Do-It-Yourself/Canning
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Contents |
[edit] Introduction
There is much misinformation on preserving food via canning. Bad or half correct information that could lead to potentially dangerous outcomes should you eat infected or spoiled food.
Home canning in glass jars is surprisingly cheap and easy. The cheapest route for entry into the process of canning is by use of the Hot Water Bath method. This method is pretty basic; you prepare the food you're going to can, place in the sterilized jars, and boil the jars with lids in place for a set period of time. Taking the jars out when the time has elapsed, all you have to do is let them cool and check for seal. If you can boil large quantities of water, you're set.
[edit] Equipment
No matter how you choose to process your food, some things are common elements; tongs that you can use to lift full jars, glass jars, lids, sealing rings. Cooking thermometers, a supply of clean cotton utility towels, and protective clothing such as silicone or leather gloves. Gloves can make handling hot products much easier; a bad grip on a liter jar full of boiling, sticky jam can be dangerous.
[edit] Hot Water Bath
A large, enamelled canning boiler with lid rack for jars should set you back no more than $US 20 if you look around. Any large pot should do; just place a metal rack like a cooling rack in the bottom of the pot to provide space under your jars for water to flow.
[edit] Pressure Canning
This is the pricier of the options, with a good pressure cooker suitable for canning starting at around $US 100-140.
[edit] Types of Pressure cookers
Not all pressure cookers are able to can safely, and some are better at others. This is a stub category pending further research
[edit] Warnings
Despite what your mother may have told you, it is not safe nor sterile to process foods in the oven; it simply doesn't get hot enough to do the job.
Stick to the recipes, add vinegar if it says to, and don't add sugar or anything that the recipe does not explicitly say you may.
