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How canning works

Knowing how canning works allows us to make sure we have the best outcome in our canning process and also gives us a way to understand if everything worked the way it should have. Make sure you have all the needed items before you begin canning to ensure a great experience. Go pick out some fresh produce and get to canning.

Discover how canning works

The canning world has seen little change since Nicholas Appert first came up with the idea in the late 1800s. Basically, you seal the containers, heat up the inside and when cooled, form a vacuum seal on the jar. Now, there are quite a few different ways to can, as well as different requirements for canning certain items. Let's take a look at how canning works.

The basics

There are two main types of canning; boiling water and pressure. Different types of foods, based on their pH, use a specific type of canning. For instance, ripe plums can use a boiling water canning process, while most tomatoes absolutely must use pressure canning.

There are four main parts to canning, with numerous others for various tasks associated with canning, but for simplicity, we will focus only on the jar, lid, ring and heating device. For home canning, glass jars are the most popular choice. Canning in the industrial setting uses the steel alloy cans you see on your supermarket shelves. Glass jars can withstand heat and pressure and, if thoroughly cleaned, can be reused every year.

Lids, on the other hand, cannot be reused as they are the main sealing component and once they are sealed, the gasket begins to wear down. The ring holds the lid on during the heating process and the heating device, well, heats everything up.

Heating process

The heating process is the most crucial part of canning. Once the jars are filled and lids and rings placed tightly on, the jars are placed in the heating device. As the heating begins, the foods in the jars begin to expand and give up a little water in the form of steam, pushing air out of the jars.

Different foods require different amounts of heating and time. For instance, tomatoes will require pressure canning for about ten minutes while the ripe plums can be canned in a boiling water bath for fifteen minutes. Making sure you heat for the required time ensures that mold, yeasts, bacteria and any harmful enzymes that may be hanging around are killed.

Cooling

Once the jars are removed from the canning device, they begin to cool and the steam condenses back into water. Since there is now less air in the jar, a vacuum is created, pulling the lid down onto the can. After the product has been cooled, the ring can be removed and the vacuum seal will still hold.

It is important to allow the items to cool thoroughly before you remove the rings to ensure a proper seal. Also, once cool, it is imperative to check the lids to make sure the seal took and there are no openings in the top of the jar. If there is a leak, be sure to consult your canning manual for what to do with the canned goods.

The importance of canning recipes

If you are looking for actual canning recipes, you will not find any in these lines. This is about the importance of using canning recipes. There are so many things that cause a canned food to spoil that it is important, until you know the science behind canning each type of food, to have a recipe to help guide you through the safe storing process.

Why recipes are needed

When canning items, it is important to keep them safely stored. This could mean adding citric acid to some jars while adding simple syrup to others. The best way to know which is which, is to have a recipe for the item you want to can. Just like you might look to a recipe for how to make the best Chicken Parmesan in the world, a recipe for canning does the same thing.

Canning recipes can give you different flavors to try out and also develop over time. The best way to pick out a recipe is to try it out. Cook a small batch with the recipe and see if it would be something that you would eat as a meal. It is also important to pick out a recipe that has been tested at your altitude. If you are uncertain about what a recipe for your altitude looks like, check out your state extension service for verification.

When to use a recipe

The short answer is always. You will be able to tinker with recipes once you get comfortable with time and temperature as well as what ingredients are strictly needed, but if you are just starting, be sure to stick with a tested recipe. Also, if you are trying to can something for the first time, it is suggested that you use a recipe in order to make sure the ingredients reach the proper temperature and pressure to be safe in the can.

How to use a recipe

Using a recipe is as easy as reading a book. Just like baking is a matter of exact measurements, canning is also an exact science of food making. It is important to make sure canned foods are safe, and the only way to do that with some types of food are to follow the directions for the recipe exactly. Keeping the foods in the canner at the right temperature and time ensure the lack of bacteria and the less chance for the food spoiling.

Be sure to look at all of the ingredients needed before you start the canning process because the last thing you want to do is have to run to the store because you forgot something while you are trying to can.

Canning is a lot of fun and a great way to store your hard work for a later time. Recipes are there to make the process easier and to take some of the guesswork out of how to bottle your goodness safely and with a lot of flavor. If you are just starting out or trying something new, stick with the recipe on the first go-round because the last thing you would want is a spoiled jar of hard work.

Knowing how canning works allows us to make sure we have the best outcome in our canning process and also gives us a way to understand if everything worked the way it should have. Make sure you have all the needed items before you begin canning to ensure a great experience. Go pick out some fresh produce and get to canning.

Get your canning supplies ready

Before you start canning, you will need to make sure you have all of the proper materials so you do not have to stop in the middle of what you are doing to run to the store and get more. The stop and start method will hinder your canning and make things much less accurate.

Here is a list of materials to make sure you have before you begin your canning regiment:

Canning jars

Of course, the necessity of having canning jars is at the top of the list, but all jars are not created equal. Different recipes call for different size jars. Make sure you know which size jar you need because usually, the recipes are specific to the jar size due to the amount of spices or acid, which need to be added. Also, be sure to check if you need regular or widemouth jars.

Along with the jars, it is important to make sure you have the right lids and ring to provide the most secure seal. Today, glass top jars and zinc lids are no longer safe to use while canning. It is important to make sure the lids you have are safe and ready to use. It is also important to make sure that the flats and rings are not used multiple times. They can become warped and lose the ability to hold a seal. Make sure you purchase high quality lids and jars, which can withstand time so your food will retain the fresh taste for the shelf life.

Canning mechanism and other tools

Depending on what you are planning to can, you will need either a pressure canner or a boiling water bath. Be sure you know what type of canning device you will need to make your canning experience as safe as possible. Knowing which foods require canning at lower temperatures versus higher temperatures will give you direction on which type of canner to use.

There are some other tools that you will need to get into canning. These include a canning rack to keep the cans off of the bottom of the canner, a funnel to get the ingredients into the jar, a jar lifter to pick up the hot jar and even a jar wrench to remove the hot ring from the jar.

Some of the tools you need can be found already in your kitchen. These tools are essential, and include a vegetable brush, cutting board, peeler, sauce pan, timer, thermometer, mixing bowl, measuring spoons and just about everything else you use in the day to day cooking world. A scale is also helpful to have because some of the recipes call for weights of items instead of unit measuring. If you do not wish to drop a bunch of money on a scale, and happen to have a baby scale lying around, that will be just as useful. The big size and accurate weight are a perfect fit in canning.

Ready, steady... can

Canning is easy, but it does take some preparation to make sure you have everything you need to save you a trip in the middle of canning your food. Many of the materials you will need, you probably already have at home, but the most important ones will most likely need to be purchased before you begin. It is important to remember to pay attention to the recipes to make sure you gather the right materials. Go gather what you need and start canning today.