It’s canning season!
By Joan Janzen
Home gardeners are busy harvesting their produce. As in generations past, a new generation of gardeners has emerged, many choosing to can their vegetables and fruit. It is productive and can also serve as a time to get together with friends for a mini canning bee. Home canning courses are available for anyone attempting canning for the first time.
PHOTOS BY KYLA JANZEN, click for larger images
Sources such as Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving and The National Centre for Home Preservation website provides canning procedures and numerous recipes. An altitude adjustment chart indicates that high-acid foods need to be processed at 100 degrees Celsius in a boiling water canner. In comparison, low-acid foods should be processed at 116 degrees Celsius in a pressure canner.
The new standard operating procedure ensures washing jars in the dishwasher and filling the hot jars is adequate. Jars don’t need to be sterilized in advance since this will occur in the water bath. While some people prefer to boil the lids, instructions on the package indicate it is unnecessary. Simply wash the lids in soapy water.
Fill the hot jars using a ladle and canning funnel, leaving the appropriate amount of headspace required by the recipe. Slide a nonmetallic spatula around in the hot mixture in the jars to remove any air bubbles, and clean the jar rims and threads with a damp clean cloth. Centre the lids on the jars, and screw the bands down just to fingertip tightness.
Place the jars on the rack in the hot water in the canner. Lower the rack and adjust the water level, as required in the recipe. Cover the canner and bring to a full boil. Once the water is at a full boil, begin timing the required processing.
After removing the processed jars from the hot water, allow them to rest for 12-24 hours in an upright position. After the resting period, check for seals and remove the bands, to ensure food doesn’t get lodged between the gasket and the jar. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use them within a few days, or reprocess, heating the liquid again, and can in sterilized jars, using new lids. Store sealed jars in a cool place.
Some common canning mistakes to avoid are overfilling the jars, reusing canning lids, using cracked or chipped jars, not having enough water in the bath, or not allowing the jars to cool.
There are several advantages of processing garden fruits and vegetables. The jars of fresh food can be stored at room temperature, leaving more free space in home freezers and refrigerators. It also contributes to a self-sufficient lifestyle, with garden produce available all year. The most important advantage is the delicious food your family and friends get to enjoy.
A combination of hot water, vinegar and salt covers the raw carrot sticks packed in jars, leaving the required amount of headspace.