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Amelia Jeanroy. Canning & Preserving For Dummies
Canning & Preserving For Dummies® To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Canning & Preserving For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box. Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Illustrations
Guide
Pages
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Getting Started
A Quick Overview of Canning and Preserving
Appreciating the Benefits of Canning and Preserving Your Own Food
WHO’S CANNING TODAY?
Introducing Your Techniques: Canning, Freezing, and Dehydrating
About canning food
Approved methods
Canning methods to avoid
About freezing food
About dehydrating food
Holding the Keys to Canning and Preserving Success
Gathering Your Canning and Preserving Gear
Keeping Basic Kitchen Tools at the Ready
Essential tools and utensils
Important pots, pans, mixing bowls, and more
Specialty equipment to make work easier
Add as needed: Handy but nonessential items
Canning Equipment
Canning vessels
Must-have canning tools
Jar lifter
Foam skimmer
Home-canning jars
Lids and screw bands
MASON JARS
Lid wand
Thin plastic spatula
Wide-mouth canning funnel
Jelly bag or strainer
Stoneware crocks
Required Tools and Equipment for Freezing Food
Necessary Tools and Equipment for Dehydrating Food
On Your Mark, Get Set, Whoa! The Road to Safe Canning and Preserving
Dispelling Your Fears of Home-Canned and Home-Preserved Food
Preparing your food properly
Packing your jars with care
Taking a closer look at the all-important headspace
Releasing air bubbles from your jars
Choosing the right canning method and following proper procedures
Checking your equipment
Knowing the Acidity Level of Your Food
Adjusting for Your Altitude
Spoiler Alert: Identifying Food Spoilage
Meeting the spoilers
Mold
Yeast
Bacteria
Enzymes
Determining what you need to dispose of
Water-Bath Canning
Come On In, the Water’s Fine! Water-Bath Canning
Water-Bath Canning in a Nutshell
Foods you can safely water-bath can
Key equipment for water-bath canning
The Road to Your Finished Product
Step 1: Getting your equipment ready
Inspect your jars, lids, and screw bands
Wash your jars, lids, and screw bands
Get the kettle water warming
Keeping your equipment and jars hot while you wait to fill them
Step 2: Readying your food
Step 3: Filling your jars
Step 4: Processing your filled jars
Step 5: Removing your filled jars and testing the seals
REPROCESSING UNSEALED JARS
Step 6: Storing your canned food
Adjusting Your Processing Times at High Altitudes
Simply Fruit (Yes, a Tomato Is a Fruit)
Picking and Preparing Your Fresh Fruit
Identifying the proper degree of ripeness
Cutting and peeling: Necessary or not?
Deterring discoloration
Raw pack and hot pack
Lining your jars with liquid
Water or fruit juice
Sugar syrups
SUGAR, AH HONEY HONEY: A SYRUP RECIPE ALTERNATIVE
Fresh Fruit Canning Guidelines
JUST WHAT DO TOMATOES TASTE LIKE?
