Re: Canning & Preserving 101

**camprn** 1/12/2012, 2:34 pm

some folks I know swear by them, as in they have used them successfully for 4 years. Not FDA approved, but I don't know why.

happycamper 1/13/2012, 1:11 am

Ashort, I have been using Tattler lids for several years and they do work. I also use them for sealing dehydrated goods in jars with the FoodSaver. They have saved me money in the long run.

**camprn** 1/13/2012, 10:35 pm

This entry from this blog give the details why it's important to follow the recipe when it talks about head space. Very Happy

miinva 1/13/2012, 10:45 pm

That's really cool, I had no idea! Thank you for the link Smile

**camprn** 2/19/2012, 8:33 pm

85+ Canning Recipes from Tipnut <~~~Click

**camprn** 2/27/2012, 7:51 pm

HOORAY! 24oz. wide mouth jars are back!!!
http://www.foodinjars.com/2012/02/the-wide-mouth-pint-half-jars-are-back/

Canning & Preserving 101 - Page 5 Pint-Half-image

Canning & Preserving 101 - Page 5 Pint-Half-image

**camprn** 2/28/2012, 4:52 pm

Make your own apple pectin
http://foragersharvest.com/making-your-own-apple-pectin/ <~~~click

tomperrin 2/28/2012, 6:40 pm

camprn wrote:HOORAY! 24oz. wide mouth jars are back!!!

What do you use them for, apart from aspargus?

Tom

**camprn** 2/28/2012, 7:15 pm

tomperrin wrote:
camprn wrote:HOORAY! 24oz. wide mouth jars are back!!!

What do you use them for, apart from aspargus?

Tom

ooooh, everything and anything? Tomato sauce, tomato juice, apple sauce,
stock, when you know you are going to want more than a pint and less
than a quart. Very Happy

tomperrin 2/28/2012, 8:49 pm

Is there any advantage of the one kind over the other?

**Furbalsmom** 2/29/2012, 3:29 am

Tom, when you ask if there is an advantage of one over the other, are you asking volume, wide mouth vs regular, or brand name.

I do jellies, jams and chutneys in 8 oz regular or wide mouth, but I somtimes use 12 oz regular, depends on the look I am going for. Smaller jars usually take less processing time and I prefer not to cook the fruits too long.

Apple butter goes in 16 oz regular jars and pickled veggies go in 16 oz (pt) wide mouth because it is easier to stuff them down the side of a wide mouth jar.

BBQ sauce goes in qt jars, regular

If I had asparagus, I certainly would like the 24 oz wide mouth jars.

Around my neighborhood, the merchants carry Kerr and Ball brand. I buy whichever is less expensive for the size I want.

tomperrin 2/29/2012, 7:32 am

Furbalsmom wrote:Tom, when you ask if there is an advantage of one over the other, are you asking volume, wide mouth vs regular, or brand name.

I was asking wide mouth vs regular. But the other info you offered is also useful. We have the regular mouth on hand in various sizes, but I noticed that one of my suppliers has the qt wide mouth as well. Since we are new to canning, I was wondering if we should purchase the wide mouth. We will be canning mostly tomatoes & pickles this year, and freezing the rest. Next year I hope to do asparagus, so we should have wide mouth for that, I figure.

Eventually, I would like to buy a pressure canner and do other things, but I figure one step at a time is best.

Tom

karental 2/29/2012, 10:25 am

Lavender Debs wrote:Hey hi canners, I just got a new glass top stove. Much to my disappointment, I keep hearing that I should not do hot water bath canners on the Glass Top because it will damage the top. Anyone have ideas or experience? Right now I'm thinking I'll buy a hot plate or use the propane stove (either Colman or the one on the edge of the BBQ) UNLESS someone can help me with ideas.

I use my water bath canner and my pressure canner (as well as a dinner-sized pressure cooker) on my glass top stove. Check your manufacturer's directions, and make sure your canner(s) have flat bottoms (not the concave type) and you should be O.K.

I kept hearing that it was damaging, as well, but the manufacturer didn't say so, and I tried it. All is well. My stove is going on 3 years old now with no problems.

tomperrin 2/29/2012, 10:42 am

karental wrote:
Lavender Debs wrote:Hey hi canners, I just got a new glass top stove. Much to my disappointment, I keep hearing that I should not do hot water bath canners on the Glass Top because it will damage the top. Anyone have ideas or experience?

I use my water bath canner and my pressure canner (as well as a dinner-sized pressure cooker) on my glass top stove. Check your manufacturer's directions, and make sure your canner(s) have flat bottoms (not the concave type) and you should be O.K.

I kept hearing that it was damaging, as well, but the manufacturer didn't say so, and I tried it. All is well. My stove is going on 3 years old now with no problems.

