Friday Rookie Topic: Introduction to Canning

yolos wrote:What is the difference in taste and texture and storage of following the recipies for "Raw Pack" and "Hot Pack".

hot packed foods are a bit softer, because they are partially cooked and have some of the moisture and air cooked out of them. some people feel they have a "cooked" flavor although i don't notice that because i always cook foods before serving them anyway. i think the only place where it might be noticeably different are in things that can and often are served uncooked, such as salsa or refrigerator pickles. but for things like tomatoes, if i'm putting them in a jar to begin with, i'm planning to cook them at some point anyway.

there is no difference in storage for any foods that are properly canned.

So I read somewhere, once upon a time, that one should never can a product with butter or eggs. I am assuming because it is low acid (obviously), however I would like to make some lemon curd and found this recipe. What do you think?

Camp, I can't vouch for the USDA Lemon Curd recipe (even though the recipes I've made from there have turned out great) but some time ago I posted this LEMON CURD RECIPE that my mother makes all the time. It's incredible. Sounds easier too! I've never had to worry about it sitting around long enough to go bad...

from that same page:

"Shelf Life: For best quality, store in a cool, dark place (away from light). Plan to use canned lemon curd within 3 to 4 months. Browning and/or separation may occur with longer storage; discard any time these changes are observed."

the reason is because the browned or separated butter indicates rancidity.

butter is not recommended for canning because it will go rancid pretty quickly. eggs are not recommended because so far there have been no methods developed using home canning equipment that produces repeatable, dependably safe results. eggs are very dense, and if the heat doesn't penetrate all the way to the center of all eggs in the jar, and isn't held at that temperature for the necessary amount of time, it actually creates the ideal environment for botulism to grow: low acid, low oxygen, then stored at room temperature for a period of time (the length of time depends on the food and the amount of c. botulinum present when canned).

the 8 things i learned when my gram taught me how to can are
1 make sure you jars are hot when hot packing them
2. cold jars and hot water are bad combination
3. make sure you double check you ph and recipe
4. make sure you boil the jars the right time for the right size jar.
5 make sure the bubble (the air space at top of jar is correct for recipe)
6. always let you jars cool on thick towel away from any disturbances
7. a burst seal can be dangerous if you not careful
8. canned cherries make mess if seal goes and syrup feels like hot lava if touches your skin.
9. beating and old Italian lady your first time out with your tomato sauce at local fair will get you the evil eye every time.(yeh not really a canning rule. but still scary none the less)

Yesterday I canned pears, first time. Peeled, cored etc into water with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. I used the bottled lemon juice. They still turned a little brown on the edges. Should I have used raw lemon? I even doubled the lemon juice on 2nd bowl, and they still did it. Maybe I just wasn't fast enough? Use something else? Any ideas? They still are very tasty, bout made myself sick tasting so much! Maybe I'll add food coloring to make them pink next time!
I can pick up some more pears for free this week, so?
Jo

when i can fruits, i slice them into a bowl of water that has lemon juice in it, and let them soak until i'm ready to process them (either raw or hot pack). what liquid did you can them in?

Rowena,
I canned in water, 10 cups, and 1.5 cups splenda, 1/4 cup lemon juice.Cooked for 5 min. then processed for 20 min in water bath. I used the kind in the bottle, reconstituted lemon juice.

I peeled/sliced into 1 qt water with 1 tbs. lemon juice, but the pears started turning, so I added some more lemon. They were still brown around the edges, hubby said they would eat.

They look so much better this am in the jars! Not brown at all? I guess the lemon bleached them out in the jars?
I got the receipe of the internet.
Thanks, Jo

bottled lemon juice is correct. it is balanced to ensure a consistent level of acidity from bottle to bottle. actual lemons vary too much from fruit to fruit to ensure that enough acid is present to do the job.

where did you get the recipe? not every site offers good canning information.

I got the receipe on the following site. I was looking for a site that used splenda, instead of just water. Cannot use sugar, so. It appears to cook/can long enough, hopefully enough acidity.
Jo
http://www.ehow.com/how_7326932_can-pears-sugar.html

the national center for home food preservation recommends ascorbic acid rather than lemon juice to prevent browning. however, lemon juice won't hurt anything in terms of shelf life.

the NCHFP also recommends that if you are avoiding sugar that you first consider natural fruit juice or plain water. the only purpose sugar serves in fruit canning is to preserve the color and texture of the fruit, but you can safely leave it out as it doesn't affect shelf life. they recommend that if sweetening is desired that it be added when the fruit is opened for consumption.

