Help With Canning Basics?

[OaklandCityFarmer]

We grow our own fruits and vegetables in a small lot in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are wanting to start canning some of our produce. The only issue is that our knowledge of the matter is very limited.

Does anyone know any good resources for a newbie to this?

Thanks

 

[patandchickens]

Take a look at your local library - there are any number of good books on the subject. The best (most comprehensive) I can recommend offhand is the big one put out by the Ball canning jar people, I forget the title but it's something to the effect of "canning and preserving, by the Ball canning jar people" I have a pretty good book put out by the province of Ontario, but it may not be readily available. There are lots and lots of good ones though.

If food safety issues concern you, be cautious about older books (meaning, pre-1990 or so) as there are a number of things that are no longer Officially Recommended due to elevated risk of botulism. Such as steam or oven canning.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[ams3651]

this one looks very informative, from Ball
http://www.freshpreserving.com/

i started looking for myself and I found this.....excellent info
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html

 

[KB3GZW]

If you are familiar with the show Good Eats on the Food Network. There is a show on canning that is very good. Also believe it or not youtube has some good stuff on it. My parents were canning long before I got interested and they also taught me a lot. Ask some of the older folk.

 

[newchickwi]

The best basic how-to is The Ball Blue book. It has all the instructions (with pictures!) and many recipes. You can usually find this in the canning section of most hardware and big box (WM-type) stores. Thrift stores are a good place to find jars-check for cracks and chips; otherwise you can buy new, but they are expensive. Good luck! It's such a treat to see all the stuff you put up sitting on the shelves and then eating your own berry jam in the middle of winter.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Thank you all so much for all the replies! I will be ordering the Ball Blue Book and check out youtube. Hopefully our local branch library has some stuff, lately the inner city libraries have been really crappy.

A quick question, in general, can you can all foods in a pressure cooker or do you need to use the hot water bath and the pressure cooker method individually for different types of foods?

 

[KB3GZW]

The pressure canner is generally used for meats and low acid foods. One of the latest Mother Earth News (I believe this is the one) publications has a bunch of recipes for canning complete dinners that can be eaten when you have little time.

 

[ams3651]

this one looks very informative, from Ball
http://www.freshpreserving.com/

i started looking for myself and I found this.....excellent info
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html

the second link here tells all about which method to use for what foods, although my grandmother says you can do some that call for a pressure canner without it just takes a long time.

 

[islandmanmitch]

When I started canning I used the Ball book. Good basic start that explains everything. When the internet became available I started using it to find more exotic canning ideas. When I was looking for a pressure canner I saw the prices of the good ones and choked. The first mistake I made was buying a hot bath canner. I found I was limited in what I could can with it. The second mistake I made was buying a cheap pressure cooker. Cheap explains the problem. I bit the bullet and bought an All American canner and have been very pleased. It does everything I need in one package and should last me a lifetime. Mitch

 

[ams3651]

thats my issue with some of the things I would like to can, I simply CAN NOT afford the pressure canner. I may just have to freeze those things.