Sweet Spreads: Jams, Jellies, Marmalades, and More
Introducing Your Sweet Spreads
Choosing Fruit for Sweet Spreads
Getting Up to Speed with Fruit Pectin
Commercial pectin basics
Types of commercial fruit pectin
Using liquid fruit pectin
Using powdered (dry) fruit pectin
Setting Up without Adding Pectin
Water-Bath Canning: The Key to Sweet Spread Canning Success
JIGGLING WITH JELLY
Condiments and Accompaniments: Chutney, Relish, Sauce, and Syrup
Expanding Your World of Condiments and Accompaniments
Enjoying the surprising flavors of chutney
Reveling in your relish
Satisfying your salsa needs
Savoring syrup with a berry base
A FEW WORDS ABOUT HERBS
The Art of Pickling
Bring on the Brine
Gathering the ingredients
Salt
Vinegar
Water
Herbs and spices
Following the appropriate brining process
Fresh (or raw) packing: Adding brine to raw veggies
Completely precooking veggies with brine
Soaking veggies in brine before canning
Keeping that crunch
A Few More Prep Tips to Ensure Tasty Pickled Treats
Picking Pickling Equipment and Utensils
Pressure Canning
Don’t Blow Your Top: Pressure Canning
Understanding the Fuss about Low-Acid Foods
Choosing Your Pressure Canner
Cover: With a gasket or without
Lock-on cover
Metal-to-metal cover with wing nuts
Gauges
Weighted gauge
Dial or steam pressure gauge
Vent tube, pipe vent, or petcock
Overpressure plug (or safety valve)
Rack
A-Canning You Will Go: Instructions for Successful Pressure Canning
Step 1: Gearing up
Step 2: Preparing your food
Step 3: Filling your jars
Step 4: Placing the jars in the canner
Step 5: Closing and locking the canner
Step 6: Processing your filled jars
Step 7: Releasing the pressure after processing
Step 8: Removing and cooling the jars
Step 9: Testing the seal and storing your bounty
Disposing of Spoiled Products
If your jar is still sealed
If your jar has a broken seal
Pressure Canning at Higher Altitudes
Preserving Your Vegetable Harvest
Selecting Your Vegetables
Picking the perfect produce
Vegetables not recommended for pressure canning
Prepping Your Veggies for Pressure Canning
Cleaning your vegetables
Raw packing versus hot packing
Raw (cold packing)
Hot packing
Processing Tips for Successful Results
Under Pressure! Canning Vegetables
Using Canned Vegetables
CORN, GLORIOUS CORN!
SAUERKRAUT STARTER
SQUASH BLOSSOMS
Don’t Forget the Meats!
Preparing for Pressure Canning Meats
Tips for safety and efficiency
Practice first
Stick to the plan
Check everything twice
Be as clean as a whistle
Selecting and preparing the meat
Meat canning, step by step
Canning Meat Cut into Cubes or Strips
Preparing the meat
Filling the jars
Canning Ground Meat
Pick Your Packing: Canning Poultry
Canning fresh poultry: Cold packing
Canning previously frozen chicken: Hot packing
Worth the Effort: Canning Fish
Picking your fish
Preparing fish and seafood
Filling the jar
Including Meats in Other Canned Mixes
Combining the Harvest: Soups, Sauces, and Sides with Beans
Confidently Canning Food Combos
Choosing the appropriate processing method
Low-acid foods + high-acid foods = pressure canning
Mixing like foods with like
Tips for a successful meal
Cut all ingredients uniformly to ensure even heating
Use the longest processing time given when combining foods
Follow the recipe exactly
Don’t add uncooked pasta or rice to your food before canning your jars
Getting your meal on the table
Stocking Up on Soup
Teaming Up with Tomatoes
Rounding Out Your Meals with Beans
TREAT YOURSELF TO HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
Freezing
Baby, It’s Cold Inside! Freezing Fresh Food
Defining Freezing
Meeting the Spoilers of Frozen Foods
Bacteria, molds, and yeast
Enzymes
Freezer burn and oxidation
Ice crystals
Gearing Up to Fill Your Freezer
Knowing what should (and shouldn’t) be frozen
Evaluating your freezer
Packaging Your Food and Filling Your Freezer
It’s a wrap! Choosing a container
Rigid containers
Freezer bags
Freezer paper and wraps
Vacuum sealed bags
Tracking your frozen food trail
Packing your freezer
Thawing Out Your Frozen Food
Choices for thawing
Unplanned thawing
To refreeze or not to refreeze thawed food
