Canning & Preserving For Dummies

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Getting Started 5 Chapter 1: A Quick Overview of Canning and Preserving 7 Appreciating the Benefits of Canning and Preserving Your Own Food 8 Introducing Your Techniques: Canning, Freezing, and Dehydrating 9 About canning food 10 About freezing food 12 About dehydrating food 13 Holding the Keys to Canning and Preserving Success 13 Chapter 2: Gathering Your Canning and Preserving Gear 15 Keeping Basic Kitchen Tools at the Ready 15 Essential tools and utensils 16 Important pots, pans, mixing bowls, and more 20 Specialty equipment to make work easier 20 Add as needed: Handy but nonessential items 22 Canning Equipment 23 Canning vessels 23 Must-have canning tools 23 Required Tools and Equipment for Freezing Food 29 Necessary Tools and Equipment for Dehydrating Food 30 Chapter 3: On Your Mark, Get Set, Whoa! The Road to Safe Canning and Preserving 31 Dispelling Your Fears of Home-Canned and Home-Preserved Food 32 Preparing your food properly 32 Packing your jars with care 33 Choosing the right canning method and following proper procedures 35 Checking your equipment 36 Knowing the Acidity Level of Your Food 37 Adjusting for Your Altitude 37 Spoiler Alert: Identifying Food Spoilage 38 Meeting the spoilers 38 Determining what you need to dispose of 40 Part 2: Water-Bath Canning 43 Chapter 4: Come On In, the Water’s Fine! Water-Bath Canning 45 Water-Bath Canning in a Nutshell 46 Foods you can safely water-bath can 46 Key equipment for water-bath canning 47 The Road to Your Finished Product 49 Step 1: Getting your equipment ready 49 Step 2: Readying your food 51 Step 3: Filling your jars 51 Step 4: Processing your filled jars 52 Step 5: Removing your filled jars and testing the seals 53 Step 6: Storing your canned food 54 Adjusting Your Processing Times at High Altitudes 55 Chapter 5: Simply Fruit (Yes, a Tomato Is a Fruit) 57 Picking and Preparing Your Fresh Fruit 58 Identifying the proper degree of ripeness 58 Cutting and peeling: Necessary or not? 59 Deterring discoloration 59 Raw pack and hot pack 59 Lining your jars with liquid 60 Fresh Fruit Canning Guidelines 62 Chapter 6: Sweet Spreads: Jams, Jellies, Marmalades, and More 83 Introducing Your Sweet Spreads 84 Choosing Fruit for Sweet Spreads 85 Getting Up to Speed with Fruit Pectin 85 Commercial pectin basics 85 Types of commercial fruit pectin 86 Setting Up without Adding Pectin 87 Water-Bath Canning: The Key to Sweet Spread Canning Success 89 Chapter 7: Condiments and Accompaniments: Chutney, Relish, Sauce, and Syrup 99 Expanding Your World of Condiments and Accompaniments 100 Enjoying the surprising flavors of chutney 100 Reveling in your relish 100 Satisfying your salsa needs 101 Savoring syrup with a berry base 101 Chapter 8: The Art of Pickling 109 Bring on the Brine 109 Gathering the ingredients 110 Following the appropriate brining process 111 Keeping that crunch 113 A Few More Prep Tips to Ensure Tasty Pickled Treats 114 Picking Pickling Equipment and Utensils 115 Part 3: Pressure Canning 129 Chapter 9: Don’t Blow Your Top: Pressure Canning 131 Understanding the Fuss about Low-Acid Foods 132 Choosing Your Pressure Canner 132 Cover: With a gasket or without 134 Gauges 136 Vent tube, pipe vent, or petcock 138 Overpressure plug (or safety valve) 138 Rack 138 A-Canning You Will Go: Instructions for Successful Pressure Canning 139 Step 1: Gearing up 139 Step 2: Preparing your food 141 Step 3: Filling your jars 141 Step 4: Placing the jars in the canner 142 Step 5: Closing and locking the canner 142 Step 6: Processing your filled jars 143 Step 7: Releasing the pressure after processing 143 Step 8: Removing and cooling the jars 144 Step 9: Testing the seal and storing your bounty 144 Disposing of Spoiled Products 145 If your jar is still sealed 145 If your jar has a broken seal 146 Pressure Canning at Higher Altitudes 146 Chapter 10: Preserving Your Vegetable Harvest 149 Selecting Your Vegetables 150 Picking the perfect produce 150 Vegetables not recommended for pressure canning 150 Prepping Your Veggies for Pressure Canning 151 Cleaning your vegetables 151 Raw packing versus hot packing 152 Processing Tips for Successful Results 154 Under Pressure! Canning Vegetables 154 Using Canned Vegetables 158 Chapter 11: Don’t Forget the Meats! 