For the final post in our series on putting food by, we're going to teach you how to make your very own homemade canned goods! If you'd like to learn about more food preservation techniques, check out our post on making dried fruits and veggies and our guide for freezing produce.
You've probably noticed that canned
food you get from the grocery store is packed with tons of extra
salt, sugar, and preservatives. But making your own sauces and canned
produce at home gives you complete control over the quality of the
ingredients and additives. Canning leftover produce from your garden
or local farmer's market is a great way to save money on produce
throughout the winter, and it's something anyone can learn to do.
Canning can be a lot of work, but there's hardly anything more
satisfying than filling up your pantry with homemade sauces, jellies,
and canned produce.
This guide will introduce you to the
basics of home canning including supplies, canning techniques, and
how to ensure your canned goods won't spoil. You will need a few
special supplies like canning tongs, but many recipes are simple
enough to make at home without any expensive or unusual equipment. The
peace of mind that comes with having plenty of nutritious food
stocked up for your family is more than worth the time and effort it
takes.
Necessary Canning Supplies
The basic supplies
you will need for canning are as follows:
- Canning jars, lids, and rings (these usually all come together and you can find them at any major grocery or department store)
- Canning jar tongs (can be purchased online or at most supermarkets)
- Large pot with lid (must be large enough to cover the top of your canning jars by 2-3 inches)
These supplies are
optional, but a good idea to have if you are canning a large amount
of food:
- Cake stand (to keep the jars from touching the bottom of the pot)
- As an alternative, you can place a layer of extra canning jar rings on the bottom of the pan to set your jars on
- Bubble tool & magnetic lid wand
- As an alternative, you can simply use a skewer, rubber spatula, or other long, narrow tool to remove bubbles, and use tongs instead of a lid wand to remove lids from boiling water
- Wide-mouth funnel (to make pouring your food into the jars easier)
- Another large pot (to heat cans prior to filling them)
Most of these
supplies are things you probably already have in your kitchen, but
one thing you will need to
purchase if you don't own one already is a pair of canning
tongs. These tongs are
specially designed to grip canning jars and you should not substitute
them for any other kitchen tongs. Canning requires handling extremely
hot, heavy glass jars, full of boiling liquid, so using anything
except canning tongs can be dangerous. There's no reason to risk
burning yourself or having a dropped jar explode glass and molten
food all over your kitchen. Canning is simple enough to learn, but to
be safe you need to have the proper tools and use caution when
handling hot jars.
Water Bath Canning VS Pressure Canning
There are two different methods for canning: water bath canning and
pressure canning. Which method you use depends on the type of food
you want to can.
High-acid foods can be canned using a water bath, which is the
method we will introduce you to in this blog post. You can use a
water bath canner to process most fruits, pickled foods, jams,
jellies, and fruit butters. Tomatoes can also be processed in a water
bath canner if you make them slightly more acidic by adding extra
lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar.
Low-acid foods must be canned using a pressure canner. You can
find these at most kitchen and appliance stores. Pressure canners
require some extra knowledge to operate properly and take extra
vigilance to keep the pressure constant and ensure that there's no
risk of contamination. We recommend using a water bath canner first
if you are just a beginner, and then moving on to pressure canning
once you get the hang of it. You can learn more about pressure canning vs. water bath canning here.
Filling Your Canning Jars
Once you have all your supplies, you'll want to wash them all
thoroughly with hot, soapy water and set them aside on a clean
surface. The most important part of canning is preventing bacteria
growth and contamination so the food you can won't spoil, so it's
very important to start with clean tools.
For the next step, you'll want to boil a large pot of water to
process your cans in. It should be large enough to cover your canning
jars with at least 2 inches of water. It should reach a full, rolling
boil before you process your canned food.
