JeBouffe Home Canning Step by Step Guide (second edition) Revised and Expanded

JeBouffe Home Canning step by step Guide
Second edition. Revised and Expanded

Published by Promotions MEF inc.
Kindle Edition
Copyright 2011 Promotions MEF inc.
[email protected]
Montreal,Quebec,Canada
http://www.jebouffe.com
 

Kindle Edition License Notes
Thank you for downloading this ebook.
Although this is a free ebook, it remains the copyrighted property of the authors, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purpose. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at
Amazon.com
, where they can also discover other works by the same authors.
Thank you for your support.
 

http://www.jebouffe.com
 

JeBouffe others availables titles
 

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: Principles of food preservation
Chapter 2: Canning Methods
Chapter 3: Exercises (Recipes)
Some useful references
About the authors
Available titles by JeBouffe
JeBouffe on the web
 

Introduction

You enjoy good food and you know it would be nice to eat delicious local fruit and vegetable even in winter. The idea of doing your homemade canning tickle your taste buds as much as your mind. But you hesitate to get started.
Welcome to the wonderful world of home canning.
This guide is intended to provide you with the essential information to make your first small jars in a safe and enjoyable way. It will guide you through all stages from preparation to storage of your products.
You will discover the principles of conservation for different types of food, the benefits of home canning, the recommended methods as well as the ones to avoid.
Then you will learn the two proper methods of treatment: the boiling water bath and the pressure canning methods. You will find a list of essential equipment and the detailed steps for a successful canning experience.
Finally you will gain some hands on experience with our easy and delicious recipes.
This guide do not claim to be scientific or complete. We simply wants to give you the tools you need to get into the fun activity of preparing your home preserves.
About this second edition:
Following the success of the first edition, and thanks to some suggestions from our readers, we offer this revised version, corrected and expanded. We have included the imperial and some tables on the processing time for the preservation of the most popular fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish. We also cover the effect of altitude on the processing time and pressure required for the safe canning of foods.
Improving on the initial contents of this document we have also redesigned it to make it more educational, more fun to read and use. Always with the aim to offer you the latest information on techniques for home canning, we opened a website (
http://jebouffe.com/homecanning/
)dedicated to you. It includes constant updates and our latest published recipes. This site will be a valuable source of information for all. A
newsletter
is also available to alert you of the arrival of new information on our sites.
We hope that this new revision will meet your expectations and wish you a successful canning experience  and "Bon appetit"

Chapter 1: Principles of food preservation

1.1 Why make your own canned food?
1.2 The concepts of food preservation
1.3 The recommended methods
1.4 Other known methods to avoid

1.1- Why make your own canned food?

Quality
For more and more people, concerned about their food and the environmental impacts of industrial production, home canning is becoming a very interesting alternative. It allows better control of the origin and quality of products and help avoid the use of many additives that can sometimes be harmful.
Fruits and Vegetables canned on the day they are pick have better nutritional qualities. They are tastier than most "fresh" vegetables on the supermarket shelves.
Economy
In many cases, substantial savings are realized. Seasonal products can be purchased inexpensively during local harvest period. Foreign productions are much more expensive once they reach the shelves of the supermarkets.
Energy
Using only the energy required for sterilization, home canning is cheaper than freezing. You can store garden vegetables and fruits without over-consumption of energy!
Ecology
Greater respect for the environment. Indeed the production and transportation of industrial canned food are costly to the planet. Food you are canning yourself is a concrete way to fight against overconsumption and waste.

1.2 - The concepts of food preservation

There are three main objectives that should guide all home canning activities:
- The safety;
- The flavor;
- And appearance of food.
A successful canning will produce food that is safe, with a flavor as close as possible to the fresh taste and pleasing to the eye.
Home canning is not complicated: It is a simple process by which food is heat treated in a sealed jar of glass to prevent the deterioration that would otherwise occur.

1.3 The recommended methods

In the late 20th century serious scientific studies have determined that there are only two reliable processing methods for home canning of food.
The boiling water bath, for foods with high levels of acidity, and the pressure treatment for all others. The only difference between the two methods is the use of pressure that allows us to process foods at temperatures that would be impossible to obtain with a simple boiling pot.
The "boiling water" method treat foods at a temperature of 212F (100C) while the "pressure canning" treatment can reach up to 240-250F (115-121C).
Both methods use the same basic principle. It involves placing foods in jars (usually glass) and submit them to a sustained heat treatment. This helps to destroy microorganisms that cause spoilage and the growth of harmful bacteria such as botulism. The heat treatment will also force most of the air out, creating the needed vacuum effect to seal the jars.
The choice of method is directly related to the type of food, depending on the natural level of acidity.

