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| Photo Credit: Megan Bame |
| Want to save it? Then can it! With a little work, you can preserve all kinds of fruits and vegetables from your garden to enjoy year-round. |
If your back yard is as full as the grocery store’s produce aisle, consider canning the bounty. Modern canning equipment makes the task safer and easier than our grandmothers had it, and it’s a great way to preserve your hard work in the garden to enjoy the rest of the year.
The most important aspect of canning is food quality. Bacteria, yeasts and molds are naturally found on the surface of fresh produce. Growth of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum can cause botulism, a deadly form of food poisoning. While spores of botulinum are on most fresh food surfaces, they only grow in the absence of air – as in canned foods. To prevent this, you must follow the specific processing times determined for various crops to destroy the largest number of heat-resistant microorganisms. When it comes to canning, foods are classified as acid foods (with a pH of 4.6 or lower) or low-acid foods (with a pH higher than 4.6). Acid foods naturally contain enough acid to inhibit bacterial growth or destroy bacterial spores more rapidly when heated. These foods include fruits (with the possible exception of figs) – including most tomatoes. Some vegetables are acidified by adding vinegar, lemon juice or citric acid to make them “acid foods” (think pickles). Acid foods can be safely processed in a boiling-water canner in as few as 5 minutes or as many as 85 minutes – it depends on the food-specific guidelines. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Megan Bame | | The canner gauge measures the pounds of pressure per square inch and lists the corresponding temperature. |
On the other end of the spectrum are low-acid foods, which include all fresh vegetables (except most tomatoes), red meats, seafood, poultry and milk. Low-acid foods don’t contain enough acid to prevent bacterial growth, so the spores need to be destroyed during processing. Botulinum spores are difficult to destroy at boiling-water temperatures, so low-acid foods must be processed in a pressure canner to raise the temperature higher – to 240-250 degrees F. To destroy the botulinum bacteria, the pressure must be maintained for 20-100 minutes. (Again, it depends on the kind of food being canned, the way the food was packed into the jars and the size of the jars.)
Of course, good canning starts with the right plants in your garden. Some varieties are better suited for this kind of preservation than others, so plan accordingly. Take advantage of peak quality by processing vegetables within 6-12 hours of harvest, but allow tree fruits one day between harvest and canning for best quality. Throw out any diseased or moldy produce, trim away small spots or insect damage on the remainder, and always wash your produce before packing.
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| Warnings |
- Do not attempt to heat-process foods using these methods: open-kettle canning, conventional oven, microwave oven, dishwashers or steam canners. Also, it’s not wise to use antique jars with wire bails and glass lids or one-piece zinc caps. The flat rubber rings used with these lids often fail to seal properly. Glass-lidded jars like these should only be used for dry goods storage or as display pieces.
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| Facts |
- Not counting your time, canning homegrown food costs half as much as purchasing commercially canned products – and it’s good for the environment. Jars and rings are reusable year after year – the lid is the only waste generated.
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| Tips |
- If you live at altitudes above 1,000 feet, you’ll need to take care to use the appropriate processing time or canner pressure for your altitude. Since water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes, a longer time or higher pressure will compensate for the difference.
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| Faqs |
- Q: Isn’t canning dangerous?
A: Despite stories of canner explosions, the process is actually quite safe. The past problems were the result of faulty manufacturing in the 1940s and 50s. Modern canning equipment meets higher production standards and offers numerous safety features to avert any danger. Beyond using safe equipment, it’s important to understand the principles and research-based protocol behind canning.
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| Resources |
- While there are many aspects of food preservation that are handed down from generation to generation, there are national, research-based standards that have been developed to ensure food safety in the home kitchen. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has an abundance of resources available, from proper methods to new recipes.
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