187 Preparing for Pressure Canning Meats 187 Tips for safety and efficiency 188 Selecting and preparing the meat 189 Meat canning, step by step 190 Canning Meat Cut into Cubes or Strips 191 Preparing the meat 191 Filling the jars 192 Canning Ground Meat 192 Pick Your Packing: Canning Poultry 193 Canning fresh poultry: Cold packing 193 Canning previously frozen chicken: Hot packing 193 Worth the Effort: Canning Fish 194 Picking your fish 195 Preparing fish and seafood 195 Filling the jar 195 Including Meats in Other Canned Mixes 196 Chapter 12: Combining the Harvest: Soups, Sauces, and Sides with Beans 207 Confidently Canning Food Combos 208 Choosing the appropriate processing method 208 Tips for a successful meal 209 Getting your meal on the table 210 Stocking Up on Soup 210 Teaming Up with Tomatoes 211 Rounding Out Your Meals with Beans 211 Part 4: Freezing 225 Chapter 13: Baby, It’s Cold Inside! Freezing Fresh Food 227 Defining Freezing 227 Meeting the Spoilers of Frozen Foods 228 Bacteria, molds, and yeast 228 Enzymes 229 Freezer burn and oxidation 229 Ice crystals 230 Gearing Up to Fill Your Freezer 230 Knowing what should (and shouldn’t) be frozen 230 Evaluating your freezer 231 Packaging Your Food and Filling Your Freezer 232 It’s a wrap! Choosing a container 232 Tracking your frozen food trail 235 Packing your freezer 236 Thawing Out Your Frozen Food 236 Choices for thawing 237 Unplanned thawing 237 To refreeze or not to refreeze thawed food 238 Chapter 14: Meals and Snacks in a Snap: Freezing Prepared Foods 239 The Whys and Wherefores of Putting Up Prepared Food 239 Considering the benefits 240 Removing the guesswork with meal planning 240 Keeping the keys to quality in mind 241 Freeze Convenience Meals Now, Thank Yourself Later 242 Main dish casseroles 242 Soups, stews, sauces, and stocks 242 Save Some Dough: Freezing Breads, Cakes, and Other Treats 243 Bread, buns, muffins, and rolls 243 Cakes 244 Cookies 244 Pies 245 Freezing Dairy Products and Nuts 246 Making the Most of a Good Meat Deal: Freezing Meat, Poultry, and Fish 247 Packing hints 247 Thawing tips 247 Chapter 15: Freezing Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs 249 Mastering the Easy Art of Freezing Fruit 250 The fruit freezing process at a glance 250 Selecting mighty fine fruit 250 Preparing your fruit for freezing 251 Selecting a storage container 252 Considering syrup concentrations 252 Keeping headspace in mind 253 Thawing and using frozen fruits 253 Freezing Vegetables Like a Pro 253 Simple instructions for freezing vegetables 254 Taking a closer look at the blanching process 254 Packing your vegetables 255 Thawing and using your vegetables 256 Freezing Fresh Herbs 256 Properly prepping your herbs for freezing 256 Adding creative flare to your frozen herbs 257 Part 5: Dehydrating and Storing 283 Chapter 16: Light and Nutritious: Dehydrating Food 285 Setting Up for Food Drying Success 286 Understanding key food drying factors 286 Assembling the necessary equipment 287 Putting suggested drying strategies in play 287 Choosing a Drying Method 288 Quick and consistent: Investing in an electric dehydrator 288 Getting results with a conventional oven 290 Setting your trays in the sun 291 Storage Solutions: Protecting the Life of Your Dried Food 293 Chapter 17: Dehydrating a Variety of Delicious Fresh Fruit 295 Putting Your Best Fruit Forward 296 Understanding what impacts the dehydrating process 296 Making time for pretreating 296 Navigating Your Fruit-Drying Experience 298 Drying fruit step by step 298 Evaluating dryness 299 Rehydrating and Enjoying the Labors of Your Drying 300 Chapter 18: Dehydrating Vegetables for Snacks and Storage 319 Vegetable Drying at a Glance 320 Following some basic rules 320 Storing and using your dried produce 321 Signs of trouble: Good food gone bad 321 Drying Common Vegetables 322 Mixing It Up for Soups, Stews, and More 325 Chapter 19: Drying Herbs 353 Selecting, Drying, and Storing Common and Not-So-Common Herbs 353 Chamomile 356 Dill 357 Marjoram 357 Mint 358 Oregano 359 Rosemary 360 Sage 360 Stevia 361 Tarragon 361 Thyme 362 Getting Creative with Herb Cooking: Rubs and Blends 363 Herbs for Teas 363 Chapter 20: Helping Your Food Keep Its Cool: Cold Storage Spaces 371 Cold Storage Must-Haves 372 Exploring Your Cold Storage Options 373 Tried and true: The traditional root cellar 373 DIY storage spaces 374 Following Simple Cold Storage Rules 378 Preparing Foods for Cold Storage 379 Apples 379 Beets 380 Cabbage 380 Carrots 381 Garlic 381 Onions 382 Pears 382 Potatoes 382 Tomatoes 383 Turnips 383 Part 6: The Part of Tens 385 Chapter 21: Ten (Plus) Troubleshooting Tips for Your Home-Canned Creations 387 Jars That Don’t Seal Properly 388 Jars That Lose Liquid During Processing 388 Jars with Cloudy Liquid 389 Dark Spots on Your Jar’s Lid 389 Jelly with the Wrong Consistency 389 Cloudy Jelly or Jelly with Bubbles 390 Moldy Jelly 390 Jelly with Very Little Fruit Flavor 391 Glasslike Particles in Your Jelly 391 Hollow, Shriveled, Discolored, or Slippery Pickles 391 White Sediment at the Bottom of the Pickle Jar 392 Food That Floats in the Jar 392 Food with an Off Color 393 Chapter 22: Ten Common Food Storage Problems and How to Solve Them 395 I never use up all my stored food, and so it goes to waste 396 I don’t know how much to preserve 396 My family doesn’t want to eat the food 396 I don’t have any more room and I am not done 397 I don’t know what I have already stored 397 I don’t know which preservation technique to choose 397 I don’t know how to use the food I have preserved 398 My preserved food looks weird 398 I used up all the food that I stored 398 I don’t know where I’ll store food if I start preserving it 399 Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide 401 Index 405