Preparation For Canning

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

In summer and autumn, housewives are concerned with how to preserve grown vegetables and fruits. The methods of preserving food by drying, smoking, pickling, salting and pickling have been mastered by people since ancient times. Subsequently, methods of cooling and freezing, heat treatment, preservation of products with the use of sugar and preservatives were developed. Each method has certain advantages. When starting home canning for the first time, remember some of the subtleties

The first stage of any home preparation is the sorting of vegetables or fruits by quality, ripeness and size. Vegetables of different sizes and maturity in one container are salted unevenly, so you run the risk of getting completely different tastes of products from one jar.

We set aside dense unripe fruits for pickling and pickling, large and slightly damaged vegetables are suitable for canned vegetables - they still have to be cut into pieces or chopped in a meat grinder. We also sort berries and fruits: whole selected ones - into compote and jam, overripe, slightly mashed - into jam, juice and puree. You can store sorted vegetables and fruits for a short time in the refrigerator or cellar. Cucumbers, tomatoes, squash and zucchini, as well as apples, pears will not lose their quality in a day. Carrots, beets and cabbage can generally be stored for several days. Especially if it is closer to autumn, when it gets cooler. The situation is worse with berries and fruits, spinach and herbs: apricots, cherries, cherries, strawberries, currants and raspberries can be stored for no more than 12 hours, although peaches, plums and gooseberries can tolerate more.

In the second stage, preparing for canning vegetables and fruits should be rinsed with running cold water. It is better to pre-soak dirty roots. After washing, the water must be allowed to drain, and for the preparation of some types of canned food, the fruits must also be dried.

The third stage is cleaning and grinding. Be patient and attentive. We remove all unnecessary parts: peel, core, seeds and seed pods, seeds, stalks and sepals, roots, and also cut out damaged areas. It is worth recalling that the knives used in this case must be made of stainless steel. So that the peeled and chopped fruits do not darken, do not be too lazy to put them in acidified citric acid or salted water.

The fourth stage is not necessary for all types of canning. Some recipes involve cooking vegetables in boiling water or over steam. At the same time, different goals are pursued. Plums, for example, are blanched in boiling water to prevent skin cracking during sterilization, and pears, apples and quince to soften. Squash and white cabbage, after blanching, retain their elasticity and natural color, eggplants and peppers lose excessive bitterness.

For blanching, it is not at all necessary to have any special devices, an enamel pot with boiling water and a colander in which you put the prepared fruits are enough. Blanching time depends on the type of raw material, the degree of its ripeness and the size of the fruit and, as a rule, is indicated in the recipe. After blanching, do not forget to immediately cool the fruit in running water, then it will not boil over.

For the preparation of some canned vegetables, raw materials are pre-fried, sautéed or stewed. Zucchini, eggplant, onion, carrot and white roots are fried in refined vegetable oil. This not only removes moisture, gives a specific taste and aroma, but also increases the calorie content.

Fifth stage - container processing, and this must be done either in parallel with the preparation of products, or in advance. The most common container for canning is glass. Jars and bottles are easy to wash and store, they do not rust, do not deteriorate from the action of the contents on them, and do not add to them. Their only drawback is fragility.

Glassware for canning must be absolutely clean, even sterile, otherwise all your work will be in vain - the workpieces will deteriorate. First, immerse the cans in water for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Stubborn dirt can be removed with warm soapy water or baking soda solution. You can add vinegar or a pinch of coarse salt to the water by cleaning the jars with a brush. Just do not use chemical cleaners or laundry detergents. Finally, rinse the dishes with clean water and place them neck down on a towel.

To seal the cans, you will need metal or plastic lids, which are first washed with a warm solution of soda, and immediately before rolling the cans, they should be put in boiling water for a few minutes.

Bottles can be sealed with regular cork or rubber stoppers of the appropriate size. Just remember to scald them with hot water first.