So, you want to can
your own food…
Now is a great time to learn how to preserve your food at
home because canning is making a comeback, says Dr. Janie Burney, a professor
and food preservation specialist with the University of Tennessee Extension
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.
“If you need some way to preserve food that you have grown
yourself or purchased at a grocery or farmers market, canning may be the thing
to do,” said Burney. She adds that home
canning equipment has never been safer or easier to use.
“The best way to start is by using the right equipment,
proper techniques and up-to-date home canning recipes from your local
University of Tennessee Extension Office,” Burney recommended. The food preservation expert explained that
extension agents trained in the field of family and consumer sciences, formerly
called home economics, offer a variety of educational programs in home food
preservation in counties across the state.
“ Don’t hesitate to call your local county extension office
for detailed information,’ she said.
“Extension agents have a long history of providing ad ice on how to
preserve foods safely at home. Extension
agents are part of the national Cooperative Extension System, which is a
partnership between the USDA, the University of Tennessee or Tennessee State
University, and your county. USDA
published instructions for canning as early as 1909 in pamphlets known as
farmer’s bulletins.”
As the spring and summer canning season approaches, Burney
is often asked to review some of the basics of canning. Here’s a set of answers to many questions
that beginners and those experienced in food preservation often ask.
Question: How do
I need to prepare for prepare for canning season?
Burney: It’s
never too early to start thinking about what supplies and materials you will
need. Don’t wait until the food is ready
to be harvested. Start by checking your
equipment and supplies. Proper equipment
in good condition is required for sage, high-quality, home canned food.
A pressure canner is a must for canning low-acid vegetables,
meats, fish and poultry. Two basic types
are available. One has a dial gauge to indicate
the pressure inside the canner; the other has a metal weighted gauge. Dial gauges must be tested for accuracy
before each canning season. For
information on testing a dial gauge, call your county extension agent. Check the rubber gasket if your canner has
one. It should be flexible and soft, not
brittle, sticky or cracked. Also make
sure any small pipes or vent ports with openings are clean and open all the way
through.
A boiling water canner is needed for canning fruits,
pickles, jellies and jams. The canner
should be deep enough to allow at least one to two inches of water to boil over
the tops of the jars. Both pressure and
boiling water canners should have a rack in the bottom to keep jars off the
bottom of the canner.
If you have canned before, inspect old jars for nicks,
cracks or chips, especially around the top sealing edge. Nicks can prevent lids from sealing. Very old jars can weaken with age and
repeated use. They break under pressure
and heat. Consider investing in new jars
and watch for specials in stores. New
jars are a better investment over time than buying used jars at yard sales or
flea markets.
Mason-type jars specifically designed for home canning are
best. Jars that use two-piece
self-sealing metal lids are recommended by USDA. These have been tested in many canning
processes and form good seals. Used lids
should be thrown away. The screw bands
are reusable if they are not bent, dented or rusted.
Question: Where
can I find instructions for canning specific foods?
Burney: Your
local Extension Office is one source for instructions. You also can find safe recipes from USDA and
from other Extension offices across the country. If you use the internet, bookmark the site
for the National Center for Home Food Preservation (http://nchfp.uga.edu/). Look for instructions on web sites that end
in “edu” or “gov.” Recipes on web sites that end in “com” may not be safe. One exception is the national extension
website: http://www.extension.org. Just search the term “canning.”
Question: Why
can’t I use my grandmother’s old canning recipes? I can’t recall anyone getting
sick.
Burney: Through
the years, home canning methods and techniques are constantly tested and
improved to assure the safest, most effective way of processing food due to the
changes in variety of foods, soil conditions and bacteria living in soil and
water. The food you grow today may be
very different from the food your grandmother grew. Tomatoes are a good example. Your tomatoes may be less acidic than those
in your grandmother’s garden, which makes a difference in how they are canned.
Question: How can
I determine how much food to preserve for my family:
Burney: Preserve
enough for your family for about a year.
It may be tempting to can all those green beans you grow. However, the longer they are stored, the more
quality they will lose. There may also
be changes in texture, changes in color and loss of flavor. Call the Extension office for information on
yields for canned or frozen fruits and vegetables.
Burney’s bottom line is that even if you have never tried
home canning, you can be successful with proper equipment and proper
instructions, and the best source for those instructions is your local
extension office. You may reach your
local Extension Office at 423-949-2611 or visit our website at http://sequatchie.tennessee.edu or
like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/UTExtension.Sequatchie.
“No matter what reason you have for preserving food at home,
do it safely,” she advises. “Successful
home canning requires only that you observe simple guidelines.”
UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of
Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture. With an office in every Tennessee county, UT
Extension delivers educational programs and research-based information to
citizens throughout the state. In cooperation
with Tennessee State University, UT Extension works with farmers, families,
youth and communities to improve lives by addressing problems and issues at the
local, state and national levels.
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