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Best Picks
For Canning
And Pickling
The time is ripe for canning and
pickling. For perfect canning and
pickling results, the following
information is from the Heinz Suc
cessful Pickling Guide.
• Always pick fruits and veget
ables at their peak of freshness and
be sure to use a high-grade, quality
vinegar of 5 percent acidity.
• Use only standard jars made
for canning and metal, self-sealing
lids with screwbands. Always use
new lids as used lids will not seal
properly.
• Be sure jars are free of nicks,
chips or cracks.
• Wash jars, rinse well, and keep
in hot water until ready to fill.
• Pour boiling water over lids
and leave for at least 3 minutes or
until ready to use. Do not boil lids
as this can soften sealant and cause
seal to fail.
Packing
■ Pack clean, hot jars according
to recipe directions. Make sure that
pickling liquid fills in and around
ingredients.
• Release air bubbles by running
a nonmetal spatula down inside
jar. Add more boiling pickling liq
uid if needed.
• Wipe top of jar with clean,
damp cloth or paper towel to
remove any food or spills.
• Center hot lid on jar with sea
ling compound next to jar top.
Screw band firmly without forc
Featured Recipe
Dairy Management, Inc. (DMI) continues to work to increase
consumer demand for dairy products. Recently DMI hosted a booth
at the Institute of Food Technolgists to show dairy research in food
science and nutrition.
Ten chefs who participated in the cheese recipe competition were
selected at Premier Chefs of America.
National “Entertaining With Cheese,” spokesperson Barbara
Smith, a New York restaurateur, completed a seven-city media tour
to highlight the wonderful attributes of cheese to millions of con
sumers through television, radio, and newspapers. She also
authored a recipe leaflet Here is a recipe from the leaflet If you
would like the colorful leaflet which includes nine cheese recipes
that will make a party special, send a self-addressed, stamped enve
lope to American Dairy Association, 102 SS W. Higgins Rd., Suite
900, Rosemont IL 60018-5616.
Here is one of the recipes.
SPICY VEGETABLE CORNBREAD
2 cups yellow commeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
l'/i tablespoons baking powder
114 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
114 cups milk
14 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sweet com kernels
1 cup shredded Colby cheese
'A cup carrots, finely chopped
14 cup grated onion
'/< cup seeded fresh jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
Preheat oven to4oo degrees. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or
muffin tin. In a large bowl, stir together commeal, flour, baking
powder, salt, and brown sugar. Whisk eggs, milk, and melted butter
in a medium-size bowl and stir into dry ingredients. Add com,
cheese, carrots, onion, and jalapeno peppers. Stir until thoroughly
combined. Pour batter into skillet and bake for 30 to 3S minutes,
until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into
pieces and serve from skillet Makes 8 large pieces. Or bake in 12
muffin tins.
r, August fUT/tWS
Sattfnhr
ing. A too-tight band will not allow
air to escape during processing. A
too-loose band will result in low
vacuum and poor seal.
• A boiling water canner is
recommended by USDA for pro
cessing pickles and relishes. Pro
cessing helps destroy bacteria,
molds, yeast and enzymes which
cause food to spoil.
Processing
• Partially fill canner and bring
to simmer. Place jars in rack and
lower into canner or place jars
directly into rack in canner.
• Turn heat up until water comes
to full boil. Cover. Lower heat to
maintain gentle boil and begin tim
ing. Water should cover jars by 2
inches. Add more boiling water if
necessary.
• At the end of the processing
time, carefully remove jars from
water with jar lifter. For safety’s
sake, lift jars at shoulders, rather
than by lids.
• Place jars on rack or thick dry
towel and let cool, without mov
ing, for 12 to 24 hours. Seal usually
makes a pop sound when cooling.
Do not retighten lids after process
ing. Remove rings when jars are
cool.
• Check the seal. Lid should
curve down slightly in center and
should not press down or pop back
when pressed. Lid will make a
clear ringing sound when tapped
For perfect canning and pickling results, always select top-quality Ingredients. Pick
fruits and vegetables at their peak of freshness and be sure to use high-grade, quality
vinegar of 5 percent acidity. Many of today’s recipes are from Heinz Vinegar and Ball
Home Canning Products.
with a spoon.
• If jar has not sealed, food can
be reprocessed within 24 hours.
Common Pickle Problems
Soft:
• Use of slicing rather than pick
ling cucumbers.
• Cucumbers too mature or
yellow.
• Not removing blossom and
stem end.
Slippery:
• Vinegar solution too weak.
• Insufficient heat to destroy the
micro-organisms. Do not start
counting processing time until
water returns to boil.
Shriveled:
• Too much time between
harvesting and pickling.
• To much salt, sugar, or vinegar
at start of pickling process.
• Vinegar solution too strong.
Hollow:
• Over-mature cucumbers or
faulty growth. If cucumbers float
during washing, use for relish or
chunk style pickles.
Dark:
• Minerals in water, especially
iron.
• Using iodized salt
• Cooking too long with spices.
• Use of ground spices.
For more helpful hints and
recipes, write for Heinz Successful
Pickling Guide to Best Picks for
Canning and Pickling; P.O. Box
57, Pittsburgh, PA 15230.
GREEN TOMATO
PRESERVES
5 pounds green tomatoes, cored,
peeled, and finely chopped
4 pounds granulated sugar
2 lemons, unpeeled, sliced thin
In a large stainless steel or por
celain bowl, combine the tomatoes
Recipe Topics
If you have recipes for the topics listed below, please
share them with us. We welcome your recipes, but ask that
you Include accurate measurements, a complete list of ingre
dients and dear Instructions with each recipe you submit.
Send your recipes to Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming,
P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. Recipes should reach our
office one week before publishing date.
August-
17-
24- Garden Vegetables
31- Labor Day Cookout
September
7-
and sugar, mix thoroughly. Loose
ly cover and let stand overnight
In a large stainless steel or
enameled pot, drain the liquid
from the tomatoes and boil until
thick. Add the tomatoes and lemon
slices and cook until thick and
clear.
Fill hot, sterilized jars with
tomato mixture, leaving '/-inch
headspace and seal. Yields: 6
pints.
(Turn to Page B 8)
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