Canning
We often use the word canning to loosely include anything
we keep in a jar or a can. Although actual canning machines
can still be purchased, most canning these days is done in
jars.
Canning Pros and Cons:
Canned foods will be safe and wholesome during and after a power failure
Canning equipment is still normally cheaper than investing in a freezer or two
Once food is canned, it takes no electricity to keep it safely
If canned foods are not processed properly there is a real risk of serious food poisoning
The canning process is much more work than blanching and freezing
Cool dark dry space is necessary to safely store canned goods
Equipment needed:
Reusable glass jars
Packages of unused lids with seals
Pressure canner must be used for sauces, meats, prepared foods and acidic vegetables
Canning Kettle with racks can be used for pickling and non acidic vegetables
Long handled tongs
Cooling racks
Paraffin Wax (optional unless you are recycling glass jars such as cheese whiz ones)
Thermometer
Having a double sink in the kitchen is very useful
Really good oven mitts
Helpful Hint: Many newer stoves have smooth porcelain tops which can easily be scratched by older canning kettles. Canning is energetic work and needs sturdy durable gear. If you do have a smooth top range, it would be worthwhile to invest in an outdoor propane cooker to save your stove top. Even though I don't have a smooth top range, I use my outdoor cooker on hot humid days to keep the house temperature bearable. I've never thought air conditioners were terribly earth friendly and use only ceiling fans.
Follow All the Instructions in Canning
and Preserves Recipes. Why?
Food Safety of course. Improperly canned foods can cause serious, even fatal, food poisoning
Seasonings behave differently in canned foods and preserves. The first year I made dilled beans, the recipe called for enough cayenne to cover a dime. I like fairly tangy food, and so i doubled that. The entire batch became so unbearably hot that not even rinsing them and boiling them for ten minutes could take away the heat. I experiment now with cooked pickles and sauces only.
Making Preserves
This is a good place for the novice canner to start.
What could be simpler than making dill pickles?
Most pickle recipes do not require the investment of a
pressure canner and can be safely processed in canning
kettles.
Here in Canada there is a lovely natural balance to things.
Summer pickles are ready for use at Thanksgiving.
Pickles and preserves make great gifts. I will always
remember the enterprising bride that did jam in lovely
little ornamental jars for favours at her Thanksgiving
weekend wedding.
An Important note about Tomatoes
Many of the food poisonings that occur come from home
canned tomatoes. It takes a pressure canner and precise
following of all timings and directions to do this safely.
It can be done, but this is no place for short cuts and half
measures. There are a lot of wonderful food products that
can be made at home, such as salsa, ketchup and chili sauce,
as long as care is taken.
Given all the risks, you might wonder why its worthwhile to
even learn how to can.
Like all homely skills, the ability to preserve food safely
could be critically important in this ever changing world.
It really is only since the Second World War that
electricity has commonly been available to households in
Canada. For decades electricity was viewed as a bottomless
resource and we all squandered it like drunken sailors. Now
we see a trend where people are trying to minimize their
electrical use and, when they can afford it, go off the grid
completely.
Canning without a garden
Even if you don't grow a garden, its well worthwhile
to can locally bought produce. Food that is canned while it
is fresh can provide a safe and economical source of food
for the entire winter. Its healthier to eat locally grown
food. Its better for the local economy. Freshly canned food
has at least as much, if not more nutrition than the so
called "fresh" food that is imported in from all over the
world in the winter. It only takes looking at the health
problems for animals with one batch of contaminated wheat
gluten to see the sense in keeping it close to home.
