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Canned foods in jars
Isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic propelled an already existing homesteading trend that included home food preservation—remember the canning supply shortages in 2020? Although COVID restrictions eased and we’re getting out more, home canning is a fun way to preserve Wisconsin’s fall bounty.
There are two main methods of canning food that are approved by the U.S. Department of Food & Agriculture: boiling water bath canning, and pressure canning. Both use heat to destroy microorganisms that cause unsafe food spoilage.
Boiling water bath canning uses a large kettle of boiling water. Special jars are filled with food prepared from recipes tested for canning safety. Jarred product is submerged into boiling water and heated for a specific period of time. This method is used for high-acidic fruits, acidified pickles and salsa.
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Mason jars boiling
Pressure canning involves a large, heavy kettle that creates steam in a locked compartment. Filled jars go into the kettle and are heated to an internal temperature of 240 degrees. Pounds of pressure are measured with a dial gauge or weighted gauge on the pressure canner lid. A pressure canner is used for low-acidic foods like most vegetables and meats.
Safety First!
A pressure canner and a pressure cooker (or multicooker) are not interchangeable. A pressure canner is specifically used to process and sterilize foods and can reach adequate temperatures to kill microorganisms. A pressure cooker is used to cook foods fast.
Don’t just put a lid on it—older canning techniques such as the oven method, in which filled jars are placed in a heated oven, or the open-kettle canning, where hot food is put into sterilized jars and then immediately sealed but not processed in a canner, have been deemed unreliable by food scientists.
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“It’s important to realize that rules have changed since your mother or grandmother were canning over a wood stove,” affirms Barbara Ingham, professor of food sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and food safety specialist with the Division of Extension. “Using equipment readily available today, it is much easier to preserve safe, high-quality food for family and friends. Using tested, up-to-date recipes and following those recipes, with no changes, is required to ensure that your garden bounty is safe to consume and share with friends.”
Mason jars, sold under brands including Ball or Kerr, are made with tempered glass to withstand high heat during the canning process. They come with two-piece lids that feature a rubberlike sealing compound and screw band. Jars and screw bands can be reused but the sealing compound on lids break down from heat. Use new lids for each canning session.
Taking the Plunge
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Canning fruit
Boiling water canning kettles start around $25. Kits that include the kettle and all utensils needed for canning start around $40. Pressure canners average $200. The gauges need to be tested yearly for accuracy. Some county extension offices will test dial gauge canners.
Also needed are utensils commonly found in most kitchens: measuring cups and spoons, wooden spoons, spatulas, kitchen timers, zesters, pots and pans and mixing bowls.
Plan your canning day. Think about what to can and find a canning recipe. “Start with a research-tested recipe,” advises Ingham. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (nchfp.uga.edu) and UW-Madison Division of Extension (fyi.extension.wisc.edu/safefood) offer recipes that have been developed to ensure safe canning.
Canning food takes a few hours per recipe. Allow time to prepare the recipe (chopping ingredients, cooking the batch and clean up), washing and sterilizing jars and processing the food. Designate a day when you won’t be rushed or interrupted. Keep the weather in mind; boiling water canners generate heat and steam and quickly heat up a kitchen.
Ingredients should be as fresh as possible. Vendors at many area farmers markets sell tomatoes and other produce in large quantities for canning.
With thorough research and planning, home canning is a fun way to stock the pantry with quality food to last throughout winter. Canning classes are available through university extensions, as well as local nonprofits and businesses. For more canning how-to’s and recipes, check out these additional resources:
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today, by Judi Kingry, Lauren Devine and Sarah Page
Beginners Guide to Canning: 90 Easy Recipes to Can, Savor, and Gift, by Diane Devereaux
