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(Continued from Page C 6)
on pressure canners will be a welcome relief. She says
that the design problem responsible for those fears was
corrected decades ago. Today, all pressure canners must
by federal regulation have either a safety valve or fuse.
And newer, weighted gauge models offer additional safety
because pressure is released each time the gauge jiggles
or rocks during the processing.
A pressure canner is a must if you plan to can low-acid
foods such as most vegetables, meats, or combinations of
foods such as soups or sauces safely. Use of the pressure
canner makes it possible to get higher temperatures, thus
reducing the heat processmg time. The pressure canner is
a heavy, deep kettle with a rack in the bottom and a tight
fitting lid that locks into place when in use. Pressure is
built up inside the canner so the internal temperature is
higher than the temperature of boiling water. A gasket fits
between the canner and the hd so pressure can be built up
inside the canner. At 10 pounds of pressure, the tem
perature is 240* F.
An air vent, sometimes called the petcock, is an im
portant part of the pressure canner. This makes it
possible for the an- inside the canner to escape from the
canner as it is replaced with steam when the canner is
heated. After the air is exhausted through the vent, the
vent is closed either with a weight put over it or with a flip
type or screw-type valve. Then with additional heat, the
pressure inside the canner is brought up to the desired
pressure of 10 pounds. By controlling the heat under the
canner you can maintain this pressure for the recom
mended processing time.
Canners have two types of gauges, a dial gauge or a
weighted gauge. The dial gauge indicates the pressure
while the weighted gauge actually controls it. Both have
an air vent to allow air inside the canner to excape and be
replaced with steam.
Canners vary in size, capacity and price. Small-sized, 4
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The sunshine and bounty of summer preserved
and waiting on shelves for the family’s meals is a
gorgeous sight on long winter days.
quart earners, 7 pints, are less expensive and are best
suited for canners who preserve only small quantities of
food, Marceil says. Medium sized canners, 7 quarts or 10
pints, are the most popular for the average family. Large
sized canners, 7 quarts or 20 pints, have disadvantages as
they are extremely heavy when fully loaded and may be
too tall to fit between the range unit and the hood or
overhead cabmet, she says. Additionally, they require
longer exhaust and cooling times.
Putting a lid on food spoilage
If you’ve canned before and are planning on using
leftover lids or have been given some to use, Trudy
Dougherty of the Center County extension office suggests
you think twice. According to her, most lid gaskets have a
rough textured rubber seal which if stored m a cool dry
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, August 16,1980—C9
place can be good for up to three years after manufacture.
Lids with a smooth latex rubber seal tend to dry out faster
and should not be kept more than one year. Trudy says
one problem consumers face is that they usually don’t
know when the lid was manufactured. For best results she
recommends you discard any lids from years past
especially if they were stored m the kitchen or some other
warm place, and start over with new lids, preferably
dated ones to avoid disappointment.
Food that looks clean may not be clean enough when
you’re canning, Marceil says. The soil m which the
produce grows contains some of the most difficult to kill
bacteria that exists. In order to remove the hidden gnme
you need to wash them gently but thoroughly in as many
changes of water as it takes to get a clear rinse water. In
addition, it’s important to peel root crops. The rough
texture on the outer layer of these crops can hold many
bacteria that even washing can’t remove.
Removing the skins from fruits such as apples, peaches,
pears and apricots is equally important, Marceil says. Not
only do you remove any pesticide residue that might still
be on the fruits, but you remove any hidden bacteria as
well. For any food, proper washing includes a gentle but
thorough washing in several changes of water before
removing .seeds, skins, caps, stems, cores or pits.
Washing means lifting the foods up and out of the rinse
water, not allowing them to dram in the sink or pan and
washing them until the rinse water is clear. After the final
rinse, treat the food to prevent darkening if necessary.
Hot packing is recommended by Trudy for filling
canning jars. Using this method, you bnng foods to a boil
or cook uncovered for a specified tune, pack hot into jars
and then heat process. “It’s an extra step that is really
essential, because hot pack helps remove bacteria prior to
canning. Hot pack not only gives you a safer product; you
get more food per jar, fewer unsealed lids and a better
looking product,” she says. One caution, if you’re in
terrupted before continuing the processing and the food
cools, it’s best to bnng it back to boiling before continuing
the processing.
Free canning booklet is only a phone call away
The Penn State Extension office in your county has
available a Home Canning guide, packed with information
on almost any food you’d care to process. Written by
Louise Hamilton, professor of foods and nutrition for the
extension service and Gerald Kuhn, professor of food
science, the manual stresses safety. But best of all, it’s
free. Just ask for Home Canning Circular 569.
Newer vegetables' processing exstatoed
Trudy has some suggestions for canning some of the
newer vegetables, such as Manaluci tomatoes and Sugar
Snap Peas. She says that while the packet for Manaluci
tomato seeds sometimes carries a warning not to can the
tomato, “research shows there’s no reason for this. In
fact, the USDA has included Manaluci tomatoes on its list
of tomatoes suitable for canning.”
$$
Trudy suggests you use the hot pack method of filling
jars and use safe modem canning techniques, using only
high quality tomatoes.
However, Sugar Snap Peas must be handled carefully to
retain their flavor, appearance and texture. Trudy
recommends freezing rather than canning the peas since
they are especially sensitive to high heat, and overcooking
or the high temperatures required for canning will cause
the pods to fall apart Only two minutes over medium heat
is desirable when preparing this tender vegetable.
To freeze Sugar Snap Peas, strmg the peas and blanch
for 1-1% minutes. No seasoning is required, simply lay the
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