and preserving fresh foods as long as you follow the recipes and instructions carefully. The following additional tips can help you can foods successfully and minimize the chances of spoilage:
Always follow the guidelines in the following sections for testing the seals on your canned goods before you store them away. If you are ever in doubt about the seal or if a jar has not sealed properly, either refrigerate it and use immediately, throw it away, or reprocess it. Reprocessing is recommended only for foods that do not contain meat, eggs, or seafood. (To reprocess, prepare another sterilized jar, bring the food to a boil in a saucepan, and pour it into the new jar. Cover and process for the required time, and allow it to sit undisturbed for another 12 to 24 hours.)
Have enough clean towels on hand so you can wipe each jar with a fresh section of towel. Once a section of towel has become soiled with liquid or food, use a new section or a new towel.
If you’re canning more than one type of food, always wash your utensils, cutting boards, knives, and other tools before moving from one food to another.
Can only what your family can eat or give away within a year. Always mark the jars accordingly, and eat the oldest foods first. A good practice is to write the canning date in marker on the lid and write the expiration date on the label. When adding new jars to a shelf, move the older jars to the front and store the newer jars behind them.
Always store your canned goods in a cool, dark place where they will be safe from jostling. Never store canned foods in movable storage such as totes or under-bed storage boxes, as frequent moving can result in chipped or cracked jars and cause contamination.
SECTION 1
Water Bath Canning
Chapter 1: Water Bath Canning: Supplies, Instructions, and Safety
Chapter 3: Jams, Jellies, and Preserves
Chapter 4: Salsas and Relishes
Chapter 5: Low-Sodium and Low-Sugar Recipes
1
WATER BATH CANNING:
SUPPLIES, INSTRUCTIONS, AND SAFETY
The equipment and supplies for water bath canning are easy to find and inexpensive. You don’t need much, and you often can find used equipment or borrow some from a friend. If you’re unsure whether canning is something you will do long term, stick with the essentials at first and add more supplies later on.
What You’ll Need for Water Bath Canning
You’ll need the following essential supplies to begin canning using the water bath method. The individual recipes will give you further guidance and any additional items needed. Use the checklist below and “The Basic Instructions for Water Bath Canning” later in this chapter to help you get started.
Choosing a Water Bath Canner
You can use a large aluminum or porcelain-covered steel stockpot for water bath canning, or you can purchase one made just for canning. The advantage of choosing a water bath canner is that its metal racks have handles for removing the jars from the pot. Some retailers even have beginner’s sets that include the canner, a jar lifter, racks, and other utensils. If you choose to use a stockpot you already own, you can buy the racks and utensils separately from any canning supply vendor.
Water bath canners come in several sizes, and the label will tell you how many jars can be processed at once. Most water bath canners can process 14 to 18 (½ pint) jars, 7 to 8 pint jars, or 5 to 7 quart jars. For safe processing, the water level needs to be at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars; keep that in mind as you choose your canner and your jars.
A Note on Jars and Lids
It is perfectly acceptable to buy used canning jars. As long as the jars aren’t cracked or chipped, they can be reused for many years. You can often find them at thrift shops, garage sales, and on sites like Freecycle or Craigslist. This can be a very economical way to go, especially if you begin canning in large quantities or you want to have several sizes of jars on hand. New jars are not expensive, generally costing ten dollars per dozen.
Although you may hear of people canning with recycled glass jars (from commercially packaged mayonnaise, applesauce, or other products), this is not recommended. These jars may not be made of glass that can withstand the high temperatures of canning, and lids and rings may not fit tightly enough on recycled jars. In any event, used canning jars can be had for pennies, so the cost savings from using recycled glass jars just isn’t worth the risk.
You can also buy and safely use used rings (in fact, they often come with the used jars), but first carefully inspect them for warping, cracks, rust, and other damage. Rings are sold by the dozen or the case, and they are usually available for five dollars or less per dozen, so you may be better off discarding any used rings. You may want to reuse your own rings, however, once you’ve emptied the jars. Just be sure to inspect them before using them again.
Lids, however, cannot be reused. Once you break the seal to open your jars, the lids are likely warped and unable to reseal, even if they appear to be undamaged. Lids are also extremely inexpensive, so don’t risk your health to save a few pennies.
The preceding list covers everything you really need to get started in water bath canning. If you find you love canning, you may want to add more equipment and utensils, and you’ll have a better idea of what you do and do not really need once you gain some experience.
Basic Instructions for Water Bath Canning
1. Before you start preparing your food for canning, fill your canner halfway full with cold tap water. This will be the right water level for one load of pint jars, but you may need to add more water when processing quart jars or two or more racks of half-pint jars. You’ll need 1 to 2 inches of water above the tops of the jars.
2. Prepare your ingredients while preheating the water in the canner to 140 degrees F for raw foods and 180 degrees F for hot-packed foods. (Check your recipe before beginning.)
3. Follow the recipe directions for preparing and packing your food. Use a butter knife or thin spatula to remove any air bubbles.
4. Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean cloth before centering the lid on each.
