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anning food at home can be a great way to preserve some of those garden harvests to enjoy year-round. It’s a method of food preservation that has been around for many years, and is often taught by previous generations of family cooks. While there can be some really great memories around deliciously beautiful jars of food on the pantry Where you want to start with canshelf, there are ning depends somewhat on what a variety of imkind of canner you plan to use. portant things If you have access to a pressure to keep in mind canner, Brown recommends tryif you want to ing green beans or even carrots continue this from the store to give you a feel practice safely for the process. and effectively. Barbara If you are using a boiling water Brown, retired canner, fruit jams and jellies, as food specialwell as pickles, are easy ways ist with the to start. Salsa, from a canning Oklahoma State recipe, can also be great University Cofor practice. operative Extension Service and
Canning and preserving foods requires a mixture of both culinary and scientific expertise.
Getting Started
associate professor in nutritional sciences at OSU, shares why the science behind canning works. When food is canned, a system is developed inside a jar that keeps the nutrients in as much as when the food is cooked, she explains, and the bacteria that cause spoilage and illness are either destroyed or kept under control. There are two methods for canning: boiling water canners and pressure canners. Boiling water canners are made using a large pot of boiling water and are used to can foods high in acid: fruits and pickled items, for instance. For lower acid foods, meats and vegetables that aren’t pickled, a pressure canner is required. These are pieces of equipment that use pressure to raise the heat of the jars far above the boiling point of water. “You can get rid of the microorganisms [with a pressure canner] that can survive in low acid foods, that can’t survive in high acid foods,” says Brown. “So you have to work harder to make sure those foods are safe.” When it comes to home canning, safety should be top priority. And the best way to do it safely,
according to Brown, is to follow a recent, scientifically-tested recipe specifically for home canning. It’s important to use a recent recipe, as recommendations do change frequently. “We’re so creative with every other recipe, we think we can be creative here too,” says Brown. Not so. “This is not for creativity, this is for coloring inside the lines. Compared to regular cooking, you’ve got to lean more on the science, than you do on the art side of it.” It’s also important to reference trustworthy information. Brown recommends contacting your county extension office for classes, or referencing The National Center for Home Food Preservation website, as well as the latest edition of the Ball Blue Book, which has hundreds of trustworthy recipes for home canning. Like many things, it comes down to trying it out, following the instructions and practicing to make perfect. And soon you could have a pantry full of year-round good eats. BONNIE RUCKER
The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service can help Oklahomans who want to learn more about canning. Photo courtesy the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
MAY 2022 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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