Canning allows for home cooks to “put up” shelf-stable food during the growing season so they can avoid paying a premium for food that gets shipped into the grocery store from far away. If you are shifting into more mindful living and looking to make choices that take both the environment and your household budget into consideration, then canning food is a great solution for you. And it doesn’t have to be intimidating! Water-bath canning is when you submerge a filled canning jar in boiling water for a predetermined amount of time. Water-bath canning is recommended for high acid foods like most fruits and any food that is pickled in vinegar. Bacteria that can cause spoilage in foods is killed at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius), the boiling point for water-bath canning. Pressure canners heat jars to much higher temperatures. I stick to water-bath canning small batches of produce, as it’s the easiest to do at home in a small urban kitchen. Low-acid foods (meat, beans, and vegetables without vinegar), however, have a high pH and require that you use a pressure canner. Pressure canners allow for the safe preservation of these foods because they heat them to much higher temperatures (240 degrees Fahrenheit) than boiling water would. This high heat kills all bacteria, including botulism. However, the size of these pots plus the weight of the water means they’re tough to use on electric-coil stovetops. If that’s what you’re working with, you can simply use a deep stockpot (at least 10 inches deep) padded with a dishtowel. The USDA has recipes on their website, but they tend to be pretty heavy on the sugar. My book, Urban Pantry: Tips & Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonal Kitchen, also has a chapter on small-batch preserving. The decision about what to preserve should be influenced by what produce is in season and abundant locally—either in your garden or at the farmers market. Buying food in bulk at the height of the season is a wonderful way to be inspired. And it may seem obvious, but be sure to choose food that you have actual interest in eating year-round! Personally, I don’t want to pickle everything I see, nor do I want to eat 47 jars of jam in a calendar year. When canning whole fruits (like peach segments), release air bubbles in just-filled jars by tapping the jar on the counter or by inserting a clean wooden chopstick or skewer into the jar and gently stirring the fruit. When placing lids and rings on canning jars, do not fully tighten the rings. Instead, secure just until rings have tension and feel snug. Overtightening prevents air from venting out of the jars—a crucial step in canning. Lower jars into the canning pot, and add enough water to cover the jar tops by an inch or more. Cover the pot and return to a boil. Processing times begin once the canning-pot water is brought back up to a boil. This can take as long as 15 minutes, so be sure to keep an eye on your pot and have a timer nearby. You’ll know when the jars are sealed when you hear the sound of can tops popping. This should happen just after removing them from the water bath. Once the jars are cool, check the seal by removing the outer ring and lifting the jar by holding only the lid. If it stays intact, you have successfully canned your food. If the seal is loose or broken, you may reprocess in the water bath within 24 hours. (Be sure to replace the lid and check the jar rim for cracks or nicks and replace if necessary.) Conversely, you can refrigerate the jar immediately and eat it within three weeks.
