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Complete Guide to Home Canning
by Lynn Holmgren
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Overview
We now take for granted the 365-day harvest provided by grocery stores, and home canning has become a nearly forgotten art. Why make the effort in July when you can drive to the store and buy salsa in January? While it may not be essential, home canning is a very practical and economical way to preserve the local harvest at its peak, allowing you to eat a variety of nutritious and delicious food year round, with the benefit of knowing exactly what is in it.
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Preparation
Home canning requires lots of preparation, so all-day canning marathons are frequently recommended. Much of the equipment you need may already be in your kitchen. Canning jars are essential, and can be purchased in quart, pint and half-pint sizes. You will also need a large pot with a lid or a pressure cooker, a rack that can fit in the bottom of the pot, tongs with rubber grips, a wooden spoon, ladle, funnel and measuring cups. There are also specialty canning tools such as jar lifters, magnetic lid lifters and headspace tools that can make the process run more smoothly, but feel free to improvise with any nonmetallic kitchen utensils you already have on hand. (Metal can react to some ingredients in negative ways.)
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Sanitization
The first step in canning is to clean and sanitize your jars. They should be thoroughly washed with soap and water and dried (you can do this in the dishwasher). Next, immerse the jars in simmering (not boiling) water that is at least two inches above the tops of the jars. The flat lids will need to be simmered in a separate saucepan. Keeping the jars warm will help you avoid breakages when the food is added.
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Canning Basics
Remove the jars one at a time from the water, but do not dry them. Fill them with the food you have prepared, pressing it down to the bottom to eliminate all air bubbles. Make sure to wipe the rim, as food residue can spoil the jar. Center a warmed flat lid on the jar and screw the band down evenly, making sure not to over-tighten. Once you have filled your jars, set them on the rack in the saucepan. Make sure they are covered by at least two inches of water. Boil for ten minutes with the lid on the pot. Remove the pot from the heat and let the jars sit uncovered for 5 minutes in the water so that they can adjust gradually to room temperature. Remove all of the jars from the water and let them cool in a draft-free location for 24 hours. You will want to check the jars the next day to make sure they have sealed properly. The lid should be concave and it should not move when pressed. If any jar has failed to seal it can be immediately reprocessed in a clean jar with a new lid, or refrigerated and eaten within several days. Jars that have sealed successfully should be labeled and dated. They can be stored in a dark, dry, cool place for up to one year.
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Tips
Depending on what kind of foods you are canning, there may be an extra step or two involved. High-acid foods such as fruit, jam, jellies, tomatoes and salsa can all be processed in a regular sauce pot, where boiling water can reach a maximum temperature of 212 degrees F. Low-acid foods such as vegetables, soups, stews, stock, meat, poultry and seafood need extra-high heat to eliminate harmful bacteria. They should be processed in a pressure cooker which can reach 240 degrees Fahrenheit. (See Reference 1.)
Canned Tomatoes
