C6—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 16,1980
Bone On The Range
While many of our readers have been up to their elbows
m canning for some time now, other more timid souls
have probably been waiting for a catalyst Today’s
column should be pist what you’ve been waiting for For
here m easy to understand newsprint, we’ve tried to
compile the basics, the how-to’s and the where to finds So
why not take a few minutes to skim the column, line up
some family helpers and can the excuses Take some time
now to ensure colorful, flavorful fruits and vegetables on
your shelves this winter
According to Marceil Seckman, York home economist,
getting organized for home canning has defmite ad
vantages But even more important is managing your
tune and the amount of food you can at any one time No
matter how much food you have to process, she recom
mends you wash and prepare only the amount you can get
into one canner load at a tune. To retain the most
nutrients, foods should be processed as quickly as
possible.
When nrocessing canned foods, you have to count the
length of processing plus the tune you need to fill jars,
wipe sealing edges and apply lids If you’re using a boiling
water bath canner, you also have to count the tune needed
for the water to return to a rolling boil When using a
pressure canner exhaust and cooling time can add as
much as an hour to the actual processing tunes, Marceil
says
For example, waen directions for canning whole kernel
corn m quarts call for processing 85 minutes you can
assume that one canner load will require a total time of
145 minutes or 2 hours and 25 minutes.
She also suggests that to insure the most efficient home
canning operation you have necessary equipment and
supplies on hand, have countertops clean for more
working space, plan other activities so they do not in
terfere with canning and know the capacity of your canner
and how long the total heat process will take
Purctaavj a boiling Miter both Conner
Marcexl says a boiling water canner for acid foods such
as fruits, tomatoes, pickled beets and jellies and jams
sealed with 1 or 2 piece lids should cost between W and $l5
She offers some tips on selecting a boiling water canner
1 Get a canner large enough so that water can reach all
jars evenly underneath, on top and on the sides Ad
ditionally, the container should be large enough to allow 1,
preferably 2 inches over the tops of jars to ensure proper
vacuum seals and adequate processing A canner should
be at least 10 inches tall for quarts and 7 mches tall for
pints The diameter of the canner should be no more than 4
inches greater than the burner on which you use it, she
adds
She says that canners are available m porcelam-enamal
or aluminum They also can be obtained either smooth
bottomed or ridge-bottomed The smooth-bottomed ones
are best for electric ranges while the ridged ones would be
the choice for gas ranges
A lid helps to keep the water actively boiling, limit
evaporation and save energy The rack that comes with
standard canners keeps jars evenly spaced in the canner
and allows even heat distribution It also makes it easier
and safer to add and remove jars from the water You can
buy replacement racks most places where canning
equipment is sold
If you own a smooth-top range, a note of caution is in
order Marceil said that the early models of these ranges
may not provide enough heat to keep the water lira water
canner actively boiling If you’re planning on using a
smooth top range tor canning, it’s a good idea to run a
check first on how well you can regulate the heat in the
canner The same test should also be applied to a pressure
canner before canning on a smooth top range
Taking tta pressure off pressure canning
Have you heard tales of pressure canner explosions
Does a pressure canner scare you’ If so, MarceiTs advice
Yes you
(Turn to Page C 9)
can - preserve the bounty
Putting food by canning, can be a peach of an
activitity for the family if a little thought is put into
BRIGHT RED CATSUP
8 quarts ripe tomatoes, cubed
1 medium sized onion
3 teaspoons whole cloves
3 teaspoons broken cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons celery seed
% teaspoon cayenne
2 cups sugar
% teaspoon garlic salt
3 tablespoons pickle salt
2 cups white vinegar
Cook the tomatoes and onion until tender, 20 minutes
Run through a food mill. Strain everything through a
cheesecloth and save all the juice (stram overnight). It
will be thick like a paste Tie the whole cloves, cinnamon
sticks and celery seed in a cloth and drop in 2 cups white
vinegar Simmer spices and vinegar for 20 minutes. Add
the tomato pulp Then add the remaining ingredients and
boil for 10 minutes Bottle and seal Three batches will
make 5 quarts
6 onions, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped
8 quarts fresh tomatoes, quartered
1 cup sugar
cup salt
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
Cook the onions in a little water Wash and add the
chopped celery and tomatoes and cook until tender Put
through a sieve Return the juice to the kettle and add the
sugar and salt Cream the butter and flour and add to the
juice. Blend well and simmer until shghtly thickened
Cook as long as you would for gravy Put boiling soup into
pint jars and seal When serving, put in a saucepan and
add 2 pmches baking soda Heat shghtly, stirring in an
equal amount of milk
CUCUMBER RINGS
24 cucumbers
6 onions
5 peppers
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons mustard seed
3 cups sugar
3 cups vinegar diluted with water
Wash and slice the cucumbers Dice the onions and add
the seasonings Boil 10 minutes and put into jars
Mrs. Charles Biehl, Mertztown
i *-
PatStambaugb, Elliottsburg
TOMATO SOUP
Mrs. John Brubaker, Myerstown
organization before you plunge in. Our column
today is loaded with tips for home canners.
Vz bushel tomatoes
4 onions
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 tablespoon salt
1% cups sugar
Boil the tomatoes, onions and celery seed together and
sieve. Add the remaining ingredients and boil for 20
minutes Seal hot in jars
(Turn to Page CI7)
Cook’S ? f %
Question V y
Comer ? '
QUESTION I’d like a recipe for Jalapeno Jam
made with hot Jalapeno peppers and served with
meats
Mrs. Leo Barsnica, Neshamc Station, N.J.
QUESTION: I’d like a recipe for homemade root
beer.
August 23
September
6
TOMATO JUICE
Mrs. Charles Biehl, Mertztown
Mrs. Thelma Gavlak, Acme.
Recipe Topics
Tailgate Suppers
Labor Day Weekend
Picnics and cookouts
Blue Ribbon Recipes
Fair and compliment
winners
Brown Bagging Basics
Lunchtime take-alongs
Indian Summer
favorites