newbie to canning

[wwe11]

I have never canned before and we are putting our first garden in this year and I would love to know how to can. Like how to do it and what supplies I would need and any tips you all might have for a newbie. I would apresiate all the advice, thanks.

[fixer]

First, I would buy a copy of The Ball Blue Book. Ours is quite worn since we refer to it quite frequently.They can be found where canning supplies are sold. Ball also has an excellent web site. I have posted a link. Also, your local extension office will have information on canning.

http://www.freshpreserving.com/

[LastDragonfly]

Your local library should have some good books to get you started. I like the Blue book of canning.....preserving the Harvest .

I have some cook books that also give instructions. Youtube has some good viideos to watch. Your county extension office may have some classes.

I learned to can last year. It was so fun. I loved doing it. I cant wait for my garden this year.

[Cricketlegs]

Canning is great and I am sure you will love it.

Be sure to get UP TO DATE information and recipes because you do have to do it right.

That is not to say it is hard to do. Common sense, good directions and the proper equipment is all you need to to be a great canner, cannist, canna....whatever lol!

Good luck with your garden.

[dean]

The Ball Blue Book is the best. Mine is sooooo worn out and I've been canning for over 25 years. I still refer to it on a regular basis.

[Magster]

HI WEE11, congratulations, it really is pretty fun. I also use the ball blue book, I'm not an old timer, only been doing it for about 5 years. I was so proud my first year, and we ended up canning a year supply of green beans and tomatoes. It was great. Since no one has yet posted about the items, here's my own little list, (others please add to it if I forgot something).

Items you need:
Pressure Canner: Get a huge one, you want to be able to do several quart size jars at a time or it takes forever! You can get a used one and have the pressure gauge and seals tested by an office by the city. It's different in every town where you go, so it may take a few phone calls to find out where to get them tested. Or you can just buy new ones. Technically you should have them tested every year any way, but i don't' know anyone who does. A new large one right now costs about 70-90$, I think. You can check out yard sales and thrift stores.

Bottles: you need to decide what size jars, quarts or pints. And you need to decide what size mouth, small or wide. The wide ones are necessary for canning larger whole fruits like nectarines and such. But what ever you choose I suggest you stick with the same size for all of them otherwise it's kind of a pain to have different sizes and lids.

Lids and Rings: The rings are reusable year after year, the lids need to be bought new every year. They are sold in most grocery stores where I am.

The bottle lifter: I don't know what it's called. After the canning is done, the bottles are very hot so you can't just pick them out. There is a special utensil for lifting them out, I think it's a necessity.

The Ball Blue Book: or some other reference guide. There is exact times, pressure amount, etc for each different produce you are canning. And the altitude you live at matters too. It's not confusing, but you need a guide to tell you what. Some produce is only a hot water bath and some needs to be pressure canned. I think it's based on acidity level of the produce. anyway, just get the little book and it's perfect, it's easy to understand and is very concise.

You'll find that some things are much easier (less time consuming and messy) than others and don't be discouraged if things ar ekind of slow at first. Your first time try something easy like I think green bean are easy. Tomatoes and corn are a pain, messy and time consuming. But I do tomatoes anyway because of the money i save and we eat a lot of canned tomatoes.

And you can always post on here with questions!
have fun!
-Maggie

[Grainlady]

I've taught canning classes through our Cooperative Extension Office, but don't do canning anymore myself. It's no longer cost effective for me. I mainly do freezing, fermentation, dehydrofreezing, and dehydrating instead, these days. It's not always cost effective to do home canning when you run the numbers (food production, food purchases, utilities, equipment, etc...). But not everyone does it because it's cost effective. Most people who do home canning do it because they love the process and the products that fill their shelves.

- One of the best web sites to check out for a wide variety of food preservation information is The National Center for Home Food Preservation: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publication...ions_usda.html

- Because we have more bacteria in our environment than ever before, and more powerful bacteria than we had even 20 years ago, it's strongly suggested to use TESTED (research-based) recipes that follow the USDA recommendations. These recipes have been tested for pH, and tested after a period of shelf-life. Don't use methods and recipes that are pre-1989 because there were major changes in processing times - based on altitude. Home canning is an area of research and study that is getting a lot of attention, so it's best to keep up with the research findings.

- Know your altitude. Boiling temperatures are lower at higher altitudes and if you don't adjust for altitude, the food can be under-processed. Although Kansas (where I live) is commonly thought of as a flat state, our altitudes vary between 75 ft. to 4,039 ft. above sea level.

- Be careful using really old jars - free isn't always cost effective. Glass gets brittle after years of use or storage and can easily break during processing. If you do use old jars, be sure to run your finger over the rim to check for any nicks. Every broken jar means a lot of time/effort/money being wasted.

- Although they can be used in a boiling water canner, I'd suggest you void using single-use jars. These are container from the store designed to only be used once, such as a mayonnaise jar. These jars are not made of tempered glass like canning jars. They are thin and can easily break during processing, or shatter if you accidently knock it into something removing it from the canner because they are much thinner. If you do use single-use jars, make sure lids and rings fit properly. NEVER use single-use jars in a pressure canner.

- NEVER alter recipes (except where changes are indicated in the recipe) or you can change the pH of the ingredients. Never double recipes - once again you can alter the pH.