I just got off the USDA website, to see if I did the canning ok, and the only reccomended sugar sub. to be used in canning is Splenda, all others should be added just before eating,just for your info.
Jo

yes, i saw that. the NCHFP is the organization that supervised my master food preserver certification.

I need a product review.... and a clue. How many jars would fit in this gizmo? http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=16700681&utm_source=e&utm_medium=e&utm_term=e&utm_content=KitchenElectrics&utm_name=KitchenElectrics

That looks like a really nice set camp Just out of curiosity, are you looking for something that includes all the extras like this one does, or do you already have things like tongs, laddle, funnel, etc? Is the size good for you? You know what you need more, but if you don't need all the accessories, would you find a larger capacity more beneficial or time saving? Either way, that's an excellent looking set!

Oh my goodness, I already have this pressure cooker I need to find my book on it to make sure I can use it for a pressure canner too if so this is a fabulous suprise!! Thanks for posting Camp!

the 10 quart fagor pressure cooker is the only one that can be used as a canner. it holds up to 4, one-quart jars. if you already have a rack that fits inside you can use that. just know that this pot is not adjustable--all your canning will take place at 15 pounds pressure regardless of elevation. what is your elevation? that might be way more than needed, which can cause your foods to be overcooked.

Rowena, I have been on the hunt for a pressure cooker. I like the idea of getting this one that I could use for canning dare I ever venture there.

Is sea level OK so my food doesn't get overcooked?

CC

My expertise and knowledge is limited, but so far I've been very pleased with the quality of my Presto. The price was right to and I can find replacement parts, additional weights etc at the local Ace/TrueValue:
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t13578-23-quart-presto-canner-pressure-cooker-70-8-11-12-only?highlight=presto
I've seen used ones on Craigslist for about as much as I paid for mine new. Shipped to my door from Walmart was $80 if memory serves and I saw them at Ace for $85.

rowena___. wrote:the 10 quart fagor pressure cooker is the only one that can be used as a canner. it holds up to 4, one-quart jars. if you already have a rack that fits inside you can use that. just know that this pot is not adjustable--all your canning will take place at 15 pounds pressure regardless of elevation. what is your elevation? that might be way more than needed, which can cause your foods to be overcooked.

I am about 5300 feet high! It would be nice if I could use it until I can get the funds for one that has more options.

A HEARTY THANK YOU to one and all for responses and all the information. I am not looking at this product specifically, but it was attached to a promotional email from Bed, Bath and Beyond. I was simply curious. I would not buy this product because it is not big enough and I dislike the lack of flexibility if regulating the pressure (thanks Rowena, a great point!).

I just ordered the Fagor with all the trimmings from Amazon, cost $95. I like that it's stainless and small. I've been wanting to stop eating out of cans, so I needed a pc to cook dried beans and such. Not enuff veggies from the garden this year to can but maybe next year.

Thanks, Rowena, for the lead.

CC

capecoddess, at sea level that is going to be a lot of pressure. i will check into it for you, there might be some research to support shorter times for canning at that pressure.

cheyannarach, at your elevation you'll be canning at 15 pounds anyway, so it will work well for you.

the fagor pressure COOKER functions differently from a traditional canner--it doesn't have a petcock or vent--so you'll need to read the instruction manual and ignore instructions for other models that are in canning books and websites. you'll still process the same as for any other PC--you have to vent the canner and then close it to bring it up to pressure--but the mechanism is different because there is no weight to add, and no dial gauge. so ALWAYS READ THE MANUAL!

A big drawback of using a pressure cooker against using a pressure canner is that pressure cookers vent off almost all the time as it is nigh impossible to get them just tripping in and out at the right pressure , this becomes problematic when you have a long sterilization time of 90 minutes for if your not careful you will boil them dry .

Using a pressure cooker with an open top as a hot water canner is easier for you can always top up with boiling water if needed out of an electric kettle etc.

I've not had my Presto pressure cooker/canner very long and have used as a pressure cooker (pinto bean and ham) and water bath canner (pears with splenda), haven't used as a pressure canner yet.

Plantoid, you said pressure cookers vent all the time, is it just the pressure cookers made for just cooking, or just the ones in England? Maybe I did something wrong.
Jo