View Full Version : If you've never canned
I've never canned food. So, my question is: If you had never canned food and had no one to instruct you, would you can food based solely on written instructions? I know about County extension classes, but I'm just wondering. Would you and feel safe about it? I'm looking at the USDA and County pamphlets online and they seem fairly straight forward for the acidy things. I don't like fruit, jams or jellies, so I'm mostly thinking pickles and tomatoes and spaghetti sauce.
I had never canned before in my life until about 5 years ago. I read things online and also purchased some canning brochures on the subject. Hubby and I went by the book (literally). After a couple of years, we were talking to the lady who runs a local fruit stand. I asked her if she "hot packed" or "cold packed" her fruit. She looked at me with a dumb look on her face and said all she does is throw some cleaned and cut up fruit in a canning jar, adds a bit of water and a "squirt" of honey. Then she processes the fruit.
I now take a much more relaxed view on canning. I always, always, always process according to the time recommendations as this is crucial, however, I don't hot pack anymore. I do what the fruit stand lady does except I use sugar instead of honey. As long as the cans (jars) are sealed after processing, you are safe.
We do our canning on the side burner of our propane barbecue outside. This is to keep the house from getting too hot and humid in the summer months. It works great!!! I can the things you don't like: fruit and jam. *S* I also can tomato chili sauce.
I had no one to show me how to can but simply followed directions. Once I got more confidence I tried some variations on the recipes but the canning is very basic.
There should be lots of jars for sale in the spring as people who used to can no longer make the effort and are disposing of their bottles and eqiupment. I swear by my pressure canner in order to be sure that the end result is safe. It won't fit on my electric stove though so DH does the canning on a propane stove set up in the garage.
Bernardin website has some good info. I bought a copy of "Putting Food By" years ago and it has been my bible for canning and other food preservation.
I watched while my roommate did the canning last fall, but I also did a lot of reading about it on my own. Putting Food By is great (especially if you're worried about safety, because they are *paranoid*). The other book that I think is a standard is the Ball Blue Book. It has recipes and processing times for everything. I don't think I'd feel comfortable doing veggies in a pressure canner without some lessons, but now that I've seen it done, I'd feel okay doing it myself. It pretty much matched what I'd gathered from reading, but I definitely feel better having seen the whole process.
Bastelmutti
2-13-11, 10:48pm
Funny, Perplexa - Putting Food By put me off of canning when I got the itch a couple of years ago because of that paranoia. Interesting thread!
loosechickens
2-13-11, 11:36pm
I learned to can COMPLETELY with the written directions from the Ball Company and cooperative extension. In fact, I'd feel SAFER learning with the written directions, because I've been amazed at some of the unsafe practices I've seen in acquaintances' canning practices. Much better to look to the experts. IMHO
Well, this is encouraging. I've always been too afraid to try. But tomatoes would be like fruit?
My mom used to can, but I learned by reading years later. It's pretty easy - fruits, tomatoes, jellies and so forth in a water bath. I don't have a pressure canner and have never canned meats or low acid things.
At this point in time, I doubt I'll can much again, but you never know. It's a good skill to have. Extra fruits now get dried, and canned tomatoes are so inexpensive to buy it's not worth my time, the mess in the kitchen, and the expense of the natural gas. And I don't make jelly anymore. I also freeze more things.
Check out the Harvest Forum on the Gardenweb.com site. Its a great place for info.
Tiam, tomatoes are like fruit, but only marginally. They're right at the edge of the PH for high acid food, so you need to add (bottled) lemon juice to the cans to make sure the acid stays high enough. Follow a good recipe!
Loosechickens, now that I think about it, I actually feel safer having read several books and when I do my own canning this fall, I'm going to follow them to the letter. Said roommate did some things (like "open kettle canning" her peach jam, rather than fully processing it in the boiling water bath) that the books say are unsafe, so I don't plan to do that. Still, it was nice to see how the whole process works before trying it myself. I still probably won't can much, as I'd rather dry most things, but canned tomatoes taste better than rehydrated ones, and I make my own apple sauce, which I'd rather not store in the freezer.