- NEVER make up your own canning recipes. Without scientific testing, you will not know how long the product needs to be processed to be safe, and what the pH of the ingredients are.

- In a water bath canner, you count the time of processing AFTER the water comes back to a boil.

- Don't add extra starch, flour or other thickener to recipes. This will alter the rate of heat penetration and can result in under-processing.

- Always add an acid ingredient (usually bottled lemon juice) to tomatoes if you process them in a water bath canner. Tomatoes are boarderline for being acid enough to process in a canner, so adding the acid ingredient helps to insure they are acid enough. Avoid using low-acid varieties of tomatoes for canning.

- Make sure cucumbers are the variety for canning, not slicing. Be sure to cut the blossom end of the cucumber off 1/16 of an inch. Blossoms may contain an enzyme which causes excessive softening of pickles. Generally speaking, avoid using burpless cucumbers in canning. They CAN be used, but they need to be the immature ones, or they will get soft, and use the ice water method to aid them keeping crispy.

- There are two versions of the Ball Blue Book, the short one readily available where canning equipment is sold, and a longer (more expensive) version. Ball Blue Book is the only commercial book that follows USDA suggestions for home canning. This is a great book, but one that is even better is So Easy to Preserve from the University of Georgia.

http://www.uga.edu/setp/

- Avoid using recipes where paraffin is used on jams and preserves, instead of water processing. Small air holes in the parrafin can allow mold to grow.

- Although you'll find old recipes using half-gallon jars, they are no longer suggested for food, only grape juice and apple juice. It's difficult to get proper heat penetration in these large jars. However, I love them for storing dehydrated foods and sealing them with my FoodSaver.

- If I can add a great little tool that's normally not included in most canning equipment lists, it's a Lid Sterilizing Rack. It' keeps the lids separated and easy to "fish" them out of the hot water. LOVE IT! http://www.lehmans.com/store/Kitchen...k___CS20?Args=

- Keep your canning environment CLEAN. Wash all kitchen surfaces off with a disinfectant, such as 1 t. water in a quart of water (keep it in a spritz bottle). Don't forget to wash off the handle on the refrigerator - a good place for bacteria. Never smoke or eat during canning. You can transfer bacteria from your mouth to your hands. Use clean towels and dish rags and avoid cross contamination.

- If you have a glass-top (ceramic or flat-top) stove, consult your user's manual to see if it's appropriate for home canning. Boiling water canners can actually fuse to these hot surfaces. If the canner is larger than the burner area, the heat may discolor the stove surface.

- Do a reality check. Can you consume the number of jars of food you plan to can? Will pints fit your needs more than quarts?

Unsafe canning methods:

-Open-kettle canning (this is different than boiling water canner method)
-Microwave and standard ovens
-Dishwashers
-Slow Cookers
-The Sun
-Steam canner (these are different from a pressure canner)

Yes, you'll find recipes using all these for "canning". Avoid them for safety's sake. You'll also find so-called "canning" recipes for quick breads and cakes in canning jars "processed" in the oven - "canning butter" using a melted butter and an oven method - and chocolate sauce - these are dangerous methods and you should avoid these unsafe recipes.

Good luck. It's a lot of work, but it's also very rewarding work, and those jars of food lining the shelves is a beautiful site!

[frugalwarrior]

The only thing I might add is-buy a new canner. Garage sale items are great but I would never buy a used canner/pressure cooker. I want to know it's been maintained and safe. There is nothing messier than a canner explosion of tomato sauce on the ceiling. imho. (dangerous too. Ask my grandma).

[never2late]

Sounds like you have gotten some great advice already. I was so very lucky to learn this skill from my mom (although at the time I grumped about having to help). Our school district next year is going to be adding a new class in food preservation, to include canning, drying, and even making sausage. I was so happy to hear they are doing this as it really is becoming a lost art.

[wwe11]

Thanks so much for all the advice. My local amish store carries a pressurer canner for about 90.00. So when I get the money together I will be getting it. We only live 1/2 mile from them. lol

[The Muse]

I'm a new canner, too! I watched the prices on Amazon and when they went down, I ordered a waterbath canner, a stainless steel canning funnel, a lid lifter, and jar grabber. They sell kits, but it came out to cost less for better quality tools buying them individually.

I also bought 2 books, which in all of my research came up the most often as being the best. They are the Ball Blue Book of Canning and Putting Food By.

I haven't actually canned yet, but I'm ready to go when the tomato harvest comes. I use a lot of canned tomato products and should recoup my costs in one season.

[CrazyCat]

I've been canning for years...and it's great if you are in a place where electricity goes out frequently.~(you don't have to worry about the freezer...defrosting)~if I'm going to spend time preserving food~I SURE don't want to lose it.

Just be prepared......no one in my family likes store bought spaghetti sauce now. ~!!

You will like your results so much better.

[Cricketlegs]

I've been canning for years...and it's great if you are in a place where electricity goes out frequently.~(you don't have to worry about the freezer...defrosting)~if I'm going to spend time preserving food~I SURE don't want to lose it.

Just be prepared......no one in my family likes store bought spaghetti sauce now. ~!!

You will like your results so much better.

LOL the same here with salsa--store bought gets me the evil eye looks. Dh starts saying "we are getting a little low aren't we?" as the jars FLY off the shelf.