1.4 Other known methods to avoid

Some older canning methods sometimes return to fashion and often cause serious health problems. Using them is like playing dice with the health of all people who consume the canned product.
"oven" Canning
In this method, popular in the mid 20th century, the filled jars are placed in a hot oven to be heat-treated. Unfortunately there is no guarantee that the internal temperature in the jars will reach the desired level and maintain it long enough to ensure destruction of harmful microorganisms. There is also a very real risk of seeing jars explode in the oven when the door is open and fresh air enters suddenly in contact with the hot glass surface of the jars.
"untreated" Canning
This method assumes, incorrectly, that the simple cooking of food is sufficient to eliminate harmful microorganisms. The product is then poured, hot, into sterilized jars and a cover is quickly installed which will seal during cooling of the product. This method is extremely dangerous! The temperature and cooking time are rarely sufficient to ensure the destruction of most harmful components. Even in very hygienic conditions it is impossible to prevent the addition of natural contaminants that are always in the air. They will eventually affect the food and make it unsafe to eat.
"steam" Canning
The jars are placed in a covered pot, steam is produced by a small amount of water and is used to "warm up" the jars. As opposed to the "pressure canning" method there is no way to ensure good heat distribution and to verify its intensity. It is virtually impossible to actually destroy harmful micro-organisms by this method.
"microwave" Canning
While "technically" feasible, this method of placing the jars in a microwave oven to process, has many problems. As each device uses different emitter and there is no easy way to check the internal temperature of food. It is virtually impossible to achieve a safe result with such a treatment. There is also the fact that microwave ovens are small and therefore can contain only a few jars at a time. Finally the covers, that are usually made of metal, cannot be places in a microwave.
"dishwasher" Canning
A trend of the 60's while the dishwasher was becoming popular and manufacturers attributed to it the virtues of a universal instrument. As there is no effective way to check the temperature in the dishwasher and it varies between cycles, this method should be avoided. The dishwasher can be very useful for washing the jars and keep warm before canning.
Canning with "aspirin"
VERY DANGEROUS. The addition of aspirin to food has no effect on micro-organisms and is a guarantee that the product will soon be unfit for consumption.
Canning with "wax or paraffin" seal
The use of wax or paraffin to seal the jars was popular from the late 19th and up to the late 20th century. Unfortunately, this method is similar to "no treatment" canning and does not destroy harmful microorganisms that will eventually affect the food and make them unsafe to eat.

Chapter 2: Canning Methods
 

2.1 Boiling-Water Method
2.2 Pressure treatment (autoclave) method
2.3 Processing adjustments for altitude
2.4 Canning fresh fruits
2.5 Canning fresh vegetables
2.6 Canning meat, poultry and fish

2.1 Boiling-Water Method
for canning fruits and other acidic foods
 

Foods with high acidity are the easiest to process. This product category includes the vast majority of fresh fruits but also the jellies, jams and marmalades as well some marinades and sauces.
One exception: the tomatoes. They have an acidic pH but not always sufficient to ensure a safe canning. They can be treated easily, by the method of boiling water bath, by adding an acid element such as lemon juice or vinegar (see the recipe at the end of this guide for the exact mesures to use).

You will need:
(1) Recipes indicating the processing time for conservation.
Warning: If a recipe was published before 1989 it is probable that the time and/or preservation methods recommended do not take into account the latest research on food preservation. Look for a newer version or choose another recipe.
(It is possible to establish your own method and processing time but it takes research and testing steps that goes beyond the scope of this short guide).
If you're in your early experiences in home canning, we strongly recommend that you start with one of the recipes that you find at the end of this guide.
(2) A boiling water-bath canner.
This large pot has a lid and a rack for jars.
Inexpensive and easy to maintain, this type of pot can be found in supermarkets or hardware stores.
(3) "MASON" type glass jars of the with their "snap" lids and closure bands.
Do not reuse jars of commercial products since they are generally designed for a single use.
(4) A clamp for handling the jars.
(5) A wide-mouthed funnel for filling the jars.
(6) A magnetic wand to remove the lids from the hot water.
(7) A kitchen timer or some other reliable instrument to measure the processing time
(The funnel, tongs and magnetic strip are often sold in "kit").