by Terrie James MA, FCS
County Extension Agent, Staff Chair
Hempstead County
Home gardening can provide hours of physical activity and yield produce that is fresh and nutritious. The emotional and mental satisfaction from planting, growing, and harvesting is also beneficial to one’s mental health and well-being. But if you grow more than you can use in a short amount of time or share with others, then you need to be prepared to preserve it safely for future use.
Getting your equipment and supplies ready for food preservation is just as important as planning and planting your garden.
While there are several methods of food preservation, the focus of this article is on supplies and equipment need for canning foods using the appropriate canning method indicated by the recipe.
The information provided is based on research conducted by the National Center for Home Food Preservation (https://nchfp.uga.edu/) in cooperation with USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/).
Recommended Jars and Lids
Food may be canned in glass jars or metal containers. Metal containers can be used only once. They require special sealing equipment and are much more costly than jars.
Regular and wide-mouth Mason-type, threaded, home-canning jars with self-sealing lids are the best choice. They are available in ½ pint, pint, 1½ pint, quart, and ½ gallon sizes. The standard jar mouth opening is about 2-3/8 inches. Wide-mouth jars have openings of about 3 inches, making them more easily filled and emptied. Half-gallon jars may be used for canning very acid juices. Regular-mouth decorator jelly jars are available in 8- and 12-ounce sizes. With careful use and handling, Mason jars may be reused many times, requiring only new lids each time. When jars and lids are used properly, jar seals and vacuums are excellent and jar breakage is rare.
Jar Cleaning
Before every use, wash empty jars in hot water with detergent and rinse well by hand, or wash in a dishwasher. Unrinsed detergents may cause unnatural flavors and colors. These washing methods do not sterilize jars. Scale or hard-water films on jars are easily removed by soaking jars several hours in a solution containing 1 cup of vinegar (5 percent acidity) per gallon of water.
Lid Selection, Preparation, and Use
The common self-sealing lid consists of a flat metal lid held in place by a metal screw band during processing. The flat lid is crimped around its bottom edge to form a trough, which is filled with a colored gasket compound. When jars are processed, the lid gasket softens and flows slightly to cover the jar-sealing surface yet allows air to escape from the jar. The gasket then forms an airtight seal as the jar cools. Gaskets in unused lids work well for at least 5 years from date of manufacture. The gasket compound in older unused lids may fail to seal on jars.
Buy only the quantity of lids you will use in a year. To ensure a good seal, carefully follow the manufacturer's directions in preparing lids for use. Examine all metal lids carefully. Do not use old, dented, or deformed lids, or lids with gaps or other defects in the sealing gasket.
Screw bands are not needed on stored jars. They can be removed easily after jars are cooled. When removed, washed, dried, and stored in a dry area, screw bands may be used many times. If left on stored jars, they become difficult to remove, often rust, and may not work properly again.
Recommended Canners
Equipment for heat-processing home-canned food is of two main types—boiling-water canners and pressure canners. Most are designed to hold seven-quart jars or eight to nine pints. Small pressure canners hold four-quart jars; some large pressure canners hold 18-pint jars in two layers but hold only seven-quart jars. Pressure saucepans with smaller volume capacities are not recommended for use in canning. Small capacity pressure canners are treated in a similar manner as standard larger canners and should be vented using the typical venting procedures.
Low-acid foods must be processed in a pressure canner to be free of botulism risks. Although pressure canners may also be used for processing acid foods, boiling water canners are recommended for this purpose because they are faster.
Boiling-water canners
These canners are made of aluminum or porcelain-covered steel. They have removable perforated racks and fitted lids. The canner must be deep enough so that at least 1 inch of briskly boiling water will be over the tops of jars during processing. Some boiling-water canners do not have flat bottoms. A flat bottom must be used on an electric range. Either a flat or ridged bottom can be used on a gas burner. To ensure uniform processing of all jars with an electric range, the canner should be no more than 4 inches wider in diameter than the element on which it is heated.
Pressure canners
Pressure canners for use in the home have been extensively redesigned in recent years. Models made before the 1970’s were heavy-walled kettles with clamp-on or turn-on lids. They were fitted with a dial gauge, a vent port in the form of a petcock or counterweight, and a safety fuse. Modern pressure canners are lightweight, thin-walled kettles; most have turn-on lids. They have a jar rack, gasket, dial or weighted gauge, an automatic vent/cover lock, a vent port (steam vent) to be closed with a counterweight or weighted gauge, and a safety fuse. Most pressure canners are made of aluminum or stainless steel.
Other equipment
Magnetic lid lifter, jar lifter, canning funnel, and bubble remover are some other small pieces of equipment that are helpful when preserving food at home.
All equipment should be stored washed and dried until ready to use during canning season.
Be sure you are using an approved recipe source that follows the latest food safety guidelines. The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service recommends using the following resources for tested recipes that have adopted the most current food safety guidelines:
National Center for Food Home Preservation-University of Georgia. So Easy to Preserve is a cookbook available at the website (https://nchfp.uga.edu/)
USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning-free download or can order with information at the website. (https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/)
Food preservation supplies and equipment manufacturer’s website and recipe books created and tested by the manufacturer.
University Extension websites found at land grant universities.
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research and Extension. Contact Hempstead County Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Terrie James, at [email protected] or call 870-777-5771 for more information.