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Here in Michigan many people may not be thinking of spring canning, as the weather yesterday was snowing. Yes it was snowing in April. Many of you may be new to canning and even might feel uneasy of canning as you think it is a huge task, you may even be apprehensive of using pressure canners, or even read about food safety and preserving. I mean how could you not with all the warnings and ease of buying store bought processed foods. But canning is a very easy way to have on hand foods for your whole family to enjoy while even saving you money.
Even if you don’t grow your own fruit or vegetables, there are many local farmers markets that offer a wide variety of produce, that when canned you can enjoy them all year long. So when you are at the farmers market, load up your basket because with canning you can create any new taste or combination you may enjoy. For example: Spiced Wine Peach Jam and Sweet-n-Hot Jalapeno Pepper Jelly. (If you want the recipes just email us at rumsleyhomestead@yahoo.com and I will be glad to share with them with you.)
Our family here at Rumsley Homestead loves canning, making our own soap, homemade dog treats, growing some of our favorite fruits & vegetables (Our homemade soap and dog treats article will be coming soon). I will admit, I was always that person who said “why make it, just go buy it from the store”. Well I’ll tell you that after my husband made our first homemade blueberry jam (YUM!) I will not buy jam from the store again. So when I have that craving for my awesome husband’s homemade blueberry jam all I have to do is reach into my pantry and there it is all year long or until I eat it all.
For those of you whom are new to canning or preserving here is some basic equipment you may need to get and know before getting started:
Depending on what you want to preserve: Get yourself a nice stockpot or pressure canner. A pressure canner is essential for canning low-acid vegetables and meats. There are two different styles of pressure canner. One with a dial gauge and the other has a metal weighted gauge. Both help indicate the pressure inside the canner and also have a metal rack that goes in the bottom of the canner to keep jars off the bottom. The canner you choose should be large enough to allow 1-2 inches of water to boil over the jars.
If you have your own jars, inherited your grandparents/parents jars or even purchased new jars make sure you visually inspect all jars for nicks, chips or cracks. Any flaws can cause the jars to not seal properly and even break under pressure or heat. Depending on what you are canning, there are many different jar sizes so make sure to get the proper size jar for your recipes. For example: When we canned pickles we would use the wide mouth jars as they were easier to get the pickles in and out. Make sure to sterilize ALL new and used jars as they are not sterile straight out of the packaging from the store or storage. The best ways to sterilize your jars is to boil them for a few minutes.
If you are using older jars that have been used before you will need to purchase new rings if the rings on the jars are very rusted or damaged and you will need to purchase new lids that fit the type of jar you are using. The lid has an adhesive seal which seals to the jar during the canning process. The lids can only be used once.
A jar grabber/lifter is a very important tool as it helps to put the jars in and grab the hot jars out of the stockpot or canner without giving you third degree burns.
Do your research on what you want to preserve/can, get a good recipe, and you may also need to purchase other items depending on what and how you are canning.
To those of you who are not new to canning or preserving here are some things you may need to do before starting your canning season:
If you have a dial gauge pressure canner make sure you test your dial gauge for accuracy before each canning season.
Make sure the seal on your pressure canner is one of the most important things to check. If you have a damaged seal, the canner cannot build up enough pressure to safely preserve your food. You can find replacement seals online to purchase. The seal on your canner should be replaced every 3-4 years or whenever it is damaged.
Remember to check all your jars for nicks, chips and cracks.
Check the dates on previously canned goods for expiration, seals on jars and also any for any cracks that may not have been detected beforehand.
Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving:
Strawberry Jam
(1/2 pint jars)
2 Quarts strawberries
6 Tablespoons pectin
1/4 Cup lemon juice
7 Cups sugar
Wash strawberries under cool running water; drain. Cut stems. Crush strawberries one layer at a time. Combine strawberries, pectin, and lemon juice in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute stirring occasionally. Then remove from heat. Skim foam is necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rim of each jar to assure there is are no drippings that may cause lid to not seal properly. Place lids and rings onto jars and hand tighten. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. Remove jars from canner and place them on a dish towel to cool. Space jars at least 2 inches apart. Listen for that magical ping to assure a proper seal.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
(1/2 pint jars)
2 Cups crushed strawberries
2 Cups chopped rhubarb (about 4 stalks)
6 Tablespoons pectin
1/4 Cup lemon juice
5 1/2 Cups Sugar
Combine strawberries, rhubarb, pectin and lemon juice in a sauce pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add sugar stirring until dissolved. Return to rolling boil. Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rim of each jar to assure there is are no drippings that may cause lid to not seal properly. Place lids and rings onto jars and hand tighten. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. Remove jars from canner and place them on a dish towel to cool. Space jars at least 2 inches apart. Listen for that magical ping to assure a proper seal.
Jalapeno Salsa
(pint sized jars)
3 Cups chopped, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes
3 Cups chopped jalapeno peppers
1 Cup chopped onion
6 Cloves of garlic minced
2 Tablespoons minced cilantro
2 Teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
1/2 Teaspoon cumin
1 Cup cider vinegar
Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe the rim of each jar to assure there is are no drippings that may cause lid to not seal properly. Place lids and rings onto jars and hand tighten.Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner. Remove jars from canner and place them on a dish towel to cool. Space jars at least 2 inches apart. Listen for that magical ping to assure a proper seal.
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