Preserving the Harvest - Canning

   Before we get to the actual info...some pretty canned goods we've ( my mom, my sister and I )  done :)

 It's late summer and those of you who garden ( or have bought a ton of produce lately) no doubt have an abundance of garden goodies, and of course you'll want to preserve them for the cold fall and winter months ahead. Today I'm going to start a series of posts I'm calling " Preserving the Harvest" and we're starting with canning.  Canning is a great and safe way to preserve foods. You can make pickles, jams and jellies, relishes, salsa, pasta sauces and a variety of other things. You can also can ( or even pickle some things..) beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato sauce ect. If your serious about canning you'll need equipment. If you want to just give it a shot..buy a small Canning Utensil set and some jars and lids. Ball ( a rather big name in canning, they make canning jars, utensil kits, books...I'm not sure what else..but give their website a look http://www.freshpreserving.com/ ) is a great brand to have if you can afford it...if not don't fret, there are other canning jars and kits available.

The usual process for canning ( when you don't need a pressure canner) Use a large pot with a rack in the bottom ( never use a pot without a rack, it will break your jars)  AKA " Water Bath Canning"

1. Boil jars for at least 10 minuets ( after they reach a good boil) to sterilize.

2. Keep the jars hot till ready to fill.

3. Prepare the food/mixture to can.  ( Salsa recipe ! )

4. Dip a little water from the hot pot of jars, into a small sauce pan and add your Lids ( not the rings, keep the rings to the side for quick use)

5. Depending on what veggies or foods or mixtures your canning , fill the jars with hot mixture or raw veggies.

6. Fill with hot liquid if you're canning raw veggies ( if using a recipe, see recipe for instructions )

7. Cap Jars.

8. Put the jars in the rack, get the water boiling, lower the rack into the water and boil for the time needed for your recipe.  ( when making pickles...you can skip this step. )

9. Remove Jars, wrap with towel or "jacket" allow to sit for 24 hours. test to make sure they are sealed.


Please Note that most veggies need to be Pressure canned.  ( Pressure Canner )


For Pressure Canning, follow steps 1-7 ( with veggies or recipe that calls for pressure canning) then follow your pressure canner's guide.

Helpful Links!

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/canning.aspx#axzz3B2bnvBiq

 http://www.simplycanning.com/

 http://www.freshpreserving.com/

 http://www.amazon.com/Canning-Preserving-Books/b?node=4207