Advice for a first time canner

[dreams_in_color]

I hope to can the vegetables out of my garden this year and need advice on how to get started.

What size canner
Best source of canning supplies
recipes
????

My mother never canned except one time she tried her hand at making pickles. My dad always had a garden but in the 31 years I have been married this is the first time I have had the room to plant one. We moved out to 8 acres last June. In the process of moving and house repairs on the one on the market I was not able to have one last year.

In other words I am in heaven on our little piece of land. We have 4 acres in pasture so we are thinking we may get a cow.

My husband hunts so we always have a deer or 3 in the freezer. Last year he went wild boar hunting for the first time so I have the wild hog. He also goes fishing a couple of times a year.

I would like to use the canning process to have my own fast foods on hand like chicken soup, spaghetti sauce, chili, gumbo, etc.

Thanks,

Susan

[pcrowder]

Hi susan!
I have canned ALOT of deer meat in pints in two 22 qt canners. I am trying to save the $$ to buy a 30 qt All American as we have 5 adults normally here plus 2 others frequently. I'd buy the 41 qt one, but it is just too pricey.
You need to buy the largest canner that you can afford and will work for you size-wise... If there are only 2 of you in the family, I'd say steer clear of anything larger than a 22 qt.
I'd say on canning supplies, make sure if you advertise for canning jars in the paper or on the bulletin board at the supermarket/laundramat/etc, that you SPECIFY only Ball, Kerr or American Harvest jars (this is the voice of experience here!) Otherwise, you will have people SWEAR on the phone that they truly are all canning jars, and when you get there, you will find peanut butter, mayo, and asst'd other jars....NOT what you want! Check farm auctions, thrift stores, craig's list, and even post a "Canning Jars wanted" or "canning supplies needed" ad on bulletin boards. Sometimes even the feed store/coop will let you post there. Make sure that if you buy a used canner, that you really know if it is in good shape or not, and ask why the person is selling it...sometimes people buy them and don't realize the amount of work that canning requires, and they use them once and then store them away. Also, EBay is a good choice - I've bought 2 press canners on there. Do NOT buy antique canners - they are not made to the same specifications as the modern ones, and I've heard that they can be dangerous.
As far as recipes, I SWEAR BY Jackie's recipes, plus the Ball Blue Book. You can also search online for canning recipes, and the Dept of Agriculture and your local state extension service will have canning recipes too. I've even gone online to other state's extension sites and they have great recipes too.
Good luck and happy canning!
Pat

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

Hi Susan,
I agree with everything pcrowder said.
I, too, am new to canning and loving it. Most of my stuff was free or dirt-cheap. Rings and lids have been my only investments so far.

You mentioned 'fast food' or something to that effect? While I don't hesitate to open a can of store-bought Chkn Noodle Soup and eat it cold, I wouldn't recommend that with home-canned foods. Too many variables come into play, even for experienced canners. Yes, it's still more convenient than waiting for a turkey or ham or deer loin to cook but, it still needs to be thorougly heated. I'll admit to having eaten things like home-canned Salsa without re-cooking ( I like my salsa at room-temp) but, with any meats or goods containing dairy products, it's best to err on the side of caution.

Here's a site with a lot of info if you haven't found it already... www.allamericancanner.com

I have the 915 and it's a beauty. Keep in mind, the larger the Canner, the longer it takes to reach proper temp/pressure.

Good luck with what I'm sure you will find to be a rewarding skill. The first time you remove a jar of deer meat and see the beautiful color, hear the lid 'tink' as it seals and then store it in your pantry, you'll see deer in a whole new way ;)

[leera]

I agree with what's been said so far.

Invest in the best equipment you can afford,that way you only need to buy it once....most pressure canners are a once in a lifetime purchase.

I am still fairly new to canning,and have not personally used a pressure canner yet.

But I have been making my own jams,jelies,pickles relishes,sauces and canned fruits for several years now.

Good luck with your new garden!

[Shamrock1121]

This is a great web site with excellent information for anyone canning, especially a first time canner.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

You can also get lots of free information from your local County Extension Office.

