Basic Food Preservation – Canning Fruits
Summer fruits are truly enjoyable in their abundance. Unfortunately, they are not always available year-round so the only way to get them would be to turn to preserved bards. The good thing is that you can always do the preservation by yourself, it’s easy enough to do at home. Canned fruits
Here are simple ways to canning your own fruits:
1) Prepare your canning supplies such as jars and lids. Wash them first in soap and hot water and rinse thoroughly. After that, put them in water high enough to cover and allow it to simmer at 180 degrees for at least ten minutes. This not only sterilizes the jars but gradually exposes them to increasing heat so they don’t break with the sudden temperature change when hot preserves are stored in them. A temperature of more than 180 degrees could damage them so be careful. After simmering, keep them in the hot water until they are ready to be used.
2) Next it’s time to fill the jars. Make sure that when you fill them, there is little or no air bubbles at the sides. You can do this by putting in the preserves slowly so as not to create air bubbles or, if you prefer, using a spatula to scrape the sides and remove the air bubbles. When filling, leave at least 1/2 inch of space between the top of the preserves and the rim of the jar and wipe away any that may have dribbled on to the rim and sides of the jar. Seal them well with the hot lids.
3) Fill a water bath canner with just enough water so that when the jars are placed in it, they are covered with at least 1 or 2 inches of water. If you are not sure how much water to put in at first, have some extra boiling water on hand. Simmer the water in the canner and then put the jars in one by one. After putting in the jars, check the level of the water. If it does not manage to cover the jars by an inch or so, add the extra boiling water. Make sure you don’t pour it directly on top of the jars but in between them. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the canner and let it boil for the required amount of processing time. After that’s done, leave the jars in the hot water for a few more minutes.
4) Take out the jars and place them several inches apart on a rack to cool for at least 24 hours before storing them.
5) Lastly, check the lids of the jars if they have sealed properly. Try pressing the center of the lid downward. It should not move or pop up when you do this. If it does, it means they did not seal properly and air can still get in. To properly store these, you need to do the canning process again or, if it takes too long, simply put them in the refrigerator or freezer. Refrigerating them can keep them for up to a month while freezing can preserve your bard for up to a year.
© 2009, About This or That. All rights reserved.
Comments
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!