Canning and Preserving For Dummies

BOOK: Canning and Preserving For Dummies
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Canning & Preserving For Dummies
®
, 2nd Edition

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Getting Started

Part II: Water-bath Canning

Part III: Pressure Canning

Part IV: Freezing

Part V: Drying and Storing

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Appendix

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Getting Started

Chapter 1: A Quick Overview of Canning and Preserving

Knowing the Benefits of Canning and Preserving Your Own Food

Meeting Your Techniques: Canning, Freezing, and Drying

About canning food

About freezing food

About drying food

Key Tricks to Successful Canning and Preserving

Chapter 2: Gathering Your Canning and Preserving Gear

Assorted Basic Tools

Key basic tools and utensils

Pots, pans, mixing bowls, and more

Specialty equipment to make work easier

Canning Equipment

Canning vessels

Canning tools

Tools and Equipment for Freezing Food

Tools and Equipment for Drying Food

Chapter 3: On Your Mark, Get Set, Whoa! The Road to Safe Canning and Preserving

Dispelling Your Fears of Home-Canned and -Preserved Food

Preparing your food properly

Packing your jars with care

Choosing the right canning method and following proper procedures

Checking your equipment

Knowing the Acidity Level of Your Food

Avoiding Spoilage

Meeting the spoilers

Adjusting your altitude

Detecting Spoiled Foods

Part II: Water-bath Canning

Chapter 4: Come On In, the Water’s Fine! Water-bath Canning

Water-bath Canning in a Nutshell

Foods you can safely water-bath can

Key equipment for water-bath canning

The Road to Your Finished Product

Step 1: Getting your equipment ready

Step 2: Readying your food

Step 3: Filling your jars

Step 4: Processing your filled jars

Step 5: Removing your filled jars and testing the seals

Step 6: Storing your canned food

Adjusting Your Processing Times at High Altitudes

Chapter 5: Simply Fruit

Picking and Preparing Your Fresh Fruit

Identifying the proper degree of ripeness

Cutting and peeling: Necessary or not?

Deterring discoloration

Raw pack and hot pack

Lining your jars with liquid

Fresh Fruit Canning Guidelines

Apples

Apricots, nectarines, and peaches

Berries (except strawberries)

Pears

Rhubarb

Tackling Tomatoes

Chapter 6: Sweet Spreads: Jams, Jellies, Marmalades, and More

Understanding Your Sweet Spreads

Choosing Fruit for Sweet Spreads

Getting Up to Speed with Fruit Pectin

Commercial pectin basics

Types of commercial fruit pectin

Setting Up without Adding Pectin

The Road to Sweet Canning Success

Jamming and canning

Jiggling with jelly

Mastering marmalade, butters, and more

Chapter 7: Condiments and Accompaniments: Chutneys, Relishes, and Sauces

Complementing Your Chutney

Reveling in Your Relish

Satisfying Your Sassy Salsas and Sauces

Chapter 8: Pickle Me Timbers!

The Art of Pickling

The ingredients

Brining education

Adding crunch to your food

Pickling Equipment and Utensils

Pickled Toppers

Pickled Cucumbers Are Just Pickles

Pickled Vegetables

Part III: Pressure Canning

Chapter 9: Don’t Blow Your Top: Pressure Canning

Understanding the Fuss about Low-Acid Foods

Choosing Your Pressure Canner

Cover: With a gasket or without

Gauges

Vent tube, pipe vent, or petcock

Overpressure plug

Rack

A-Canning You Will Go: Instructions for Successful Pressure Canning

Step 1: Gearing up

Step 2: Preparing your food

Step 3: Filling your jars

Step 4: Placing the jars in the canner

Step 5: Closing and locking the canner

Step 6: Processing your filled jars

Step 7: Releasing the pressure after processing

Step 8: Removing and cooling the jars

Step 9: Testing the seal and storing your bounty

Disposing of Spoiled Products

If your jar is still sealed

If your jar has a broken seal

Pressure Canning at Higher Altitudes

Chapter 10: Preserving the Harvest: Just Vegetables

Selecting Your Vegetables

Picking the perfect produce

Vegetables not recommended for pressure canning

Prepping Your Veggies

Cleaning your vegetables

Raw packing versus hot packing

Processing Tips for Successful Results

Pressure Canning Vegetables

Asparagus

Beans

Beets

Bell peppers (green, red, orange, yellow)

Carrots

Corn

Greens

Onions

Peas

Potatoes

Sauerkraut

Summer squash

Winter squash and pumpkins

Using Canned Vegetables

Chapter 11: Don’t Forget the Meats!

