands, wash the outside, label them with the content and date, and then store them in a cool, dark cupboard or pantry. Metal bands may corrode if left on the jar, so to store the bands, I use a wire coat hanger that has been cut close to one side of the hanger and then straightened and bent into a long hook. The bands are threaded onto it, and the entire unit can be hung from a nail. If you ever find that a jar has lost its seal during storage and that the lid comes off with no resistance, it is not safe to eat and you should discard the food.
As the growing season progresses, the shelves of the pantry begin to fill. First, there’s strawberry jam, then peas and green beans; then it’s on to tomatoes, corn, salsa, pickled hot peppers, blueberries, fruit juice, soups, baked beans, squash and applesauce. Soon, a rainbow of the summer’s colors will form, ready to brighten many a meal throughout the winter.
Roberta Bailey is a regular “Gardener’s Almanac” contributor. She lives on a 16-acre farm in Maine and often cans more than 1,000 quarts of food a year.
Pressure Canning vs. the Water Bath Method
Use a Pressure Canner:
Beans
Soups and stews
Red meat, fish and poultry
Vegetables
Use a Water Bath Canner:
Pickles
Tomatoes
Fruits: apples, berries, cherries, peaches, pears, plums and rhubarb
Fruit juices
Jams, jellies and preserves
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