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Canning 101

Canning 101. An Activist Canning Session Enjoy fresh, local, non GMO fruits and vegetables all year! You can grow fruit and vegetables at home You can buy them at a Farmers Market You can buy organic at your nearest health store. Vegetable Tips. Buy fresh

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Canning 101

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  1. Canning 101 An Activist Canning Session • Enjoy fresh, local, non GMO fruits and vegetables all year! • You can grow fruit and vegetables at home • You can buy them at a Farmers Market • You can buy organic at your nearest health store

  2. Vegetable Tips • Buy fresh • Buy fruit and vegetables that are not bruised • Buy fruits and vegetables that are not moldy • Yes! You can can on a wood cookstove! • Yes! You can can on a flat top stove but watch your temps! • Yes! You can can on an electric stove! • Yes! You can can on a gas stove!

  3. Types of Canners • Types of Canners • Water bath canners for fruits and high acid foods • Save energy and water with steam canners! Fruits and high acid food

  4. Types of Canners (cont.) • Electric Water Bath • Amish method for experienced canners

  5. Types of Canners (cont.) • Pressure canner for most vegetables, meats, stews, etc… • Choose your canner(s) wisely, it will be with you for life

  6. Tools of the Trade • Glass canning jars; pint, quart, half-gallon are the most popular • Lids will depend upon your jar. They will either be narrow or wide-mouth. You must use the proper lid. • Timer or multiple timers if you are doing more than one canner • Tongs • Knife or spoon to get our air bubbles

  7. Tools of the Trade (cont.) • Magnetic device to get lids out of hot water • Hot pot is nice but not necessary • Lots of stainless steel bowls and pans, small through large • Cloth bath towels • Salt for veggies • Organic sugar to make preservation syrup • Water • Vinegar

  8. Tools of the Trade (cont.) • Lemon or lime juice or citric acid • Extra jars to save syrup for next canning session • Quality paring knife (not dull) • Ball Canning Guide or old fashioned canning book for times, etc • Canning funnel (large mouth) • Stainless Steel Colander

  9. Now what do I do? • Sterilize your canning area with household bleach, wipe washcloth over the area with a bleach-water solution • Wash all your fruit and vegetables in a clean sink • Pick out bruised or moldy fruit and vegetables, toss it to the chickens • Depending on what you want now you do different things.

  10. Canning tips to remember • You must adjust canning time for altitudes above 1000 feet. • Always fill a water bath canner so that the water is 1-2 inches above the jars. • Never put cold jars and products into a hot canner. The jars will break. • You must fill the jars the right amount and pack according to your recipe.

  11. Canning tips to remember (cont.) • Keep jars warm by sticking in a hot sink or another canning with rack up and lid on for 10 minutes. • Use a towel under your jar when fishing it out of the canner and take it to a towel laid down to receive processed jars. • You will know that your jars are sealed when you hear a friendly pop as they cool and the lid is concave (indented).

  12. Canning tips to remember (cont.) • If a jar does not seal you must reprocess the jar. • You are more likely to get botulism from store purchased food • You can remove the rings after the jars have cooled and you are putting them away.

  13. Canning tips to remember (cont.) • You can purchase lids separately. Each time you can you must use a new lid. • Tattler lids would be the exception. Have no experience with these. • Do not let canned food freeze! Extreme temperatures (hot or cold) are not good. • Canned food is heavy to move.

  14. Light Syrup 2 ¼ cups sugar 5 ½ cups water Yields 6 ½ cups Medium Syrup 3 ¼ cups sugar 5 cups water Yields 7 cups Heavy Syrup 4 ¼ cups sugar 4 ¼ cups water Yields 7 cups Honey Syrup 1 cup Sugar 1 cup honey4 cups water Yields 5 cups May not suitable for all recipes as product may brown Making a Syrup

  15. Making a Vinegar • 1 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup water 2 cups sugar (we used ¾ cup for better results) 1 teaspoon celery seeds (we liked less seeds use ¼ tsp) or cumin seeds 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (we liked less seeds use ¼ tsp) • Depending upon the recipe juniper berries • Gently boil for 5 minutes. Use hot to fill jars.

