Hot Water Bath Canning

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Hot Water Bath Canning
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Why do we want to preserve foods at home?
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How do we preserve foods?

• Refrigeration and Freezing
• Heat Processing
• canning, pasteurization, blanching
• Fermentation
• Control of Moisture
• drying, adding sugar or salt

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Heat Processing

• Blanching
• Short heating to stop enzymes, soften tissue,
  prevent color loss and remove air from tissue
• Pasteurization
• Mild heat treatment designed to stop enzymes,
  destroy growing bacteria and kill yeast and molds
  (milk, juice, pickles, jam)
• Canning (commercially sterile)
• High heat to destroy harmful microbes

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2 Types of Canning

• Pressure Canner
• processes foods at 240F or 250F
• used for low acid foods
• meats, vegetables

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High or Low Acid?
Magic Number ...
high pH low acid pressure canner ONLY!
low pH high acid water bath canner
lt
gt
7

• Food pH less than 4.6
• fruit, pickled products
• boiling water canning is sufficient to destroy
  cells of Clostridium botulinum spores no problem
• Food pH greater than 4.6
• meat, vegetables, poultry, fish
• use pressure canner to heat at HIGH temperature
  to destroy Clostridium botulinum spores

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• Food pH
• egg white 8.0
• shrimp 7
• milk 6.6
• corn, melon 6.3
• peas, potatoes 6.2
• chicken, meat 6
• cheese 5.5
• bananas, figs 4.6
• tomatoes 4.0 4.6

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Strawberry JamSalsa

• high acidity hot water bath

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Equipment
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Jars

• use threaded home-canning jars with 2-piece
  lids
• free of cracks and chips
• wash empty jars in hot soapy water and rinse well
  before use
• if your process time is under 10 minutes in a
  water bath canner, jars must be pre-sterilized
  full rolling boil for 10 minutes

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Lids

• use 2-piece lid with a self-sealing lid and ring
• use lids within 1 year of purchase
• follow manufacturers directions in preparing lids
  for use
• do not use old, dented, deformed lids

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Proper Canning Practices

• Select good quality food

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Pre heating the Canner

• Fill boiling water bath canner with correct
  amount of water and begin heating
• Can adjust water level after adding jars
• 1 2 inches above tops of jars

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Prepare jars and lids

• Check jars to be sure they are free of nicks and
  cracks
• Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water
• If processing time is under 10 minutes,
  sterilized jars by boiling for 10 minutes
• Heat flat lids as directed by manufacturer
• remember to use new lids each time!

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Hot Pack vs Raw Pack

• Raw pack
• unheated foods packed directly into jars
• boiling hot water, syrup or juice poured over
  food
• packed tightly to adjust for shrinkage during
  processing
• will tend float in jars due to less air removed
  (especially fruit)
• better suited to processing vegetables in a
  pressure canner
• Hot pack
• food heated to boiling, simmered 3 5 minutes
• hot food packed into jars, boiling liquid added
• best way to remove air
• increases amount of food added to each jar
• over time, color and flavor will hold up better
  than raw packed foods
• Enough syrup, water or juice to fill around the
  solid food and cover the food

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Filling jars

• Fill jars with hot food
• Headspace
• space between underside of lid and top of food
• Remove air bubbles
• use a flat plastic or wooden spatula
• Place lids
• wipe jar rim with a clean wet rag before placing
  heated lid
• Tighten screw bands
• fingertip tight

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Canning

• Fill canner half full of hot water and begin
  heating before preparing food.
• add a splash of white vinegar to water to prevent
  hard water build-up on jars
• Place jars in rack on bottom of canner.
• Add more boiling water, if necessary.
• water should be 1 2 inches above tops of jars
• Cover canner and start timing when water returns
  to a vigorous boil.
• When recommended time is up, turn off heat and
  remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes before
  removing jars.

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Removing jars

• Remove jars with lifter, one at a time
• Place hot jars directly on dry towels
• leave one inch of space between jars during
  cooling
• Cool 12 24 hours
• do not disturb!!
• After cool, test seals
• Storage
• remove screw bands
• wash lid and jar to remove any residue
• label and date
• store in clean, cool, dark, dry place

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SALSA

• High Acid
• Tomatoes
• use only high quality fruit
• use paste tomatoes for a thicker product
• add tomato paste or drain off excess liquid if
  using a slicing tomato

• Low Acid
• Peppers
• substitutions okay, but keep the amount the same
• Onions, garlic other veggies
• dont increase before canning

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Common Questions

• Favorite cookbook recipes
• Salsa is too thin
• Substituting peppers
• Adding more onions or garlic
• Pressure canning salsa
• Using quart jars

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Jams Jellies

• 4 components for success
• Fruit - top quality, ripe fruit
• Acid - needed for gel formation
• Pectin - carbohydrate that forms a gel
• Sugar - providing sweetness and quality

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Pectin

• Some fruits have enough natural pectin for jams
  and jellies
• Commercial pectin made from apples or citrus
  fruits
• Powdered or liquid, not interchangable
• Advantages to added pectin
• Fully ripe fruit can be used
• Cooking time is shorter and predetermined
• Greater yield from a given amount of fruit
• Store in a cool, dry place so it will keep its
  gel strength. Use within one year.

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Tips for success

• Use the proper pectin
• Powdered and liquid are not interchangeable
• Dont skimp on sugar
• Use low- or no-sugar pectin if desired
  artificial sweeteners arent recommended
• Make small batches
• Pre-sterilize jars
• Destroys yeast and mold

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When things just dont work

• Remake Instructions
• OR
• Syrup!

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Common Questions

• Fruit floats to top
• Moldy Jam
• Paraffin
• Hot water bath
• Others?

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Approved Resources

• Wisconsin Safe Food Preservation Series
  www.wisc.edu/foodsafety/
• Ball Blue Book (1997 edition or later)
• USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning
• National Center for Home Food Preservation
  www.uga.edu/nchfp
• So Easy to Preserve www.uga.edu/nchfp