*Note: This post originally appeared on The Red Chef of NJ Facebook page
It’s a beautiful day for the end of the world, and to try something a little different! Today we’ve got a special guest author to talk about a critical food skill I’ve gotten multiple requests for, and is probably the first thing people think about when considering food self-sufficiency: Jarring and canning.
Jarring, canning, and pickling (which we’ll focus on separately another time) allows us to preserve food for long shelf-stable periods, especially the perishable fruits and vegetable that are a key component of balanced nutrition (and trust me; whether you like them or not, you’ll definitely need them if you’re ever in a long-term food-emergency situation). It’s also just a fun and creative way to experiment with flavors or make yourself some tasty goodies! Contrary to popular belief, there’s no fancy equipment needed, just a couple of bits and bobs easily and inexpensively sourced from your local housewares store.
Unfortunately, I don’t actually have hands-on experience with canning myself (I know, I’m as surprised as you are). Fortunately, I do have a friend who is a mean, green, canning machine, on a scale and dedication rarely witnessed in otherwise well-adapted and functional members of society, and she’s agreed to provide us a little overview of canning, and a link to her step-by-step guide!
Without further ado ladies, gentleman, and assorted humans, Ms. Ann Alexandrowicz of Baking in Bucks
Introduction to Canning
By Ann Alexandrowicz
Canning food is a shelf stable way to preserve fruits and vegetables. Most commonly, canning is used to make jams, preserves and pickles. In the US, Mason Jars (most commonly Ball, Kerr, and Anchor Hocking Brands) are recommended by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Every year the USDA revises their guidelines on safe home canning methods. What has been consistent is that Fruits and Vegetables can be canned using a hot water bath, while meat and broths MUST be canned using a stove top pressure cooker due to their low acid contents. Note: There are no electric pressure cookers on the marker that are approved by the USDA.
To can fruits and vegetables you do not need a pressure cooker, all you need is a stock pot, canning jars, jar lifter and a trivet/canning rack. The size of the stock pot depends on the size of jar that you will be using, estimate 3.5 inches taller than the jar you are using. You need 2 inches of water above the jars and some space for the water to bubble. 4 oz jars and 8 oz jars will fit in MOST stock pots. To make your life easier, I suggest a 6 piece canning kit because it has most of the tools to make your life easier, the only thing it is missing is a trivet (Bed Bath and Beyond also sells a 3-piece basics kit for $9.99).
Preserving fruit takes place most commonly in the form of Jams, Jellies, Preserves. The difference between Jams and Jellies is that Jellies are made from fruit juice, sugar and pectin (a naturally occurring starch found in fruits and vegetables), while jams and preserves use whole fruit, sugar and pectin (preserves tend to have larger or whole pieces, as opposed to jams which are usually chopped finer, and may be suspended in either a more syrupy or more “jammy” liquid). There are a lot of different kinds of pectin on the market, most supermarkets have Sure Jell Liquid Pectin, Ball Classic Pectin, and Ball Low or No Sugar Pectin. I prefer the Ball Low Sugar or No Sugar Pectin and keep this on hand all season because I can control the amount of sugar I use. The important thing with making jam is following what your pectin says it needs. Using too much or too little sugar will cause the jam to not set the way you want. If you cook it too long, it might become rubbery. When cooking jams and jellies, you cook it until it reaches the “Soft Ball Stage,” meaning about 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. If you do not have a candy thermometer, you can test the jam’s gelling by putting a plate in the freezer, and placing a dab of jam on it. Chill for 5 minutes, then run your finger through it; if it gels, you are ready to can.
Preserving vegetables is most often done with vinegar, salt, spices and sugar to pickle. This allows you to customize your sandwiches and make amazing charcuterie boards to entertain your friends. The best way to get started is to decide what you like in a pickle and start to play around. If you like them snappy and sweet, look up pickles with sweet brines. If you have 10,000 banana peppers that keep growing, look up a recipe on how to pickle them for sandwiches. Pick a recipe and play. The vinegar will give you some wiggle room on what you’re doing. I love making pickles and giving them to my friends.
Properly sealed jars can last for 18 months. Take this crazy world we live in and take the fresh produce we have coming in this summer and save it for the winter. Local farmers markets are great places to find local produce that is sustainably grown and sometimes organic. My BEST farmers market find was at one I stumbled upon in Philly, a fruit vendor was selling “Seconds” on apricots for $1 a pound. These were overripe and had to be dealt with that day, so I made Apricot Jam that night and it has saved my tarts a dozen times. It pays to talk with the vendors and build a relationship, because if I wasn’t nice and didn’t chat with him, he wouldn’t have told me of the seconds and I would never have gotten those “Seconds.”
Ready to learn how to start preserving fruits and vegetables using a water bath? Visit Baking in Bucks for a full step-by-step guide.