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Saturday "Canning and Preserving"
Posted by Theresa111 • 10/15/09
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Jan Berry & Rodney Weidland
Nigella Lawson
How To Be A Domestic Goddess
(Baking & Comfort Cooking)
This is the idea. Check your cookbooks, family recipes or do as I did and check out some library books. The recipes for the most part are easy and most are four to seven ingredients. They tell you to sterilize jars or cans and you can easily buy a few from the grocery store or an arts and crafts store.
If this is your first attempt, as it is for me, then choose a simple recipe and then you have something to put on your shelf for a future use. The more I read up on this subject, I'm finding there are so many things I did not realize about preparing foods to enjoy at a later date.
Most of our ancestors followed many of the techniques found in the books in order to extended the life of their crops. Imagine trekking across a continent without some preserved food.
Recipes I noticed were: Brandied Fruits, Strawberry Brandy; that I most definitely will make for gifts, Relishes, Peppers in Olive Oil, Chutneys, Jams, Jellies, Winter Compotes and so many more exotic ways to make these exciting foods.
It isn't hard, it promises to be a cool learning experience and it is like gathering to raise a barn. The cooks always pulled jars from their shelves to accompany their main dishes.
Please join in late afternoon around 5PM Eastern Daylight Time, October 17, 2009. Bring some friends along. Share your experiences and perhaps some photographs, too.
Discussion Replies
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I make jelly and jam all the time, but not in the usual way and never for canning. My mom and grandmother canned regularly and it died out during my generation, it seems. I'd love to do it, but it's also time consuming! Something I don't have a lot of. I'm interested in seeing what others will contribute! -
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I put up food every year. dehydrator, canning and freezing. We love it in the winter to have fresh food. -
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I will dig out the crock pot apple butter and apple sauce recipes in a few and see what else i have lurking around
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Elsie's Everlasting Pickles
Put sliced cucmbers in a gallon jar
Add one cup of pickling salt and cover with water.
Let stand three days.
Pour off water and rinse lightly
Add 2 tablspoons Alum
Cover with water and let stand 24 hours
Pour off water DO NOT RINSE
Cover with vinegar and let stand 9 days
Add 1 Tablespoon turmeric to vinegar (I add whole cloves to mine, too.)
Let stand 24 hours.
Pour off vinegar DO NOT RINSE
Add 3 cups sugar each day for 3 days (9 cups total)
Turn often to flow sugar thru
Let stand 10 days- Put in smaller jars.
No need to seal or refrigerate unless you want an even more crispy pickle. I use it to make my sweet pickle relish for potato and macaroni salad -
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Hot Pepper Jelly
6 green peppers
20 hot peppers
5 pounds sugar
3 cups white vinegar
2 1/2 (6 oz) bottles liquid pectin
10 drops green food coloring
30 drops red food coloring
Remove seeds from green peppers. Trim stems from hot peppers. Place peppers in blender and process until smooth. (Be careful when removing lid of blender to not inhale as fumes could burn your nose, or worse.) Combine sugar and vinegar in large pot, stirring to mix well. Add peppers. Boil 8 to 10 minutes stirring as needed. Remove from heat and strain into another large pot. Discard pepper residue. Put large pot of strained pepper liquid over heat and add liquid pectin and food coloring. Stir to mix. Bring to a boil. Ladle into half-pint jars and seal. Makes 12 to 14 half-pints -
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Crock Pot Apple Butter
This is rally good and simple. They used all I made last year in no time
Crock pot Apple Butter
8 cups mashed apples
4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
Cook and mash the apples. Put all ingredients into the crock pot. Cook on high for 5 hours, then on low heat for 3 hours. Stir occasionally. Put in jars and seal.-
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Amy, do you peel the apples first, before cooking them? How exactly do you cook them? Boiling frying or baking? I want to make this recipe. I will make one-half of the recipe. Is there real butter added or it the mashed apples the "butter?" Let me know as early as possible please so I can get them in the crockpot. thanks. Looks really good.
