Canning Your Own Foods: Thing You Need to Learn Part 2

In part 1 of the things you need to learn about canning; I told you about the importants of firm-ripe fresh foods that are needed for canning. About spoilage, which causes molds, yeast, and bacteria the can be on the food, in the water, air, and soil; and how to stop spoilage by the proper application of heat. What enzymes are, why you have to use canning jars and lids, how to store your jars, what to look for before you open your canned foods and how to open them the right way. Now you have to learn about the equipment you have to have and how to operate them safety.

First we will talk about the pressure canner. The pressure canner is used for vegetables and meats and vegetable meat combined, like stew. Basically a pressure canner is a big kettle that has a lid with a seal, a petcock safety valve, an accurate pressure gauge that measures the pressure within the kettle during process, and a rack in the bottom of the kettle.

Never use your pressure canner without having it checked and tested by your County Extension Home Economist. The jars that you put in the pressure canner reach temperatures above the boiling point of water. Make sure you read all instruction that comes with your pressure canner. Some do vary but they are basically all like.

Here are some general steps, which apply to all types of canners.

1. Prepare your jars and food according to recipe. Always use a canning recipe for canning.
2. When you have your food ready to be packed in the jars, set the canner on your burner. Place the rack in the bottom of the canner and add boiling water to a depth of 1 inch for small canners and 2 inches for large canners.
3. As you fill each jar and the cap is firmly tightened, set the jar on the rack in the canner to keep hot. Pack only enough jars at one time to fill the canner. Steam has to circulate freely around the jars so don't let them touch.

You can set empty jars in the canner before hand to see how many will fit.

4. Follow the canner's manufacturer instructions. Adjust the cover of the canner and fasten securely. The kettle its self has an over hang lip that the lid securely fastens too.

5. You have to exhaust the canner. This is leaving the petcock open and letting steam escape gently for 7 to 10 minutes. Close the petcock. Watch the pressure gauge and when the right amount of pressure shows, start counting the processing time; you will have to adjust the heat to keep the pressure steady.

6. Process for the required amount of time. Your canning recipe should tell you.

7. When the processing time is up, remove the canner from the heat. Make no attempt to lower the pressure. Let the canner stand until the pressure gauge returns to zero. Open petcock gradually, if no steam escapes the pressure is down and you may remove the lid.

8. Remove the jars from the canner. Set your jars upright several inches apart on several thicknesses of towels to cool. Do not set the hot jars in a draft or on a cold surface and don't cover them. Don't tighten the screw bands after processing. You will notice that they are loose when you remove the jars from the canner.

9. When the jars are cool you can test for seal and remove the screw bands. (I will tell you how to test for seal later)

10. Before you store your jars of food, wash jars in warm soapy water, rinse and dry.

If you are a little hesitant in using your pressure cooker for the first time, you can experiment by adding the boiling water, secure the lid, and heating the canner so you can watch the gauge go up and test the petcock. Just make sure you don't have your face over the petcock or hot steam will hit you.

Now the other way of canning is by using the boiling water bath. This process is used for processing fruits, tomatoes, pickles, and jellies. These are acid foods and can be canned safetly at boiling temperature.

A water bath canner is a large kettle that permits water to cover the jars at least one inch over the top and a little extra space for boiling. Make sure when you purchase one that it comes with a rack that holds the jars ½ inch from the bottom of the kettle.

1. Before you prepare the food for your jars, place the water bath canner on the heat with sufficient water to cove the jars at least one inch over the top. This permits water to be heating while you prepare your food. The water has to be boiling when the jars of food are placed into it.

2. Prepare only enough jars of food at one time to fill the canner.

3. Place the jars of food on the rack in the canner far enough apart to allow the circulation of water around them. If the water doesn't cover the jars at least one inch over the top, then add boiling water to the canner to get the right height. Start counting the processing time as soon as the water in the canner reaches a good rolling boil. Keep the water boiling all during the processing period. If the water does boil down, add sufficient boiling water to keep it at the required height.

4. Process the required length of time. Your canning recipe should tell you.

5. As soon as the processing time is up, remove the jars from the canner. Do not tighten the screw bands on the jars. Set the jars upright several inches apart on a thickness of towels to cool. Don't cover, set in drafts, or on a cold wet surface.

6. When jars are cold, test for seal and remove screw band.

7. Before you store your canned foods, wash the jars in warm, soapy water rinse and dry.

The pressure canner and the boiling water bath are the only two ways you can can foods. Remember that vegetables and meats and vegetable meat mixture has to be canned using the pressure canner and fruits, tomatoes, pickles, and jellies have to be canned by the boiling water bath method. Don't ever try canning vegetable and meats with the boiling water bath because there isn't sufficient heat to be sure of sterilization. The food will spoil in the sealed jars if not processed at the correct temperature and/or the correct amount of time.

To prepare your jars before ever filling them with food you have to wash them thoroughly with warm, soapy water and rinse will. There is no need to sterilize them for the pressure canner or the boiling water bath as the jars are sterilized when the food is sterilized.

You also have to wash the lids in warm, soapy water, rinse dry then place in a pan and pour boiling water over them. Don't boil but let them stay in the water until ready to use.

If you have jars that didn't seal then you need to check several things. Check for any chips in the edge of the jars, rust or damaged band, damaged lids or food particles on the lid or sealing edge of the jar. The food must be processed again within 24 hours.

1. Reprocess jellies: Replace the lid with new one and process 10 minutes in the boiling water bath.
2. Reprocess fruit, tomatoes and pickles: Replace the lid with new one and process in boiling water bath for original time.
3. Reprocess vegetables or meats: Replace the lid with new one and process the original processing time, after the pressure canner has been exhausted for 10 minutes.

Now, how to test for seal

3 to 4 hours after canning you need to press the center of the lid. If you notice that the center of the lid is down and will not move the jar is sealed. If you can push it down it isn't sealed and you have to process again.

Listen for the seal is when you can hear a clear ringing sound. This means it is sealed. If the food is touching the lid then you will hear a dull, but not hollow or empty like sound that the jar is not sealed.

There is also another way of telling if the jar is sealed but it's not well know; and that is to listen for a popping sound when the jar cools off. This popping sound happens when the center of the lid is liked sucked down towards the center of the jar. It would be funny when I had 8 or 10 jars setting on my counter and we would all hear popping noises from the kitchen. The family always knew the jelly was sealed.

I know that there is one question you are all thinking. How do you get the steaming hot jars out of the pressure canner and the boiling water bath? It's easy; you buy tongs that are made for picking up jars. They are just like regular tongs but have a longer rod at the bottom that is covered with a thick rubber for protecting the jars as you pick them up.

So basically you have to have a pressure canner and have it tested by your county Extension office every season before you can, a boiling water bath canner with a rack in the bottom, canning jars, and lids plus canning tongs. Besides the foods that you want to can you also need recipes. It's a good idea to pick up a canning recipe book. This will have the processing times included with the recipes. Remember, never can with a regular recipe that doesn't talk about canning unless you have been canning for years like I have.

I hope you enjoy your canned foods year round. It is well worth the time and effort to can your own foods. It's very healthy and with the prices of produce going up every day you will pay for your canning equipment in no time flat.