Not that many years ago the recommended way of making jams/jellies was to pour the still hot 'liquid' into sterilized canning jars and then invert them for a period of time, then turn them right side up till the lids popped. No hot water baths at all. Before that, people didn't use metal lids at all, but merely poured a thin layer of parafin right over the jelly.
I sometimes wonder if we have unnecessarily gone too far in the direction of presumed 'safety'. I understand why the companies recommend it however - to be better able to counter law suits from people who simply aren't careful no matter what method they use.
As to tomatoes, they contain seeds so they are botanically fruits. Some varieties don't have as high acid content as some older varieties so some people who can them do add extra acid. Vinegar can also be used.
I want to second the harvest forum on Gardenweb.com. I bought a pressure canner a couple of years ago and was scared to use it at first but now it is not a huge deal. I mostly can tomatoes. I usually can at night since the height of the tomato season happens at the same time that the daytime heat is unbearable.
Gina......I agree that the USDA has gone too far with some of their "requirements". I think they speak to the few people who make all possible mistakes when canning. I used to can all my tomatoes with a pressure canner, until the USDA said that we were supposed to can it so long that it seems like no nutrition would be left.
I did buy some citric acid, in case I wanted to can some tomatoes. Too bad the acid has gone down in them. I have a pressure canner, but have always had problems with too much liquid coming out of the jars. I freeze tomatoes and beans now. Its so much easier! But then again.....if the power goes out its a problem.
Tiam, tomatoes are like fruit, but only marginally. They're right at the edge of the PH for high acid food, so you need to add (bottled) lemon juice to the cans to make sure the acid stays high enough. Follow a good recipe!
Loosechickens, now that I think about it, I actually feel safer having read several books and when I do my own canning this fall, I'm going to follow them to the letter. Said roommate did some things (like "open kettle canning" her peach jam, rather than fully processing it in the boiling water bath) that the books say are unsafe, so I don't plan to do that. Still, it was nice to see how the whole process works before trying it myself. I still probably won't can much, as I'd rather dry most things, but canned tomatoes taste better than rehydrated ones, and I make my own apple sauce, which I'd rather not store in the freezer.
On the other hand since it's mostly tomatoes I'd be doing, maybe I should just make sauce and freeze it.
Tiam.....tomatoes freeze beautifully for things like soups and stews. I dip them in boiling water for about a minute, then skin them,cut them up into smaller pieces, then I mash them a little to express some juice......and put them in plastic containers and freeze them. It works great. For so many years I heard you just couldn't freeze them. Well you can! I especially like to freeze Romas because they are so meaty and after you dip them in boiling water, their skins slip off so easily.
Another option for tomatoes is to dry them out in the oven and then freeze them. They are great with pasta or on pizzas. This is also a good way to deal with an overabundance of cherry tomatoes.
By the way, I can also. The Ball books are great. I've never had any issues with anything I've canned and I've only followed written instructions from books. I don't stray much from recipes though.
I tried to oven dry my excess of tomatoes last year. I salted them a bit first to mascerate them and put them on a rack in a low oven and cooked them for HOURS and they didn't seem to really dry out...I was scared to store them.
My favorite thing to do with lots of extra garden tomatoes is to cook them down in the oven into a rich, thick 'sauce' the consistency of tomato paste. (Sometimes I"ll also add sliced raw onion to this and cook it all down together.) You can peel them as CathyA said, and I'll also usually squeeze out the seeds and 'easy' liquids. I think that improves the flavor of what's left, and takes less time. I'll then freeze this and use it in all manner of things.
You can also just pop whole tomatoes in bags, skins, seeds and all. Then toss how many every you want in soups and stews and stocks. I dont find the peels that bothersome, and they can be pulled out 'later'.
I have dried tomatoes, but never seemed to use them as often. That's just habit however. (I dried them in the sun, and it took several days)
This year I've planted some San Marzano paste tomatoes for the first time. I'm looking forward to hopefully having lots of those.