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I peeled them and cooked them on the stove top in a sauce pan with a little water. You can add butter to then as you cook them. It is called apple butter because it is a little thick and spreads like butter.
My moherin law doesnt peel them she just dices them really fine and the peels cook down. I like this recipe alot. It s really simple and tste oh so good.Just keep an eye on it and make sure it doesnt stick and you may have to add a little water but not much at all.
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Crock Pot Applesauce
10 large cooking apples, peeled, cored & sliced or cut in chunks
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
Put all ingredients into crockpot. Should be about 3/4 full. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours (high 3 to 4 hours -
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The Importance of Food Safety and Quality in Home Canning
A popular pasttime in the fall for gardeners who grow fresh fruits and vegetables is canning their harvest for later. Some important things to remember when canning fruits and vegetables are to use fresh foods, can them soon after picking, follow recommended processing times and procedures, and can no more food than will be used in a year.
Using fresh foods can help ensure the quality of the preserves later. The variety of fruits and vegetables can also affect the quality of the canned product. Use the varieties that you prefer that are well suited to canning. After harvest, the food should be washed and examined carefully. Old, diseased or moldy food should be thrown away. Trim away any small diseased lesions or spots from food that is in otherwise good condition.
Fruits and vegetables should be canned while they are still fresh. Most vegetables should be processed within six to 12 hours after being picked. Apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears and plums should be ripened one or more days between harvest and canning. Spread in a single layer on a clean dry surface to ripen more evenly. If the canning of fresh produce must be delayed, keep it in the refrigerator if possible, or in a cool, dark place.
Recommended processing times should be followed because proper canning practices remove oxygen from food tissues, destroy enzymes, prevent the growth of undesirable bacteria, yeast and molds, and help form a vacuum in jars. Good vacuums form tight seals that keep liquid in and air and microorganisms out.
If proper canning practices are not followed, chances increase for the of the survival of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes botulism, a deadly form of food poisoning. These bacteria exist either as spores or as vegetative cells.
Botulinum spores, which are similar to seeds, are on most fresh food surfaces. The spores can survive harmlessly in soil and water for many years. However, when ideal conditions exist for growth, they produce vegetative cells that multiply rapidly. The deadly toxin is produced within three to four days.
Ideal conditions for cell production include a moist, low-acid food, a temperature between 40 F and 120 F and less than 2 percent oxygen, which occurs in tightly packaged foods.
Using the recommended processing time ensures destruction of heat resistant microorganisms in home-canned foods. The recommended time is based on the largest number of microorganisms expected to be present on a given food.
The acidity, or pH, of a food determines whether it should be processed in a pressure canner or a water-bath canner. Acid blocks the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria or destroys them more rapidly when heated. The acid may be natural, as in most fruits, or it may be added, as in pickled foods. Acid foods are not at risk for botulinum growth. Botulinum spores in low-acid foods, however, must be destroyed with high heat.
Acid foods, with a pH of 4.6 or lower, can be canned in a water-bath canner. They include most fruits and some varieties of tomatoes. Adding lemon juice, citric acid or vinegar can increase the acid content of many other foods. Acid foods should be packed in a water-bath canner using the hot-pack method.
Low-acid foods have a pH higher than 4.6 and must be canned in a pressure canner. They include red meats, seafood, poultry, milk, all fresh vegetables, and some varieties of tomatoes and must be canned in a pressure canner. Mixing low-acid foods with acid foods does not lower the pH below 4.6 unless the recipes include enough lemon juice, citric acids or vinegar to acidify them.
Low-acid foods should be processed at temperatures of 240 F to 250 F. This temperature range can be reached only with pressure canners operated at 10 to 15 pounds per square inch of pressure. At these temperatures the time needed to destroy bacteria in low-acid food ranges from 20 to 100 minutes. The exact time depends on the food being canned, the way it is packed, and the size of the jars.
