“I” Is for Inexperienced

You may be a little afraid to try food preservation at home, especially if you have no one on hand to walk you through the process.  We were all inexperienced at one point. It’s like learning to read. Once you learn the letters and the sounds they make, you can begin making words. It is the same with any new thing learned.

I recommend starting easy. Dehydrating foods is one of the simplest ways to preserve foods. Many foods required nothing more than slicing into small pieces and distributing on the drying trays. Sealing the finished goods in sealable plastic bags or in mason jars completes the task.

Freezing is also a simple process for many foods. Take blueberries for example. Pick through them to remove any damaged, spoiled or under-ripened berries. Spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer and place the tray in the freezer. Wait a few hours and pour the frozen fruits into freezer containers and seal. Label, date and you are done.

So don’t let your inexperience keep you from trying your hand at food preservation. Keep coming back and we will move through the foods and the seasons, learning the best ways to keep foods fresh and tasty.

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Posted in: blueberries,canning,dehydrating,food preservation,freezing,techniques

“G” Is for Canning Green Beans

Green beans are a major vegetable stable at our house. They find their way into all kinds of things. They low calorie (44 per 1 cup), low-carb (5 gms net per serving) and a good source of vitamin C (20% USRDA). It’s also one of the vegetables everyone in our house enjoys. So green beans are something I can and freeze every year. Fortunately for me my garden supports bean crops well. I grow a lot of my own but still haven’t mastered growing enough so that I don’t have to buy more.

Canning

Canning provides longer shelf life than freezing when it comes to green beans. Frozen beans are good for up to 18 months while canned beans, if done properly are safe to use up to 5 years later. Jars should be stored where they will not experience wide swings in temperature. A cool, dark place is best.

Supplies

For every half-pound to pound of green beans, you will need 1 quart or two pint jars and the appropriate lids and caps. One bushel of beans will usually yield 14 to 20 quart jars. Because green beans are low acid, they must be canned in a pressure cooker. You will need jar tongs, a funnel and some dish towels.

Prepping the Beans

Buy only fresh, crisp beans that are free of scars or imperfections. Minor imperfections can be trimmed away. Any type of green bean is suitable and is a matter of taster or availability. Trim both ends and cut beans to desired lengths. Common length choices are from 1 inch to 4 inches. Some people do several jars of each length to provide options for recipe selections later on. Rinse the beans in cool, clean water.

Prepping the Jars

Check all the jars for cracks and chips and discard any that are damaged. Only use new flat lids each time to ensure a good seal. Prying the lid off once it’s been used can cause warping or bending. However minute the bending might be, it can cause the lid to fail to seal properly if used again. You can reuse the screw caps so long as they are not rusted. Sterilize the jars and lids in either boiling water for ten minutes or in your dishwasher if it has a sterilize cycle. Keep the jars warm until ready to use.

Filling the Jars

Boil enough water to fill the number of jars you are processing. Most canners hold seven or eight jars. Fill the hot jars with the clean, cut beans. Gently press the beans down to firmly pack and leave 1 inch of space at the top of the jar. If you prefer, add ½ teaspoon of salt to each jar. This step can be omitted if you want to avoid additional sodium. Place funnel in jar and carefully pour boiling water I, maintaining the 1 inch space at the top of the jar.

Use a spatula to dislodge any air bubbles. Wipe off the jar with the towel and place the lid on top. Screw on the cap until just tight. Don’t tighten it all the way. Continue until all the jars are filled.

Processing the Beans

Start heating 3 to 4 inches of water in the pressure cooker while you are filling the jars to save time. Place the jars into the pressure cooker and secure the lid. Once the pressure has built to 11 pounds, start timing the beans. Process jars 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts for young tender beans. If older beans, almost ready for shelling, were used, increase the time by 15 and 20 minutes respectively. . Let the canner cool down and make sure all the steam has escaped before trying to open the lid. Stem is very hot and can cause burns.

Finishing

Use the tongs to remove hot jars from the pressure cooker. Set them on a towel on the counter and leave them for 24 hours. Then, check the lids to make sure the jars have a good seal. Wipe jars and apply label to glass or using a permanent marker, write the contents and date on the lid. Then store until ready to use.

Voila! You have canned green beans!

These articles may help you decide how many green beans and supplies you will need if you want to can a year’s supply for your family:

Planning to Can Green Beans to Sustain Your Family for a Year: Getting Started

Planning to Can Green Beans to Sustain Your Family For A Year: How Many Green Beans Do We Need?

Planning to Can Green Beans to Sustain Your Family For A Year: How Many Jars and Other Supplies Will I Need?

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Posted in: canning,recipe,techniques,tips

“C” is for Canning

I thought I’d talk a little today about canning and what it is. In the strict definition of the word, it is the process of preserving food by sealing it in cans or jars. The idea came to fruition when Napoleon conducted a contest for creating a method by which food could be preserved longer. He needed a way to better provide for his troops. The winning method is remarkably similar to the water-bath method still used today.

Canning Methods

There are two accepted and recommended ways of canning: the water bath and the pressure canner. The method used depends on the acidity of the food being canned. Most foods have a neutral pH or are only slightly acidic. A food with a PH of 4.6or lower is considered to be highly acidic while foods with a pH above 4.6 are considered low-acid at least in terms of canning.

Because the bacterial organisms that can cause spoilage in food can be easily destroyed by heat when high acid is present, these foods can be canned in boiling water or using the water bath method. Water must be held at 212 degrees (boiling) for a specified period of depending on the type of food in order to kill the bacteria. Foods recommended for this type of processing are fruits, fruit juices, jellies, jams, preserves, pickles and pickled products.

To safely preserve vegetables, red meat, poultry, fish and wild game, temperatures higher than 212 degrees are needed. Temperatures of 240 or higher are needed to destroy bacteria in these foods and can only be achieved by using a pressure canner.

Supplies

Depending on the type of food canning you are canning, you will need a water bath canning pot with a jar rack or a pressure canner. You will need jars, usually pint or quart but there are also smaller and larger jars. Most come with either standard openings or “wide moth” openings. Wide mouth jars are easier to use if you are canning whole fruits or vegetables. Make sure you purchase lids and collars to fit the jars you have. While the jars and collars are reusable, the lids are not and should be replaced with each use.

You also need the following:

Jar tongs

Jar funnel

Labels

Towels

Once you have acquired the supplies, all you need is the food to go in them! Keep checking back as I will be posting recipes and tips for canning frequently.

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Posted in: canning,preserving,supplies,techniques

Blueberries Can Be Dehydrated Too!

It won’t be long before blueberries are everywhere: the grocery store, the farm stands, even at the U-picks. In my neck of the woods, this tends to occur in June. By June, my mouth is watering for the taste of fresh blueberries.

My gang likes blueberries. When I say they like blueberries, I mean they LIKE blueberries. I can’t keep enough around. I can them, freeze them and even dehydrate them. Yes, dehydrate them.

Why would you want to dehydrate them? There are a number of reasons. Dehydrated blueberries can be stored in zipper-type plastic bags, mason jars or other tightly sealed containers, none of which take up freezer space. Most recipes for canning blueberries call for adding some amount of sugar. Dehydrated berries have nothing added.

Dehydrated blueberries are also versatile. You can use them in all sorts of recipes where you would use fresh berries. You can also eat them as is, add them to your own snack mixes or toss them in cereal. Directions for dehydrating blueberries are easy to follow and require only that you have a dehydrator and storage containers. Anything else you might need, you probably already own.

When you see blueberries on sale this summer, consider stocking up and dehydrating some for your winter use. You’ll be glad you did.

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Posted in: dehydrating,drying foods,techniques