Home

Preparing For Canning

First determine the type and quantity of food that you want to can, then select the recipes that you will use. You will next shop for the ingredients that you will need and assemble the jars, closures and canning equipment. Prepare the recipe and proceed with filling your jars.

• Filling the Jars - Food may be placed into hot jars after it is cooked or while it is still raw. The hot pack method is usually preferred for vegetables, meats, poultry, seafood and most fruits. The raw pack method means placing the food in jars without any precooking and sometimes it the best method.
• Hot Pack - The hot pack method is generally preferred when the food being canned is firm and handles well. Precooking the food makes it more pliable and premits a tighter pack and requires fewer jars. Generally the food is first cooked in water, syrup or juice. Fruit cannd without sweetening is always hot packed.

In the boiling water method, food that is hot packed requires less processing time thana raw packed because it is already hot when it gones into the canner. However, with the steeam-pressure canner, there is no difference in processing time. By the time the pressures reaches 10 pounds and you begin counting the processing time, t he raw packed food has become hot as it would have been if it were packed hot to begin with.

• Raw Packed - Foods that wuld be delicate after they are cooked, such as whole peaches, are ususally easier to handle if they are raw packed. The food is placed into the jars while is raw. It should be packed firmly but not crushed. After packing, boiling syrup, juice or water is added to doos requiring additional liquid. There may be some shrinkage when the food is processed, causing some foods to float to the top of the jar.

Measuring Headspace - Headspace is the space in the jar between the inside of the lid and the top of the food or its liquid.

• Too Little Headspace - Some food especially the starchy ones swell more th an others and require additional headspace. Iff too little headspace is allowed, as the food boils inside the har it may be forced under the lid, leaving a reside on the sealing surface and possibley preventing the lid from sealing.
• Too Much Headspace - If you have too much headspace the jar may not seal properly because the processing time may not be long enough to properly drive all the air out of the jar. The food at the top of the jar may discolor. As a general rule, leave a 1 inch headspace for all low-acid foods, vegetables, and meats; 1/2-inch headspace for acid food, fruits, and tomatoes; 1/4-inch headspace for juices, jams, jellies, pickles and relishes.

Removing Air Bubbles - After your food has been packed into your jars, any air bubbles that are present must be removed. This is done by running a nonmetallic spatula around the jar between the food and the side of the jar. Do not use metal utensils. Even though bubbles may not be visible they may be trapped between pieces of food and they have to be removed.

Cleaning Jar Rim - The rim of the jar must be wiped with a clean, damp cloth. Particles of food remaining on the rim of a jar could prevent a vaccum seal.

Adjusting Two-Piece Caps - After each jar is filled and the jar rim is cleaned, place a lid on the jar rim with the sealing compund next to the glass. Center the lid so that only the sealing compound is touoching the glass. Place a band over the lid and screw it onto the jar until a point of resistance is met. Do not force. Using a jar lifter place the jar in the canner.