Always follow time, temperature and pressure recommendations very carefully. Home-canned foods will be free of spoilage if they are properly prepared and processed, the lids are sealed to form a high vacuum and the foods are stored at temperatures between 50 F and 70 F.
To maintain good color and flavor during processing and storage, do the following:
Use only high-quality, disease- and bruise-free foods in the proper stage of maturity.
Wash foods thoroughly and trim away small damaged areas.
Use the hot-pack method, especially for acid foods to be processed in a water-bath canner.
After preparing foods for canning, protect them from too much exposure to light, heat and air. Can them as soon as possible.
Fill clean, hot jars with hot foods, leaving the amount of headspace specified in the recipes.
Remove air bubbles from filled jars and wipe jar rims with a clean damp cloth before adjusting lids.
Use recommended self-sealing lids and screw bands or rings.
Tighten screw bands securely but, if you are especially strong, not as tightly as possible. Read manufacturer's instructions.
After canning, store sealed jars in a relatively cool, dark, dry place, preferably between 50 F and 70 F.
Can no more food than you will use within a year.
For more information about home canning, contact you county Extension agent.
Source: Jean Weese, Extension Food Science Specialist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-3269-
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This is perfect information for us Amy. I have been reading up on this subject and surprisingly, they don't even go over this in culinary school. Now that I have so it, I will continue to produce jars of goodness. It really makes you feel good to seal that lid on the sanitized jars! I'll need to get a shelf just for this new form of cooking.
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Apple Pie in a Jar. - all you have to do is dump it in a crust and bake. Works well. I make this every year I have apples.
INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
10 cups water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
7 quarts peeled, cored and sliced apples
..DIRECTIONS
1.Place a rack in the bottom of a large stock pot. Fill pot with hot water. Sterilize 7 1-quart canning jars, 7 lids, and 7 rings by placing on rack, jars upright. Bring water to a boil. Boil 10 minutes. Remove with a holder and allow jars to air-dry. Save water for processing apples.
2.Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and water in a large saucepan. Place over high heat and cook until thick and bubbly, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
3.Tightly pack apples into sterilized jars. Slowly pour syrup over apples, covering them completely. Gently tap jars on countertop to allow air bubbles to rise. Screw lids on jars.
4.Carefully lower jars into pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between jars. Add more boiling water if necessary, until tops of jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Bring water to a full boil, then cover and process for 30 minutes.
5.Remove jars from pot and place on cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press top of each lid with finger, ensuring that seal is tight (lid doesn't move up or down at all). Sealed jars can be stored for up to a year.-
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You really have good recipes. I found so many easy ones in the first book at the top and
even Nigella's book has a few of her all time favorites. I can see a whole new world beyond my sheltered life.
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These were only $1.19 each before tax. I washed them in the dishwasher and dried them on a cookie sheet in a warmed oven 250º until they were completely dry.
Raspberries were two for $3.00 today. I finally broke in my new pans ( I didn't want to make the newness be gone forever) I really went to town with my wooden spoon. I smooched the fruit and turned the stove on a medium heat.
I warmed my sugar 4 cups in the 250º oven for precisely ten minutes. and then added it to the raspberries that had begun to boil.
Allow it to boil and stir over a higher heat. Reduce to a simmering boil and allow this mixture to do it's thing for a full ten minutes, without stirring it.
Time to get rid of the scummy part on top, remove jars from the oven, Careful ... Very Hot! -
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Next because I do not care for the seeds of this fruit, I strained the puree into an also sterilized strainer and stainless steel bowl. Run through the dishwasher and allowed to dry in with the jars. Do not burn yourself. Press the puree through the sieve and place the seeds into a separate bowl. You will want to use cheese cloth and press out as much liquid as possible, before discarding.
Did anyone notice I am using Mama's bowl?
If I had left the seeds in I would have produced three full jars. As it was, I ended up with two jars of seedless jam or puree.
The end result!