  16. Blanching • Many vegetables need to be blanched for 5-10 minutes before processing. • To blanch, skin your vegetable, core it, cut into pieces for canning. • Boil water in a second canner or a fluted large enamelware pot, 3 inches water • Put vegetables in a stainless steel colander • Put colander over the boiling water • Blanch for the time recipe calls for, usually 5-10 minutes

  17. Preparing Jars • Wash in hot soapy water • Check rims for any cracks or dents. DO NOT USE if cracks are on jar rim. • Dry jars lid down on a clean dry towel. • Tattler lids are dishwasher safe, if used.

  18. Preparing Fruits and Veggies • You will need to prepare the produce according to the recipe or how you like it • For instance, you can use a whole green bean or cut into ½ inch lengths. • Most recipes call for skinning your produce.

  19. Preparing Fruits and Veggies (cont.) • For things like tomatoes or peaches you skin by boiling a large pot of hot water and putting the fruit into the water for 3-5 minutes. Take fruit out with tongs and put the fruit into a large bowl of cold water. Then, take your hand or a clean dish rag and wipe off the skin. • The other way to skin is with a paring knife for some fruits and vegetables. • Then cut your fruit or vegetable to size desired.

  20. Filling the Jars • Fill the jars with your prepared produce that is washed, skinned, cut to size. • Fill to about 1 inch from the top of jar with produce. • Fill with a syrup, vinegar, or hot salted water depending on your produce and what the recipe calls for. Fill to 1 inch below jar lid.

  21. Filling the Jars (cont.) • Take a spoon or plastic bubble device and put it down to the bottom of the jar in several places to remove air bubbles. --Air is your enemy in this instance.-- • Add more liquid if necessary according to the recipe • Clean rim of jar with a clean wash rag

  22. Filling the Jars (cont.) • Put on jar lid that has been thoroughly warmed in a pan of warm water for about 5 minutes. • Put on ring but do not over tighten. You want the ring put on snuggly, but not so it takes a muscle man to get it off.

  23. Processing your Product • You must use the recommended canner for the recipe you are using and the fruit and or vegetable. This is essential to kill any bacteria, fungi, and to seal the jar. • Remember there are four types of canners: • Hot water bath • Pressure Canner • Steam Canner • Electric Canner

  24. Processing your Product (cont.) • In a water canner the water must cover the jar 1-2 inches and you begin to time when it is at a rolling boil • In a steam canner you use 6-10 cups of water and you begin your count when the steam is a consistent 8 inches long.

  25. Processing your Product (cont.) • In a pressure canner you put the jars in 2-3 inches of boiling water. Put the lid on correctly making sure that you button down all the screws. You then get the weight according to the recipe and insert the pound on the vent. When the steam rattles the weight you begin your count.

  26. Opening your Canner • With a water bath canner you just take off the lid. There is a rack which holds the jars which can be unsteady so I always opt for taking my jars out with tongs and fish the rack out later. • With a steam bath you turn off the heat and let the canner sit for 5 minutes. Then raise the lid away from your face towards the back of the stove. Remove jars with tongs.

  27. Opening your Canner (cont.) • With a pressure canner you turn off the heat after the time given. When the pressure gauge reaches zero (0), which can be a very long time, is when you remove the weight and unscrew the screws. Place a towel over the jars for 15 minutes and then remove jars with tongs.

  28. Taking jars out • Take hot jars out with tongs and a dry towel underneath to a towel waiting for processed jars. • Sometimes a jar will break. This is unavoidable these days. Unfortunately you must throw out that product. If the broken jar has interfered with your canning lid you must begin your count again after you take out the broken jar and contents. This is the pits, literally.

  29. Once Jars are Cool • Once jars are cool (I leave them overnight) make sure you wash any sticky stuff off the jar that might attract bugs or rodents. Then put the jars in a box. Make sure you label the type and date on the jar. You think you will remember but you won't if you are like me.

  30. Storing Jars • Put the jars in a cool place that neither gets too hot nor freezes. • Home canned food will last up to 30 years or more! • It is always advisable to cook vegetables 5-10 minutes to kill bugs. • If the jar has mold, an off smell, or the lid is convex (puffing out) DO NOT USE the content or give to animals. That is toxic.

  31. Summary • This is a convenient way to shelf store food for a long time. • You can preserve your seasonal harvest for use later. • In relative terms, it is a medium cost way to shelf store food. This type of preservation is one that can be done at home. Thus is very helpful. • Post collapse, this is an excellent food source.

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