Canning Made Easy

Grit Magazine ^ | October, 2007 | S. Schade-Brewer

[Diana in Wisconsin]

During the first World War, the U.S. government asked its citizens to contribute to the war effort by growing gardens. Americans rose to the challenge. The millions of quarts of provender produced by this astonishing effort not only fed American families, but helped feed starving people all across Europe. Humankind caring for humankind in a time of need – an example the world could heed today.

Similar food shortages have occurred throughout the centuries. When Napoleon was faced with the problem of feeding his rapidly growing military, the French government offered 12,000 francs to anyone who could figure a solution. A man named Nicolas Appert, though not completely understanding why, discovered that by putting food into a bottle or jar, sealing the jar up tight and cooking it for a few hours, the food could be preserved for consumption later. Napoleon’s army didn’t go hungry.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, flocks of free-thinkers sailed the ocean blue in search of a place where they could live free and govern their own lives. Once settled in their respective colonies, they too found daunting the challenge of having enough to eat. Through much trial and error, they discovered how to provide their daily needs and to preserve the precious leftovers for leaner times. Waste not, want not. The colonists learned how to take care of one another.

Preservation progress came at a cost, however. For example, it wasn’t until the late 19th century that anyone knew about Clostridium botulinum, the soil-borne bacterium whose lethal toxin, sometimes found in improperly canned food, claimed countless lives. Likewise, pickled provender frequently went bad when cork stoppers or pig’s bladders were used to cover the crocks and jars. Jams and jellies, sealed with brandy-soaked paper, often sprouted mold. But help was on the way – in the form of a rubber-sealed glass jar.

Tinsmith John L. Mason couldn’t possibly have known how his 1858 patent would permanently revolutionize family nutrition. His machine mass-produced threaded metal jar lids that, in combination with threaded-neck jars and rubber sealing rings, made it easy for virtually anyone to achieve a safe seal when canning. Mason’s canning jar and lid concept caught on immediately and opened the door for several improvements and modifications with familiar names like Ball, Atlas E-Z Seal and Kerr. Through time, the rubber seal has improved, as has the science behind the processing, but home canning is every bit as accessible today as it was in 1858.

You, too, can can

Before starting a canning project of your own, you should keep a few things in mind. It is best to gather only the produce you can work up in a few hours. This ensures optimum nutrition and quality. If possible, harvest early in the day.

Get your supplies out and check them over. Always use jars made especially for canning rather than old mayonnaise or pickle jars, and never use jars that are cracked or chipped around the rim. Use only the two-piece screw lids, never re-using the flat piece, as its protective ability is compromised once lifted off a jar.

Lids and jars should be sterilized before use by boiling for at least 10 minutes, leaving them in the hot water until they are needed.

The two canning methods in general use today make use of either a boiling-water bath or pressure canner for processing. The boiling-water system requires longer processing times and is suitable for foods with higher acid contents, while the pressure canner reaches higher temperatures faster and is suitable for virtually all food types. Once you have decided which fruit, vegetable or meat you want to can, be sure to educate yourself on the current recommendations for method, processing time and sterilization precautions for that produce. Your county extension office provides a wealth of information for your area, or you can go online to such sites as the USDA’s National Center for Home Preservation

www.UGA.edu/nchfp

Continues at link...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Yes, it is! I put it on summer veggie platters and people are always surprised at how crunchy yet bland it is, so it compliments any dip served. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

P.S. Raw veggies and salad are just a gateway to ‘Blue Cheese Dressing Addiction’ IMHO, LOL!

[GoLightly]

I sort of remember a little baking soda in the mix

I would think a little corn starch (a thickener) instead of baking soda.

[OregonRancher]

Ball, the parent company, no longer makes home canning supplies. It’s spun off to another company,
http://www.freshpreserving.com/

[newfreep]

I kept seeing this thread title and thought it was “Caning Made Easy” with tips on effective parenting...

[rightly_dividing]

Whatever works. I found a great article in a magazine the other day about growing in bags of top soil.

A while back, early in the summer, Lowes garden dept had two bags of soil with identical plants growing in each bag, to show the difference between the various brands of soil.
Of course the brand that they were selling had bigger plants :)

[JRochelle]

Speaking of blueberries, I just spent my morning picking them. Beautiful berries, and the price was pretty too, 60 cents per pound.

There is always blueberry pie. You can’t go wrong with that.

[rightly_dividing]

good article on bag gardening, thanks.

[goat granny]

T.Y for the correction. I always like being reminder that I am older than dirt.......:O(

[goat granny]

To me no one has ever really tasted a peach unless they pluck it off a tree just before its ready to fall....I'd grab one when on the garden tractor cutting the back yard, so delicious, and the juice would just drips off your chin. Our peach tree would skip a fruiting everyonce in a while. I envy you.....:O)

The stuff you get in the supermarket seems so tasteless.

