L# i E »Pj'B* Hundreds of Jars filled with seasonal fruits, vegetables, venison, recipes. This year’s collection includes nine varieties of pickles, water chicken, beef, turkey, and baby food line the basement shelves of the melon rind, zucchini and tomato combo, carrots in a glaze, and numerous Steagers’ East Petersburg home. Lynette is always searching for new varieties of Jams and Jellies. Canning Is This Young LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff EAST PETERSBURG (Lan caster Co.) Anyone who thinks canning food is a dying skill should meet Lynette Steager. Wife of Todd Steager and mother of Jarrod, 2, and Meg han, 1, Lynette finds time for her favorite hobby canning food. “I’d rather can than bake or cook,” Lynette said. Her basement shelves are proof of her labors. Hundreds of jars filled with seasonal fruits, vegetables, hunting bounty, and meats line the shelves. Lynette even cans baby food. “The food comes right out of my garden so I can control what’s in it (baby food),” Lynette said of the incentive to process her own baby food. Jars filled with turkey, chick en, beef, and venison enable her to prepare quick, nutritious meals for her family. “Canned meat is so tender and one of the easiest things to can,” Lynette said, which makes can ning a particular advantage for processing venison and other game. > i? i v f L S -Si ’■■OjMß EC"-*'* r r Lynette shrugs off any admira tion that canning is a demanding process. “Anyone can do it if they have proper equipment,” she said. “It’s so easy to do.” One of the most essential items is a pressure canner. People un familiar with pressure canners often voice concerns that it might blow up their house or cause some other havoc. According to Lynette, such fears are completely groundless. Pressure canners are completely safe and easy to use when in structions are followed. She has attended several can ning classes conducted at the Lancaster Extension office. Nancy Wiker, family living agent, teaches the classes. Ly nette credits the classes with giv ing her lots of information in helping overcome canning fail ures. Lynette confesses that in a middle of a canning session she often calls the extension office for some SOS help. For example, she recently canned tomato juice in some half-gallon jars she bought at a i&jri bai L public sale. To her dismay, the jar lids did not seal. Wiker ex plained that half-gallon jars are no longer made because food usually spoils in that size jar. It is difficult to cook food to the prop er temperature in that size jar, Wiker explained. According to food safety guidelines, the half gallon size jars are recom mended only for canning grape juice. Although people have canned food with boiling water bath methods in pass generations, Wiker said that the risk of botulism is more prevalent today. Produce is often purchased elsewhere rather than homegrown. In years past, people often got sick with food-borne illnesses but it was passed off as the flu. “I say that pressure canners are like a car seat belt. Most of the time you don’t need it, but you use it as a precaution in case you do,” Wiker said. Food that appears question able should not be even tasted. “Botulism is deadly. When in doubt, throw it out,” Wiker said. A common mistake for be ginner canners results in screwing bands on too tightly. This causes the lids to buckle. Have pressure canner dials checked yearly. Lynette was surprised that her pressure canner dial was so off balance isi «a*f. \ •ggr-^g kIM n ip£^ ik'*- M other’s Hobby that she had been over-process ing many foods. Wiker recommends a “dry run” before each canning episode with a pressure canner. This en tails filling the canner with water, covering it with a lid but without the pressure weight in place. Bring the water to a boil Nancy Wiker, family living and consumer science agent, directs Lynette in proper canning procedures that prevent food-borne illnesses. Pressure canner gauges, Wfker said, need to be tested annually to assure temperature control. ll WI |p -1 "