Can someone help with some "canning" questions?

Summer74:

You have to wipe the top edges of the jar to remove all food residue before you put on the lid.  Use a clean damp cloth.

When you put the bands on the lids before processing the jars, only tighten them hand-tight -- don't use too much force or over-tighten them.  

Excellent and essential advice!

whiteflower_pa:

 Why isn't it called jarring? Unless, of course, actual cans are being used.

My mom always called it bottling.  I grew up eating a lot of "bottled" venison.

I've been busy teaching basic canning classes. Maybe its the economy, the interest is higher than ever, but there is a lot of outdated -- and potentially harmful -- canning info being passing around.

It's important to understand that your home dishwasher will do a good job of cleaning (sanitizing) canning jars, but even on the hottest setting, it cannot sterilize anything. Sterilization requires 212° boiling water to kill off the common bacteria and mold spores that cause spoilage.

To sterilize the jars after washing and rinsing thoroughly, fill your boiling-water canner with warm water, place the canning rack in the bottom and submerge the jars right side up. Add enough water so it is 1 inch above the tops of the jars and the bring to a boil.

Canning times depend on altitudes now for food safety, so you'll need to know yours. This is why its not a good idea to "share", or use old canning recipes. Time the boil for 10 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Boil 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000 ft elevation. After the jars are properly sterilized, reduce the heat and hold them in the simmering water until it is time to fill them.  Remove and drain the hot sterilized jars one at a time, using a jar lifter.

Your state extension office will have up to date, accurate and specific canning info for popular fruits in your area and most of it is free thru each state website. For teaching basic canning info, I recommend, "The Principles of Home Canning", its a free 40-page publication by the USDA that explains every step in the science of canning so there is no confusion.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/usda/2_USDAcanningGuide1_06.pdf

That's what I do -- clean the jars in the dishwasher ahead of time, but then sterilize them in the boiling water canner for 10 minutes before filling.  You need that pot filled with hot water anyway for canning, so get it going early for the jars. 

There's a little knack to getting the water out of the jars when you lift them out with the lifter.  Tip them over slowly & carefully, and you can drain them without losing hold of them.  Practice first with cold water until you get the hang of it.  

Linda, do you know of any current advice about canning on a smooth-top stove?  I've always wanted stoves with coil burners because of the canner.  I've heard that it's not good to use something that large on a smooth surface stove.  Do you know?  

Summer74:

do you know of any current advice about canning on a smooth-top stove?  I've always wanted stoves with coil burners because of the canner.  I've heard that it's not good to use something that large on a smooth surface stove. 

i had a smooth-top KitchenAid range at my last house. i used the water bath for several years there with no problem. my pot has a flat bottom. i was very careful when moving it so i didn't scratch the cook top.

check with the manufacturer.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation encourages home canners to consider the following issues:
• Smooth cooktop technology varies and can influence how the heat is transferred and maintained. Some manufacturers tell customers not to can on them. Others provide recommendations on the diameter of the canner compared to the diameter of the burner. Some recently designed canners have a curved bottom, so the portion of the canner touching the cooktop is the same diameter as the burner on a smooth cooktop.
• High heat over a long period of time can damage a smooth cooktop because heat is reflected back down on the burner. Damage can vary from cooktop discoloration, burner damage, cooktop cracking or fusion of metal to the glass top. Canning many batches in one day may also damage the heating element or cooktop.
• If a heavy canner is slid or pulled across the surface, the cooktop may be scratched. The scratches may lead to cracking over time.
• Many cooktops have automatic cut-offs when heat gets excessive. If the cooktop burner under a canner shuts off during processing, the product will be under processed and could cause a foodborne illness. Also, if the pressure drops suddenly, liquid and food can siphon out of the jar.
• Many water bath canners do not have flat bottoms and it can be difficult to maintain a full boil during processing. It may be possible to use a flat-bottomed stockpot with a bottom rack to hold jars if there is at least 1 inch of water over the tops of the jars.

Before making a decision to can on a smooth cooktop, contact the cooktop manufacturer. Do not rely only on the advice of an appliance salesperson. Today’s manufacturers know their cooktops and may have suggestions. When visiting with the manufacturer, explain what you will be doing, describe the canner size, what the canner is made from and how long the canner will be on the burner.

lindapearl:

I've been busy teaching basic canning classes. Maybe its the economy, the interest is higher than ever, but there is a lot of outdated -- and potentially harmful -- canning info being passing around.

 

It's important to understand that your home dishwasher will do a good job of cleaning (sanitizing) canning jars, but even on the hottest setting, it cannot sterilize anything. Sterilization requires 212° boiling water to kill off the common bacteria and mold spores that cause spoilage.

 

To sterilize the jars after washing and rinsing thoroughly, fill your boiling-water canner with warm water, place the canning rack in the bottom and submerge the jars right side up. Add enough water so it is 1 inch above the tops of the jars and the bring to a boil.

 

Canning times depend on altitudes now for food safety, so you'll to know yours. This is why its not a good idea to "share", or use old canning recipes. Time the boil for 10 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Boil 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000 ft elevation. After the jars are properly sterilized, reduce the heat and hold them in the simmering water until it is time to fill them.  Remove and drain the hot sterilized jars one at a time, using a jar lifter.

 

Your state extension office will have up to date, accurate and specific canning info for popular fruits in your area and most of it is free thru each state website. For teaching basic canning info, I recommend, "The Principles of Home Canning", its a free 40-page publication by the USDA that explains every step in the science of canning so there is no confusion.

