Canning: Some Basic Questions

Dear friends,

We've talked a lot about canning, and quite a few lovely ladies have asked me for some basic instructions on canning; so I will provide here a crude primer for the canning essentials, and some tips on where to look for further information.

What is canning? 
It is a simple method of preserving food for a long period of time.  It is a perfect fit for people like me who don't have a lot of freezer room, and need to keep food stored in a cupboard.  The canned food will keep in best condition for about a year, which works perfectly for those of us who can a product when it is in its annual season.  However, the food will still be safe to eat and sometimes you end up with random jars of things that last for a few years.


Why can at all?
There are many reasons, and most people who can draw a little from each reason. Knowing the content of the food you are eating is a big one; I prefer organic, and I enjoy supporting local farmers and knowing that my money is staying in the community, and my food is as fresh as possible because it only traveled a few miles.  Organic produce can be pricey, and especially so in the off-seasons.  It is also difficult to buy local produce over the winter; thus, canning provides me with cost-effective, local, organic produce throughout the year.  Continuing with the cost-effective note, it is often possible when you "know people" to get a lot of produce for free or very cheap.  The farmer I usually buy from will give us culls, leftovers, or produce that is too soft and damaged to sell, and we can turn it into sauce or jelly or some other secondary product.  The number one cost effective method for fresh, local, inexpensive produce is obviously to grow your own crops.  I think this is the ultimate goal for most home canners.  This brings us to the final reason for canning - it's very "green"!  The produce (being local) doesn't increase your carbon footprint by much, and the jars and rings can be re-used for over a century (until they break!).  The only thing that is eventually discarded is the rubber-ringed lid, which cannot reseal once it's been boiled.

What can you can? 
Just about anything, if you have a pressure canner.  Vegetables, fruits, any variation on those as pickles, relishes, jellies, etc; vinegars, beans, seafoods, and meats.  It is not recommended to home-can eggs, which would include egg products such as mayonnaise. Of course, you can also can water, if you wanted to.

How does canning work? 
I'll give you the short version here, but you can read more in-depth about it if you like.  There are two types of canning - water-bath canning, and pressure-canning.  The first method is for high acid foods (with a pH level of 4.6 or less) such as fruits, some tomatoes, and pickled items.  They only need to reach 212 deg. F in order to kill molds, yeasts, and bacteria, and inactivate enzymes to halt the rotting process and essentially "freeze" the product in its current state.  The second method, pressure-canning, is for low-acid foods, such as most vegetables, legumes, grains like corn, meats, and some tomatoes.  These products need to reach the higher temperature of 240 deg. F in order to destroy all of the bacteria, spores, and toxins they produce.  Boiling water doesn't get that hot, and this is where the pressure canner comes in.

Pressure canners are scary! 
Yes they are, if you don't follow the rules.  But modern pressure canners have extremely effective ways of sealing the lid down (they will not blow off) and the only possible danger is if you try to take the lid off before the pressure has completely dissipated.  This would be a little like trying to drink your tea when it was still boiling or sleeping on an anthill; I don't know why you would do it.  Personally, I love my pressure canners (I have four!).

What tools do you need to can? 
Not many, actually; most home canning can be done with home-tools converted to the purpose of canning.  Of course, there are lots of specialty tools you can buy to make it easier, too.  For water-bath canning, you need a pot deep enough to cover the jars by at least an inch of water, and a rack to set the jars on.  Before I had racks specifically made for canning, I just tied a bunch of rings together and made a rack.  The jars shouldn't be touching the bottom of the pot; they might break from the heat!  If you buy a water-bath canner, I recommend buying the largest one you can find.  Currently, the largest latest-and-greatest size holds 9 quart jars, but I don't know where to find those for sale (mine was a gift from my mom-in-law!).  If you want to spend more, you can buy very nice stainless-steel water bath canners.
For pressure canning, I recommend the Presto pressure canner.  It cools down fairly quickly, isn't too heavy, holds 7 quart jars or 15 pint jars, and is easy and straightforward to use.  I own three of these, as well as one smaller pressure cooker that only holds four pints (it is more for food than canning).
You will also need jars, rings, and lids.  Fred Meyer and WalMart have the cheapest prices on these.  To lift the lids from the hot water (they must be heated before putting them on the jars) you can use a fork, your fingers if you're quick, or buy a lid wand (a magnetic wand), or make a wand out of a magnet (Mr H says you can make one out of sticks and dung but I haven't tried that yet).
A jar lifter comes in handy for taking the jars out of the boiling water.
You will also need a towel for setting the jars on (I like to put them into a cardboard box lined with a towel so they don't break in the cold air).  Then there are other tools that may be useful depending on what you are canning, such as cheesecloth, jelly strainers, funnels, and Mr H (who is watching me write this) says most importantly you need a Woman.
If you want to get started canning, you can either find most of these tools at garage sales (the lids you usually have to buy new, although I have found unopened boxes at garage sales before) or buy a kit online or at your local grocery store.  But be warned, most grocery stores are extremely overpriced, and Fred Meyer is usually your best option.

