Got the canning bug? You can safely store fruit butter, jam, chutney,pickles and other high acid foods in your refrigerator for a few weeks (jams can be kept in the freezer for up to a year). To store pickles at room temp, though, you need to can them. Processing preserves in a boiling water bath ensures safe storage at room temperature for up to a year. Follow these step-by-step instructions.
Equipment Needed for Water-Bath Canning
Canning jars with lids.
Large pot with a tight-fitting lid: either a boiling-water canning pot with a wire canning rack or a large, deep Dutch oven plus a round, metal cooling rack that fits into it. The wire rack helps prevent the jars from breaking.
Flexible, nonreactive spatula (rubber or plastic) for releasing any air bubbles trapped in the preserves. (Trapped air bubbles may cause damage to the jars.)
Canning funnel to make filling jars easier.
Jar lifter to safely move jars in and out of the hot water bath.
Lid wand (with a magnetic tip) to help remove lids from hot water.
Steps to Water-Bath Canning
Step 1 - Wash the Jars
Wash canning jars, lids and bands in hot soapy water. Rinse well.
Place sterilized jars in a large pot and fill the pot with enough water to cover the jars. Bring to a simmer (180°F) and simmer for at least 10 minutes. This will prevent the jars from breaking when filled with hot food (called "hot packing") or when transferred to the boiling water bath. Keep the jars in simmering water until ready to fill. You can also wash and dry jars in the dishwasher; keep jars in the dishwasher with the door closed (to keep them warm) and remove them as needed.
Step 3 - Simmer the Lids
Dry the bands. Place new lids (you must use new lids each time you do canning; bands can be reused if in good condition) in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer (180°F). Lids must be simmered for 10 minutes to "activate" the sealing compound that helps achieve a vacuum seal. Keep lids in simmering water until ready to use. Do not boil: Simmering the lids in water that's hotter than 180°F may interfere with proper sealing.
Step 4 - Fill the Jars
Fill hot jars with preserves to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar's rim.
Step 5 - Release Any Air Bubbles
Run a rubber spatula around the inside of the jar to release any air bubbles.
Step 6 - Wipe the Rims
Wipe the rims well to ensure a good seal.
Step 7 - Place the Lids and Bands on the Jars
Place the lids and bands on the jars. Tighten bands just until you feel resistance (you don't want to overtighten the bands).
Step 8 - Boil the Jars
Fill a boiling-water canner (or large, deep Dutch oven fitted with a round, metal cooling rack) about half full with water. Bring to a full simmer. Lower the filled jars into the simmering water one at a time with a jar lifter or use a canning rack to lower all the jars into the water at once. (If your canning pot does not have a canning rack, a wire rack on the bottom of the pot is recommended to prevent the jars from breaking.) Check the water level. If the water does not cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches, add boiling water as needed. Bring to a rolling boil, cover the canner and boil for 10 minutes if using 4-, 8- or 12-ounce jars or for 15 minutes if using 16-ounce jars. (Check individual preserve recipes for more specific processing times.) Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the jars from the pot.
Step 9 - Let the Jars Cool
Let jars cool on a cutting board or towel with 2 inches of space between each jar for 12 to 24 hours.
Step 10 - Check the Seals
To check the seals, press down on the center of the lid. If the center of the lid doesn't pop up, it's sealed. To double-check the seal, remove the band and very gently try to remove the lid. If you can't remove the lid, you have a good seal. The jar isn't sealed if the lid pops up when you press down on the center of the lid or if you can remove the lid easily. Refrigerate any jars that didn't seal for up to three weeks or freeze for up to one year.
Source: Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jams, Jellies and Preserves by Yvonne Tremblay.
However, if your recipe calls for a processing time that is shorter than ten minutes (very few modern recipes use this shorter processing time), you need to actively boil your jars for at least ten minutes before filled, to ensure you have sterilized jars.
However, if your recipe calls for a processing time that is shorter than ten minutes (very few modern recipes use this shorter processing time), you need to actively boil your jars for at least ten minutes before filled, to ensure you have sterilized jars.
Place filled jars upright in the canner and ensure they're covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring water to a full boil and then start the timer for the specified processing time in the recipe. Leave jars in the canner for an extra 5 minutes after processing time has finished.
Once secured, the jar is inverted (flipped upside down) and left to cool for several minutes before placed right side up. The thought behind the method is the hot food will sterilize the seal while creating a vacuum by allowing air to escape.
Sealing a canning jar begins once you remove your jars from the boiling water bath and place them on a countertop to let them sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours. Soon after they've been removed, you should hear the canning lids pop or ping.
Don't allow the jars to touch each other. Jars must be covered by water—about 1 to 2 inches of water. Add more hot water from a separate kettle, if needed. Turn up the heat to get water in canner to boil.
fruits, tomatoes, pickled products, jams, jellies and preserves. A water bath canner is a large, deep kettle that has a cover and a rack to hold jars. You can also use a big, covered stockpot that is deep enough to allow water to be 1 to 2 inches over the tops of the jars with room for a rolling boil.
An overfilled or underfilled jar may not seal correctly, which, as you now know, results in unsafe food. It's all about the seal. If you're losing liquid during processing or find mold during storage, you've probably left too much headspace.
The new rule is that each canner load consist of at least 2 quart jars or 4 pint jars. This minimum load helps to ensure that the proper pressure and temperature is reached during processing.
Once all the jars are in the pot, they should be submerged by about 1” of water. If necessary, add more boiling water from your kettle. Bring the water to a full rolling boil, and process for the amount of time recommended by your recipe.
Water bath canning uses very little equipment. You only need a large stock pot with a lid. You can easily learn how to water bath can with just a few simple tips and tricks. Water bath canning only works for high-acid foods like fruits, pickles, tomatoes (with a little acid added), jams and jellies.
The safe methods of canning food at home are boiling water bath canning, atmospheric steam canning, and pressure canning. Whether a food is high acid or low acid indicates what type of processing method should be used (Table 1).
If reprocessing is acceptable, remove the original lid and check jar sealing surface for nicks. Change the jar, if necessary. Follow the manufacturer's directions to prepare a new closure. When reprocessing, follow the hot pack instructions, including reheating the food and/or liquid.
Covering the jars could also keep them in moderate temperature zones. Let stand for 12 to 24 hours undisturbedLids actually may seal and unseal several times during this time, so let them do their thing., then remove rings, check seals, wash jars if needed, label, and store away without the rings on.
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