 

 

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/usda/2_USDAcanningGuide1_06.pdf

 

 

 

Hi Linda - This made me think of a couple of questions:

1)  When you are sterilizing the jars in the canner once the water comes to a boil do you need to boil them for a particular length of time to get a proper sterilization?

2)  I have more jars to sterilize than my pot will hold so do I do them in batches of however many my rack will hold and them remove them to the counter, fill them, let them sit until all jars are sterilized and filled or do I sterilize them all and let them sit on the counter until all are sterilized then fill and start the water bath process?  Is it safe to let them sit on the counter filled while I'm processing the others for the 10 minute time period.

I have ordered the Ball book on canning but it won't be in for a few days and I want to do some cherry jam this weekend.

 Thank you for any help you can give me!

EDITED TO ADD:

OH NO - I bought the 8 ounce "quilted" jelly jars and I just put one (empty) on the rack and it fell through the wires in other words it doesn't sit on the rack - it's too small.  What do I do now?

Summer74:

Linda, do you know of any current advice about canning on a smooth-top stove? 

Some types of stoves use a sensor to regulate the heat constantly on/off as a safety precaution so the surface can't go above a certain set point that might break the top. Consequently, the burner doesn't maintain an even temperature and this is a safety problem, especially for pressure canners, because the fluctuating temperature don't provide the sustained heat necessary to kill the bacteria during the canning process.

To what was already mentioned, that the current USDA guidelines defer to the manufacturers of the flat top stoves to provide the go-ahead for canning on their specific appliances because they are all different. Find out from them -- in writing; don't trust what someone tells you -- exactly what is covered before you start canning.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/nchfp/factsheets/smoothtops.html

As an aside, even if a glass top stove is rated as suitable for canning, reports of the surface cracking under the weight of a fully loaded canner are quite common. I don't think the stove manufacturers realize that a large canning kettle can easily weigh 45-lbs when its full. Even an empty pressure canner weighs about twice as much. Keep in mind that the service dealer can just call such damage as "abuse" and invalidate your warranty.

I forgot to add that whatever canner you're using, it too, must also be rated for use on glass top stoves.  Check the websites for the manufactureres of pressure canners to see if your size and model canner is specifically OKd for use it on a glass top range.

As long as we're discussing canning, can you tell me about sterilizing jars?  As a kid, my Grandmother would just pour a teakettle of hot water over her jars, when I canned with a friend and her mom - they would boil their jars in an a couple of inches of water in a roaster.  I've read some where that you can sterilize in the oven.  My question is - what's the best way?

Scoobster:

When you are sterilizing the jars in the canner once the water comes to a boil do you need to boil them for a particular length of time to get a proper sterilization?

The timing, as I mentioned is based on your exact altitude. That's important for food safety because water boils at lower temperatures as the elevation increases... so water boiling in the mountains of Colorado isn't as hot as water that is boiled is Los Angeles. Follow the link I posted before and you'll find all the very comprehensive details that explain this.

Scoobster:

I have more jars to sterilize than my pot will hold so do I do them in batches of however many my rack will hold and them remove them to the counter, fill them, let them sit until all jars are sterilized and filled or do I sterilize them all and let them sit on the counter until all are sterilized then fill and start the water bath process?  Is it safe to let them sit on the counter filled while I'm processing the others for the 10 minute time period.

To remain sterile, the canning jars and the lids must remaining covered by simmering water until you fill them. If you remove them, they can easily become contaminated be the normal surface and airborne bacteria and mold spores that abound in any kitchen.  After they have been properly sterilized, you can hold the jars as long as necessary as long as the water is still simmering. If you have to turn off the heat for some reason, then you would need to re-sterilize the jars again. You may need to use two pots; the actual canning kettle for processing, and a second one, like a large stock pot, for jar sterilizing.

Check your state extension website, or any other state, for canning directions on cherries. The information is free, and its the source for the same thing that you're paying for in a commercial canning book.

Scoobster:

I bought the 8 ounce "quilted" jelly jars and I just put one (empty) on the rack and it fell through the wires in other words it doesn't sit on the rack - it's too small.  What do I do now?

The rack is there to support the jars and keep them from tipping or banging into each other. It also allow the boiling water to circulate freely all around them. Does your wire rack rest directly on the bottom of your canner, or does it have little "feet" that elevate it?

lindapearl:

 

 

Scoobster:

I bought the 8 ounce "quilted" jelly jars and I just put one (empty) on the rack and it fell through the wires in other words it doesn't sit on the rack - it's too small.  What do I do now?

 

The rack is there to support the jars and keep them from tipping or banging into each other. It also allow the boiling water to circulate freely all around them. Does your wire rack rest directly on the bottom of your canner, or does it have little "feet" that elevate it?

 

The canner is one of those black speckled granite canners that come with the wire rack.  Apparently, the rack is really made to hold quart jars and not 8 ounce jars.  The rack sits directly on the bottom of the pot, i.e., no little "feet" elevating it.

I tried to come up with some type of "make-shift" rack like a cake cooling rack but they are too big to fit in the pot.  I also thought about just putting bands on the bottom of the pot and sitting the jars on those but they are very unstable and tend to fall to one side or another.  I have a metal steamer basket that has very small holes - do you think I could just put some bands underneath that to elevate it a bit and just place 3-4 jars inside and hope they don't bang into each other?  If not I won't be able to use the jelly jars and I don't want a quart jar of jam[:'(]