1. Only use TESTED recipes for food safety reasons. Avoid using canning information or books printed before 1995. The only commercial book that uses the recommendations from the USDA is the Ball Blue Book of Canning. Just be sure to use a copy that is from 1995 or newer.

2. Do not double recipes - you can throw the pH off causing spoiling.

3. Do not alter ingredients. You can alter the pH by doing so.

4. Check your canning jars for chips in the rim of the jar by running your finger over the edge. You won't get a proper seal if there are chips/nicks in the glass.

5. Opt for tempered glass canning jars rather than commercial jars that come from the grocery store with other foods already in them. Commercial jars from the store are designed for 1-trip use. They do work for water bath canning - not pressure canning. Occasionally these jars are not level on the top and don't seal properly. The glass is thinner and can often break in processing or if bumped.

6. There are several canning methods that should NOT be used because they do not eliminate the risk of pathogenic bacteria growth. These include:

Open-Kettle Canning (this is not the same as water-bath canning). Canning in a conventional or microwave oven, dishwasher, slow cooker, crock pot, or steam canner. And yes.... you will find recipes using these!

7. Know what your altitude is. Not all foods process at the same amount of time at all altitudes.

8. Consider freezing and dehydrating as alternative ways to preserve food to canning. Canning can end up being more expensive when you consider the cost of equipment and the price of high-heat processing.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/foodnut/08704.html

Good luck and enjoy the fruits (meats and vegetables) of your labor... :D

-Karen

[dreams_in_color]

My head is spinning. I thought someone would come back with oh buy a few jars and a large pot you can put 12 jars in. I never realized there was so much to canning. I have a new found respect.

Thank you all so very much. I am going to print this posting and figure out what I need to do both by reading and re-reading a couple of times and checking out the referenced web sites.

I am sure I will have additional questions.

Which I already have one. If commercial jars are only sutiable for 1 time use where do you find tempered jars?

Thanks again,

Susan

[leera]

Canning jars are easy to come by.

But you do want to make sure you're using actual canning jars.Ball,Kerr,etc......you can get them new at most any place,even Big Lot(or Odd Lot)depending on where you are.

I've gotten a lot of mine cheap or free from Freecycle and garage sales,just look around a bit.If you have a local freecycle page,trying posting a want ad.....I did that once and got overrun with them.

You will need to inspect all your jars,new or used for tiny cracks or chips,and never use chipped or cracked jars for canning,it isn't safe.

I can only in pints or half pints since it is just me and my DH here.


;D To stop your head from spinning....take one step at a time......

Get a Ball Blue Book first.....get the newest issue out there.

Yes there is more to it than jars and a big pot,it's really not as complicated as it sounds.But you do need the correct equipment for the types of things you want to home can.

After you've had your first successful day canning,it's all easy after that! :D

[Shamrock1121]

If commercial jars are only sutiable for 1 time use where do you find *tempered jars?

Thanks again,

Susan

Let me try and clear this up a bit....

Commercial (1-use) jars are like those Ragu Spaghetti Sauce or Miracle Whip used to come it (these are considered 1-time use jars for commercial products sold in grocery stores) . These jars CAN be used in a boiling water canner. You need to avoid using them in a pressure canner because of the thinness of the glass and the potential to break more easily than canning (Ball/Kerr) jars.

CANNING Jars (Ball/Kerr) are made of tempered, thicker, glass and they are much stronger than the commercial Miracle Whip type - 1-use type jars. You can also freeze in canning jars. I use canning jars for vacuum sealing dehydrated foods I make at home with my FoodSaver.

Every time you have a jar break during processing, that's money down the drain. That's why I only use canning jars (Ball/Kerr) rather than jars that had commercial products in them. You'll find people who will GIVE you their old canning jars, so the price is right. Garage sales and thrift stores is also great places to get canning jars cheap. But be careful, some old canning jars are very brittle from storage and can shatter when processed.

Some other little canning tips:

1. Can from a clean kitchen. Thoroughly clean your sink, counters, refrigerator handle before starting. Disinfect with a spritz bottle of 1 quart water and 1 t. bleach. Don't cross contaminate foods (cutting meat on a board and then cutting cucumbers on it). Use clean towels/dishrags/paper towels.

