Why should i start canning

Below are five reasons why you should embrace the trend and start canning this year: 1. It saves money Canned fruits and vegetables may seem inexpensive on the shelf, but they add up quickly. By taking the time to can your own, you can save your budget for other things.

Stop eying that fancy jam on the shelf — you can make your own! By properly preserving and canning, you can remove the added chemicals, salt, sugar and aspartame. I used to pick them up regularly for 10 cents each, but that was a decade or more ago. Jars come in four basic configurations: pints, quarts, wide mouth, and regular small mouth. I apologize for the nuclear colors of some these example photos — somebody got happy with the saturation slider in Photoshop.

Some jars are marked as being made for both canning and freezing. If buying new, I tend to try to get the ones that are marked as being okay to freeze. Kerr wide mouth jar quart, 32oz case of Wide mouth jars are easier to get stuff out of, whereas small mouth jars are cheaper for both the jars and their lids.

Most people tend to have a mixture of both. The blue color is formed by adding a trace amount of cobalt to the glass as it is molded. There are a few other sizes available as well, such as half pints usually used for small containers of jelly , half gallons, and gallons both usually used for dry storage or fermentation.

The rings are reusable, but the lids are generally not. The one advantage to buying new jars is the fact that they come with a lid and a ring on each. Ball Regular Mouth Lids and Bands — 12 pack. You can buy the lids and rings or bands separately or together, as in the example shown above.

Once you have a decent stock of rings, you should be able to purchase only the lids as needed for the next couple of decades or until they start corroding — this tends to happen more quickly on the East Coast of the US, and is negligible in most of the West. There is a newer style of lid that is reusable, and seals with the help of a replaceable O-ring. These lids require a much looser fit of the rings, as compared to the disposable metal type. In cold or raw packing, unheated foods are packed into hot jars and boiling liquid is poured over the food.

With this method, the foods may be placed in the jars more easily, but the foods tend to shrink and float when processed, and trapped air may cause discoloration. Raw or cold packing can only be used for meats or vegetables that are processed in a pressure canner. For the hot pack method, the cooked foods and liquids are packed hot into sterile jars. It is a bit harder to pack the foods hot, but since some of the air is removed by cooking, the foods turn out with better quality, color, and flavor.

This also improves the vacuum seal and increases shelf life. Hot pack is the best method for foods that are going to be processed in a boiling water canner the blue granite kettle you often see. With this method, the jars must be covered with water extending 2 inches over the tops at all times during the cooking process. More boiling water is added to keep the water two inches over the jars, as needed.

And cooking times are longer with the boiling water canner. I always use the pressure canner instead, which is safer, quicker and easier, by far. The pressure canner is the only recommended way to can.

Always use clean, chip-free jars. Examine each jar for chips, especially around the top where it will be sealed. Also, never use bent or rusted lids or rings. Rings can be reused, but lids cannot as they will not seal properly.

Always use foods that have no bad spots on them, or this may cause spoilage to the whole batch. This should kill any microorganisms in the foods that could make you sick. Make sure all jars are sealed within 12 hours of processing. Home canned foods should always be wiped with a clean, wet cloth to insure that there is no leakage on the jars that could draw ants or mice.

Then the properly sealed jars should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place to help retain color and quality. Never take any chances with your health.

You can also check out our list of top pressure canning tips here for the best results and safety as well. I like to dice my tomatoes before canning. Gather your tomatoes, wash off under running water, and remove stems. Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds, and lift out into a bowl or pan of ice water.

This will loosen the skins for easy peeling. You should have the pressure canner on the stove with about 4 inches of water heating up in it, and the jar rack in place.

From time to time, peek in and make sure everything is going all right. Then, at the end of the processing time, remove the canner from the heat, and take out the jars one at a time. Use a jar lifter to do this, and place them gently on a dry, folded towel in a draft-free place. Do not attempt to tighten the seemingly-loose rings—it may cause the seal to fail. As you can see, there's not much to this method of canning, and you can store high-acid fruit for 12 to 18 months.

Those beautiful rows of red tomatoes, yellow peaches, and sparkling fruit cocktail sure do make a short day's canning worthwhile. Just wait until your family eats all that pretty fruit. It's a whole different taste from that bland, over-sweetened, tinny fruit from store shelves!

I won't even go near store-bought peaches—those hard, tasteless, syrupy lumps. It's no wonder people fear pressure canning with all the circulating horror stories about canners blowing up! But the truth is, anyone who can boil water and has half a lick of sense can do it with no problem. Although there are a few different kinds of pressure canners, they all pretty much work the same.

These canners are the best way to can low-acid foods such as stews, soups not tomato , spaghetti, and almost all vegetables. The canners are heavy-duty cookers with a steam-tight cover, a safety and exhaust port, and a rack to hold the jars off the bottom. Of course there's also the pressure gauge, which is what people fear most. With normal care and a once-a-year check up if your canner has a dial gauge often free or low-cost from your county extension office, the pressure gauge is quite safe and almost always works just fine.

No need to have checks done if your canner has a weighted gauge. So relax and get to work. First, sterilize your jars and lids in boiling water. Check jars for spoilage, before use. Most authorities advise boiling 10 minutes before tasting canned food, just to be safe.

I haven't poisoned anyone in 30 years of heavy-duty canning! While you're doing this, you should prepare the food you'll be canning so it's ready to go.

Place the rack in the bottom of the canner, and add boiling water, filling to two inches for large canners. Small ones only need one inch of water, but are less economical than the larger canners. You're ready to load. Fill each jar with food, being sure to tighten the rim onto the lid of each jar, and set them one by one into your canner.

You've got to make sure the jars cool off, or the whole batch could process improperly and lead to spoiling. Set the lid on top of the canner and fasten it securely. If your canner has individual fasteners, screw them on tightly. Exhaust the steam with the petcock open for 10 minutes. Then wait to shut the petcock or the weight on, until the steam exhausts in a steady stream, not in unsteady bursts.

Process at the proper pressure for the required length of time see "Timetable for Pressure-Canning Vegetables". When the time is up, shut off the heat, or carefully remove the canner from the heat.

Let the canner sit until the pressure reads zero for a few minutes. Okay, you're ready to take them out. Open the petcock gradually and allow any remaining steam to escape. Watch your fingers—steam can quickly burn! When no more steam escapes, loosen the cover and remove it. Take out your jars carefully with a jar-lifter, and set them on a dry, folded towel, in a draft-free area to cool. Do not try to tighten the now-seemingly loose rings!

This could cause the seal to release. Return to Quick Links to Canning Topics. When canning foods, it is important to know your local altitude. Your altitude determines the amount of pressure pressure canner or time boiling-water canner for your food. In Nebraska, the altitude ranges in elevation from about 1, feet to 5, feet above sea level.

For further help in locating canning supplies, use your favorite online search engine or contact your local Extension Office. Skip to main content. Before You Begin Canning Use of commercial and trade names does not imply approval or constitute endorsement by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. If you have not canned for awhile or have never canned before — review before you begin: Check the directions that come with your canner before starting to can.

A toll-free phone number and an address are also given for contacting them. Mirro Pressure Canners Mail, email and toll-free phone information for Mirro pressure canners a part of Wearever. Questions or comments about this publication?

To learn the altitude in your location, Click here for a map of elevations in Nebraska ; or, contact your local Extension office.