Recommended Reading
Every canner needs to own the Ball Blue Book (most current version, if you're going to buy one).
I enjoy the recipes in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, many of which are also in the Blue Book.
The Blue Book includes tips on drying and freezing (we will have to save that for another day!), and there are many other books that include make-ahead and preserve-able recipes, such as Preserving Summer's Bounty and Saving the Seasons.

Do you have any other questions about canning, or any tips, books, websites, or suggestions of your own?  We could talk about canning all day, and we would if I had my way - but hopefully this primer was enough to catch your interest!


Happy canning,


Mrs H
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Stimulating conversation

Colleagues and collaborators,

Some of you know that I enjoy reading about the brain, admiring the complexity and beauty of that wondrous beast, and studying the physical expression of electrical impulses (that is to say, psychology).

I follow a fascinating blog called Mind Hacks, recommended to me once by my psychology professor (a man fascinated by neurons and synapses and appropriately named Sparks).  The author of Mind Hacks just posted a super sweet link, created by Ohio State University, where you can assist a doctor in performing a deep brain stimulation surgery to set probes for a Parkinsonian patient.

If you have an interest in brains or medicine in general, I recommend the link to you; if you can't even clip your own nails, go read something less intense!

synaptically yours,


Mrs H
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Praise Him, all his heavenly hosts.

Dear devoted readers,

We have just begun another season of choir at our church.  You know that I've written about our choir before; but it is on my heart to reiterate a few things.

It is impossible to say what being part of a ministry does for one.  It takes you to another level in your relationship with Christ; you start committing outwardly, and putting your very real time on the line.  The choir is a unique aspect of ministry - your task is to prepare a place of holiness and a sense of worship, to lead the congregation into the throne room.  You do spiritual warfare during the week, preparing yourself musically and spiritually, and praying over the upcoming service and the people who will be attending.  In fact, the members of the choir are important enough to be listed in their own separate group in a recounting of a group of Israelites (and in other places).

Some people believe that a choir, or a worship team, is up on stage performing before the congregation - just another concert, a chance to show-off.  That may be true in some places; but not here.  Here, the choir and worship team perform their priestly task of worship and thanksgiving with pure attitudes.  Besides creating a spiritual atmosphere, the choir also puts the congregation at ease and enables them to get lost in their own persona worship.  Our worship leader, Andy, spoke to us at our rehearsal the other night.  "The choir being up here has brought us the most energy we've felt in this room for a long time," he said.  "When you are up here singing, you send out a wall of sound.  People don't like to hear themselves singing, but when you're up here clapping and moving and singing, they feel comfortable to join in."

Off-key energy is energy nonetheless, but a tuned and crisp sound - executed to the best of our ability - is that much more beautiful.  We are lifting up our praise to the Lord as an offering of our time, our effort, our varied talents, our desire to serve Him, our desire to bring people to a deeper level in their relationship with Him.  Don't be afraid to join in with the music, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.


blessings,


Mrs H
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Homemade Bread: An explanation is in order

Dear friends,

In case anybody missed it, my last blog wasn't actually a story about bread.  In fact, it had nothing to do with bread.

Somebody said to me once, "Wow - I never realized you could make bread at home .... I just thought you had to buy it, and it was made by some mysterious, complicated method!"

It occurred to me in that moment that that is exactly what school is like.  Any more these days, nobody thinks you can school a kid at home - because all they've seen is store-bought kids.  Go back and read the blog again.

And, just in case your mouth got all lathered up thinking about homemade bread, I'll put a little bread-topping recipe at the end of this blog for your enjoyment.

Cheers to homeschool on the "rise" ...


Mrs H
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Bread Topping 

Any quantity or variation of mixtures on the following ingredients.  After the bread rises in the loaf pans, and before you put it in the oven, brush with water or a mixture of egg white and water (well beaten until homogeneous).  Then sprinkle or slather on toppings to your heart's content.

sesame seeds - white or black, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fennel seeds, caraway seeds, garlic flakes, coarse sea salt, black pepper, dried shredded parsley, and anything else you have hanging around.  If anybody else has any more topping ideas - please share!  I love topping bread!