The Lowdown on Canning Meats

Tips for safety and efficiency

Selecting and preparing the meat

Meat canning, step by step

Canning Beef and Pork: Cubed Meat

Preparing the meat

Filling the jars

Canning Ground Meat

Poultry

Canning fresh chicken: Cold packing

Canning prefrozen chicken: Hot packing

Fish and Seafood

Picking your fish

Preparing fish and seafood

Filling the jar

Including Meats in Other Canned Mixes

Chapter 12: Combining the Harvest: Soups, Sauces, and Beans

The Lowdown on Canning Combined Foods

Choosing a processing method

Tips for a successful meal

Getting your meal on the table

Stocking Up on Soup

Teaming Up with Tomatoes

Rounding Out Your Meals with Beans

Part IV: Freezing

Chapter 13: Baby, It’s Cold Inside! Freezing Food

Defining Freezing

Meeting the Spoilers of Frozen Foods

Bacteria, molds, and yeast

Enzymes

Freezer burn and oxidation

Ice crystals

Gearing Up to Fill Your Freezer

Knowing what should (and shouldn’t be) frozen

Evaluating your freezer

Packaging Your Food and Filling Your Freezer

It’s a wrap! Choosing a container

Tracking your frozen food trail

Packing your freezer

Thawing Out Your Frozen Food

Choices for thawing

Unplanned thawing

To refreeze or not to refreeze thawed food

Chapter 14: Meals and Snacks in a Snap: Freezing Prepared Foods

The Whys and Wherefores of Freezing Food

A guide to planning your meals

The key to delicious frozen prepackaged food

Freezing Convenience Meals

Main dishes

Soups, stews, and sauces

Freezing Bread, Snacks, and Other Treats

Bread, buns, muffins, and rolls

Cakes

Cookies

Pies

Freezing Dairy Products and Nuts

Freezing Meat, Poultry, and Fish

Packing hints

Thawing tips

Chapter 15: Freezing Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs

Mastering Freezing Fruit

Selecting your fruit

Preparing your fruit

Selecting a storage container

Syrup concentrations at a glance

Headspace guidelines

Thawing and using frozen fruits

Freezing Vegetables Like a Pro

Blanching perfect vegetables

Packing your vegetables

Step-by-step instructions for freezing vegetables

Thawing and using your vegetables

Freezing Fresh Herbs

Part V: Drying and Storing

Chapter 16: Dry, Light, and Nutritious: Drying Food

Opening the Door to Successful Food Drying

Key factors in drying food

Necessary equipment

Other tips for successful drying

Choosing a Drying Method

An electric dehydrator

A conventional oven

The sun

Protecting the Life of Your Dried Food

Chapter 17: Snacking on the Run: Drying Fruit

Putting Your Fruit in Order

Sizing up your preparation options

Pretreating your fruit

Detailing Your Fruit-Drying Expertise

Evaluating dryness

Drying fruit step by step

Drying a Variety of Fresh Fruits

Enjoying the Labors of Your Drying

Chapter 18: Drying Vegetables for Snacks and Storage

Your Vegetable-Drying At-a-Glance Guide

Drying know-how

Storing and using your dried produce

Signs of trouble: Good vegetables gone bad

Drying Common Vegetables

Beans, shelled

Beets

Cabbage

Carrots

Corn

Green Beans

Greens

Onions

Peas

Peppers, sweet

Potatoes, white or sweet

Pumpkin

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Chapter 19: Drying Herbs

Drying Common and Not-So-Common Herbs

Chamomile

Dill

Marjoram

Mint

Oregano

Rosemary

Sage

Stevia

Tarragon

Thyme

Getting Creative with Herb Cooking Blends

Herbs for Teas

Chapter 20: Root Cellars and Alternative Storage Spaces

Finding the Perfect Place for Cold Storage

Tried and true: The traditional root cellar

DIY storage spaces

Following Simple Storage Rules

Preparing Foods for Cold Storage

Apples

Beets

Cabbage

Carrots

Garlic

Onions

Pears

Potatoes

Turnips

Tomatoes

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 21: Ten (Or So) Troubleshooting Tips for Your Home-Canned Creations

Jars That Don’t Seal Properly

Jars That Lose Liquid During Processing

Jars with Cloudy Liquid

Dark Spots on Your Jar’s Lid

Jelly with the Wrong Consistency

Cloudy Jelly or Jelly with Bubbles

Moldy Jelly

Jelly with Very Little Fruit Flavor

Glasslike Particles in Your Jelly

Hollow, Shriveled, Discolored, or Slippery Pickles

White Sediment at the Bottom of the Pickle Jar

Food That Floats in the Jar

Food with an Off Color

Chapter 22: Ten (Plus) Sources for Canning and Preserving Supplies and Equipment

Alltrista Consumer Products Co.

HomeandBeyond.com

Cooking.com

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Your local extension office

KitchenKrafts.com

CanningUSA.com

Excalibur Products

Mountain Rose Herbs

Pressure Cooker Outlet

Tupperware Corporation

Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide

BOOK: Canning and Preserving For Dummies
3.25Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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