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When using an updated, researched recipe and following
the directions exactly, canning foods is a safe,
economical way to have local produce throughout the winter
in a product that maintains many of the nutrients of fresh
produce.
Due to safety concerns, recipes must be followed exactly, so
no substitution of ingredients or personal substitution
should be used in the canning procedure. The National Center
For Home Food Preservation reminds, “Please be safe when
canning foods for you and your family! Knowledge and
recommendations change over time with scientific
developments.
You should use up-to-date recommendations and methods and
not just rely on practices of past generations.”
nchfp.uga.edu The National Center for Home Food
Preservation is a great resource to look up recipes and
specific steps for each type of food you are interested in
preserving. If you are someone who prefers to make many
changes and updates to recipes, you may want to consider
another form of home food preservation such as freezing.
As far as safety concerns, it cannot be overstated to only
use tested recipes from a reputable source. There are two
types of canners used in the home; (1) a pressure canner and
(2) a water bath canner. A pressure canner must be used for
all low-acidic foods. There is a risk of botulism (a rare
but very serious food-borne illness) in improperly canned
low-acid foods. Examples of low acid foods are vegetables,
meats, fish and poultry. The risk of botulism is why low
acid foods, like vegetables need to be processed according
to the recipe in a pressure canner.
High-acid foods like jellies, jams and pickles are at a low
risk of botulism, although mold can occur if they are not
canned properly. These types of recipes (with high-acidic
levels) can be safely canned in a water bath canner, when
using an updated, researched recipe and following the
directions exactly. The best way to know if you’re using a
quality recipe is to find it from a reputable source, like
those mentioned in this article.
One of the most popular companies that sells equipment,
supplies and canning recipe books is the Ball Canning
Company. A few years ago they created a new product
with a variety of tested recipes from salsas to chutneys
that are designed to make and can three-pint jars in boiling
water canner. The advantage of these recipes is to allow a
sample of new canning recipes for a minimal amount of
ingredients and time compared to canning large batches of
pints and quarts. For more information, their website is
www.freshpreserving.com and that specific product is
called the six-piece canning beginners kit.
OSU Extension is here to
help with updated, researched information. Here are some
resources that we utilize. There are two books that can be
found at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library and online.
The titles of the books are, So Easy To Preserve and
The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. If it is
easier to access the information online, the So Easy to
Preserve information is available at
http://nchfp.uga.edu (National Center for Home Food
Preservation). Online, you can also visit The Ohio State
University Extension Lucas County site at
https://lucas.osu.edu/home-food-preservation Here you
will find links to videos on canning, factsheets and local
information.
In Lucas County, OSU
Extension promotes “from plant to plate.” From Plant to
Plate covers the following topics: basic, edible gardening,
food safety from the garden to the kitchen, promotion of
eating more fruits and vegetables and updated,
research-based information for home food preservation to
enjoy the produce throughout the year! We want people to
enjoy the garden and market produce whether it’s fresh and
in-season or preserved safely for other times of the year.
For more information visit
https://lucas.osu.edu/localfoods
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