It's Impossible to Bake Bread at Home: This is not a recipe.

Dear fellow loaves,

Did you know you can't make bread at home any more?  That's right; it all has to be store-bought now.  Back in the day, people made bread at home pretty much every darn day, and it was downright good bread, too.  Ma knew exactly what ingredients she was mixing into the bowl and feeding to her family.  She knew where the ingredients came from, how healthy they were, how much they really cost, and what they looked like.  And better yet, the kids loved the bread - they didn't have to be forced to eat "healthy" stuff, no, they had to be begged to stop gobbling it all down without sharing. 

Ma was no real expert on bread-making when she started, but she kept at it until she had it down "pat".  After all, bread-making was invented in the home.  Somebody realized they needed something to spread their fruit jam on, and the universal loaf was invented.  It satisfied a need.  It was real, and it was good.

Sadly, those days are gone.  As many of you know, it's virtually impossible to make bread at home now.  Why is that, you ask?  Well, the most important reason is - nobody else does it.  Honestly, who wants to deviate from the norm... And storebought bread, made with flour stripped of the original complex nutrients, is niacin enriched - how could you deprive your kids of niacin enriched bread by making homemade crap and not buying a plastic wrapped loaf at the store?  Please, just do the right thing for your kids.

All of the neighbor kids have cool sandwiches - when you take a bite, the bread sticks to the top of your mouth like a dental mold, and you can almost smell the rich, earthy scent of mono and di-glycerides - which brings us to the other amazing feature of storebought bread!  You can buy a loaf and leave it on your counter for, well gosh, a few weeks.  You can completely ignore it, forget about it, and pick it up later when you are ready to enjoy it.  That homemade stuff?  It takes constant care - has to be baked weekly, or it goes bad. 

Yeah, and did I mention how long it takes to make bread?  You have to mix ingredients, let it sit, shape it, let it rise, bake it - in other words, no rest for the weary!  Why not just go to the store, throw some money down, and get a loaf baked by somebody else?

The FDA is a fantastic government organization that ensures the safety and quality of the average loaf of bread -  if you make bread at home, you'll have to research ingredients, nutrients, carbohydrates, procedures, even bakeware.  If you buy storebought bread, then snap, all of those decisions are taken care of, and you rest in the capable and sure hands of the government. 

Don't worry, though.  Storebought bread isn't 100% compulsory - not yet.  But we can see to it that it becomes that way - save the ignorant people from making their own decisions, if we at all can.  Relieve them of the burden of using their minds.

Sincerely,

A homebaked loaf

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Thinking you might have missed the point?  Read the explanation of this allegory here.  

The Infamous Coveted Quiche Recipe

Dear queenly cooks,

When I was little, my Mom would occasionally make spinach quiche - one of my favorite dinners, and I especially loved the tender flaky crust.  For years (we won't say how many) I thought she was saying "Keith", and always associated the green spinach-y quiche with Keith Green.

Well, live and learn to spell, right?

The following recipe is so excessively simple you almost feel stupid making it.  It has endless options for variation and can be modified to fit any taste/leftovers in the fridge.  It is also exceedingly popular - I've made it for a few events and the guests always come to me and ask for the recipe - or, they just eat every quiche on the platter and thereby cast their silent vote of approval.

I pulled the original recipe from the 2002 Taste of Home Annual Cookbook (a $0.50 find at an estate sale!).  I'll post it in the original form, in case it was a lost favorite of yours, and include my tweaks in italics.

Mini Mexican Quiches

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or any cheese, really)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained (I opened 1 pint of halved poblano chilies that I canned in vinegar, and minced them for filling. You can use any chilies or peppers you like, but for large crowds I keep the filling mild since in general crowds won't eat spicy foods.)
2 eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Other filling ideas: bacon, sausage, chicken, ham etc cooked and minced small.  Chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, various cheeses, olives - black or stuffed ... obviously, the possibilities are endless.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese (I use a stand mixer for easier mixing). Add flour; beat until will blended.  Shape into 24 balls (each ball will weigh 13 grams); cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Press balls onto the bottom and up the sides of GREASED mini muffin tins.  Sprinkle a rounded teaspoonful (a generous pinch) or cheese and 1/2 teaspoon of chilies/various fillings into each shell.  In a bowl, beat eggs, cream, salt and pepper (I do this while the dough is chilling).  Spoon into shells. Bake at 350F for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from tins.  Serve hot or cold.  Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2 dozen.

Enjoy your "keith"!


Mrs H
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