======== Newsgroups: rec.food.preserving Subject: Rec.food.preserving FAQ, veersion 2.3, part 1 From: lebasel@nando.net (lebasel) Date: 1 Jan 1996 20:22:27 -0500 Part 1 of 6 Version 2.3 Introduction to the Group, Table of Contents, Canning FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) in the group rec.food.preserving LONG VERSION This file is a compliation of shared knowledge and answers to frequently asked questions of the group rec.food.preserving. As such, this file is updated. Be a contributor--point out mistakes, write sections and reviews, provide us with new sources. All contributors will be cited in this file. Contributors listed in alphabetical order: Leslie Basel, Rachel Beckford, Jean Bergeron, Brian Bigler, Michael Boddy, Mike Bowers, Susan Brewer, Norman Brown, Teresa Bruckner, Dave Calhoun, Tracy L. Carter, Robert Chislan, Emily Dashiell, Diane Ferrell, Sandy Fifer, Derace Fridel, H. B. Ghoddusi, Lois Grassl, Patrick Grealish, Kate Gregory, Anne Louise Gockel, Steve Gunnell, Bess Halle, Diane Hamilton, James Harvey, Patricia Hill, M. Zoe Holbrooks, Dirk W. Howard, Garry Howard, Imogen, Kevin Johnson, Kai, Mary Keith, Betty Kohler, Joan Lane, Larry London, Linda Magee, Wendy Milner, Joshua H. Moffi, Jean P. Nance, Stephen Northcutt, Paul Optiz, Gary Lee Phillips, Kim Pratt, Barb Schaller, Clint Scott, Brenda Sharpe, David Sidwell, Doug Smart, Tom Sponheim, Michael Stallcup, Susan Hattie Steinsapir, Jean Sumption, Michael Teifel, Richard Thead, Steven Tobin, Elaine C. White, Wolfgang, Gary Yandle, Z Pegasus, Bobbi Zee, Zlotka Last Updated: 12-18-1995 Version 2.3 (C) Copyright 1995 Leslie Basel, Diane Ferrell, Anne Louise Gockel, Richard Thead. All rights reserved. You may use and copy this file as long as the contributors' names and this copyright remains intact. Plagarism is naughty, even on the Internet. CHARTER Rec.food.preserving is a newsgroup devoted to the discussion of recipes, equipment, and techniques of food preservation. Current food preservation techniques that rightly should be discussed in this forum include canning, freezing, dehydration, pickling, smoking, salting, distilling, and potting. Foodstuffs are defined as produce (both fruits and vegetables), meat, fish, dairy products, culinary and medicinal herbs. Discussions should be limited to home-grown or home-preserved foods. [I have a refrigerator and live near 5 supermarkets. Why bother to preserve food?] If you have a successful garden or orchard, have a hunting or fishing license, or know friends and neighbors that do, you will eventually be presented with an abundance of free foodstuffs. (Check out the zucchini relish recipe in pickling for one common surplus.) U-Pick sites, roadside stands, and farmers markets sell unusual varieties of produce at close to perfect ripeness, ready to be preserved. Even supermarket produce in season is abundant, cheap, and can be worth preserving. If you have ever walked into an upscale food store, you might have noticed that dried foods, exotic jams, chutneys, marmalades, flavored vinegars and oils, pickles, cheeses, cured and smoked meats, etc, all are expensive preserved foods. However, these items can be all be readily duplicated at home, given the ingredients, expertise, and time. Commercially processed food can contain many ingredients that you might want to avoid, anything from MSG, BHA, BHT, to salt, sugar, or starchy thickeners. By preserving food yourself, you can control your diet. Into recycling and reducing your garbage? If you can, you reuse your glass jars and rings, throwing away just the lids. However, most techniques require a fair amount of fresh, clean water. Food preserving is fun. Many preserving recipes are family traditions, passed on through many generations. Often, the foods we preserve can tell us much about our past, while trading recipes tell us about each other. ================================================================= ================================================================= TABLE OF CONTENTS 0. Charter and Introduction (part 1) I. The techniques of food preserving (parts 1, 2, 3) A. Canning (part 1) 1. General Questions - What do I *really* need to know about canning? - I made/got some home-preserved foods as a gift. How do I check them for safety? - Is home canning safe? - What foods can be canned, and what foods shouldn't be canned? - What does canning entail? - Where do I get the Ball Blue Book? - What if my recipe doesn't have processing instructions? Recipe Templates and Tricks - "Scientific" low sugar jams - Fruit Butters in general, apple butter in particular - Marmalade - Tea Jelly - Flower Jelly - Canning Cake 2. General Equipment Questions - What kind of equipment do I need to can foods at home? Don't you need a lot of stuff? - My grandmother always reused commercial jars and sealed her jars using paraffin. Should I do this too? - What about zinc rings, rubber sealed jars, and other great but antique canning equipment? - Ball or Kerr? - Rings on the jar, or off? - I'm really cheap. How can I reuse my old canning lids? - How do I use a pressure canner safely and effectively? - I need some good sources for pectins... - I'd like some sources for non-standard size canning jars, decorative bottles, large sized rings, and other items that I just can't find in the usual places. 3. Troubleshooting - My jars refuse to seal! Some of my preserved food is turning colors! What is happening? - My jams and jellies didn't set. How can I reprocess? B. Freezing (part 2) 1. General Questions - What do I *really* need to know about freezing? - So what foods can be frozen well? - What's this blanching stuff, anyway? - How do I freeze (your item here), and how long can I reasonably expect it to keep? C. Dehydration (part 2) 1. General Questions - What do I *really* need to know about dehydration? - What foods dehydrate well? - How do I make sundried tomatoes? - Roasting and Dehydrating nuts. 2. General Equipment Questions - I need some advice on a dehydrator. What should I look for? - I've heard you can make a dehydrator yourself. Got any info? D. Pickling (part 2) 1. General Questions - What do I *really* need to know about pickling? - What pickle styles are there? - What is the process for making pickles? - What makes pickles kosher? 2. General Equipment Questions - What does it take to make pickles? Do you need special equipment? - What's a non-reactive container? 3. Troubleshooting - I followed this pickle recipe, but they don't look like they do in the store. What happened? Can I still eat them? 4. Recipes - Transylvanian salt-cured vegetables - Real New York deli pickles - Kimchee - Zucchini relish E. Curing with Salt, Sugar, or Lye (part 3) - What do I *really* need to know about curing foods, and what makes this different from pickling? F. Smoking (part 3) - What do I *really* need to know about smoking food? 1. Meat Curing and Smoking (compliments of Richard Thead) Curing - Why is meat cured? - What is osmosis? - What is meant by "the danger zone"? - What is botulism? - What are the commonly used curing compounds? - Where can these compounds be obtained? - What is spray pumping? - What's trichinosis? - If my cured pork doesn't reach a safe temperature, what about trichinosis? - What about dry-curing sausages and meats? Smoking - What is the difference between smoke cooking and curing? - What are the proper temperatures for smoke cooking meat? - How important is temperature control during smoke curing? - Is closing down the air inlet dampers a good way to keep the temperature down? - What are the various woods used for smoking? :) - Rick, do you have any politically incorrect views about smoke cooking that you enjoy getting flamed about? Specific Foods - Can I make a Smithfield Ham at home? - How do I make my own bacon at home? - How do I make my own corned beef? - What is pastrami and how do I make my own? - How do I make beef jerky? Other Sources and References 2. Vegetable/Fish Curing and Smoking - How do I cure olives? - What are 1000 year old preserved eggs? - What is posole? - How do I smoke chiles? - What do I need to know to smoke a fish? - Smoked Salmon - Lox, Nova Lox, and Gravlax G. Potting (part 3) - What is potting anyway? - How do I render lard? Which pieces of pork fat should I use? H. Distilling (part 3) - What is distilling anyway? - How do I make wine vinegars? - How do I make flavored vinegars? - How do I make flavored oils? - Garlic (chiles, herbs, sundried tomatoes, etc) and oil. - Dandelion wine I. Root Cellaring (part 3) - What do I *really* need to know about root cellaring? J. Preserving Dairy Products (part 3) - Where can I find rennet? - Devonshire Clotted Cream - Stirred Curd-Cheddar Recipe II. Specific Equipment Questions (part 