How To Can by TimAnderson
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Canning is a quick way to preserve large quantities of food.
"We eat what we can and freeze what we can, and what we can't, we can" is a saying in my family.

The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning is the bible of safe canning. If it's done right, canned food can still be safe to eat after 100 years.

Io demonstrates at "Fort Awesome" in Berkeley CA. Other illustrations are from the USDA
 
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Step 1: Why Canning?

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"Keep it hot, keep it cold, or don't keep it" is another saying in my family.
This chart from the USDA shows why this is good advice. The microorganisms that cause food to spoil don't live well at high and low temperatures.

Canning is a way to preserve food at room temperature. It works by cooking the food and containers at high temperatures to kill micro-organisms and sealing the jar so no new ones can enter.

Properly canned food is safe. Improperly canned food can cause Botulism poisoning from Clostridium Botulinum bacteria. The name comes from the Latin word for "sausage", "botula".(wpedia)
The spores of this bacterium are present nearly everywhere. They can survive some boiling. They thrive in an anaerobic environment such as a sealed can, producing a nerve toxin. They can't handle acidity below ph4.6, oxygen, or a wet temperature above 250f.
The keys to safe canning of food are PH, moisture content, cooking temperature, pressure, time, sterile procedures and proper sealing.
garnishrecipes says: Jul 16, 2012. 11:47 AM
Great explanation of canning and how it works (and when it doesn't). I'll pass this on to my canning-wary friends. Many thanks!
morgaash says: Jun 5, 2010. 7:35 PM
yummy, kiwifruit jam
Foaly7 says: Apr 16, 2010. 3:56 PM

This works for preserving whole tomatoes, doesn't it?

AzureEyes says: Sep 19, 2009. 9:42 PM
good 'ible. Would a pressure cooker/canner make the process go by any faster? I'm trying to justify buying one.
woody558 says: Apr 18, 2009. 3:12 PM
Do you have to have a can that has the thing that will snap when you press it?
Sandisk1duo says: Apr 18, 2009. 7:36 PM
a mason jar?
woody558 says: Apr 18, 2009. 7:42 PM
Can I use a jelly jar? It doesn't snap down though.
Sandisk1duo says: Apr 18, 2009. 8:33 PM
yes, and no... when you heat stuff, it expands, if you fill your jar with cold 'stuff' and heat/boil it, the jar will explode (if it doesn't let out air) but if you fill it with boiling hot 'stuff', and heat/boil it then, you'll be fine Making sense?
vikingbrute says: Jun 24, 2009. 1:50 AM
My understanding is that the 'final boil' is to expand the small pocket of air in the jar with heat causing it to push out some. Once cooled the air contracts causing a vacuum inside the jar sucking the lid down tightly, creating a nice tight seal.
Sandisk1duo says: Jun 24, 2009. 7:24 PM
some jars may not let air out
woody558 says: Apr 19, 2009. 5:25 AM
Thanks
CMLion says: Jun 18, 2009. 9:18 PM
Canning USA.com has a lot of good information on canning--plus the reasons for sterilizing the whole thing in boiling water.
Savethetrees411 says: May 11, 2009. 4:31 PM
This is my favorite step of the process. this is a great way to preserve food and use wasted steam. Thank you ;)
joca68 says: Apr 23, 2009. 9:01 AM
boil the filled jars? Can you explain why? I've been making jam for ages, and pickes and so on, but I never did this step. Am I doing it all wrong?
carpespasm says: Apr 30, 2009. 5:15 AM
Just as one more precautionary step. Better to give the whole thing one more chance to boil any potential little buggers straggling on their way to botulism heaven.
poppamoon says: Apr 26, 2009. 2:19 PM
It's nice to see others keeping the old skills alive.
laura.prickett says: Apr 18, 2009. 8:43 AM
I thought boiling the lids (with the seals) wasn't recommended - it can melt the ring and cause it to not seal completely when further processed. Don't the instructions say to either dip the lids in water that was just boiling or just pour boiling water over them?
TimAnderson (author) says: Apr 18, 2009. 11:18 PM
Definitely follow the directions that came with your lids.
Sandisk1duo says: Apr 18, 2009. 7:36 PM
very useful!
thepelton says: Apr 18, 2009. 10:21 AM
Like the POTUS said: Yes we can!
SinAmos says: Apr 18, 2009. 12:20 AM
Great work here. Very useful.:)
captain Jack says: Apr 17, 2009. 4:17 PM
very informative. love the charts!
thepelton says: Apr 17, 2009. 10:20 AM
It appears that you have canned kiwifruit in one photo. Would you use the same times for Kiwifruit that you use for blackberries?
PKM says: Apr 17, 2009. 6:24 AM
Why? Because we can.
Yerboogieman says: Apr 16, 2009. 8:51 PM
We can food almost every year since 2004, Pickles, lots of types of jam(kiwi is too expensive, is it pretty good?) pickles, tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetables, all kinds, that canning funnel and lid magnet for picking them out of the water are really nice to use.
Tool Using Animal says: Apr 16, 2009. 5:48 PM
Very nice, my wife and I used to can, been too long.
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