[CottonBall]

Would one of you come to my house someday and can with me? I can read and read and read but until I try it, it will never make sense. I know I’m going to mess something up!!! :0)

LOL! I felt exactly the same way. In fact, my canner sat in its Amazon box for weeks until I felt 'brave' enough to take it out.

I'd say, just jump in with both feet, not worrying about the end product. Follow your canning book once step at a time - that way it's lees intimidating.

I'm at the point now - after only about a month - that I really enjoy canning. And especially hearing the pings as the jars cool, telling me that the vacuum seal is being set and the jars will be ok!

[CottonBall]

I think a lot of time you need new lids because someone pops it off with an opener and bends it a little. In that case, it won’t re-seal, of course.

Plus - and I'm speculating here - I would guess that the rubber seal gets mashed down when the jar is sealed. The seals on my used lids seems a lot flatter and less flexible than on the new lids.

[MtnClimber]

Does anyone have experience with pressure canning? I looked on Amazon.com and it seems they range from $79 to over $200. Also, is the quart capacity the number of quart jars it will hold or just total volume? And experience with different brands? It looked like there were two general ways the lid attached, a twist-on type and a lid that is held on with several tthumb screws.

[Gabz]

For those who find they have some old preserves, make filled cookies. I use the filled cookie dough recipe from an old 1950’s Betty Crocker cookbook but you can make a basic sugar cookie dough (but not too sweet). Roll it out and cut into 3-4” circles. Put a spoon of preserves in the middle of the circle and cover with another circle of dough. Seal the edges, prick the top with a fork for vents and bake. These are the best! They put poptarts to shame.

Bless your heart I never even thought of that. I will be doing that this year.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

In my experience, Hickory switches hold up the longest. ;)

[Bill_o'Rights]

>>> the government wants to regulate home gardening

I think you ought to start a new topic on that and support it as you did your response to me. Well stated.

[CottonBall]

We bought a house last year and when we ventured into the basement (ewwww) we found a wall of shelves floor to ceiling ...

You are SO lucky! I would love to have a basement. Especially one that already has shelves.

[CottonBall]

Hello again, MtnClimber!

I wonder if I need a pressure canner? I live at 8,500 ft elevation and the boiling point of water is lower due to lower atmospheric pressure. Can’t make good coffee! The pressure canner would get hotter due to increased pressure. Also, is the higher temperature why the pressure canner is needed to can meats?

I'm at 7300 feet most of the time myself. There are pressure adjustments with any pressure canner for altitude - the booklet that comes with your canner will tell ya what pressure to use for your altitude. It's usually a higher pressure than sea level, if I'm not mistaken. W/r meats - they are not acidic, so need a pressure canner instead of a water bath - yes, I believe it is because it needs a higher temp to be sure it is safe.

[CottonBall]

Does anyone have experience with pressure canning? I looked on Amazon.com and it seems they range from $79 to over $200. Also, is the quart capacity the number of quart jars it will hold or just total volume? And experience with different brands? It looked like there were two general ways the lid attached, a twist-on type and a lid that is held on with several tthumb screws.

I've asked all these same questions myself - and many more, on granny's 2nd thread. You can either peruse that thread if you have a lot of free time and a fast connection ;) Or ask again - DelaWhere is a great source of information.

Personally, I got the cheaper Presto one vs. All American or something like that as my 2nd choice. I'm happy with it for now, but it is a bit chinzy for a lot of canning. I think the qt capacity is the total volume. My 23 qt will hold 7 qt jars or 14 pints, double stacked. It got it vs the 16 qt one so I can do water bath canning (the 16 qt one wasn't tall enough to water bath can quart jars).

[CottonBall]

Does anyone have experience with pressure canning? I looked on Amazon.com and it seems they range from $79 to over $200. Also, is the quart capacity the number of quart jars it will hold or just total volume? And experience with different brands? It looked like there were two general ways the lid attached, a twist-on type and a lid that is held on with several tthumb screws.

I've asked all these same questions myself - and many more, on granny's 2nd thread. You can either peruse that thread if you have a lot of free time and a fast connection ;) Or ask again - DelaWhere is a great source of information.

Personally, I got the cheaper Presto one vs. All American or something like that as my 2nd choice. I'm happy with it for now, but it is a bit chinzy for a lot of canning. I think the qt capacity is the total volume. My 23 qt will hold 7 qt jars or 14 pints, double stacked. It got it vs the 16 qt one so I can do water bath canning (the 16 qt one wasn't tall enough to water bath can quart jars).