4) A. Canners and Canning Equipment - I see canners of different sizes. Why get the biggest one? - I got this pressure canner (not cooker!) as a gift. How do I take care of it? - Cleaning my pressure canner. - Where can I find canning equipment parts? - What about zinc rings, rubber sealed jars, and other great, but antique canning equipment? B. Dehydrators - Where can I find a premade dehydrator? - Where can I write to get homemade dehydrator plans? C. Smokers - Where can I find plans for a homemade smoker? III. Tips 'N Tricks (part 4) - Fruit Fly Trap - Wax paper trick - Cheesecloth for skimming brine - How can I make kimchee without complaints from the neighbors? - Using Ascorbic Acid - Sealing jars with Paraffin - How to reach the Jelly Stage/The Fork Test IV. Spoilage, Especially Botulism (part 5) - Okay, I've got some bad jars. What's growing in them? How can I dispose of them? - Botulism. What is it? - I'm confused about when the toxin is produced. Tell me more about the bacterium. - How can I be positively, absolutely sure that those spores are killed? V. Recipe Cavaets and Troubleshooting (part 6) - I just got a recipe from rec.food.preserving that I'd like to try. Is it safe to make? - Most of the recipe measurements posted here are not metric. Can you help me? - I got some recipes from my grandparents. Are they safe? How can I make them safe? VI. Other Sources (besides this FAQ) (part 6) - This FAQ doesn't tell me what I need to know! General Reference Books Specific Techniques and Interests Books and Guides to Equipment Food Preserving Books of Historic Interest Pamphets Magazines Phone Internet Sites ===================================================================== -------------- I. The Techniques of Food Preserving ------------- ===================================================================== A. CANNING 1. GENERAL QUESTIONS A.1.1 [What do I *really* need to know about canning?] Basically, canning food is preserving food by: 1) placing it in an hermetically sealable container, then 2) applying a heat treatment that will destroy microorganisms and inactivate enzymes that would spoil the product or render it unsafe. (from Jean Bergeron, food chemist, ). A vacuum is created by a change in pressure caused by heating, then cooling said sealable cans and jars--Boyle's Law (PV=nRT) in action. The heat is generally created by either a boiling waterbath or a pressure canner (Boyle's Law again). What you absolutely need to know is whether your product is highly acidic (low pH) or not. High acid foods, like fruits and pickles, can be canned in a boiling waterbath; relatively low acid foods, like vegetables and meats, need to be pressure canned. You also need to know what your altitude is, because the higher you are, the lower the boiling temperature of water. Since you are creating an anerobic state, you need to be concerned about _C. botulinum_ toxin. A.1.2 [I made/got some home-preserved foods as a gift. How do I check them for safety?] ---- EXAMINE ALL HOME-CANNED FOODS BEFORE USING THEM. 1. Inspect the can before opening: Glass jars: metal lids should be firm and flat or curved slightly inward. There should be no sign of leakage around the rubber sealing compound. If there is mold growth around the exterior neck of the jar-- there may be mold growth inside. Check for signs of "gassiness"--floating food, bubbles rising in the food, swollen lid. 2. As the jar is opened, notice whether there is an inrush or an outrush of air. Air rushing out or liquid spurting out indicates spoilage. 3. Smell the contents at once. The odor should be characteristic of the food. An "off" odor probably means spoilage (acid, acrid, sour, putrid, etc.). 4. Check the food carefully to see that it appears to have a characteristic texture and color. Liquids in all foods should be clear. Any change from the natural texture and/or color indicates spoilage. DO NOT TASTE ANY QUESTIONABLE FOOD. 5. Discard canned food with signs of spoilage. a. High acid foods (fruit) may be discard in the garbage or disposal. b. Low acid food (vegetables, meat, fish, poultry) must be discarded more carefully because it could contain botulinal toxin. Discard the spoiled food carefully using one of the following methods. Be careful not to contaminate your work area by spilling the food. Wear rubber gloves before handling food or containers. 1. Boil at full rolling boil for 20 minutes. Discard. 2. Burn. 3. Mix with 1-2 Tbsp household lye or 1 cup chlorine bleach in non-metal container and let stand overnight. Flush down the toilet, discard in garbage or garbage disposal. Note: any containers or utensils that come in contact with spoiled canned should be carefully washed. Use soap and water to wash containers used for high acid foods. Containers that come into contact with low acid foods should be sterilized with chlorine bleach or boiled for 20 minutes. Discard all lids, screw bands, wash cloths, sponges and rubber gloves used during detoxifying low acid foods. 6. As a safety precaution, boil all low acid foods (meats, fish, poultry, vegetables) BEFORE TASTING. Boiling destroys the botulinal toxin should it be present. a. Boil most vegetables for 10 minutes (full rolling boil). b. Boil thick vegetables (spinach) for 20 minutes. c. Boil meat, fish and poultry for 15 minutes. Prepared by Susan Brewer/Foods and Nutrition Specialist/July, 1990 EHE-682 ---- A.1.3 [Is home canning safe?] Only two home-canning (processing) techniques are considered safe. The boiling waterbath process is used for high-acid (low pH) foods like fruit, while pressure canning is used to process low-acid foods such as vegetables. Open kettle canning, oven canning, crock pot canning, compost canning, canning with pills, microwave canning, dishwasher canning, steam canning (don't confuse with pressure canning) are all outdated or disreputable canning techniques. A.1.4 [What foods can be canned, and what foods shouldn't be canned?] Foods considered high acid (pH lower than 4.6/4.7) can be boiling waterbath canned. (Taken from Putting Food By) Foods at pH 2.0-3.0== lemons, gooseberries, underripe plums Foods at pH 3.0-3.5== ripe plums, underripe apples, ripe oranges and grapefruit, strawberries, rhubarb, blackberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, very underripe peaches and apricots Foods at pH 3.5-4.0== ripe apples, oranges, grapefruit, overripe blackberries, cherries, raspberries, and peaches, ripe apricots, underripe pears, pineapple, sauerkraut, (other pickles?) Foods at pH 4.0-4.6 (BORDERLINE)==tomatoes, figs Above 4.6 or so, must be pressure canned. Foods at 4.6-5.0==some tomatoes, depends on the variety. Green tomatoes are below 4.6. pimentoes, pumpkin. USDA suggests that pumpkin butter cannot be canned safely. Foods at 5.0-6.0==carrots, beets, squash, beans, spinach, cabbage, turnips, peppers, sweet potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, white potatoes Foods at 6.0-7.0==peas, tuna, lima beans, corn, meats, cow's milk, salmon, oysters, shrimp. Above 7.0==hominy, black olives (each are lye cured). Leave these to the pros. Need to also consider the size of your jars (half gallon size jars are made, but you probably shouldn't can with them), and the gooeyness of what you are canning. Pumpkin/squash purees and butters, and re- fried beans probably shouldn't be canned--it will take a long time to get the center of the jar hot enough. However, squash and pumpkin chunks can be pressure canned, however. A.1.5 [What does canning entail?] These are two sample recipes, just to give a general idea of what is involved, one is for a waterbath treatment, the other involves pressure canning. ---- CANNING FRUITS (PEACHES) Fresh fruit for home canning should be at the peak of ripeness-- they should have lost their greenish color and should yield slightly when squeezed. Fruit should be prepared (peeled, trimmed), treated to prevent browning, and hot-packed to exhaust air and make fruit more pliable. Hot-packing will help prevent fruit from floating in the syrup. Prepare syrup, hot pack fruit and water bath can. Use USDA Complete Canning Guidelines or "Canning Card" (EHE-660) for processing time. Recommended Quantities: Peaches, apples, pears: 17 1/2 lb fresh = 7 qt. ll b = 9 qt. 1 bushel = 48 lb = 16-24 qt (2 1/2 lb per quart) Berries: 1 1/2-3 lb (1-2 qt) fresh = 1 quart canned Plums: 1 1/2-2 1/2 lb fresh = 1 quart canned Preparing Jars 1. Wash jars by hand or in dishwasher. Rinse well. 2. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions. Preparing Peaches 1. Wash peaches under running water. 2. Skin removal (peaches, apricots): a. Dip peaches in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. b. Dip in cold (ice) water to stop heat treatment. Do not soak--remove immediately. 