Last year we tried dehydrating (in a dehydrator, not an oven) tomato sauce. (I happened to have a bunch of pre-made sauce I got on sale, but didn't want to move the jars with me across the country.) We basically made "tomato sauce leather", and when we wanted tomato sauce, we'd pour hot water over some of the sauce and stir, and stir, and stir. It was definitely serviceable, but didn't taste as good as fresh or canned sauce, and it was hard to get all the leathery bits to dissolve completely. Still, it would work for someone who doesn't want to bother with canning and doesn't have enough freezer space.
Bastelmutti
2-15-11, 12:02pm
Re: frozen tomatoes - are they mealy when you defrost? I make a pasta sauce that is just a can of tomatoes simmered with an onion and then finished with a little butter and S&P. Would that work w/ frozen crushed tomatoes? Would I cook the tomatoes first?
You don't have to cook the tomatoes first, like you should with canned tomatoes (to be sure any bacteria is dead). The only difference you might find is that the frozen ones might have a bit more water (from the freezing) and you might want to boil some of that off. What I do if I don't want all that extra liquid, is put the frozen quart of tomatoes in a pot and let it warm up a little, until the water comes out. It comes out of the tomato solids. You can pour that off......drink it, use it in another recipe, etc.
I love frozen tomatoes in chili, soups, stewed tomatoes, tomato soup, etc.
You might consider them mealy if you use very large chunks of them. But that's not what I freeze them for.
Also.......use an Italian roma-type tomato for freezing if you want alot less liquid.
Bastelmutti
2-15-11, 1:03pm
Thx for the info! That might be easier for me than canning.
Re: frozen tomatoes - are they mealy when you defrost? I make a pasta sauce that is just a can of tomatoes simmered with an onion and then finished with a little butter and S&P. Would that work w/ frozen crushed tomatoes? Would I cook the tomatoes first?
Since they have been frozen, the cellular integrity is destroyed. I would describe thawed whole raw tomatoes as 'mushy' rather than 'mealy', and when thawed, there is extra liquid.
Freezing whole fresh tomatoes works but IMO is not the best use of freezer space primarily because they take up lots of space - like a bag of frozen tennis balls there's space between the fruits. But they are useful if you have lots of space.
Would I cook the tomatoes first?
When? Before freezing or before making your sauce? I think either would be fine.
I learned to can from written instructions - online and on the Bell packaging. My mom advised me over the phone to skip water bath and just do the turn-upside-down thing, which has worked well for me. For some stubborn jars that just will not seal I water bath, otherwise turn them over and wait. I've canned easy things - pickles and jellies. We freeze our tomato sauce.
My mom freezes whole tomatoes in Ziploc bags. But she has 2 big chest freezers - plenty of space. She also freezes spaghetti sauce but cans ketchup, salsa and chili sauce. Our tomato blight have limited our tomato harvest so a few containers of spaghetti sauce is all we've had, sadly.
Canning is fun and easy. Be systematic and take your time - you'll do great! Good luck!
My favorite thing to do with lots of extra garden tomatoes is to cook them down in the oven into a rich, thick 'sauce' the consistency of tomato paste. (Sometimes I"ll also add sliced raw onion to this and cook it all down together.) You can peel them as CathyA said, and I'll also usually squeeze out the seeds and 'easy' liquids. I think that improves the flavor of what's left, and takes less time. I'll then freeze this and use it in all manner of things.
You can also just pop whole tomatoes in bags, skins, seeds and all. Then toss how many every you want in soups and stews and stocks. I dont find the peels that bothersome, and they can be pulled out 'later'.
I have dried tomatoes, but never seemed to use them as often. That's just habit however. (I dried them in the sun, and it took several days)
This year I've planted some San Marzano paste tomatoes for the first time. I'm looking forward to hopefully having lots of those.
Are you seeding after peeling?
Bastelmutti
2-15-11, 4:33pm
When? Before freezing or before making your sauce? I think either would be fine.
I'm not sure, but thinking it through, cooking the fresh tomatoes in a big batch with the onion would make the sauce less watery. The main reason I'm interested in this is because we're trying to avoid BPA by avoiding canned tomatoes and beans. I have cooking dried beans down, but non-canned tomatoes are about $2.99, so it would be nice to make sauce over the summer and freeze in Ball jars for the winter. Now to start looking for a cheap source of large amounts of tomatoes for the summer!
