The Jam and Jelly Lady

Many folks love to can their own tomatoes for use in the winter months when they can't find a tomato in the grocer to their liking.  I personally put up only 50 jars or so.  I know some folks do a hundred or more.

But I like to vary the spice and dried herbs in my canned tomatoes.  The fun thing about spices is that you can add them to tomatoes without increasing the processing times for the water bath or the pressure canner, whichever you like to use.

For Italian tomatoes, I add basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and salt to my tomato base.  In the winter, this combination makes wonderful base for a spaghetti sauce.

Rotel is one of the most recognized names in manufactured canned tomatoes.  You can make your tomatoes sing with flavor like Rotel's, too.  Simply add spices to your tomatoes when you are heating them to can.

For Mexican tomatoes, try chili powder, cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper, onion flakes, and coriander.  You can even add some diced small chilis.  If it's easier, open a can of chopped chilis and add them to your tomatoes.  It won't change the processing time of your canner.  I use Mexican tomatoes to make chili, enchiladas, and tacos in the winter - yummmm!

A good week in the Florida sunshine was just what the doctor ordered!  I feel so refreshed and ready to get through this promising canning season now!

July is the last month of the summer that I teach canning.  When the bulk of the harvest arrives (Aug), I work 'round the clock!  Then in September, when the best apples and cider are arriving and I'm crying to have just one more peach to can, we participate in numerous Ohio festivals.

If you want a comprehensive canning class that focuses on food safety as it relates to USDA-approved water bath and pressure canning techniques, Beginner's Class is for you!  I'm offering one Beginner's Class: July 11, Sunday, noon till 6.  Maximum 10 students.  If this class looks to be filling quickly, I'll add another Sunday class later - probably on July 25. $75 per person. 

I'm also offering two Master's Classes in July.  On Tues., July 13 at 6:30 p.m. I'll teach Canning with Honey.  This is for folks interested in using honey instead of sugar to sweeten and preserve.  We'll dive into the food science of honey vs. sugar, and you'll can two recipes this evening.  $25 per person.

On Tues., July 27 at 6:30 p.m., I'll teach Expertly Canning Tomatoes.  We'll review food safety for tomatoes, then learn to can Fiesta Salsa and one other product I've not decided on yet.  I looove tomatoes!

Online registration, only, at www.jamandjellylady.com!  Let's Can!

Analog dial versus a weighted gauge - which is the best for pressure canning? 

I grew up using a weighted gauge canner.  My ears are well-tuned for listening to the pot "speak" through the jiggle of the gauge.  I know 30 feet away without looking at the pot whether the pressure is going a little too high.  One time the canner "told" me that the gasket had ripped by its insistent sputtering and spewing, and to abort the process until everything cooled and I could safely replace the gasket!  On the downside, these older canners are not as precisely made as the newer ones, and oftentimes even the newest gasket can't stop a little steam from escaping the sides of the canner.  Thus, it takes longer for the canner to reach pressure, and more energy to do so.  Time and energy...

I've got a new canner that I trust and am now selling through our cannery: the Presto 23-quart Pressure Canner.  It has an analog gauge - that is, you SEE the pounds of pressure by watching the dial (instead of listening to a jiggle). 

I have to stick pretty close to this pot as the pressure is rising to its optimum level because once the pressure begins to rise, it gains momentum quickly.  The new canner reaches pressure in about 1/2 the time of my older models (all Mirros) because the lid is very tight and doesn't leak any steam at all.  So even though I'm wary about walking too far from its side, I'm saving time and energy every day by using it!

OK, Presto, you owe me for this plug!  But seriously, this canner is a good bang for the buck.  And I also recommend the 23-quart over the 16-quart because it's only a few dollars more, but you can fit 18 pints compared to 9 pints. 

If you still have your older weighted gauge canner and you're comfortable with it, just remember to always have a spare gasket handy!  If you're using a newer, analog model, remember to take it to your county extension office once a year to have it recalibrated.  These gauges can lose their accuracy after many uses.  Happy canning!

Why is heat so vital to home canning?  I could lecture for hours about this topic, but I'm just going to make a few strong points here. 

Heat is one factor in killing harmful microorganisms in canning.  The bacteria I worry most about is Clostridium botulinum (botulism).  This bacteria does not need oxygen to survive, so creating vacuum in a canning jar will not kill it.  But it CAN be killed by high heat.  Adding acid is important, too, but that's another subject.

Let's take green beans.  Beans are low acid, meaning the pH is more than 4.6.  Botulism is most prevalent in low acid foods.  To preserve green beans safely, you must can them under a high temperature.  You must use a pressure canner to achieve a high enough temperature.  (Water bath canning is only for highly acidic foods with a pH below 4.6.)

Water you put in a pressure canner boils first, just like a water bath.  As the water boils, it produces steam.  In a water bath, the steam leaks out of the pot.  But in a pressure canner, the steam is not released as easily, and thus pressure builds inside the pot.  As pressure builds, the temperature rises - much higher than in a water bath.  Thus the harmful bacteria is killed.

It is important to process foods in a pressure canner for the number of minutes and the pounds of pressure as listed in your recipe.  For safe canning recipes, here is a great link to the National Center for Home Food Preservation.  Or if you want hands-on canning classes, consider registering for our next class, April 17th and 18th, 6:30 - 9:30 in the evenings. 

Thanks, and have a safe day!

Just a quick note to let everyone know our next canning class was just scheduled. We accept 10 students (it's VERY hands-on, so we must keep it low), and only 8 positions left already.

May 17th and 18th (Monday and Tuesday nights) 6:30 - 9:30.  Cost is $75, and that includes all materials.  First night is waterbath and the second is pressure.  Our address is 1941 Hart Road, Lebanon, Ohio  45036.  I know that most students from far away will not be interested in this class, but I will schedule at least one more weekend, all-day class before August.   I've been teaching all-day Saturday classes all during the winter and spring, but as summer approaches, my weekend time is always taken by farmers markets and children's ball games.  So a week night is your best bet if you can make it.

Equipment is available for purchase at good prices, such as jars, canners, canning tools, etc. 

You can sign up through our website on thursday, or you can reserve today by calling direct 513-932-6470 and leave a clear message.  Or you can email to sonya@jamandjellylady.com and let me know how many student are in your party, phone number, etc. I'll get back to you.  Thanks!

Starting today, I'm going to write one canning tip per week.  It IS the beginning of canning season, right?  The strawberries are just about ready to burst, herbs are appearing, and canners are pulling equipment from their basements and shining them up for the season!

Tip #1

Pressure canners.  Older pressure canners have a weighted gauge on their lids to help us humans determine inside pressure by listening to the jiggle of the gauge as it was rocked by the steam emitted by the canner.  But newer brands rarely use this method of gauging pressure.

New canners succumb to our society's need for visual reassurance of correct pressure.  They come with a dial gauge that looks similar to a clock face, only with the numbers 5,10, 15, and sometimes 20 printed on them.  The numbers signify pounds of pressure.

At the beginning of each canning season have your dial gauge calibrated by your local extension office.  I've never seen them charge for this service.  You are usually asked to bring in your lid, with the gauge attached.  Why is this chore important?  Pressure causes your gauge to decalibrate a little at a time.  You think you're applying 10 lbs. pressure, but in reality it is only 7.5 lbs. because the dial hasn't been reset.  Dangerous if you are canning low-acid foods like beans or corn!