3. Cut peaches in halves, remove pits, slice if desired. 4. To prevent darkening put slices in any of these antidarkening solutions a. a solution of 1 tsp or 3000 mg. of vit. C/ gallon of water. b. a citric acid or lemon juice solution (1tsp citric acid USP grade or 3/4 cup lemon juice / gallon of water. c. a commercial antioxidant solution. 5. Remove from antidarkening solution and drain just before heating or raw packing 6. Syrup a. Sugar Thin: 2 cups sugar to 4 cups water Medium: 3 cups sugar to 4 cups water Heavy: 4 1/2 cups sugar to 4 cups water (fruit may float) b. Honey: 1 1/2 cups honey to 4 cups water Thin honey: 3/4 cup honey, 3/4 cup sugar, 4 cups water. c. Corn syrup: Thin: 1 c corn syrup, 1 c sugar, 4 c water Medium: 1 1/2 c corn syrup, 1 c sugar, 4 c water Heavy: 2 c corn syrup, 2 1/2 c sugar, 4 c water d. Fruit juice: pineapple, apple, etc. h. Water: fruit may fall apart during processing. 7. Pack a. Hot pack: heat fruit and syrup or water to boiling, then pack. b. Raw pack: do not heat fruit prior to filling jars. c. Pie pack: heat fruit in sugar only, no sugar, until juice drawn from fruit nearly covers fruit. Heat slowly to prevent scorching. Fill jars with hot mixture and process as for hot pack fruit. 8. Overlap fruit pieces in jars to minimize air spaces. 9. Work out air bubbles with plastic or wooden utensil. 10. Add liquid (syrup, fruit juice, water) leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. 11. Wipe off jar rims thoroughly to make sure the sealing surface is clean and free from fruit or sugar which would prevent sealing. Processing Procedure: 1. Place filled jars on rack in canner so they don't touch sides. 2. Add hot water until the level is 1-2" over jar tops. 3. Place the lid on the canner and bring to a boil. 4. Start timing the canner when the water returns to a full boil. 5. Add more hot water as needed to keep level 1-2" over jar tops. 6. Process according to USDA Guidelines, see "Canning Card" (EHE-660) Cooling Jars: 1. At the end of the processing time, remove the jars from the canner without disturbing lids or bands. 2. Place jars right side up on towel or rack away from drafts. 3. DO NOT tighten screw bands. 4. Lids will seal in 12-24 hours as they cool. Checking Seals: 1. Jar is sealed if lid is depressed in center and does not move. 2. Remove screw bands from sealed jars, wash off any syrup which may have boiled out during processing, and store jars. 3. Unsealed jars should be reprocessed with new lids, or refrigerated and used within a few days. Storing Home-Canned Fruits: 1. Remove screw bands from sealed jars. 2. Wipe jars with warm, sudsy water and dry (do not disturb lid). 3. Label and date. 4. Store in clean, cool (less than 90 F), dark, dry place. Prepared by Susan Brewer/Foods and Nutrition Specialist/Revised, 1992 EHE-663 ---- Tomato-Vegetable Juice Blends Tomatoes are a somewhat acid food. To make them safe for home canning ACID MUST BE ADDED. To each quart jar of tomatoes or tomato juice, 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, or 4 Tbsp of 5% vinegar, or 1/2 tsp of citric acid must be added. When adding vegetables, which are low in acid, the instructions must be followed exactly. You may add less vegetable, but you must not add more vegetable than the recipe calls for. You may adjust the spices and seasonings to your taste, for example more or less pepper, add a little tabasco, or more sugar. And, you may vary the kinds of vegetables as long as you do not add more than three cups total vegetables to 7 quarts of juice. For example, you may use 2 cups of onions and 1 cup of celery, or 1 cup each of green pepper, onion, and carrots. But no more than 3 cups total of vegetables will be safe. An average of 22 pounds of tomatoes is needed per canner load of 7 quarts. Preparation for Canning: 1. Wash jars by hand or in dishwasher. Rinse well. 2. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions. 3. Put 2 to 3 inches of water in pressure canner, or 5 to 7 inches of water in boiling water bath canner. Be sure canner has rack. 4. Start water heating. It should be hot but not boiling when the jars go in. Prepare juice: 1. Wash tomatoes and vegetables under running water. Trim and discard any bruised or discolored sections. 2. Chop carrots, onions, celery and green peppers, or your preferred combinations. For 7 quarts of juice you may add up to 3 cups of chopped vegetables. 3. To prevent juice from separating, quickly cut about 1 pound of fruit into quarters and put directly into saucepan. Heat immediately to boiling while crushing. Continue to slowly add and crush fresh tomato quarters into the boiling mixture. Make sure the mixture boils constantly while you add the remaining tomatoes. 4. Add the chopped vegetables to the boiling tomatoes. 5. Add sugar, salt, and spices. For 7 quarts of juice, a mixture of 1/3 C sugar, 1/4 C salt, 1 Tbsp celery seed and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper is a good combination. 6. Simmer mixture for 20 minutes. 7. Press hot mixture through a sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds. 8. Reheat juice to boiling. Fill jars: 1. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice (or alternatives-see above) to each quart jar. 2. Fill boiling juice into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. 3. Wipe top sealing edge of jar with a clean damp towel. 4. Adjust 2-piece canning lids. Tighten ring bands using thumb and two fingers until just snug, then using whole hand, tighten 1/4 turn further. Processing: 1. Place jars on rack in canner so that they do not touch sides. 2. Add hot water to boiling water bath if necessary to bring water 1 inch over tops of jars. 3. Cover canner, or lock pressure canner lid into place. 4. Turn up heat. 5. Process: Boiling water bath canner: when water reaches full boil, begin to count processing time. Set timer for specified time. Pressure canner: When steady stream of steam issues from vent, set timer and allow to exhaust steam for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, close petcock or put weighted pressure regulator on vent. When dial gauge reads 11 psig, or when weight begins to rock or hiss at manufacturer's stated rate, set timer for specified processing time, and gradually reduce heat to maintain proper pressure. 6. Add water to boiling water canner if necessary to maintain proper depth. PROCESSING TIMES for canning in Illinois: Boiling Water Pressure Canner (10/11 psig) Pints 35 minutes 15 minutes Quarts 40 minutes 15 minutes After processing time is complete: 1. Remove canner from heat. Allow pressure to drop to zero. Wait 3 more minutes. Open canner with lid away from you to avoid steam in your face. 2. Remove jars from canner. Place upright on rack to cool away from drafts. 3. Do Not Tighten ring bands. They will tighten as they cool. 4. After 12-24 hrs check seals. Center of lid should be depressed and not give when touched. A tap with a spoon should give a clear ring. 5. Remove ring bands, wipe with warm sudsy water, rinse, label and store. 6. Unsealed jars may be reprocessed, or refrigerated. Prepared by Mary A. Keith, Foods and Nutrition, July, 1991 Revised by M. Susan Brewer, Foods and Nutrition, June, 1992 EHE-692 ---- A.1.6 [Where do I get the Ball Blue Book?] Most of the food preservation sources are in the back of this FAQ, but the Ball Blue Book (BBB) is the great canning classic of all time (unless you have the Kerr Canning Guide). First time canners are *well* advised to pick up a copy. Places where you can order or find a copy are: order form on the lid box in a fresh case of Ball canning jars; sometimes the hardware store or the Walmart that you picked up the case of jars in will also have a copy for sale nearby. I got mine in a used bookstore (check the copyright date, you want one less than ten years old). New info from hjbe@conch.aa.msen.com; can order the BBB by phone, the number is 1-800-859-2255. From the Great Pumpkin; a reliable address for ordering the BBB is: Direct Marketing, CB/ Alltrista Corporation/ P.O. Box 2005/ Muncie IN 47307-0005 A.1.7 [What if my recipe doesn't have processing instructions?] Check out the section in this FAQ entitled Recipe Cavaets and Troubleshooting. Or follow the recipe, and simply refrigerate the results. A.1.8 [Specific Recipes and Tips for Unusual Canned Items.] These are templates which can give you ideas for unusual gifts, or really unusual jams and jellies. [What is the scientific formula for making jam/jellies? --Mary Going] from our expert in low sugar jams, Sandy Fifer I have a very general formula that works well for me. First, I check _Putting_Food_By_ to see what the acid content is for the particular fruit and use lemon juice to increase the acidity