Seeding before canning or freezing will cut down the wateriness(is this a word?) somewhat.
Are you seeding after peeling?
To be honest, I don't bother peeling them that often any more. If I were to peel my tomatoes, I would seed after peeling. Peeling is just another messy step IMO. And I don't mind the peels in dishes for home-cooking - just eat them for extra fiber or fish them out.... If I were to cook for a party of strangers, I probably would peel first. For my own preserved tomatoes, usually roasted down in the oven before freezing, I'll just slice them in half, squeeze the juice and seeds out, then either cut them further in quarters, or just toss the halves into the roasting pan, and let them slowly cook down. It can make the kitchen warm in summer....
I find that the removing of the seeds/extra liquid also removes some of the acid content. This is my opinion, not necessarily something I've read. Anyway, if you seed the tomatoes and can them, I'd add some vinegar or other acid. If you are going to freeze them, you don't have to.
Now to start looking for a cheap source of large amounts of tomatoes for the summer!
I don't recall where you are, but can you grow any yourself? Or do you know any avid gardeners who can grow some for you for a small fee? I grow things that people request (including tomatoes) and then charge them a nominal fee for the water and other costs. Last year I was charging $1/pound for home-grown tomatoes. I always tend to grow too much anyway, and here in my part of SoCal, tomatoes are easy.
Hmmmm......I never thought about leaving the skins on. I always thought they got bitter. They don't? They aren't a problem in something like soups, chili?
Its funny how we thought we had to do certain things...........like heating the tomatoes up to boiling, then letting them cool down before freezing them. This past summer I found out I could just cut them up and mash them a little (for some juice) and freeze. I was always told that the heating up is important to stop any bacterial growth. But it doesn't seem to matter.....which is great not having to wait hours for them to cool down.
Bastelmutti
2-15-11, 7:46pm
Gina, I'm not a gardener & don't have a real yard anyway. I was thinking along the lines of picking up a bushel when we're in a rural area this summer. Thanks for all the tips & sorry to hijack the thread in the direction of freezing!
Hmmmm......I never thought about leaving the skins on. I always thought they got bitter. They don't? They aren't a problem in something like soups, chili?
I'm sensitive to 'bitter' and have never noticed that with the skins left-in. As to being a problem, they are there. You can see them. If they bother you, you can fish the larger ones out. Easier than going through the skinning process IMO. :) Leaving them in dishes is not as pretty, but skinning takes time and I'd rather not bother anymore.
Its funny how we thought we had to do certain things...........like heating the tomatoes up to boiling, then letting them cool down before freezing them. This past summer I found out I could just cut them up and mash them a little (for some juice) and freeze. I was always told that the heating up is important to stop any bacterial growth. But it doesn't seem to matter.....which is great not having to wait hours for them to cool down.
Some things do freeze better when blanched/heated. It was my understanding that blanching destroys natural enzymes in veggies, and that helped keep their texture and taste as best as can be. But over time, perhaps as freezers themselves have advanced, or just the state of preserving knowledge, a few veggies have been found to not require blanching. Tomatoes are one, others I've read about are peppers and onions.
I think the heating to prevent bacterial growth is in canning things more than freezing since bacteria generally don't reproduce in a frozen environment. And of course botulism (a bacterium) in non-acid canned goods is the result of not being heated enough - hence needing processing in a more intense pressure canner.
Thanks for all the tips & sorry to hijack the thread in the direction of freezing!
It's all food preservation and canning and freezing over-lap. :) Good luck finding the tomatoes. I would htink they would be one of the easiest of veggies to find in larger amounts. Maybe even put an ad in Craig's list. Ya never know.
I wanted to mention something about the types of freezers and how the foods hold up in them. If you have a self defrosting freezer, things that you've frozen are going to end up being mushier than if you have the type that you have to defrost yourself. I got one of those on purpose (manual defrost) for that very reason (besides they use less energy). When the frozen items go through variations in temperature, they tend to develop more ice crystals in them, which can lower their quality.
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