London Community Resource Center Preserving

-- -- -- --

In the days when families depended on the fruits and vegetables from their bountiful gardens for year-round survival, preserving food was a necessity. Today, with easy supermarket access to fresh fruits and vegetables, people are choosing time-honoured food preservation to preserve the best flavours of the season and to carry on a tradition.

The concept of canning is simple:

When food is processed in jars at extremely high temperatures for a long period of time, the heat kills micro organisms and inactivates enzymes that could cause the food to spoil. The heating process also drives air from the jar, creating a vacuum seal as the food cools. This prevents air, and the micro organisms it contains, from entering the jar and recontaminating the food.

Safe Canning Methods

There are two safe ways of processing food, the boiling water bath method and the pressure canner method:

1) The boiling water bath method is safe for tomatoes, fruits, jams, jellies, pickles and other preserves. In this method, jars of food are heated completely covered with boiling water and cooked for a specified amount of time.

2) Pressure canning is the only safe method of preserving vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood. Jars of food are placed in 2 to 3 inches of water in a special pressure cooker which is heated to a temperature of at least 240 F. This temperature can only be reached using the pressure method.

Canning Equipment Needed for the Water Bath Method

Water Bath Canner

A water bath canner is a large covered cooking pot with a rack. Any large metal container may be used as long as it is deep enough for 1 inch of boiling water to cover the jars.

Canning Jars

Mason-type jars specifically designed for home canning are best. Canning jars come in a variety of sizes from half-pint to half gallon jars. Pint and quart jars are the most commonly used sizes. Jars also come in both the regular and wide mouth styles. If properly used, jars may be reused indefinitely.

Two-Piece Lids

Most of the canning jars sold today have two-piece, self-sealing lids. This type consists of a flat metal disc that has a sealing compound around the outer edge and a separate metal screw band. The lid is used only once; the screw band may be used over and over, unless it rusts.

Additional Canning Utensils

The following items are helpful for home canning:

* A jar lifter - essential for easy removal of hot jars from canner

* A jar filler or funnel - helps in packing of small food items into canning jars

* A bubble freer - for removing air bubbles from the jars. This could be a plastic knife or spatula. Metal objects should not be used becuase they can scratch the glass, making the jars more susceptible to breakage

* A lid wand - has a magnet on the end to help remove treated lids from hot water

* Clean cloths - for wiping jar rims and general cleanup

* Knives - for product preparation

* Timer or clock - to determine end of processing time

Easy Steps to Successful Home Canning

1. Always use the best produce for home canning

2. Wash jars

3. Prepare canner, sterilize jars

4. Boil lids for 5 minutes

5. Fill the jar

6. Leave proper "head space"

7. Remove air bubbles

8. Centre lid on jar

9. Wipe jar rim

10. Apply screw bands to fingertip tight

11. Process filled jars according to method and time of tested recipe

12. Cool jars 24 hours, check for vacuum seal. Sealed lids curve downward

13. Remove screw bands and label, date and store jars

Preserving Your Harvest

It is so easy to preserve, why not save some of your bounty to enjoy all through the year? Why not make those special homemade gifts that mean so much to friends?

Preserving food yourself means having an abundant supply of a variety of foods whenthe fresh products are not readily available; having specialties such as strawberry-

rhubarb preserves or green tomato relish that can’t always be purchased; and havingthe satisfaction of actually preserving foods yourself.

Canning, freezing and drying are the three main methods of preserving food. Whendeciding which method of food preservation to use, there are several factors to consider. First, you must check to see that safe guidelines for the different methods are available for the type of food you want to preserve. Consider how you would prefer to store your finished products, how much it will cost and how your family will like the

product. Some foods may be better suited for canning; others for freezing or drying.

Still other foods may produce excellent finished products regardless of the preservation method used, as long as directions are followed carefully.

Freezing

Freezing is a safe method to preserve any food. However, if a food contains a lot of water, like lettuce for instance, the frozen product may not have acceptable quality.

Canning

Canning is the process in which foods are placed in jars or cans and heated to the required temperature and later

cooled forming a vacuum seal. Acid foods such as fruits and tomatoes can be processed or "canned" in boiling water,

while low acid vegetables must be processed in a pressure canner that is able to reach the required temperature of 240 F.

Pickling

Pickling is another form of canning. Pickled products have an increased acidity that makes it difficult for most bacteria to grow. The amount of acid present is very important. Pickled products are also heated in jars at boilin temperatures to form a vacuum seal in the jar.

Jams and Jellies

Jams and jellies have very high sugar content. The sugar binds with the liquid present making it difficult for micro-organisms to grow. These products are canned, frozen or refrigerated for later use.

Drying

Drying removes most of the moisture from foods. Dried foods should be stored in airtight containers to prevent moisture from re-hydrating the products and allowing microbial growth.