About Canning

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Great care must be taken in canning to avoid spoilage. Non-acid foods
require special care to avoid deadly botulism and require pressure
cooking not just a boiling water bath.  Check the elasticity of the
sealing rubbers and discard cracked ones.  Do not re-use old ones. Wash
them in soap and hot water, rinse and  place in a pan covering them
with boiling water. Leave them soaking  in the hot water until used.
Check the jars for cracks and chips. Test the jars by filling with
water and inverting; watch for leaks. Sterilize for 15 minutes in
boiling water.  Can only fresh, unblemished produce. Wash well to
remove all dirt.  Many foods require blanching to partially cook them
and kill enzymes.  Immerse in boiling water for 5 minutes, then plunge
into cold water  to arrest cooking. Tomatoes, berries and soft fruit do
not need  blanching. Meats should be 2/3 cooked by simmering or
roasting.  Add salt in the ratio of 1 tsp per quart for meats and
vegetables Use  a sugar syrup for fruits and add lemon juice or
ascorbic acid to avoid  discoloration. See "About Jams, jellies and
preserves"  Pack jars tightly to 1/2" from the top but do not crush the
contents.  Exception: peas, lima beans and corn need more room to
expand; fill  to 1" from the top and add boiling water to the 1/2"
mark.  Stir the contents to release trapped air bubbles before sealing
the  jars. Wet the rubber before using.  Follow the manufacture's
instructions that come with the pressure  canner and add 1/2 lb
pressure per 1000' in high altitudes. Use a  boiling water bath only
for tomatoes, acid fruits and brined  vegetables. Use a rack to keep
the jars off the bottom where they can  overheat and crack. The water
should be at least an inch over the  jars at all times. Add 1 minute
per 1000' feet for high altitudes.  Store the finished product in a
cool dark pantry or cellar. Berries,  cherries and currants: Pack jars
with washed, stemmed fruit and fill  the jars with boiling medium syrup
[3 cups sugar to 4 cups water  brought slowly to a boil while
stirring]. Process 15 minutes in a  boiling water bath. [Cherries
should either be pitted OR have their  skins pierced with a pin if
canned whole].  Peaches: Scald to loosen skins. Peel and half, removing
pits. Use  medium syrup and process 20 min. in boiling water bath.
Tomatoes: Scald and dip in cold water before skinning. Cut out cores
but leave whole. Pack and fill jars with boiling water. Process 45
min.in a boiling water bath.  Vegetables  Type                  
Blanch          Canning             Pressure  Time Time  Beans, green  
15  Peas                      5                45                   10
Meats:  Beef/pork            "roast/simmer"        pints: 75          
10 til  med-rare         qts:   90            10  Tongue              
45 min./skin/         75 or 90            10  slice  Posted to
MM-Recipes Digest V3 #220  Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 15:49:58 -0500  From:
pickell@cyberspc.mb.ca (S.Pickell)

A Message from our Provider:

“People ignore God and then blame him for the chaos that results”