Do you ever wonder how our ancestors in days gone by preserved their foods before the times you just bought canned foods from the store? Is there an interest to go back to simpler times where canning was a common place practice? It’s almost a lost art now. If that’s you, all you need is a pressure cooker, some canning jars with lids, and some food you would like to preserve plus a desire to learn. Canning can be such a rewarding and fulfilling hobby. Cooking under pressure will trap stream from the boiling water so temperature rises enough to kill bacteria.
For beginners it is suggested to start with a boiling water method. This is usually the most cost effective method, and one you’ll be proud of when finished. You’ll need some canning jars and lids in both the quart and pint sizes. The small 8 oz jars are great for preserving jams, jellies and relish type recipes. Please don’t use any other jars that are not specifically designed for the purpose of canning, such as what you bought mayonnaise or other jellies in. They may not be adequate.
You will also need a canning pot with a lid that is deep enough to immerse the jars by at least one inch, or two inches would be even more preferable. You” also need a rack to put the jars in to keep them off the bottom of the pot. If a rack didn’t come with your pot, you can simply out a rack at the bottom of the pot to keep the jars from touching the bottom of the pot. Another tool that you will need is a plastic spoon, knife or spatula to stir the filled jars to release any possible trapped air. Also you’ll need a large mouth plastic funnel, a set of strong, long handled jar pullers also known as tongs, for removing the hot jars out of the water. You will need a small towel to dry any remaining water from off of the jars as you lift them out of the pot.
Always use the fresh produce when possible, wash and peel the fruits before you begin. While you are prepping your fruit for cooking, place the jars into water and let it come to a boil for a few minutes. Then place the cut up fruit into the hot jars filling them about an inch from the top. There’s a product called Fresh Fruit that is recommended to prevent fruit from discoloration. Read the directions to get the recipe for a sugar water syrup that’s either light, medium or heavy, experiment to see which you like best. Pour this syrup over the fruit. Dip your plastic spoon or spatula into the jars releasing any trapped air. Clean any other food from the outside of the jar, put your lids on and tighten them. Put the jars back into the pot filled with warm or hot water and put back on the stove. Make sure to cover the jars with water about an inch over the lids.
Turn the pot on high heat to begin to boil the water. Once they have come to a boil, put the lid on the pot. After the water has been boiling vigorously for a few minutes, take the lid off the pot, and let it continue to boil for the time limit in your recipe, usually 10 minutes is good for pickles, and 25 to 30 minutes for fruits, and 35 to 40 minutes for tomatoes.
After cooking for the recommended time, turn off the heat and use your tongs to remove the jars from the pot and place on on towel to dry and cool overnight. Once cool, make sure there are no raised area in the middle of the lids, an indication that the jar never sealed and would not be safe. If this is the case however, you can either refrigerate those jars and use the fruit immediately, or try to reseal them the next day. If you try again, wipe the lip of the jar with a clean cloth and use a different lid.
There nothing like the feeling you get once you master the art to preserve food. It is helpful for anyone that loves to learn how things were done by our ancestors, and brings us back to our roots.
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