Cool weather seems to have delayed it a bit, but it’s finally time to get ready for the canning, dehydrating, freezing and fermenting marathon.
And, by the way, in case you forgot, county fair entries are due Wednesday (Monday for 4Hers). This will be a great year to enter any of your special baked goods, canned goods, home craft beer and wines, and, of course, fruits, flowers and herbs.
Now that your garden has started to produce, or if you have access to other local foods, you have many options if you want to preserve them.
Whether you are doing water bath preservation (jams, salsa, fruits and tomatoes) or pressure canning (vegetables and meats), there are no shortcuts. And, there is always new research on canning equipment and new techniques to change things up.
So, here are a few tips to help you preserve and can safely.
Canning lids: Some canning lids are advertised as reusable. They are hard plastic and require you to use a metal ring. The canning process requires the expulsion of as much air as possible from the container before a vacuum is created. The plastic resealable lids require a few different techniques to successfully do this, including tightening the lid by hand and then loosening it by about one-quarter turn. There is no way to know when a lid can no longer create a good seal or when a solid seal has been achieved. The rubber rings are reusable, but there are no guidelines on how long they will last. Bottom line, take care with reusable lids and be sure to follow instructions very carefully.
Steam canners for high acid foods: These are coming back, but there are some things to be aware of about bringing your water to a boil. It is important that there be enough boiled water in the bottom to last for the entire process, otherwise inconsistent temperatures can create problems.
Electric water bath canners are the new thing on the block, but there are still a lot of questions about their effectiveness.
Flexible pouches also are being touted for canning. They work fine for freezing if they are heavy enough, but they won’t work for canning. The seal will be impacted by placement and cold spots in the canner. At this point, it is best to leave the flexible pouches to commercial canners, who have different equipment.
Other than how much time is required for preserving, two of the most common questions I get is: “Why do I have less liquid in my jars, and is it safe to eat?”
The most common causes for low liquid levels are that containers were overfilled, were packed too tightly, air bubbles weren’t removed, the jars weren’t covered with the requisite 1 to 2 inches of boiling water in the canner or the jars were removed too quickly after the lid was opened. The jars need to sit for about five to 10 minutes before you take them out.
The low liquid level can cause foods to darken, but it won’t make the food unsafe to eat.
Another common question is whether you can cut back on the amount of sugar in your preserved jams and jellies.
The answer is no, unless you are using a low-sugar pectin. Gelling is a complicated process that depends on achieving the proper balance of sugar, fruit, acid (lemon juice) and pectin.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation has an excellent website on tanning at (www.homefoodpreservation.com). It has a wonderful self-study option.
The website also provides a variety of tested recipes and videos. One of my personal favorites is, of course, “Causes and possible solutions for problems.”
wendy.rice@colostate.edu or 382-6461. Wendy Rice is the family and consumer science agent for the La Plata County Extension Office.
Food classes planned
The La Plata County Extension Office will be offering two classes on food preservation techniques.
The classes will be at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 20 and 1:30 p.m. Aug. 25. Both classes will be held at the La Plata County Extension Office, 2500 Main Ave.
The classes cost $10 per person, and participants need to preregister by Aug. 18 at the Durango office.
For information, call Wendy Rice at 382 6461.