The key words are "flat bottom" and "encapsulated". After a long and hard search, the best deal I found was at Target for a 20qt stockpot. http://www.target.com/p/Chefmate-Stainless-Steel-20-Qt-Stock-Pot/-/A-12737461#?lnk=sc_qi_detailbutton The encapsulated bottom distributes heat more evenly and will help to prevent scorching and burning when cooking stews and soups. That said, you should still have to mind the pot and stir frequently for anything other than water, IMHO.

Don't forget to acquire a rack for the pot. The Ball rack just barely fits in the above stockpot.

This works just fine on our glass top. (Have only used for cooking so far, not canning.) The canners that are problematic for glass top stoves are all the graniteware pots and others with a concave bottom.

**camprn** 4/7/2012, 9:39 pm

How to make and preserve your own Apple Pectin.

**camprn** 4/15/2012, 12:59 pm

BUMP ~~ what is the shelf life of that food?
http://www.stilltasty.com/

doneal 4/15/2012, 3:47 pm

Why do you remove the screw rings after canning? Canning & Preserving 101 - Page 5 601593

**camprn** 4/15/2012, 4:29 pm

doneal wrote:Why do you remove the screw rings after canning?

"This is a matter of personal choice. I prefer (and the USDA recommends)
to store my jars without the rings. If there is any moisture on the
rings they are likely to rust and may be difficult to remove."
http://www.simplycanning.com/canning-lids-andor-rings-does-it-matter.html

This publication below is one of the best I have read, USDA guidelines were used in the writing of this guide, 2009.
http://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/files/26457.pdf

tomperrin 4/15/2012, 4:37 pm

camprn wrote:
doneal wrote:Why do you remove the screw rings after canning?
"This is a matter of personal choice. I prefer (and the USDA recommends)
to store my jars without the rings. If there is any moisture on the
rings they are likely to rust and may be difficult to remove."
http://www.simplycanning.com/canning-lids-andor-rings-does-it-matter.html

This publication below is one of the best I have read, USDA guidelines were used in the writing of this guide, 2009.
http://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/files/26457.pdf

And once the outer rings have rusted, they are useless. You may, however, replace them with plastic lids.

Tom

herblover 4/17/2012, 9:37 am

Also, this allows you to can without buying so many rings.

**camprn** 4/17/2012, 9:52 am

herblover wrote:Also, this allows you to can without buying so many rings.

Yup yup! I usually just buy the lids.

lisaphoto 4/17/2012, 7:01 pm

I was just reading a recipe for ground cherry jam, and the recipe calls for filling sterilized jars with boiling jam, inverting the jars for 5 minutes, and then cooling. Would this be a safe method even though you are skipping the water bath? And do you just sterilize the jars by boiling them in water? I am growing 5 ground cherry plants this year (if they all survive), and it is said they are heavy producers. I would love to make jam from them, but may not be able to invest in all the canning equipment this year, so I thought this would be a good alternative.

**camprn** 4/17/2012, 7:13 pm

lisaphoto wrote:I was just reading a recipe for ground cherry jam, and the recipe calls for filling sterilized jars with boiling jam, inverting the jars for 5 minutes, and then cooling. Would this be a safe method even though you are skipping the water bath? And do you just sterilize the jars by boiling them in water? I am growing 5 ground cherry plants this year (if they all survive), and it is said they are heavy producers. I would love to make jam from them, but may not be able to invest in all the canning equipment this year, so I thought this would be a good alternative.

Would you type out the recipe for us?
If it were me I would add lemon juice, if the recipe doesn't call for it, pour with 1/2 inch head space and process it in a BWB for 10 minutes.

lisaphoto 4/17/2012, 8:05 pm

Start out with 3 cups Ground Cherries taken out of their paper husks.
Wash them well and put in a pot with 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup water
and 1 box powdered pectin.
Canning & Preserving 101 - Page 5 Ground-cherries-in-pot

Canning & Preserving 101 - Page 5 Ground-cherries-in-pot

Bring to a boil and when ground cherries start to burst, mash them good.
After
they are mashed and boiling add 3 cups of sugar all at once. Return to a
boil and boil according to pectin package directions, usually 1-3
minutes.
Canning & Preserving 101 - Page 5 Gccooked

Canning & Preserving 101 - Page 5 Gccooked

Put
in sterilized jars. Screw on lids and invert for 5 minutes then turn
over and allow to cool till lids POP! That's how you know the seal is
tight.
This recipe will make 3 medium jars or 6 small jars of jam.
Canning & Preserving 101 - Page 5 Cgjars

Canning & Preserving 101 - Page 5 Cgjars

You can also do a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

I've seen the same recipe on multiple websites, all using the no water bath method

lisaphoto 4/17/2012, 8:06 pm

Someone suggested using no pectin, as ground cherries have a lot of it naturally

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Canning & Preserving 101