Canning, a method of preserving food, has been around for a quite a while! Enjoying your favorite fruits and vegetables year round can be quite the heart-warming experience as you know that it was your care and ability that allows you to enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables out of season!
When you go to the grocery, you may be able to find a significantly, less appetizing fruit or vegetable outside its season for a hefty cost. Additionally, large canning companies often add unnecessary synthetic preservatives or hike up the salt or sugar content to startling levels!
Not only can you avoid poor canning, which can result in botulism (a deadly toxin which can build up in poorly sealed cans) or food spoilage before you even open it, but you will know that the products in your cupboard are exactly what you want! This doesn’t just mean that it can be healthier for you in the long run, but also it can be quite cost effective!
For example, you could stop by your local farmers market and stock up on say 10-20 cucumbers when they are in season for less than seven dollars; making your own pickles for the whole year, or season depending on how much you enjoy pickles!
The place to begin with canning is the jar (a lot easier than one expects!)
Mason jars and Mason jar lids (the lids are not reusable)
Note: Mason jars and their corresponding seals are reusable and can be seen as an investment in future canning endeavors, if you don’t already have a few lying around! Other jars you may have like mayonnaise or salad jars that you might have wanted to recycle may be used in the “water bath” method, but never in a pressure cooker as they aren’t designed to get to that high of a temperature!
Methods of canning: “Water bath” and Pressure cooker
There are essentially two methods of canning; the “water bath” method is simply placing the jar in a boiling pot of water till it is sealed! Therefore it is the perfect place for beginners to get their start (our focus for today!) versus the pressure cooker method which requires, yes, a pressure cooker!
The water bath method is great for high-acid foods such as: jams, jellies, salsas, fruits, fruit fillings, sauces, and tomatoes. The pressure cooker just allows for the jars to reach an even higher temperature which is required for the sealing of low-acid foods such as meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables.
How to execute a water bath canning session! (Other supplies: Funnel, jar tongs, canning rack to put into pot, magnet stick, and head space measuring stick)
*Adapted from a process by Sara Wells
Step 1) Prepare jars by washing and sanitizing them in warm soapy water or in the dishwasher, and place the lids in boiling water.
Step2) Make your recipe, and fill your jars with a funnel!
Step 3) Place lids on the jars and then the bands!
Step 4) Use the rack to place jars into the boiling water, and boil the required time.
Step 5) Using the tongs remove the jars from the water and allow to cool. In order to check to see if they sealed correctly you should be able to press down the middle of the lid and not here a “pop” sound!
Enjoy and happy canning!
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