accordingly. (If it's not acid enough [pH 4.6] I add up to 3 Tbsp. lemon juice per 5 cups of fruit.) Second, I use Pomona's Universal Pectin so that the jelling does not depend on the amount of sugar used. So, for jam, here's my recipe: (check the Proportions list for quantities) Prepare fruit: pit cherries, de-stone and remove cores from nectarines, pears, etc., de-skin by dipping in boiling water if necessary. Puree fruit--shorter time if you like some lumps (fruit identity), longer if you like it smoother. Since this is jam and not jelly it will have body and not be the translucent jell commercially available. Combine 5 cups of fruit, 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, 2T lemon juice, and use 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tsp. each of pectin and calcium, prepared according to the package. This yields 4 to 5 1/2 cups jam, depending on loss during cooking: some fruits foam up (raspberries), some are thick and spit all over the kitchen while heating (nectarines and pears). Remember, this is a very general recipe. Also, I like a minimum of sugar, just enough to bring out the taste of the fruit. With some fruits I add ginger (e.g. pears) or lemon zest (e.g. blueberries). I cook the puree until it reaches a full boil--this can take 10 to 20 minutes depending on how high the heat is and how thick the fruit. I'm cooking to heat it thoroughly, not to reduce it or develop pectin. You bring the jam to a full boil. This means that you stir the puree around and as soon as you remove the spoon all the puree immediately starts to boil again. At this point there's no need to cook it further--you can proceed to the pectin step. When it reaches the full boil, add the pectin, sugar and calcium according to the directions. You have to experiment to determine how much sugar you want, and how thick you want the resulting jam. Then I water-bath can the jam for six minutes. Having brought the jam to a full boil allows you to process it for such a short time. I believe that if you follow this recipe you will end up with, at the minimum, a really good batch of jam, even taking into account the variation in tastes. You might want to tinker with it some to suit your own particular taste. I've never had an inedible failure. In the beginning I had some jams that were too thick or thin, but they tasted fine, and I kept notes and corrected the recipe the following year. I buy high quality fruit and use it when it's just ripe. I don't care about the cost of the fruit because it's more important to me to have a delicious end-product. Using fruit that's moldy or past its prime is a bad idea. Some mold can survive the canning process. Once opened, low-sugar jams have a shorter shelf-life than high-sugar commercial jams, even when refrigerated. My raspberry jam lasts about three weeks (not sure why) and the other fruits last about four to six weeks. Basically my jam tastes like pureed fruit (in fact to make fruit sauce for toppings I use the same recipe and just leave out the pectin and calcium) and is as close as I can come to preserving summer. ---Proportions, from Sandy Fifer --- I decided to type in my recipes for all the jams I've made. Remember, these depend on using Pomona's Universal Pectin, which doesn't require sugar to set the jam. And one box of Pomona's will last for 3 to 5 batches of jam (where one batch equals 5 cups of fruit). Pureed fruit Sugar Lemon juice # tsp. *each* of Optional pectin & calcium Strawberries: 5 c. 7/8 c. 2 Tbsp. 2 tsp. Raspberries: 5 1/2 c. 2/3 c. 2 Tbsp. 2 tsp. Cherries: 5 c. 1/2 c. 2 Tbsp. 1 3/4 tsp. Marionberries: 6 c. 3/4 c. 2 Tbsp. 1 3/4 tsp. Blueberries: 5 c. 1/2 c. 2 Tbsp. 1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest Peaches: 5 c. 1/2 c. 2 Tbsp. 2 tsp. Plums: 5 c. 3/4 c. 2 Tbsp. 2 tsp. Apricots: 5 c. 1/2 c. 2 1/2 Tbsp. 2 1/4 tsp. Pears: 6 c. 1/2 c. 2 1/2 Tbsp. 2 1/2 tsp. 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated Yield: 4 to 6 cups of jam, depending on conditions. [Fruit butters in general, and apple butter in particular..] From: Barb Schaller Re cooking and doneness of fruit butters, this from Farm Journal Freezing and Canning Cookbook, Doubleday, 1964: "1). Measure the pulp and sugar into a large kettle; add the salt. Boil rapidly, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. As the butter becomes thick, lower heat to reduce spattering. 2). Add spices and lemon juice, if used. 3) **Continue cooking until butter is thick enough almost to flake off the spoon, or as Grandmother used to say: "Until it is thick enough to spread." Another test for consistency is to pour a tablespoon of the hot butter onto a chilled plate -- if no rim of liquid forms around the edge of the butter, it is ready for canning.*** 4) Pour into hot jars and seal. Process pints and quarts in hot-water bath 10 minutes. That said, let me say this about that: This is not a fast project. Time and patience are everything. I do not bring my pulp to boil over high heat; medium high at best, watching and stirring diligently to it won't stick and scorch. Then reduce the heat! A mesh spatter shield is invaluable to me when I do this because the pulp thickens as the liquid evaporates; as the pulp thickens the spattering increases; covering the pan to protect from spattering hinders evaporation. The closer you think you are to "done," the more attention you'll want to give it. Too-fast cooking at too high a heat will caramelize the sugar in the recipe and leave you with something akin to jam. Trust me on this; I've ruined more than one batch of apricot butter in my time. Additionally, I'd process them longer than the 10 minutes, especially if the butter is less than boiling when it's put into the jars -- I had a couple of jars not seal. The butter is dense and takes longer to heat through to ensure the seal. The butter can also be baked (a fine alternative, especially if you're in a cool climate and welcome the warmth of the oven). Pour the seasoned and sweetened pulp into a shallow (9x13 inch pan minimum) pan -- or a shallow roasting pan. Bake at about 325 degrees F until thick, stirring every 20-30 minutes so an evaporation-induced crust doesn't form on the top. Not as complicated as it might look. Wonderful treat. Worth the effort. Apple Butter Recipe It's what I did. And I actually *measured* things. :-) 12 cups apple pulp (I used locally grown Haralsons) 3 to 4 cups sugar (begin with 3, I added the 4th to my taste) 3 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. groung nutmeg 1/8 tsp. freshly ground allspice 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/4 tsp. ground cloves (do not overdo cloves; taste can be overwhelming) 1/4 cup white vinegar Make pulp: Core but do not peel apples. Cook slowly with about an inch or two of water added, stirring to prevent sticking. Put through a food mill to make pulp. If you use more water and boil the heck out of them, do drain in a colander to eliminate the extra liquid. Measure pulp into at least a 6-quart dutch oven, stir in remaining ingredients and cook slowly, uncovered, for several hours to desired thickness. Feel free to correct the spices to your taste; adding in cautious amounts. Can in hot, sterilized jars, process in boiling water bath maybe 20 minutes. If my schedule requires it, I make it a two-day project. It sits fine overnight, covered. Use imaginatively: I use as a condiment as often as a bread spread; we like it with roast pork or chops. I swirl it into my cream cheese coffee cake filling. If it's thick enough, fill a cookie with it. [Anyone out there have a recipe, or any tips [for marmalade]?] from Patricia Hill My recipe for blood oranges or for any of the citrus fruit marmalades is easy. Citrus marmalade Use lemon, limes, grapefruit, kumquat, oranges, tangerines, ugly fruit, tangelos Mix the fruit if you please or keep separate. Cut the fruit in halves or quarters and add water to barely cover. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, adding water as needed. Remove the fruit from the water. Cut into thin shreds, chop or however you like it. I like thin shreds and find it is easier for me to do it AFTER cooking. My sister-in-law likes to cut it BEFORE cooking. Add the fruit shreds back into the water. Measure the fruit and water mixture. For every cup you have add 3/4 cup sugar Cook over a hot flame until it reaches the jelly stage. Put in clean jars and seal. After it has jelled, you can add a little flavor. Lime marmalade with a little Club Raki (a licorice flavored liquor) is great. Lemons with a bit of scotch is good. Orange with a little Kirsch. This makes a firm marmalade so you can actually dilute it a little. If you want more flavorings, add them to the pot before it jells. Once we went to the store and bought some of every different type of citrus fruit they had. We cooked each fruit in a separate pot. After cutting we mixed the shreds in all sorts of combinations. We made some chunky and some thin shred. We put all sorts of flavorings in. They were all good. [Tea jelly.] from Michael Teifel I made a half litre Earl Grey tea 4 times stronger than normal. And I simply added 500 grams of a commercially available sugar/ pectin mixture and followed the instructions for making jelly out of juices. It tastes real good, nearly the same taste of the jelly from the mail order tea shop I tasted before. The next time I will reduce the amount of sugar so that the tea flavour will be stronger. for a second batch: I made 250 ml of green gunpowder tea with mint flavour (4 times stronger, it means 4 times more tea, not 4 times longer brewing). Then I added 150 grams of a 1:2 mixture of the sugar/pectin box (1:2 means, that you have more pectin and less sugar in the mixture, so the jelly results in more fruity flavour) and added a few pine nuts. (This tea is my favourite, in Tunesia it is very common drink: chinese green tea with mint and pine nuts.) Then I followed the instructions, and it gave a very good tea jelly with a fresh flavour of mint! [N.B. You might want to add a bit of lemon juice/apple juice for safety.--LEB] [Flower jellies and jams] from Bess Halle Basic flower jelly: Make an infusion from edible flowers. 1 pint of flowers to 1 pint of boiling water. Most flowers have a bitter bit where the petal joins the flower so you must cut that part off. I use scissors and just trim the petals of flowers, leaving the points attached. (though once I actually snipped the points off 2 quarts of rose petals....tedious beyond belief!) 2 C flower infusion 1/4 C lemon juice 4 C sugar 6 oz liquid pectin *optional few drops food coloring Mix infusion, lemon juice and sugar in stainless steel or enamelware pan. Bring to hard boil you can't stir down. Add liquid pectin and return to hard boil. Boil at this temp. 2 minutes. Pour immediately into hot sterilized jars and seal. Turn jars upside down for 5 minutes and revert. Makes 4-4.5 cups of jelly. I've found liquid pectin works better with flowers (and herbs) than the powdered kind. You CAN make jellies with flowers and juice and I often make an apple mint jelly with apple juice and apple mint. My favorite herb combination, though, is lemon mint, made with 1 cup lemon verbena infusion and 1 cup spearmint. I never use the food coloring because I like the pale yellow and gold and pink and ruby colors. You can also pour the jellies into pretty wine glasses or other pretty glasses and seal with parafin. [Check the Tips 'N Tricks section for handling paraffin.--LEB] P.S. The word from the wine making group (where I first got the idea to make honeysuckle jelly) is to wash the blossoms first. This is probably a good idea because I made a batch of honeysuckle jelly over the weekend and there was an awful lot of pollen in the flowers. The jelly tasted like honey, btw, and quite good...not at all lemony, but not enough of the actual honeysuckle flavor I was aiming for. I'll probably increase the proportions next time. Here's another rose petal jelly recipe which makes more jelly. 2 quarts rose petals **see note below 2 quarts water 1/4 cup lemon juice 7 cups sugar 6 oz liquid pectin Boil petals in 2 quarts of water with the lid on, till 1/2 liquid is gone. Measure out 3 cups liquid. (save the remaining cup!!) mix with lemon juice and sugar. Bring to rolling boil. Add liquid pectin (this will be 2 packages of the liquid certo brand) and bring back to hard boil. Boil 2 minutes and pour into hot sterilized jars. Seal in preferred manner. I use the little 4 oz jelly jars so that I can give away a lot. This makes about 15 little jars. The remaining cup can be mixed with a 1 cup infusion of a favorite herb like mint or lemon balm and used in the previous recipe. I also boiled a cinnamon stick in with the jelly-making part (not the first boiling of petals) I think because I heard of a restaurant called Cinnamon Rose and the name stuck. Anyway, at first the cinnamon seemed a little strong. A friend said the jelly tasted like the apple pie from heaven. BUT after opening a sealed jar a few days later I DID detect both the rose and the cinnamon flavor. Be sure to discard the cinnamon stick before bottling. **I've used less and I've used more, so the exact proportions probably don't matter. In fact, even when I pick them at night when I get home from work, and they have little scent, cooking them brings it out a lot. Just remember, for a good red color you will need some red roses and also remember....the rose brew will stain your hands, your sink, your clothes!!! [Canning Cake] BTW, several sources from the group note that you'll be disqualified from a county fair competition with a canned-cake recipe. I haven't heard anything from the USDA about the relative safety of canned cake; the batter does get hotter than 240 F. Make sure you sterilize the jars, lids, and rings. From: linda.magee@burbank.com Subject: CAKES IN JARS-NEW Well, I decided to try another one. The recipe came from Heather Kelly in Canada. The bread is delicious. If you don't want to mess with the jars, I've given her directions for baking them in loaves at the bottom of the recipe. ALMOND-CHERRY BREAD BAKED IN JARS --------------------------------- 9 12 oz * BALL (tm) QUILTED CRYSTAL JELLY JARS (#14400-81400) 9 NEW LIDS (do not use old ones) 9 RINGS (OK to use old ones) VEGETABLE SHORTENING (to grease jars) -OR- 2 9-inch LOAF PANS, greased 2 cups CAKE FLOUR (I used Swan's Down brand) 1-1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER 2 cups MARASCHINO CHERRIES, drained, dried and cut in half 1/2 cup ALMONDS, blanched, finely ground 1/4 cup CAKE FLOUR 1-1/2 cups GRANULATED SUGAR 8 ozs CREAM CHEESE, softened (DO NOT use Light cream cheese) 1 cup BUTTER, softened (2 sticks) 1 tsp ALMOND EXTRACT 4 large EGG, room temperature -------------------------------------------------------------- Sterilize the jars, lids and rings by boiling them for 15 minutes. Keep the lids and rings in the water until you're ready to use them. Make sure there are no nicks or cracks in the lips of the jars. * If you can't find the jars I've listed above, they also make plain jars (no diamond pattern), look for them instead. I don't know the number offhand, sorry. If you have a Smart & Final store near you they carry the plain jars [I've seen the diamond pattern jars in many grocery stores--LEB]. Another place to look would be old hardware stores they usually carry canning supplies. As canning season is a bit behind us, those are about the only two places I can think of that might carry the jars. Remove the jars from the water and place them on a clean dish towel to air-dry (up, not upside down). While the jars are cooling, prepare the cake batter. Once the jars are cool, using a pastry brush, grease the inside of each jar with shortening (DO NOT use AM, Baker's Secret, butter or margarine). Don't get any on the lip of the jar or they won't seal properly. Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Place a cookie sheet onto the middle rack of the oven, remove the top rack. Mix the flour and baking powder together; set aside. Mix together the cherries, ground almonds and 1/4 cup of cake flour; set aside. Cream together the sugar, cream cheese, butter and almond extract until light and fluffy. Slowly add the flour/baking powder mixture, mixing well. Fold in the cherry/almond/flour mixture until well incorporated. Divide the batter among the 9 jars, filling them about 1/2 full. I found it easiest to use my small spatula to spoon the batter into the jars, it's skinny. It helped to keep the batter from getting onto the top insides of the jar--it'll burn if you leave it there. Wipe off the lips of the jars if you get any batter on them. If you don't the jars won't seal properly--you want them clean and dry. The batter is very thick. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted deep into the cakes comes out clean. When cakes test done, using HEAVY-DUTY MITTS (the jars ARE HOT!) remove them from the oven one-by-one and place the lids and rings on them and screw down tightly. Keep the lids in the hot water until you're ready to use them. Place the jars on your counter to cool. You'll be able to tell if they've sealed, you should hear a "plinking" sound. If you don't hear the noise, check the jars once they've cooled by pressing down on the lids, they shouldn't move at all. Store the jars in a cool, dry place, just as you would any canned goods. There's NO need to refrigerate the cakes, they keep in the pantry for about 6 months--maybe longer, they don't last that long around here. I start about now (late August) so I'll have plenty to give as Christmas gifts. Single folks love the cakes because each jar is enough for one or two people. LOAVES: Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for about 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (can take up to 1-1/2 hours). Cool in pan on wire rack. From: linda.magee@burbank.com One last comment...before giving the cakes or eating them, double check the jar seals to make sure they've not broken. The only time I've had the seals break is when I stored the jars in a cupboard which got too hot. It's cold out now, so I doubt it'll happen to anyone, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Last one... BROWNIE CAKES BAKED IN JARS --------------------------- 3 12 oz BALL (tm) QUILTED CRYSTAL JELLY JARS (#14400-81400) 3 LIDS (DO NOT use old lids) 3 RINGS (old ones are OK) VEGETABLE SHORTENING (to grease jars) 1 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR 1 cup SUGAR 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA 1/4 tsp GROUND CINNAMON (optional) 1/3 cup BUTTER or MARGARINE 1/4 cup WATER 3 TBS UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER 1/4 cup BUTTERMILK 1 EGG, beaten 1/2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT 1/4 cup WALNUTS, chopped ------------------------------------------------------------ Sterilize the jars, lids and rings by boiling them for 15 minutes. Remove the jars from the water and allow them to air-dry. Leave the lids and rings in the hot water until you're ready to use them. Grease the cooled canning jars with shortening. DO NOT use Pam, Baker's Secret, butter or margarine. As the jars are tall and slender, use a pastry brush to grease them. Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Place a cookie sheet onto the middle rack; remove the top rack. In a small bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon, if used; set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the butter or margarine, water and cocoa powder; heat and stir until butter or margarine in melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat; stir in flour mixture. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla; beat by hand until smooth. Stir in nuts. Divide the batter among the three jars (they should be about 1/2 full) place them onto cookie sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of each jar comes out clean. Remove the jars, one at a time from the oven; place a lid on, then a ring and screw down tightly. Use HEAVY-DUTY mitts, the jars are HOT! Place the jars onto your counter top to cool. You'll know when they've sealed, you'll hear a "plinking" sound. IF you miss it, wait until the jars have cooled completely then push down on the lids, they shouldn't move at all. You can bake ANY quick bread type cake (regular cakes don't work, they tend to fall when the jars seal) in canning jars. The only thing you have to figure out is how much batter to put into each jar. MOST recipes work by filling them 1/2 full. Some batters will rise higher than others. I'd suggest filling ONE jar 1/2 full and baking it. If it rises to within 1/4 to 1/2 an inch from the top of the jar, it'll work fine. If not, adjust accordingly (more or less). Experiment with your favorite quick-bread recipe! Once you figure out how much batter to put into the jars WRITE it on the recipe so you won't forget (I do). 2. GENERAL EQUIPMENT QUESTIONS A.2.1 [What kind of equipment do I need to can foods at home? Don't you need a lot of stuff?] If you cook, you probably already have most of the stuff that you need to can (jar) high-acid foods. Basically, you need canning jars and 2-piece lids (lids and rings), a large kettle or stock pot that you can boil water in, several saucepans, measuring cups and spoons, light tongs (to pick up the lids and rings), ladles, stirring spoons, an accurate timer, clean towels, a cake rack, and canning tongs. As you get more involved, other helpful tools are: canning funnel, clip on candy thermometer, boiling waterbath canner, and a pressure canner (not a cooker). 2-piece jars can be found in the grocery, supermarket, and hard ware store, while canners, canning tongs, and canning funnels can be gotten at the local hardware store (or Walmart). Lots of equipment can also be obtained at yard sales, check out the Specific Equipment Question section for more information. What you really need is a desire to can food, and a bit of a perfectionist streak. Carelessness, disorganization, and inattention cause most problems. A.2.2 [My grandmother always reused commercial jars and sealed her jars using paraffin. Should I do this too?] Nothing against your grandmother, but usually you don't want to use "one-trip" commercial jars for canning. Sealing jars with paraffin is also counterindicated, because mold and other spoilers can slip in between the paraffin and the side of the jar. Even a common trick of turning the jar upside down to "sterilize" the top is not advised. (Use a boiling waterbath for about 10 minutes instead.) Food preserving technique "rules" tend to change every few years, due to new knowledge about microbiology and mycology, and due to rigorous testing of food preservation recipes and techniques by many state extension services. Keep up to date! A.2.3 [What about zinc rings, rubber sealed jars, and other great, but antique, canning equipment?] A great question. Check out the answer under II. Specific Equipment Questions. A.2.4 [Ball or Kerr?] People have used both, and people have had problems with either. In other words, whichever works for you. from Wendy Milner Canning jars such as those made by Kerr or by Ball, have special two piece lids. You should only use lids and jars made by the same company. While in most cases you will get a seal when mixing brands, it is not guaranteed. Additionally, if you are using an oil mixture in your recipe do not use Kerr lids as the sealing compound on the lids has been shown to loose its effectiveness as the oil seeps into it. A.2.5 [Rings on the jar, or off?] In the opinion of this FAQ maintainer, its a matter of taste, so I'll give you pros and cons of each side. Pro ring: "looks" more natural, saves a weak seal, secures the lid if you are mailing canning jars, or storing leftovers in the refrig- erator (I like the ring on when I mail/give something). Con ring: can reuse ring quickly, rings don't rust on jar, doesn't hide dirty threads or a weak seal. Other ring facts: rings have to be off if the canned good is to be judged at a county/state fair. Rings shouldn't be removed until the seal is allowed to fully develop, about 12-24 hrs. A.2.6 [I'm really cheap. How can I reuse my canning lids?] Penny-wise and pound-foolish. The botulism antiserum shot costs a *lot* more than the $30-$40 cost of a few dozen lids. As a public service, from the home office in Grand Rapids MI, the top ten Things You Can Do With Old Canning Lids.... 10. Windchimes 9. Coasters for the vacation house 8. Really boring mobiles 7. Palm protectors for smashing garlic cloves 6. Train your pet Chihuahua to catch teeny metal frisbees 5. 2 canning lids + 1 HD disk = yummy sandwich for your favorite USENET FAQ maintainer 4. With tinsnips, create several dollhouse-sized cookie sheets 3. Sharpen the edges, make the business end of a pizza cutter 2. Glue several canning lids into 1 slinky to contact those pesky Venusians 1. Several hundred canning lids, stitched together make the perfect dress for your Oscar acceptance speech... (those brass Kerr ones look great, much better than AMEX cards!) Seriously, there are some things you can do with old canning lids. You might not realize this, but lids and the mouths of jars/cans are of a fairly standard size. The Kerr lids for the narrow neck pints/half pints fit many commercial jars, like spaghetti sauce and mayonaisse jars, even those medium size salsa jars. I've found that the wide mouth ones fit large tomato sauce cans. It means that if you store dried peas, lentils, beans, pasta, sugars, flours, nuts, seeds, your dried vegetables, dried fruit, jerky, dried herbs, fruit leather, etc. in reused commercial glass jars, you always have a lid. Poke many large holes in an old canning lid, use the lid/ring/jar as a jar strainer for bean and alfalfa sprouts. If you're like me, and you cut the can lid off completely, but you don't use all the contents, you always have a lid. If your jars have great seals, and you have to completely destroy the lid of a particular can, you've got a spare lid when you put it in the refrigerator. If your SO has a workshop, and organizes screws, nails, loose change, spare RAM chips, matches, etc in glass jars, your SO has a lid. Just don't can with them, and if you save