Good Things to Know
Canned fruits oftentimes will float if the sugar syrup is too heavy, if jars are packed too loosely or if air remains in the tissues of the fruit after processing. To avoid this use a light or medium sugar syrup, make sure fruit is firm and ripe and pack fruit tightly in jars without crushing. If fruit is not covered by liquid it may darken during storage but does not necessarily mean it is spoiled. To avoid this be sure fruit is covered by liquid while still leaving the recommended head space. Also be sure to remove trapped air bubbles with a slim rubber scraper, spatula or kitchen knife. To do this effectively, tilt the jar slightly while running the tool between the fruit and the edge of the jar and also pressing inward against the fruit a few times. Canned peaches, pears and apples may show a blue, red or pink color change after processing. This is sometimes the result of natural chemical changes that occur as fruits are heated. A spatula-shaped wooden spoon that has a flat end instead of rounded, is good to have for stirring sugar syrup in a flat bottomed pan during the cooking process. Avoid storing canned food near a furnace, water heater or hot water pipes. Jars need to be kept cool for longer storage life and to protect against spoilage. Be sure to store in a dry place. Rusting of the lid or band can cause seal to break. To avoid freezing in extremely cold storage environments, wrap canned jars with newspaper and place in heavy cardboard boxes. Cover boxes with a heavy cloth of blanket if necessary. Sugar Syrup Syrup Sugar Water Yield Light 2 cups 4 cups 5 cups Medium 3 cups 4 cups 5 1/2 cups Heavy 4 3/4 cups 4 cups 6 1/2 cups To prepare syrup, while heating water, add sugar slowly, stirring constantly to dissolve. Bring to a gentle boil. Fill jars while syrup is still boiling hot. Frequently Asked Questions When packing jars, is the head space really important? Yes, leaving the specified amount of head space in a jar is allows a vacuum seal during processing. If too little head space is allowed the food may expand and bubble out when air is being forced out from under the lid during processing. The bubbling food may leave a deposit on the rim of the jar or the seal of the lid and prevent the jar from sealing properly If too much head space is allowed, the food at the top is likely to dis-color and jars may not seal. How long will canned food keep? Properly canned food stored in a cool, dry place will retain optimum eating quality for at least 1 year. Canned food stored in a warm place near hot pipes, a range, a furnace, or in indirect sunlight may lose some of its eating quality in a few weeks or months, depending on the temperature. Dampness may corrode bands or metal lids and cause leakage which will spoil the contents. Do jars need to be sterilized before processing? Jars do not need to be sterilized before canning if they will be filled with food and processed in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes or more or if they will be processed in a pressure canner, however it is good practice to take the extra time and sterilize anyway. You can never be too careful when it comes to food safety. Jars that will be processed in a boiling water bath kettle for less than 10 minutes need to be sterilized by boiling them in hot water for 10 minutes before they're filled. Is it safe to use an oven for food processing? No. This can be dangerous because the temperature will vary according to the accuracy of oven regulators and circulation of heat. Dry heat is very slow in penetrating into jars of food. Also, jars explode easily in the oven. Why do you have to exhaust a pressure canner? If the pot is not exhausted, the inside temperature may not correspond to the pressure on the gauge. Steam should be allowed to escape for 10 minutes before closing the valve. Should liquid lost during processing be replaced? No. Loss of liquid does not cause food to spoil, though the food above the liquid may darken. Is it all right to reuse jar lids and bands? Lids should never be used a second time since the sealing compound becomes indented by the first use, preventing another airtight seal. Screw bands may be reused unless they are badly rusted or the top edge is pried up which would prevent a proper seal. Is it safe to use the open kettle canning method? No. In open kettle canning, food is cooked in an ordinary kettle, then packed into hot jars and sealed without processing. The temperatures obtained in open kettle canning are not hot enough to kill all the dangerous microorganisms in the food. Contamination may also occur during the transferring of food from the kettle into the jars. What causes the undersides of jar lids to dis-color? Natural compounds in some foods, particularly acids, corrode metal and make a dark deposit on the underside of jar lids. This deposit is harmless providing the jar has a good seal and the contents have been properly processed. Why do jars break during processing? Canning jars will break for several reasons: Using commercial food jars rather than jars designed for home canning Using jars that have chips or hairline cracks Putting jars directly on bottom of canner instead of on a rack Allowing jars to bump against each other during processing Putting hot food in cold jars Putting jars of raw or unheated food directly into boiling water in the canner. This sudden change of temperature is too great and will crack jars. Can hard water film or scale be removed from canning jars? This can be oftentimes be accomplished by soaking jars for several hours in a solution of 1 cup vinegar and 1 gallon of water. Questions About Canning Vegetables and Fruits Is it safe to can food without salt? Yes. Salt is used for flavor only and is not necessary to prevent spoilage. Is it safe to can fruits without sugar? Yes. Sugar is added to improve flavor, help stabilize color, and retain the shape of the fruit. It is not added as a preservative. Can fruits and vegetables be canned without heating if aspirin is used? No. Aspirin should not be used in canning. It cannot be relied on to prevent spoilage or to give satisfactory products. Adequate heat treatment is the only safe procedure. Is it safe to can green beans in a boiling water bath if vinegar is used? No. Recommended processing methods must be used to assure safety. Recommended processing times cannot be shortened if vinegar is used in canning fresh vegetables (this does not refer to pickled vegetables). Should all vegetables be precooked before canning? For best quality, yes. However, some vegetables can be packed raw or cold into jars before being processed in the pressure canner. What vegetables expand instead of shrink during processing? Corn, peas and lima beans are starchy and expand during processing. They should be packed loosely. What causes corn to turn brown during processing? This occurs most often when too high a temperature is used causing caramelization of the sugar in the corn. It may also be caused by some minerals in the water used in canning. Questions About Canning Meats Should giblets of chicken be canned in the same jar with chicken? No. Their flavor may permeate other pieces of chicken in the jar. Is it safe to can meat and poultry without salt? Yes. Salt is used for flavor only & is not necessary for safe processing. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