Meals and Snacks in a Snap: Freezing Prepared Foods
The Whys and Wherefores of Putting Up Prepared Food
Considering the benefits
Removing the guesswork with meal planning
Keeping the keys to quality in mind
Freeze Convenience Meals Now, Thank Yourself Later
Main dish casseroles
Soups, stews, sauces, and stocks
Save Some Dough: Freezing Breads, Cakes, and Other Treats
Bread, buns, muffins, and rolls
Cakes
Cookies
Pies
Freezing Dairy Products and Nuts
Making the Most of a Good Meat Deal: Freezing Meat, Poultry, and Fish
Packing hints
Thawing tips
Freezing Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs
Mastering the Easy Art of Freezing Fruit
The fruit freezing process at a glance
Selecting mighty fine fruit
Preparing your fruit for freezing
Selecting a storage container
Considering syrup concentrations
Keeping headspace in mind
Thawing and using frozen fruits
Freezing Vegetables Like a Pro
Simple instructions for freezing vegetables
Taking a closer look at the blanching process
Packing your vegetables
Thawing and using your vegetables
Freezing Fresh Herbs
Properly prepping your herbs for freezing
Adding creative flare to your frozen herbs
Dehydrating and Storing
Light and Nutritious: Dehydrating Food
Setting Up for Food Drying Success
Understanding key food drying factors
Assembling the necessary equipment
Putting suggested drying strategies in play
Choosing a Drying Method
Quick and consistent: Investing in an electric dehydrator
Getting results with a conventional oven
Setting your trays in the sun
Storage Solutions: Protecting the Life of Your Dried Food
Dehydrating a Variety of Delicious Fresh Fruit
Putting Your Best Fruit Forward
Understanding what impacts the dehydrating process
Making time for pretreating
Water blanching
Steam blanching
Dipping in a solution
Navigating Your Fruit-Drying Experience
Drying fruit step by step
Evaluating dryness
Rehydrating and Enjoying the Labors of Your Drying
Dehydrating Vegetables for Snacks and Storage
Vegetable Drying at a Glance
Following some basic rules
Storing and using your dried produce
Signs of trouble: Good food gone bad
Drying Common Vegetables
Mixing It Up for Soups, Stews, and More
SWEET POTATO CRUNCH STICKS
ZUCCHINI CHIPS
Drying Herbs
Selecting, Drying, and Storing Common and Not-So-Common Herbs
AIR-DRYING FRESH HERBS
Chamomile
Dill
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Stevia
Tarragon
Thyme
Getting Creative with Herb Cooking: Rubs and Blends
Herbs for Teas
Helping Your Food Keep Its Cool: Cold Storage Spaces
Cold Storage Must-Haves
Exploring Your Cold Storage Options
Tried and true: The traditional root cellar
DIY storage spaces
Outdoor stairwells
Storm shelters
Straw-bale storage
Rubber trash cans
Following Simple Cold Storage Rules
Preparing Foods for Cold Storage
Apples
Beets
Cabbage
Carrots
Garlic
Onions
Pears
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnips
The Part of Tens
Ten (Plus) Troubleshooting Tips for Your Home-Canned Creations
Jars That Don’t Seal Properly
Jars That Lose Liquid During Processing
Jars with Cloudy Liquid
Dark Spots on Your Jar’s Lid
Jelly with the Wrong Consistency
Cloudy Jelly or Jelly with Bubbles
Moldy Jelly
Jelly with Very Little Fruit Flavor
Glasslike Particles in Your Jelly
Hollow, Shriveled, Discolored, or Slippery Pickles
White Sediment at the Bottom of the Pickle Jar
Food That Floats in the Jar
Food with an Off Color
Ten Common Food Storage Problems and How to Solve Them
I never use up all my stored food, and so it goes to waste
I don’t know how much to preserve
My family doesn’t want to eat the food
I don’t have any more room and I am not done
I don’t know what I have already stored
I don’t know which preservation technique to choose
I don’t know how to use the food I have preserved
My preserved food looks weird
I used up all the food that I stored
I don’t know where I’ll store food if I start preserving it
Metric Conversion Guide
Index. A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Z
About the Author
Dedication
Author’s Acknowledgments
WILEY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