Two Pounds of Fresh Ripe Firm Raspberries
Two Pounds or four cups of granulated sugar which has been warmed.
Yield is 2 - 3 cups perhaps a bit more. -
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It has been raining for four days now and it is coming down steadily all day. Makes you want to snuggle up on the big comfy sofa.
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Even Hannah peeked in to see what I was doing.
Here's my next recipe. Pear Apricot Jam.
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I am here now!!!
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Most important thing about canning is to wipe off thejar rims with a clean dry towle before sealing. I lost alot of food not knowing that!
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Makes perfectly good sense. I dried mine with a paper towel so as not to spoil the sterilization part of the process. I need to take a 30 min break as I haven't eaten all day. I will be back @ 8:30 EST.
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Here are some supplies you need. A towel for the counter, a canning funnel, a can picker upper, bands and lids and jars.-
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Cool. I do not have a canning funnel or a tongs for the hot jars. I went downstairs and fed everybody, including myself and put together the Pear Apricot Jam. I am at the point where in ten minutes I will skim off the surface and pour it into the sterilized jars. The lids are dry. And the photos taken, but for the last. I didn't realize I would have to let this one cook for 20 to 30 minutes. It smells wonderful and I even threw in a 3" piece of ginger for some added flavoring. I removed it after ten or fifteen minutes.
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I have pears but not apricots. My in law makes pear preserves
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My buzzer just sounded, for the last time today. I shall return with photos give me 12 minutes.
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It starts like this; diced pears water zest of lemons and their juices over medium heat. Dice soft dried apricots and add in. Raise heat and bring to a full boil.
Add in warmed 250º for ten minutes, sugar.
Bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat. stir and then keep at a low boil for 20 to 30 minutes. You will be able to see it change.
Turn off the heat and allow to sit for ten minutes. Skim off surface and pour into sterilized jars.
This is my first attempt, the recipes turned out perfectly. It was not difficult to do and I will keep cooking with this method of preserving. I highly recommend it and it is therapeutic. I keep imagining what terrific gifts I can make. -
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Canning can be fun and you have good foor all year. What I dont can I freeze or dehydrate
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Do you consider what I did today as canning even though it was into glass jars?
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yes they sell plastic jars for that too. As long as you preserve it like the recipe calls for it is canning. My hubby's grandmother use to use peanutbutter jars and such
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I do green tomato pickles too. I dont have a recipe for that per say but I take green tomatoes onins and hot peppers and cut them up to fill a steril jar. Then 1/2 tsp pickling salt per jar. I then boil vinegar and water (half and half) and fill the jars. I then let them seal. et them set for a few daus and you have hot tomatoe pickles. If you use the gree cherry tomatoes poke a tiny hole in they instead of cutting them up and then place them in the jar.
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I do not eat too many hot foods, but my husband loves spicy hot. I will try some of the recipes you provided, especially the apple butter in the crock pot. I have two jars left.
I am really beat. Amy I want to thank you for making this event chock full of interesting recipes, data, history and photographs. Enjoy your evening and I appreciate all of your effort.
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Pear Apricot Jam
4 firm fresh pears peeled, pitted and chopped
2 Lemons use the zest and juices of both
2 1/2 cups of water
2 cups + soft dried apricots
4 cups warmed 250º for ten minutes SUGAR -
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Tonight I checked my Michael's Arts and Crafts receipt and they gave me a 40% off coupon good until the 24th of this month. Now the jars would only cost .72 each. This is what I will be considering for this year's gift giving. I'll be saving 47¢ for every jar and this moves me to invest wisely.
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I have two empty jars that I am thinking of filling. Strawberry Brandy perhaps ...?
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Hey! here is a new member and he did some canning and preserving on his food blog. Check him out!
anyoneforseconds.wordpress.com/ -
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Wish I had been here for the discussion. I think I was at the Black Jack table in Vegas -
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Yeah, yeah ... rub it in. I know hoe to play that game. Hope you had a fun time.
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