Canning Basics and Helpful Hints

Helpful Hints:

·  When canning peaches or pears, seal one batch, then open a jar to see if they are too mushy.  If so, cut down processing time by about 5 minutes.

·  I have found that canning peaches in halves in wide mouth jars is best to prevent them getting too mushy.  If you only narrow mouth, quartering them works, just not as well.

·  Pears mush very easily.  Be careful about not over-processing them! 

·  Be sure each rim is wiped clean before putting on a lid.  If it isn’t the lid cannot seal, and all your work is for nothing.

·  Freeze a few quarts of pureed strawberries in the spring, then add them to applesauce in the fall to make yummy strawberry-applesauce!

·  If you plan on canning annually, keep a journal.  In mine I write down:

Ø  How much I bought (in pounds, bushels, or whatever)

Ø  When I bought it (I always forget what comes in season when, so I have to write it down!)

Ø  The price paid per pound

Ø  How much it yielded (in quarts or pints, etc.)

Ø  When our family used the last jar (This helps me to know whether I need to buy more or less the next year.)

Canning Basics and Where to Find Them:

1.        Jar lifter            (Available at Mountain Home Basics at www.dehydrators.com)

2.        Funnel             (Items 1-3 come as part of a kit at Mountain Home Basics for $10.95.  I have found funnels at Ace Hardware, but no jar lifters.)

3.        Tongs              (Any regular tongs will work)

4.        Steamer  ($29.95 at Mountain Home Basics)

5.        Pressure Cooker (Available at Wal-Mart sporadically through the year. They should be about $40-$50; Mountain Home Basics also sells them, but they are very pricey)

6.        Victorio Strainer ($45 at Mountain Home Basics, $43.95 at www.KitchenEmporium.com)

7.        Jars (cheapest if found at yard sales, but also available at grocery stores and Wal-Mart)

8.        Lids and rings (Can be found at grocery stores and Wal-Mart)

9.        16-20 qt. stock pot ($24.97 at Wal-Mart)

10.     Ball Canning Book (Available at Wal-Mart sporadically; at most book stores)