Easy Canning Basics for Beginners

THE REASONS FOR PROCESSING PRESERVES


Boiling water bath canning is the process in which filled jars are submerged in a pot of boiling water and simmered for a prescribed amount of time. This is also the step that scares most people off from canning, as they think it is messy, time consuming, or dangerous. But as with so many kitchen tasks, after you’ve done it once or twice, it will lose its intimidation factor.

It is important not to skip the boiling-water process, as it performs two tasks and does both exceedingly well. First, boiling the filled jars kills any contaminants that might have landed in your jars (keep in mind that this processing method only works with high-acid foods. More about that in a minute).

Second, the oxygen in the headspace is heated sufficiently to make it expand and push its way out of the jar. Once you remove the jar from the hot water, the jar will cool, the space will contract, and the lid will pull down and form a vacuum, because there’s no oxygen left to hold that space. This is what keeps your jams, butters, and pickles fresh.


HOW TO PROCESS EASILY AND QUICKLY

1) If you’re starting with brand-new jars, remove their lids and rings. If you’re using older jars, check the rims to make sure there are no chips or cracks.

2) Put the rack into the canning pot and put the jars on top.

3) Fill the pot (and jars) with water to cover and bring to a boil. This is the very easiest way to heat up the jars in preparation for canning because you’re going to have to heat up the canning pot anyway. Why not use that energy to heat up the jars as well?

4) Put the lids in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring them to the barest simmer on the back of the stove.

5) While the canning pot comes to a boil, prepare your product.


Related Post: Complete Guide to Storing Fruits and Vegetables at Home


6) When your recipe is complete, remove the jars from the canning pot (pouring the water back into the pot as you remove the jars) and set them on a clean towel on the counter. There’s no need to invert them; the jars will be so hot that any remaining water will rapidly evaporate. Remove the lids from the saucepan with tongs or a magnetic lid wand and lay them out on the clean towel.

7) Carefully fill the jars with your product. Depending on the recipe, you’ll need to leave between ¼ and ½ inch/6 and 12 mm of headspace (that’s the room between the surface of the product and the top of the jar). Jams and jellies typically get ¼ inch/6 mm, while thicker products and pickles get ½ inch/12 mm.

8) Wipe the rims of the jar with a clean, damp paper towel or kitchen towel. If the product you’re working with is very sticky, you can dip the edge of the cloth in distilled white vinegar for a bit of a cleaning boost.

9) Apply the lids and screw the bands on the jars to hold the lids down during processing. Tighten the bands with the tips of your fingers to ensure that they aren’t overly tight. This is known as “fingertip tight.”

10) Carefully lower the filled jars into the canning pot. You may need to remove some water as you put the jars in the pot, to keep it from overflowing. A heat-resistant measuring cup is the best tool for this job. If you’re canning in an
asparagus or 4th burner pot, you will be stacking your jars. Take care as you do this.

11) Once the pot has returned to a rolling boil, start your timer. The length of the processing time will vary from recipe to recipe.

12) When your timer goes off, promptly remove the jars from the water bath. Gently place them back on the towel-lined countertop and let them cool.

13) The jar lids should begin to ping soon after they’ve been removed from the pot. The pinging is the sound of the seals forming; the center of the lids will become concave as the vacuum seal takes hold.

14) After the jars have cooled for 24 hours, remove the bands and check the seals. You do this by grasping the jar by the edges of the lid and gently lifting it an inch/2.5 cm or two off the countertop. The lid should hold fast.

15) Once you’ve determined that your seals are good, you can store your jars in a cool, dark place (with the rings off, please) for up to a year. Any jars with bad seals can still be used—just store them in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.


Reference:

Get more food preserves recipe by purchasing this high quality book Now at a discounted price on Amazon.com,

McClellan Marisa. 2014. Preserving by the Pint: Quick Seasonal Canning for Small Spaces from the author of Food in Jars. Running Press, ISBN-10: 0762449683


Need more info? Watch this short video clip: Canning 101 - The Basics for Beginners