old lids, mark 'em well so you don't get confused. Scratches on the top with a corkscrew do it for me--you even get planned obsolescence that way. And for god sakes, don't pawn 'em off at a yard sale... A.2.7 [How do I use a pressure canner safely and effectively?] from Wendy Milner As with the boiling water bath, you prepare your food according to a tested recipe, place the food in the jar, put on the two piece lid, and place the jars in the canner which has 2 to 3 inches of water in it. The water should be hot but not boiling. Place the lid on the canner. The petcock or vent of the lid is open. As the water boils, steam will rise out of the petcock. When steam is steady, wait 10 minutes before closing the petcock. There are two types of gauge: weighted and dial. The weighted gauge has three positions: 5 pounds, 10 pounds and 15 pounds. Always use the higher weight if the recipe calls for a weight in between one of these values. For example, the recipe calls for 12 pounds of pressure, use 15 pounds. The disadvantage to a weighted gauge is that food may be over processed. The advantage is that it is easy to hear the weight move during processing. With a weighted gauge, place the gauge on the vent using the correct weight. Leave the temperature on high until the weighted gauge begins to rock. Lower the temperature. You will have to experiment a little with the temperature. You want the weighted gauge to rock lightly throughout the processing time. Start the processing time when the gauge is rocking at about 2 to 3 times a minute. [N.B. If your gauge refuses to rock, check to see if your stove is perfectly leveled.--the gang at r.f.p] The dial gauge canner has a dial which registers from zero to 20 pounds. You should have your gauge tested every year by the local extension office. The advantage to a dial gauge is that you can see exactly what the pressure of the canner is during processing. With a dial gauge, close the petcock and watch the dial. When the dial has reached the proper pressure, reduce the temperature. Maintain the pressure throughout the processing time. Start the processing time when the correct pressure has been met. If you live above 1000' feet you must increase the pressure for processing. For every 1000' feet add 1/2 pound of pressure. You do NOT add time to the processing, only pressure. At the end of the processing time, turn off the heat. Do not open the lid or vents. It will take about an hour for the pressure to drop inside the canner. Wait till pressure reaches zero, or the safety valve drops before opening the lid. Open the lid away from you. There will still be steam rising from the water and it is easy to scald yourself. Remove the jars from the canner. Place them on a towel on the counter and leave them alone for 12 to 24 hours before checking the seal. Do not check before the 12 hours as this could cause the jars to not seal. Sealing is the result of heating and then cooling the jars. A.2.8 [I'm looking for sources of pectin, like bulk pectins or low sugar pectins.] Bulk pectins, low sugar pectins, citric acid, from Dirk W. Howard : Pacific Pectin Products/ P.O. Box 2422/ 40179 Enterprise Dr., 7B-D/ Oakhurst, CA 93644 (209) 683-0303 Low sugar pectin, from Sandy Fifer : Pomona's Universal Pectin/ Workstead Industries/ P.O. Box 1083/ Greenfield, MA 01302 (413) 772-6816 Another source for bulk pectin, from both Zlotka and Kai : Home Canning Supply & Specialties/ PO Box 1158/ Ramona, California 92065. (619) 788-0520 or FAX (619) 789-4745. 1 (800) 354-4070 for orders. They sell 10# of regular pectin for $75.15 plus shipping (1995 prices--LEB). Call and talk to them; nice folks. A.2.9 [I'd like some sources for non-standard size jars, decorative bottles, unusual size rings, and other items that I just can't find in the usual places.] Zlotka : Berlin Packaging has a great catalog of containers for all manner of things. 1-800-4-BERLIN will get you a free catalog. Good customer service, too. lost the attribution here, sorry.. You might try Glashaus. They have some big jar sizes, the largest rings I have from them are 4.25" at the outside. They are at Glashaus Inc./ 415 W. Golf Road, Suite 13/ Arlington Heights, IL 60005 (312) 640-6918 Fax (312) 640-6955 Plus they have really beautiful jars. The lids are held on by suction from canning, so it is extremely easy to tell if something didn't seal or has gone bad. 3. TROUBLESHOOTING A.3.1 [My jars refuse to seal! Some of my preserved food is turning colors! What is happening?] ---- PROBLEMS WITH HOME-CANNED FOODS Even when you follow directions, occasionally you may have problems with home-canned foods. Many of these problems can be traced to use of non-standard canning jars, lids and rings or use of other-than-recommended canning equipment or procedures. Checking your equipment and reviewing current canning recommendations can go a long way towards preventing potential problems. If you do have a problem, you may be able to determine the cause and prevent its reoccurence by consulting this "trouble-shooter's guide". 1. Jars do not seal a. Off-standard jars and/or lids. b. Chipped or uneven sealing edge. c. Using one-piece caps instead of two-piece lids. d. Screwbands are rusty or bent providing poor contact. e. Bands not screwed down tightly enough before processing. f. Sealing edge not clean. Wipe edge well before placing lid on rim. g. Liquid siphons out of jar during processing taking food particles on to the sealing edge. h. Insufficient heat during processing--air not evacuated from jar, so a vacuum seal never forms. i. Lids were improperly prepared before placing them on rims--most lid manufacturers require some pretreatment (heating, boiling, etc.). j. Rapid, forced cooling of a pressure canner can cause a rapid pressure and temperature change inside the canner causing the liquid to "boil" out of the jars, leaving particles on the sealing rim and unsealing the jars. Canners should not be "forced" into cooling rapidly by submerging them in water or by adding ice. k. Insufficient processing of raw-packed food; the air may not have been completely driven out of the food leaving residual air in the jar so the seal does not form. l. Use of canning procedures which are not recommended such as open kettle canning, microwave canning, and oven canning. Use USDA recommended procedures. 2. Food spoils a. Processing at an incorrect temperature--can occur with: 1. Inaccurate pressure canner gauge. 2. Failure to exhaust canner. 3. Failure to make altitude adjustment. 4. Heat source fluctuates--inaccurate pressure or fluctuating pressure. 5. Water not at a rolling boil when jars are put into canner. 6. Water not covering jar caps by 1" throughout processing. 7. Water not at full boil throughout processing. 8. Insufficient processing time. 9. Use of canning procedures which are not recommended--recommended procedures (USDA) are based on the time it takes to achieve a temperature which will sterilize the food in the jar. b. Improper cooling of jars after processing. 1. Failure to remove jars from canner when processing time is up (or when pressure gauge reads 0). 2. Failure to set jars at least 1" apart during cooling. 3. Covering jars which retains heat--vacuum does not develop. 4. Attempting to cool either the canner or the jars very rapidly. c. Using damaged (freeze damaged), spoiled, under ripe or over ripe food--the pH may not be correct for the type of processing you used (water bath versus pressure). d. Very large number of microorganisms due to spoilage, bruising, etc. A very large number of microorganisms present on the food which are not destroyed in the usually recommended amount of processing time. 3. Food loses liquid during processing a. Jars filled too full. b. Fluctuating pressure in a pressure canner. c. Forced cooling of a pressure canner. 4. Food turns dark (not spoiled) a. Insufficient processing time. b. Processing temperature too low (water not at a full boil at beginning of processing or drops below full boil during processing). c. Water not 1" over jar lids. d. Packing foods raw that should be precooked (pears). e. Liquid loss during processing causing fruit at the top to be out of the liquid. f. Lack of appropriate pretreatment for light-colored foods. 