Since most canning food recipes yield a hot mixture, you will want to
warm up the jars before you pour in your mixture in order to remove
any risk of them cracking or breaking due to the sudden temperature
change. One way to do this is by boiling water in a second pan that's
large enough to fit several jars into. You'll simply remove the lids
and rings from your jars, place them all in the boiling water, and
keep them there until you are ready to fill the jars with your
recipe. Another way to do this is to wash your jars and lids in the
dishwasher on heated dry and leave the dishwasher door closed so they stay warm until
you're ready to use them.
At
this point in the process, you should have your recipe or food that
you want to can ready to go. If you need some good canning recipes,
check out some of the links at the end of this post to find some awesome recipes, tips, and tricks.
When
you're finally ready to pour your recipe, remove your jars from the dishwasher or
boiling pot of water, pouring out any excess water. Then, using your
funnel if you have one, pour your food straight into the jar, leaving
up to about an inch
of headspace at the top, depending on your recipe. Then put on the
lids and rings.
When
you're putting on the lids, make sure to take extra care and wipe any
spilled food or residue off of the mouth of your jar. The flat, round
jar lids have a ring of sealant on the bottom that contacts the jar
and you will need to inspect each lid to make sure the sealant is
complete and intact before you use it. Take care to line up that
sealant with the mouth of the jar when you put it on, then screw the
ring onto the top of the jar gently until it is “fingertip-tight,” but not
too tight. Once all
your jars are ready, it's time to process them in the water bath.
Processing Your Canning Jars
For water bath canning, processing your jars is the easiest part.
Just lower your filled and lidded jars gently into
your boiling water bath. Place the lid on top of your pot and set
your timer for the correct processing time.
- Check out this guide for a list of the correct processing times for different fruits, veggies, and mixtures.
- If you live at a high altitude, you will need to adjust your processing time accordingly according to this chart.
After the processing time is up, carefully remove the jars
with your canning tongs and place them on a folded towel (the jars
will be very hot, so placing them on towels will prevent the jars
from cracking or damaging your table surface). You will want to let
them sit for about 24 hours to cool completely, and you should avoid
moving them or touching the lids during this time, otherwise you
could damage the perfect seal you worked so hard to make.
As the jars are cooling, you will hear popping sounds as the lids seal and “pop” into place. Before putting them away,
check all the lids to make sure they formed a tight seal. You can
usually tell because the lid gets “sucked in” a bit and will look
concave on top of the jars. If any of the lids are not sealed on
tight, discard the lid, replace it with a new one, and process it
again in the water bath.
Are They Sealed, Sterile, and Safe?
Here's the thing about canning: it can
be dangerous if you don't do it right. If you don't properly
sterilize your jars and lids, process your jars for too short a time,
or use a water bath canner for veggies and soups that require a
pressure canner instead, you run the risk of contaminating your canned food
with dangerous bacteria. That's why it's so important to pay
attention to the details and follow directions carefully when
canning.
This guide is meant to introduce you to
the basics of canning, but before you take on a large or challenging
canning project, you should follow an official canning guide. The
Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving is a great one to use, and you can
probably find a copy of this or other canning books at your local
library. Or you can visit the
USDA's Online Complete Guide to Home Canning for thorough
instructions on all types of canning.
Here are a few more tips to make
sure your home-canned goods are safe and sterile:
- Sanitize everything before using it! I know it was mentioned at the beginning, but this is an important step. Your canning tongs, bubble tool, your jar lids and rings... everything should be washed in hot, soapy water and/or boiled before it comes in contact with food.
- Never use a water bath to can veggies, soups, or other mixtures that require a pressure canner instead. A water bath will not process these low-acid foods at a high enough temperature to properly sanitize them, and they will likely be contaminated and spoil.
- Always inspect your canned food for signs of spoiling, like discoloration, mold, or an unusual smell, before eating it.
- Label your jars with the contents and the processing date so you can keep track of your canned goods and when they expire
- Botulism is a rare, but potentially deadly bacterial infection you can get from eating contaminated or spoiled canned goods. Make sure to take the proper precautions and follow a reputable canning guide to minimize your risk of contamination.
Now that you know
the basics, it's time to get started! Check out these links for more
home canning recipes, tips, and guides.
Useful Links:
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