New into canning

[kamp]

I am new into canning and is thinking to can a tomato sauce this week, I just need to buy jars Can all types of food be canned?
What types of jar is good to use?

[ChefToddMohr]

You'll want to buy the jars with the two-part lid made by Ball. The idea behind the two-part lid is that in a water canner, the air in your jars evaporates and creates a vacuum when the jars are cooled.

The correct canning procedure is to make your tomato sauce, and keep it very hot. Wash all the jars to assure cleanliness. Choose a large stock pot big enough to hold your jars. Place a round cake rack in the bottom of the pot so the jars don't get direct heat from the bottom of the pan. Sanitize the jars in the boiling water until you are ready to fill them. Place the flat part of the lid (not the threaded band) in hot water to soften the rubber ring. Then, fill your jars, leaving an inch of head-space at the top for air to escape. Stir the sauce in the jar with a chopstick or non-metalic item to get as much air out as possible. Wipe the rim, inspecting for any chips or cracks in the jar, then place the two-part lid on tip, and hand-tighten.

Simmer the jars in your boiling water canner for about 20 minutes. When you remove them to a rack to cool, you should hear the jar lids "pop" as the vacuum is created. Any jars that have "play" in the lid after cooling should be refrigerated.

Tomato sauce is an excellent product to home-can because of the high acid content. Highly acidic foods inhibit bacterial growth.

I make an award-winning barbeque sauce, and can it. It's a great way to preserve your creation.

Chef Todd Mohr

FREE video reveals my
#1 Chef Secret for Creating Amazing Meals at Home
Chef Todd Mohr Web Cooking Classes - Cook Like a Chef at Home

[ChefToddMohr]

All types of foods can be canned, but items that are not high in acid need to be canned in a pressure canner. Protein products like chicken soup aren't high enough in acid to be safe.

Chef Todd.

[kamp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChefToddMohr All types of foods can be canned, but items that are not high in acid need to be canned in a pressure canner. Protein products like chicken soup aren't high enough in acid to be safe. Chef Todd.

But if I add some thing that is acid will it be okey then?

Can I can butternut squash?

[mcnerd]

Butternut squash can be canned in a pressure canner ONLY if it is in "cubes". Purees or butters are not safe to process.

You need to purchase a current copy of the Ball Blue Book which has all the information needed for proper and safe canning. It also has a lot of good tested and proven recipes.

Modern canning is the process of pasteurizing (killing bacteria) foods so they can be safely stored at room temperature without spoiling. The biggest concern is Botulism which loves to grow in a sealed jar. Boiling water can't kill it and just adding something acidic won't do anything either since it can exist in a microscopic amount of space which is more than sufficient to kill multiple people. A teaspoon of it would kill over 100,000. It's a subject that demands respect.

And not all types of food can be canned. You cannot 'can' any dairy products or any flour, rice, or pasta products.

[Chef Munky]

Quick question here Mcnerd?

Kamp is from Norway,wouldn't she need to have a different guideline to follow then us in the U.S..?

From the National Center for Home Food Preservation
National Center for Home Food Preservation | Other Government Publications

United Nations?

United Nations
Food and Agricultural Organization (UN-FAO)
These publications provide an educational review of topics for an international audience and should not be used for recommendations or guidelines for home food preservation in the United States.

Munky.

[velochic]

Dairy cannot be canned. There is no USDA procedure to can garlic of any sort. There is actually a LOT of information to learn about canning before diving in. It's not something to take lightly and there are many details that need to be looked at and evaluated before you start. You are potentially poisoning your family if you don't follow directions. That's why it's serious business. Please don't just listen to people on the internet (because they don't always give appropriate advice). Get with your local homemaker's extension office and talk to the people there. Buy a few books on canning and read (Ball's Blue Book is a classic, and so is Putting Food By). For example, the pp mentioned hand-tightening the rings... no, you tighten them with 3 fingers to make sure they're not too tight, not too loose. Headspace depends on what you are canning. This is why instead of getting quick answers here, it's important to learn how to can specific items.

It's also important to know that tomatoes today are not as high in acid as the non-hybrids of our parents' generation. It is difficult to determine how much acid is needed to obtain that magical Ph of 4.6. You can never be too safe with canning. Please get a book or advice from your extension office. Good luck!

[mcnerd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chef Munky Quick question here Mcnerd? Kamp is from Norway,wouldn't she need to have a different guideline to follow then us in the U.S..?

Food poisoning would be the same in any part of the world. Only the cooking equipment, technology and the level of learning is different to a degree, but fortunately the Internet is eliminating those barriers.

[Alix]

No matter where you are in the world there are certain things that are irrefutable. Botulism is one. You must use only tried and true recipes to can or you will end up with something very hazardous. The Ball canning guide is a good one, and I am also fond of ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen Home Page it has a wealth of information and recipes.

[kamp]

Okey. This seemed a bit harder then was I was thinking.. I found a recipe on taco sauce on Norwegian and it said "you can seal this jars". So I thought that it was a good idea.

With my diet it would also be very good for me to bring with me. But I only can tolerate boiled butternut squash, spinach and boiled carrot with meat/fish. So maybe it don't work :(