What is canning & how does it work?
These days, these same techniques can help us eat local food all year round.
And it doesn’t have to be intimidating!
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There are two ways to create a safe seal on your preserving jars: water-bath canning and pressure canning.
Water-bath canning is when you submerge a filled canning jar in boiling water for a predetermined amount of time.
Water-bath canning is recommended for high acid foods like most fruits and any food that is pickled in vinegar.
Pressure canners heat jars to much higher temperatures.
The most important thing about canning is making sure you choose the safest method given your ingredients.
This isn’t something to be fearful of, but you do need to be thoughtful.
This high heat kills all bacteria, including botulism.
Ready to get started?
Here’s what you’ll need to begin canning at home.
A canning pot.
A traditional canning pot is athree-piece, 20-plus-quart potthat comes with a metal jar rack and lid.
This canning pot is set up specifically for water-bath canning.
It is wide, deep, and can hold many jars in one batch.
Canning tongs.
Canning tongs are specifically crafted to safely lift glass canning jars out of a boiling water bath with ease.
They come in manyshapesandsizes.
Kitchen tongs can also be used in a pinch.
Canning jars.
For low-acid products, you’ll needa pressure cannerinstead of the canning pot.
Choosing a recipe.
TheUSDA has recipeson their website, but they tend to be pretty heavy on the sugar.
Buying food in bulk at the height of the season is a wonderful way to be inspired.
The canning process.
This is a step-by-step guide to water-bath canning at home.
Also, be mindful of the water-bath processing times given in each recipe.
Step 1: Clean your jars.
Step 2: Prepare your jars.
If the jar-processing time is 10 minutes or less, jars must be sterilized before filling.
Hold jars in water until ready to use.
Step 3: Fill your jars.
This only serves to compromise their seal.
When placing lids and rings on canning jars, do not fully tighten the rings.
Instead, secure just until rings have tension and feel snug.
Overtightening prevents air from venting out of the jarsa crucial step in canning.
Step 4: Heat the pot.
Fill your canning pot or a deep stockpot half full of water and heat to a low boil.
Hold the liquid on a very low boil until ready to use.
Step 5: Fill the pot.
If using a canning pot:
Place prepared jars of food on the rack in the canner.
Cover the pot and return to a boil.
Processing times begin once the canning-pot water is brought back up to a boil.
This helps keep jars from clanging around on the bottom of the pot or tumbling over onto their sides.
Step 6: Remove the sealed jars.
(Remember, processing times begin once the canning-pot water is brought back up to a boil.)
Set jars aside on a folded towel to cool.
check that you do not press on the tops, which can create an artificial seal.
You’ll know when the jars are sealed when you hear the sound of can tops popping.
This should happen just after removing them from the water bath.
If it stays intact, you have successfully canned your food.
If the seal is loose or broken, you may reprocess in the water bath within 24 hours.
Conversely, you could refrigerate the jar immediately and eat it within three weeks.
Step 7: Label and store.
Once cool, label all successfully sealed jars with date and contents.
Store them in a cool, dark place, such as a cupboard.
Tips to keep in mind.
There are several concepts in home canning that can feel confusing or are incorrectly written about on the internet.