2. Don't smoke or eat while canning. You can transfer bacteria from your mouth to your fingers and to food.

3. Wash your produce under running water.

4. Try to use lids that are no more than 2 years old. The sealing compound can dehydrate in the right conditions. It can become brittle and won't seal correctly. That being said, all of us have used old lids, but they do tend to have more failures than new lids. And only use a lid once.

5. Sterilize the lids by pouring boiling water OVER the lids, NOT placing them in boiling water. A nifty lid sterilizing rack from Lehman's is a good tool to own.

http://www.lehmans.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=3784&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainC at=712&iSubCat=718&iProductID=3784

Make sure your lids are separated to sterilize them.

6. Sterilize the jars, funnel you use for filling the jars, and knife or spatula used for removing bubbles for 10 minutes.

7. Hot packing is recommended for most canning. The heat helps get rid of excess air.

8. You have to free the bubbles from the foods you place in a jar before you process them. You can do this with any number of things - a table knife, handle of a long spoon, but here's a handy dandy Ball Bubble Freer Spatula http://www.canningpantry.com/babufrsp.html .

9. Do not use iodized salt or salt alternatives. Use canning/pickling salt.

10. Stir with a wooden spoon.

11. Don't use an aluminum pan to heat high-acid foods.

12. The water in your canner needs to be 2-inches deeper than the jar tops.

13. You count the time for processing in a hot water canner AFTER the water comes back to a boil.

14. Keep your jars away from a draft when you first remove them from processing. Jars have been known to shatter from a cold draft on a hot jar.

15. If you use a pressure canner, be sure to check it yearly or if you've dropped the lid.

16. Avoid using windfall fruits (fruit that has fallen from the tree and is on the ground). For instance, apples that have been in contact with the ground can get ground/animal bacteria contamination.

17. There are only a few things that can safely be canned in 1/2-gallon jars. They are no longer recommended because it is difficult to get and maintain the correct heat penetration.

18. Leave one-inch of headspace (the space in the jar) for low-acid foods - vegetables and meats.

19. Leave 1/2-inch headspace for high-acid foods - fruits and tomatoes.

20. Leave 1/4-inch head space for juices, jams, jellies, pickles and relishes.

21. Because there are now low-acid tomatoes, you must add bottled lemon juice to tomatoes to assure they are acid enough.

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

WOAH! Shamrock, that was an excellant post. My Mom and an Aunt are teaching me but, you brought up some very important points that maybe they take for granted? Us 40+ year old kids can be very inquisitive, huh? :)

[sbemt456]

Dang I have canned for 30 plus years and they made my head spin. For those of you speaking of the All American pressure canner, my hubby just bought me a new one the model #930, I have 2 other canners that I have used in past years that have the gasket and finding the gaskets is nearly impossible so the All american is a good investment as it does not have a gasket so no replacement problems. We paid right at $300 with shipping for the model 930, but it is an investment that will last a lifetime. I do have one canner that I have used that I bought at a yardsale for $5, and at some point someone has blown the popoff plug out and soldered the hole closed, this I would not recomend to a person new to canning. When I use it I am always a little nervous and watch it with a close eye. Not safe. The onle other advice I can give is that be cautious of people who are willing to give you canning jars, look at them carefully, if they are cloudy looking and it wont wash off they can be extremely old and very brittle. I have had to cull some of mine out over the years for that reason. But relax and have fun, we all learned how to can and you can can too. Happy gardening!

[theresehirko]

I have only been canning now for about two years. Start off with water bath canning until you get the hang of how the "pop" sounds when the jars seal, etc. When you get comfortable with the whole setup and system of water bath canning, then give something like dried beans a try for pressure canning. I picked something not too expensive for my first pressure canning experience figuring if it failed, it wasn't like I had tried pressure canning a whole sockeye salmon that I had paid a hefty price for. Follow directions exactly. Then try a dish like chili. Take it at your own pace, and before you know it, you'll be shopping at meat market with the ever question -what's on special so I can can it? When I see something on special, I grab it. Today there was special on fresh organic beets and fresh organic red cabbage, so I'm making borscht today for supper and I'll can the rest.