The Amish Canning Cookbook (24 page)

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White or light beets
. This occurs when the beets aren’t fresh or a variety was used that isn’t suitable for canning. The food is safe.

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Brown corn
. This is generally the result of using super sweet corn varieties. The corn is safe to eat, but it’s not attractive. Best to use known canning corn varieties.

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Green vegetables turning olive green or brown
. This can result from the breakdown of chlorophyll in the food, overcooking, or canning too-mature vegetables. Safe to eat.

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Yellow crystals in asparagus
. This is rutin, and doesn’t affect the quality of the asparagus; the crystals usually dissolve when the food is heated, and is safe to eat.

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Yellow crystals on canned green vegetables
. This is formed by naturally occurring glucoside in the vegetables. Safe to eat.

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White crystals on canned spinach
. This is a calcium oxalate precipitate and the food is safe to eat.

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White sediment on bottom of jars
. This usually indicates that the starch has settled out of the food or that hard water was used to process. The food is safe to eat. However, it could indicate bacterial spoilage if the entire liquid contents are cloudy and the food is soft. In this situation, destroy the food.

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Blue, pink, purple, or red color in canned apples, pears, peaches, and quinces
. This is a natural chemical change from the heat and the food is safe to eat. These color changes vary depending on the variety of fruit used.

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Crystals in grape products
. This is tartaric acid (think cream of tartar) and is perfectly safe, but may be unpalatable. If grape juice, you can strain the juice to remove the crystals.

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Jelly is moldy
. Indicates improper seal. Do not use.

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Bubbles in jelly
. If the bubbles are moving, jelly is spoiling; do not use. If the bubbles remain in place, this often occurs from ladling the jelly into the jars from too high up; hold the ladle close to the jar opening while slowly pouring.

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Corroded lids, dark color on inside surface of lid
. This happens most often with high-acid foods. Usually not a problem, unless the seal has been compromised due to extensive corrosion.

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Black, brown, or gray colors in food
. Chemical reaction with minerals present in water or utensils. Try using soft water, and avoid using copper, iron, or chipped enamel utensils.

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Pinholes in fish
. This is often due to fish worms, but can also occur when the fish has been held for too long before processing. If the jars are sealed and you know the fish was processed properly, it’s safe to eat, but the quality will be reduced. Better to buy your fish from a reputable dealer and to process it as soon as possible.

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Blackening in tuna, chicken, or turkey
. Avoid iodized salt when canning and don’t use iron containers or pots when preparing meats, poultry, or fish for canning. The food is safe to eat, but unattractive.

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Meat products have little broth
. Probable causes are pressure fluctuations while canning, causing liquid to siphon out of the jar, or not enough liquid added to the food when the jars were packed. The food is safe to eat, but the meat may be dry.

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Remember: When in doubt, throw it out
.

These lists might cause a check in your enthusiasm, but the reality is that you can put up hundreds of jars of food and never experience most of what’s listed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website reports:

From 1999 to 2008, 116 outbreaks of food-borne botulism were reported. Of the 48 outbreaks caused by home-prepared foods from the contiguous United States, 38% (18) were from home-canned vegetables. Three outbreaks of Type A botulism occurred in Ohio and Washington in September 2008, January 2009, and June 2009. Home-canned vegetables (green beans, green bean and carrot blend, and asparagus) served at family meals were confirmed as the source of each outbreak. In each instance, home canners did not follow canning instructions, did not use pressure cookers, ignored signs of food spoilage, and were unaware of the risk of botulism from consuming improperly preserved vegetables.

One hundred sixteen reported cases during a ten-year period is low, in my opinion—but of course, low isn’t good enough if it’s your family who suffers. But notice that in each of the three outbreaks of Type A botulism reported, the problem seems to have been that the food wasn’t properly processed. That’s a preventable statistic. By carefully following directions and using the proper equipment, canning really is a safe way to preserve food. And there has been so much research done over the course of many years on the subject of safely preserving our food that we can be confident of our success in the canning kitchen.

AN ENCOURAGING WORD

I
’m sitting here at my computer on a dreary early winter day, and while it may be miserable outside, in the house here I’m warm and cozy. I’ve got a canner load of black beans soaking, which I plan to process later this afternoon, and I just pulled out a jar of tomato soup from the pantry, which will pair nicely with my grilled cheese sandwich for lunch.

The main push of preserving is over for the year, and my shelves are brimming. I’ll continue to put up food from time to time during the winter, but for now, I’m satisfied. The joy I get from knowing that my pantry is full and the satisfaction I have when I contemplate that those packed shelves are mostly due to my hard work over the course of the summer just can’t be equaled. I smile to think that a tiny grandson begs for Grandma’s applesauce, thinking it’s a special treat, and a granddaughter sits with me as we visit and eat an entire jar of sweet cherries. She talks as fast as she eats, and soon I know all that a four-year-old has to tell. Her thought life is rich and startlingly deep for one so young—would I have learned those things if the cherries hadn’t loosened her heart and her tongue?

Thinking ahead, I realize Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I’ll order the largest turkey my budget allows, and all of my sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren will show up, hungry and ready to dig into favorite family recipes. We’ll eat and visit, and at the end of the day, they’ll pack their sleepy little ones home to bed. But my day won’t be quite over. Because as sure as Thanksgiving comes every year, so does my urge to boil the turkey bones until they yield their rich and tasty broth—and I’ll get out my trusty pressure canner and put up a load or two of turkey meat and broth to help see me through the coming winter months.

Canning is good!

About the Author

Georgia Varozza, author of
The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook
(nearly 50,000 copies sold), is a certified master food preserver. She teaches people how to prepare and preserve healthy foods, live simply with integrity, and get the most from what they have. She works in publishing and lives in a small Oregon community. Georgia loves being with her kids and grandkids and enjoys cooking, spinning, and knitting. Visit Georgia at
www.georgiaplainandsimple.blogspot.com
.