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Canning

Basic Canning (at sea level)

 

This process is meant for canning acidic, liquid-based mixtures (ex. jams, jellies, chutneys, salsa) while they are still hot, and NOT for canning meat, solid, cold or high altitude foods. 

 

You'll Need:

 

Canning jars with ring lids and new snap lids of the same size

Regular tongs & canning tongs

Canning funnel 

Ladle

Clean towels

Large pot for hot water bath & a rack for bottom of the pot (or extra snap lids)

 

Let's go:

 

1. Sterilize all supplies in the dishwasher or for one full minute in boiling water. Lay on a clean towel.

 

2. Hot water bath: Boil a pan of water with at least enough water to cover the jars by an inch. Once boiled, turn down to a simmer and place snap lids in water just before using them.

 

3. Fill jars with your mixture, leaving a 1/2 inch of space below the rim. Use canning funnel for less spillage. Clean up the jars and especially the rim with paper towel dipped in boiling water.

 

4. Sealing: Use the sterilized regular tongs to take snap lids out of water, shake off excess water, and place lids on top of jars. Turn the water back up to a rolling boil. Screw the lid rings on very tight. Place rack at the bottom of the hot water bath to keep hot water circulating so the jars don't crack. If you don't have a rack use extra snap lids rubber side up under each jar. If the jars float, weigh them down with a plate. Use canning tongs to place jars in water and leave in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

 

5. Take the jars out of the water bath and let them sit on a towel upside-down for five minutes before turning them back upright. This helps them seal quickly. Let the jars sit overnight. If there are any unsealed jars in the morning, store them in the fridge and eat immediately.

 

6. Properly canned food stored in a cool, dry place will last for at least 1 year. In a warm place it may lose eating quality in a few weeks or months depending on the temperature. Dampness may corrode cans/metal lids and cause leakage.

 

To view a picture of the required equipment or to print out these instructions, click here.

Refer to the National Center for Home Food Preservation for more tips: nchfp.uga.edu

© Yong Fei Guan

Applesauce & Apple Butter

 

This recipe is Vegan, Gluten, Nut and Soy free and yields 1.5 L of sauce (3 x 500mL jars)

 

5 lbs apples, quartered

2 lemons, zest & juice; or 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup apple cider 

1/2 cup maple syrup or 1/3 cup Rogers Berry Sugar (vegan)

salt & spices to taste: cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, star anise

 

Let's go:

 

1. Mix apples with cider, maple syrup, lemon and spices in a large pot. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

 

2. Pass mixture through a strainer or potato ricer and mix well. To preserve it as applesauce, can the mixture now while it's hot.

 

3. To make apple butter, take the applesauce mixture and heat in a slowcooker or oven on low overnight. The result will be a dark brown, spicy apple butter. Then puree the slow-cooked mixture in a blender and can it while it's still hot.

 

Variations:

  • If you want to prepare the apples in advance, chop them into quarters as usual and then dip them in salted lemon water. Freeze until ready to use. 

  • Use local honey or sugar instead of maple syrup.

 

Note: using brown sugar can bring a richer flavor, but the Rogers brand brown sugar contains animal bone char and is non-vegan. Use Rogers 'Berry' Sugar or anything with a product code that starts with 22 (and not 10) if you want vegan sugar.

Roasted Red Salsa

 

5 lbs tomatoes, quartered and seeds removed

3 red bell peppers, quartered with seeds/stems removed

2 onions, quartered and peeled

2 jalapeno peppers, seeds in, stems removed

2 gloves garlic, stems of 1 bunch cilantro

3 tbsp olive oil, juice of 1 lime

salt, pepper, cumin, coriander seed, oregano to taste

 

Let's go:

 

1. Prepare the vegetables and mix with olive oil and seasonings. Place on a baking sheet or roasting pan and roast for 1 hour at 375 degrees.

 

2. Puree roasted veggies in a blender with lime and cilantro stems. Once salsa is smooth, taste and adjust seasonings.

 

3. Can the salsa while it's still hot.

 

Variations:

  • Instead of canning the salsa, store some in the fridge and some in the freezer.

  • To make salsa verde, use tomatillos and poblano peppers.

  • For milder salsa, remove the jalapeno seeds. For spicier salsa, add more seeds, or use spicier chili peppers such as banana peppers, Thai chilies or habaneros.

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