Canning and Preserving For Dummies Read online

  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 F
ood 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