5. Fruit or tomatoes float or separate from the liquid a. Using overripe fruit. b. Packing fruit too loosely. c. Syrup too heavy. d. Processing too long--pectin damaged. e. Processing at too high a temperature (pressure canner). f. Raw packing--food contains a lot of air. g. Smashing or pureeing food prior to heating it activates enzymes which break down pectin in the juice so the food pieces are lighter and rise to the top. Heat or crush while heating any foods to be pureed or food to be packed in its own juice to help prevent separation. Prepared by Susan Brewer/Foods and Nutrition Specialist/Revised, 1992 EHE-665 ---- PROBLEMS IN HOME-CANNED FRUITS Fruit darkens at the top of the jar: a. Liquid didn't cover the fruit--pigments become oxidized. b. Fruit not processed long enough to destroy enzymes. c. Air left in jars permits oxidation (bubbles or too much headspace). Fresh fruit exposed to air oxidizes. d. Exposure to high temperatures and light during storage. Color changes in canned apples, pears, peaches, quinces: Pink, red, blue or purple color--natural enzymatic reaction (not harmful) which may occur during cooking, or a result of a chemical reaction between fruit pigments and metal ions (iron and copper). Use soft water, stainless steel cookware, plastic or wooden utensils. Fruit floats in the jar: a. Fruit is lighter than syrup--use lighter syrup, cook fruit before packing. b. Improper packing--pack fruit tightly without crushing. Use hot pack method. c. Fruit is overprocessed--too much heat destroys pectin and acid, so the fruit loses its shape and floats. d. Fruit is packed too loosely. Fruit Spoilage: a. Overpacking--heat penetration is poor and food does not become sterilized. b. Poor selection of fruit (over ripe, wrong pH, large bruises). c. Underprocessing--food is not sterilized. d. Unsanitary conditions--microorganisms are not removed from the food or larger numbers are added during preparation. Clean up as you go. Wash equipment, utensils and hand in hot soapy water. Prepared by Susan Brewer/Foods and Nutrition Specialist/Revised, 1992 ---- COLOR CHANGES IN HOME-CANNED FOODS The pigments in food which are responsible for their colors are sensitive to a variety of things which they may come into contact with during home food preservation. Acids (lemon or other fruit juices), anti-caking ingredients in table salt, minerals in water, metals in water and from cooking utensils, heat, and light are a few things which can affect these pigments causing them to change color. Most color changes which occur during home food preservation do not make the food unsafe to consume--however, if the food looks or smells bad or odd, do not take a chance, dispose of it without tasting it. 1. Blue garlic: Occurs in pickled products. Caused by using immature garlic or because table salt was used in place of canning salt. Not a safety hazard. 2. Yellow cauliflower: Cauliflower (or other white vegetable pigments) are white in acid but yellow in alkaline medium. Minerals in the water may have created a more-than-normal alkalinity. Not a safety hazard. 3. Yellow crystals in canned asparagus: the crystals are glucosides (rutin) which were in the asparagus cells before canning. The high temperature of pressure canning causes them to come out of the vegetables into solution, but when the food cools, the pigment precipitates out of solution onto the the asparagus. Occurs mainly in asparagus in glass jars. If asparagus is canned in tin cans, a pigment-tin complex form so the yellow pigment stays in the liquid. Not a safety hazard. 4. Pink pears: the light colored pigments in the pears convert to pink pigments due to overprocessing or due to enzymatic reactions. Not a safety hazard. 5. White crystals on tomato products: home-canned pureed tomato products may have crystals of calcium nitrate on the surface. They are hard and scaley unlike mold spots. Not a safety hazard. 6. White crystals on spinach leaves: calcium oxalate--not a safety hazard. 7. White or pink crystals in grape jelly: Grapes are high in tartaric acid which goes into solution during cooking but precipitates as crystals during cooling. Prevent crystals by extracting grape juice, cooling overnight in the refrigerator and filtering juice before canning or using for jelly-making. Not a safety hazard. 8. White, yellow, or pale red beets: the red pigments in beets (anthocyanins) are sensitive to high temperatures. Some beet varieties are especially sensitive. The pigments are converted to white or colorless derivatives. Not a safety hazard. 9. Blue pickled beets: the pigments in beets are pH-sensitive. They are red in acids and blue in alkalis. If the pigments are blue, the pH is too high for water-bath canning to be safe. Throw the beets away (handle according to spoiled food procedures). 10. Brown green beans: enzymatic color changes occurring before the enzymes are inactivated by heat cause the green-to-brown color change of chlorophyll. Blanching or hot-packing will inactivate the enzymes and help preserve the green color. Not a safety hazard. 11. Brown potatoes: storage of potatoes at temperatures below 45 F causes the potato starch to be converted to sugars. During high heat treatment of pressure canning, these sugars form dark brown pigments. Not a safety hazard. 12. Colorless crystals which look like broken glass in canned sea foods. Not harmful. Prepared by Susan Brewer/Foods and Nutrition Specialist/Revised, 1992 EHE-666 ---- A.3.2 [My jams and jellies didn't set. How can I reprocess them?] From: Barb Schaller Here are three ways to rescue syrupy jams or jellies. >From General Foods, makers of Sure Jell pectin products and Certo liquid pectin. USING SURE JELL FOR LOWER SUGAR RECIPES: Prepare containers as you normally would have (hot jars and lids). Prepare Pectin Mixture: Slowly stir contents of 1 package Sure Jell for Lower Sugar Recipes (SJ-LSR) into 1-1/2 cups cold water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; continue to boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Prepare Trial Batch: 1 cup your jam or jelly, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. Pectin Mixture. Measure jam or jelly, sugar, and the Pectin Mix into small (1-qt) saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil on high heat; continue to boil 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. Quickly pour into prepared jar. Cover jar and let stand up to 24 hours to check set of Trial Batch. Store remaining Pectin Mix in fridge. Prepare Remainder of Batch: DO NOT TRY TO REMAKE MORE THAN 8 CUPS OF JAM OR JELLY AT ONE TIME. If Trial Batch sets satisfactorily, follow the recipe above, using the listed amounts of Pectin Mixture and sugar for EACH 1 cup of jam or jelly. (Not going to repeat previous instructions.--BS) For convenience in measuring larger amounts of Pectin Mixture and sugar: 8 Tbsp. = 1/2 cup. 16 Tbsp = 1 cup. (Even I could do that math! :-) "Remember, if your jam or jelly still doesn't set, you can always use it as a glaze or syrup." USING SURE JELL POWDERED FRUIT PECTIN: Prepare Containers as usual (hot jars and lids). Prepare Pectin Mixture: Slowly stir contents of 1 package SJ and 3/4 cup cold water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; continue to boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Prepare Trial Batch: Same as for SJ-LSR instructions, above. Prepare Remainder of Batch: Same as for SJ-LSR above. (Same comment about glaze, too. :-) USING CERTO Liquid Fruit Pectin: Prepare Containers: Same as usual (hot jars and lids). Prepare Trial Batch: (Pay attention, this is different.....) 1 cup your sorry jam or jelly, 3 Tbsp. sugar, 1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (I do use fresh), 1-1/2 tsp. Certo. Measure jam or jelly into small saucepan. Bring to full rolling boil on high het, stirring constantly. Immediately, stir in sugar, lemon juice and Certo. Bring to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam, blah, blah, blah. Quickly pour into prepared jar, blah, blah, blah. Store opened pouch of Certo in refrigerator. (Blah, blah, blah= follow standard procedure for sealing the jars, and for g'sakes, don't sneeze in the jar.--LEB) Prepare Remainder of Batch: Do not try to make more than 8 cups of jam or jelly at one time. If Trial Batch sets satisfactorily, follow the recipe above, using the listed amounts of sugar, lemon juice, and Certo for EACH 1 cup of jam or jelly. Measure jam or jelly, sugar, lemon juice and Fruit Pectin into large (6 to 8-quart) saucepot. Bring to a full rolling biol on high heat; continue to boil 1 minute, stirring constantly (this is DIFFERENT than trial batch.) Remove from heat, skim foam, ladle into jars, blah, blah, blah. After preparing remainder of batch, discard Certo in opened pouch. (Same commentary about glazes and syrup.) For convenience in measuring larger amounts of sugar, lemon juice and Fruit Pectin: 3 tsp. = 1 Tbsp., 8 Tbsp. = 1/2 cup, 16 Tbsp. = 1 cup. There! From "Gifts from the Harvest, Homemade Jams and Jellies, from the makers of SureJell and Certo." A 62-page booklet with beyond-the- basics recipes for sweet spreads. Got it as a freebie at our State Fair one year. ------------------------------------------------------------------- (end of part 1)