84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 24, 2003 Well Preserved Planning Ahead For Home Canning The Well Preserved news col umn is prepared by Lancaster County Cooperative Extension. It includes food preservation information and questions. As gardens are being planted with peas, green beans, corn, and other favorites, you begin to visu alize a bountiful harvest, some of which may be preserved. Rhubarb is being picked for traditional sauces and desserts. Strawberries will soon be avail able for sweet preserves. All are signs that it’s time to plan ahead for home canning this summer. Start by checking your equip ment and supplies. Proper equip ment in good condition is re quired for safe, high quality home canned food. A pressure canner is a must for canning low-acid foods. This in cludes all vegetables except acid ified tomatoes. Meats, fish, and poultry must also be processed in a pressure canner. Dial gauges should be tested for accuracy be fore each canning season. You can have a dial gauge tested free at your local cooperative exten sion office. In Lancaster County there will be someone available each Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to test dial gauges. In other counties, call your extension of fice to set up a time to have the dial gauge tested. You only need to bring the canner lid to have it tested. Pressure canners with weighted gauges do not need test ing. Also check your pressure canner to see if the rubber gasket is flexible and soft, not brittle, sticky or cracked. If you need to replace the rubber gasket, make sure you know the brand and ADAMSTOWN EQUIPMENT, INC. BOWMANSVILLE RD ADAMSTOWN, PA 19501 (717)484-4391 model number of your canner when you go to the store to pur chase one. There are many styles of gas kets available, and you will not be able to judge the thickness and size of the rubber gasket by sight. Check the pliability of the washer on the air vent and the pressure release plug. Hold the lid to the light to make sure any small pipes or vent ports with openings are clean and open all the way through. Small vents can be cleaned with a small brush or a pipe cleaner. A boiling water canner is needed for canning other foods such as fruits, pickles, acidified tomatoes, jellies and jars. The canner should be deep enough to allow at least one to two inches of water to boil over the tops of the jars. Some of the new boiling water canners are designed for processing jams and jellies and are only deep enough for pint jars. If you plan to can in quart jars, look for a taller canner and measure the height of the canner so that there is space for a rack, the jars, at least one inch of water above the jars, and room for the water to boil rapidly without boil ing over. Both types of canners should LANDIS BROTHERS, INC. POLE TAVERN POLE TAVERN 2710 MOUNT JOY ROAD EQUIPMENT SALES CORP. EQUIPMENT SALES CORP. MANHEIM, PA 17545 301 NORTH WHITE 670 ROUTE 40 (717)653-2340 HORSE PIKE ELMER, NJ 08318 HAMMONTON, NJ 08037 (856) 358-2880 have a rack in the bottom to keep jars off the bottom of the canner. It may be a flat rack or a lift out type rack. Inventory your jars and decide if you need to buy new jars this year. Inspect those you have for nicks, cracks, or chipsespecially around the top sealing edge. Nicks can prevent lids from sealing. Very old jars can weaken with age and repeated use and may break under pressure and heat. New jars are a better investment over time than buying used jars at yard sales or flea markets. Mason-type jars specifically designed for home canning are best. Commercial jars such as mayonnaise jars may be used in boiling water processing, but they may not always seal and are more likely to break. Avoid using commercial jars in a pressure canner because the higher temperatures and pressure increase the risk of breaking. Al though canning jars come in a variety of sizes from half-pint to half-gallon jars, processing times have not been developed for many foods in half-pint, 12-ounce, or 24 ounce jars. If a recipe does not specify a process ing time for one of these jars, pro cess according to the time given for the next larger jar. Half-gal lon canning jars are only suitable for very acid juices such as apple juice and grape juice. Jars come in both the regular and wide mouth styles. Jars that use two-piece self sealing metal lids are the recom mended container in USDA guidelines. Two piece lids consist of a flat metal disc which has a sealing compound around the outer edge and a separate metal screw band. Always use new flat lids. Used lids should be thrown away. The screw bands are reus able if they are not bent, dented or rusted. Do not reuse lids from commercially canned foods for home canning. Zinc lids and bail type jars are no longer recom mended for home canning; they are more suitable for dry food storage and decorative purposes. Some other items are helpful for home canning. A jar lifter is essential for easy removal of hot jars from the canner. A jar filler or funnel helps in packing small food items and jams into canning jars. A plastic bubble freer re moves air bubbles from jars. Metal knives or objects should not be used as a bubble freer be cause they can scratch the glass making the jar more susceptible to breakage. A lid wand has a magnet on the end that helps remove lids from the hot water. A timer or clock is needed to determine the end of the processing time. Many other home canning accessories such as corn cutters, apple sheers, cherry pitters, decorative labels, and special canning spoons are available. Some of these items may simplify the procedures but Master Gardener Program Accepts Applications DOYLESTOWN (Bucks Co.) Penn State Cooperative Exten sion in Bucks County is accept ing applications for the Penn State Master Gardener Program. This program consists of a training course designed to pro vide experienced gardeners with information and skills necessary to share their experience and training with others. Classes will be weekly on Tuesday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon starting from Aug. 26 through Dec. 16. The first half of the classes will be at the Montgomery County 4-H Bidding in Creamery and the second half of the classes will be VALLEY AG & TURF, L.L.C. VALLEY AG & TURF, L.L.C. 817 TOBIAS RD WATSONTOWN EXIT 1-180 HALIFAX, PA 17032 WATSONTOWN, PA 17777 (717)362-3132 (570)538-3557 are not essential. Finally, make sure that you have up-to-date canning instruc tions. The most recently revised edition of the USDA canning guides is dated 1994. Canning books published prior to 1994 will not have safe processing times and/or methods. The Na tional Center for Home Food Preservation has a good web site at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp. Watch this column for new publi cations and web sites for the lat est canning information. Planning ahead can save you time, money, and frustration with home canning. Make it a happy, successful - canning season by get ting prepared before your harvest is ready. If you have food preservation questions, a home economist is available to answer questions on Wednesdays 10 a.m.-l p.m., call (717) 394-6851 or write Penn State Cooperative Extension, Lancaster County, 1383 Arcadia Rd., Rm.l, Lancaster, PA, 17601. at Neshaminy Manor Center in Doylestown. Volunteer positions for Bucks County Master Gar deners are open only to Bucks County residents. Residents of other counties should contact their county extension office for information. Bucks County residents who are interested in applying to the program should attend an ori entation meeting June 3 at 9 a.m. at the Neshaminy Manor Center, Doylestown. For more informa tion, contact Susan Schneck at the Bucks County Cooperative Extension at (215) 345-3283, Tuesdays.
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