Canning is not a difficult process, and requires only a little bit of space for storage and some kitchen items you probably already have. The most popular items (and easiest to start with) are high acid foods. These include jams, jellies, pickles, and tomatoes.
Jars are the most essential item you need, and probably the biggest investment. I really wouldn’t recommend reusing jars from commercial food, but some people do. I recently found myself short of jars (naughty people didn’t return my empties!) I have found that Big Lots and Save-a-Lot have pretty good deals. I have also checked the offers on Buffalo Freecycle. I was able to find many free jars.
You will need a large pot for your boiling-water canner, some kind of rack to keep the jars from the bottom of the pan and something to lift hot jars out of the boiling water. You can buy a Water Canner that has the proper rack in it, but a stockpot and just the replacement rack to put in it will work just fine.
Other items that may make canning easier for you are magnetic jar lifters, a funnel, nonmetallic spatula, and specially designed, non-metallic jar-lifters. You can improvise these things as well, just make sure you are using non-metallic utensils as metal can react to some of the ingredients and cause an off taste.
The most important part of canning is the lid. Most home canning lids come in two pieces: a screw-top band and a flat metal lid with a sealing compound along the rim. The screw band holds the lid in place during the heat-processing, but it is the flat metal lid with sealing compound that actually preserves the freshness of your food. When screwing your lid down, it is important to not screw it too tightly. It should be tightened only using hands, not over-tightened. Do not reuse any lids, only the bands! It is not worth the risk of spoiled food if it doesn’t reseal right. Who wants to spend all your time and energy only to skimp out and possibly ruin your food?
In order to properly sterilize your jars, you must heat them in a large, deep pan filled with water at least three inches deeper than the height of the jars. I just use kitchen sink to do this. I fill the sink with boiling water (stove heated, not right from the tap). In a separate sauce pan, simmer the flat lids. You do not need to heat the screw bands. You can do this as you prepare your recipe . Once you are ready to place your food into your jars, you will fill the jars one at a time.
Pull your jar out of the water and empty the jar into your simmering pan. It is recommended to not dry your jar. Fill your jar, leaving the recommended amount of head space (space between the lid and your food) as per your recipe. Usually this is 1/4 inch. Make sure you release the air bubbles using some kind of non-metallic cooking utensil, then wipe down the rim of your jar. Removing food particles before attempting to lid the jar is extremely important as food residue can spoil your jar. I will prohibit it from sealing properly. Take a hot lid from your water dish (use a magnetic lid-retriever, if you have one) and center it on your jar. Screw the band down evenly and move on to the next jar. When all jars are filled, you will boil the filled jars for at least 10 minutes in a covered pan. Follow the processing instructions of your recipe, it will have the specifics. After the specified time, remove the jars from the pot. Don’t tilt them as the rubber sealing compound may not have set yet, and let them cool in a draft-free location for 24 hours.
When you check your seals the next day, make sure the lids are concave and do not move when pressed. You may leave the screw bands on the jars or take them off, but they are not needed in order for your jars to remain sealed. Canned food should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place, such as a pantry.
OK! So that’s the basics of canning high acid foods in a Water Bath. Who’s ready for strawberry jam?
I know, I know! Corny old joke, but I couldn’t resist!!!
So, why would you want to can your own food? There are many reasons. My main reasons are that I know exactly what is in my food. I know that if I can my tomatoes, there are tomatoes, water and maybe salt. Strawberry Jam? Strawberries, sugar (or honey), water. If you have grown your own produce, you also know what kind of fertilzers have been used. I have to be honest that sometimes I don’t think I save money. That really doesn’t phase me. I like knowing that this is something I have done myself. It can be a form of therapy. The process of slicing, dicing, grinding crushing…… a great way to work out the day’s frustrations. It also gives me time to clear my head and think about nothing else but the task at hand. My family sometimes jokes that they can tell how depressed I am by the amount of jars of jam in the cupboard!
There are alot of times I go a little nuts at the farmer’s market. If I see a good deal, I have to make the most of it. Canning is a way of making that deal last the whole year. I also enjoy foraging for berries. Last year I picked (no joke!) about 10lbs of black raspberries for free at a public access land. Black raspberries sell for around $7.00 a pint in my area, so you can see what I saved. Because I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do with all my found treasure, I froze the whole lot in ziploc bags. You can absolutely make jam from frozen fruit. Same with my tomatoes. Even with determinate strains, you may not have enough to process right away. Pop them in the freezer until you have enough! You will be surprised at how the skins slip right off.
Anyone want to dance the can can?
“Bring flowers of the rarest, bring flowers of the fairest
From garden and woodland and hillside and vale
Our full hearts are swelling, our glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest Rose of the vale.
Oh Mary we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the angels, Queen of the May!
When I was child, the May Day parade was one of the biggest events of the year. Parishioners of 7 parishes would assemble at one of the churches. A parade route to the hosting church was followed, complete with the Cavaliers marching band, the Knights of St. John and hundreds of devoted Catholics. Ave Maria was played as the procession wound it’s way through the streets of Black Rock and Riverside. Once reaching it’s destination, a decade of the rosary was prayed, all leading up to that most special moment: the crowning of Mary, Queen of the May.
May 1, 1978, I was one of the chosen few. Two weeks before, I had made my first communion. Dressed in my little white shoes, gloves and veil, I was one of the May court. I proudly, but nervously carried a woven crown of flowers cradled on a satin pillow, not unlike a ring bearer. When the time came, a girl (appropriately named Maria) took the crown and placed it upon the head of the statue. Oh, what an event!
Little did I know back then that I was participating in a yearly ritual held by my Celtic ancestors. Beltane, meaning “fires of Bel” celebrates the return of Belinos, the sun god. It is a celebration of spring and the life that emerges from the warming earth. the goddess manifests as the May Queen and Flora, the god as the May King and Jack in the Green. The Maypole represents their unity: the phallic pole, the god and the ribbons wrapped around it, the goddess. Every colour of the rainbow is represented. Beltane is a festival of flowers, sensuality and delight.
Pagan tradition says that Beltane marks the young gods transition into manhood. Energies at work in nature stir desire for the goddess. They fall in love among the trees and flowers and unite as one. The goddess becomes pregnant and to celebrate, a wedding feast is held.
As with most holiday traditions, Christians took the ideas and adapted to make their own rituals. The May Queen took on the form of their own goddess, Mary, mother of the christ. Beltane itself is believed to be to be the reinvention of the Roman festival Floralia, celebrating the goddess Flora and the flowers of spring.
As for myself, I now celebrate Beltane in my own way. I am not a mother, but the earth gives birth for me as seeds I have planted emerge from the soil to become this year’s garden. I will pick flowers and place them on my altar honoring my patron goddess, Demeter. I am not neglecting the god, either. I’ll just leave the rest of that private.
Blessed Beltane everyone!