subject: Canning at home is an easy way to preserve! [print this page] Author: Jefferson Bass Author: Jefferson Bass
When you find yourself with more produce than you can easily use and you want to continue to influence the foods that your family eats, canning can provide an excelent solution. It can be very difficult and intimidating to get started in canning - there are so many new conceps, equipment and processes to learn. But once you've tried your hand in the art of canning, I'm willing to bet you'll be hookedThe truths is, once you've gotten your feet wet, canning is an excrise and art that youll enjoy to the fullest!
An unexpected phone call from my sister catalized me into the world of canning many years ago! She ha just moved to a new house, and in the yard was a large cherry tree full of cherries ready to be picked. That's when I realized that we had an issue to solve. There were so many of them that we couldn't possibly use them all at once. So began my journey into the wonderfull world of canning.
At is most basic level, canning is nothing more than heating food to kill bacteria and then sealing it away from new germs and air. You'll find your food lasts an amazingly long time when you can keep it away from it's biggest enemies, air and bacteria! It never ceases to amaze me that you can keep perishable foods for so long without sacrificing flavor and texture.
In order to kill bacteria in food, the temperature must be brought up to a level according to the chemical makeup of the food. That sounds a lot more complex than it actually is! Foods that are high in acids can be heated to a much lower temperature than foods with low or no acidity. Foods that have quite a bit of acid, such as tomatoes, can be simply and easily canned using a basic process known as a water bath.
Many different fruits and vegitables like tomatoes have plenty of acidity and can kill bacteria around 212 degrees. Convieniently, this is also the temperature at which water boils, making the water bath a perfect technique. If there is not enough acidity in your foods, you will need to bring the foods up to higher temperature to ensure that no bacteria survivie. Temperatures above boiling in these situations require the addition of pressure. Now we're talking about using a new tool - the pressure canner.
Either method will prove to be an exceptional way to preserve your foods for use months and years down the road. There is no feeling like poping open one of your homemade jelly jars in the middle of the cold winter and feeling a small part of the summer come rushing back. The next time you get an unexpected surprise of bountiful fruits or vegetibles, you'll know just how to handle the problem.
It is true that canning seems tough and like a lot of work at first! The good news is that once you've jumped in and given it a try, you'll easily be able to store away foods in an afternoon tha tyour family will enjoy for a long time! As I said earlier, it's hard to beat the feeling of opening up a jar that you canned months ago!About the Author:
Brenda has been living the homesteading life for many years. She has been a long time user of her Nutrimill Wheat Grinder
