Question:  Can I reuse canning jar lids and rings?

Answer:   Screw-on Canning Rings may be reused unless they are showing signs of wear or rust. Canning Lids should not be reused as the adhesive ring wears out and they may fail to seal.  The only exception to this rule is the Tattler brand of lids that are intended to be reused. 

Reference: “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p. 14. 

Question:  I used some large food storage bags to freeze some produce but when I took them out of the freezer, the produce was freezer burned and had an odd taste.  How can I avoid this? 

Answer:  Regular plastic bags are too thin to protect food from freezer burn as they will allow air to get in the bag.  Use bags that at specifically labeled as “freezer bags”.  Other options that are BPA free are made from stainless steel or thick glass that won’t crack in the freezer.  You can also use canning jars for freezing.  Use wide mouth jars and allow enough head space as freezing water expands.  For meat, poultry and fish that you are freezing, it’s best to wrap the items in butcher paper.  Storing food using a vacuum sealer and their recommended plastic bags is another excellent way to freeze food. 

Reference:  “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p. 14, 17 & 18.

Question:  I tried to make some crock (fermented) pickles for our 4^th of July BBQ but they spoiled instead of fermenting.  What did I do wrong? 

Answer:  At warmer times of the year, the food you are trying to ferment can spoil before the beneficial bacteria can develop and start the fermentation process. That’s why cool weather crops, like cabbage and root vegetables, are often those that are fermented.  If you want to make pickles in the summer, you’ll need to add some extra salt.  Also, to assure success, always use produce in excellent condition and use filtered or non-chlorinated water for any water used in the recipe. 

Reference:  “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p. 26

Question:  Some recipes using the boiling water bath canning method say to sterilize the jars in boiling water.  Other recipes say to wash the jars in warm soapy water and rinse.  Which method is correct?

Answer:  If your recipe calls for processing the filled jars for less than 10 minutes, you must sterilize the jars by boiling them in water for 10-15 minutes.  If the recipe calls for processing the filled jars for 10 minutes or more, washing the jars in warm soapy water and then rinsing is adequate.  Do not boil the canning lids as this can ruin the adhesive ring.  Instead, boil some water, turn off the heat, and place the lids in the hot water. Leave the lids in the hot water until you’re ready to use them but not over an hour. 

Reference: “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p. 50. 

Question:  I thought that on the 0-14 pH scale of acid to basic, 0 was the most acid and 14 the most basic.  Most fruits and vegetables are less than 7. Aren’t they acid so I can use a boiling water bath canner instead of the more complicated and expensive pressure canner?

Answer:  To preserve foods in a boiling water bath canner, foods must have a pH of less than or equal to 4.6.  In general, this includes foods such as fruits, foods pickled in a vinegar based brine, fruit based sweet preserves and tomatoes with a little added acidity. The heat in boiling water bath processing partially contributes to the safe processing of the food, however, the additional acidity, more importantly, than heat is what safely preserves the food. All other foods must be processed in a pressure canner.  A pressure canner can heat the contents of the food to a much higher temperature and thus safely preserve the lower acid food.  The higher temperature will kill the bacteria that boiling water bath canning alone would not kill. 

Reference: “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p. 48, 49 & 122. 

Question:  I harvested a lot of tomatoes and wanted to can them. I saw a recipe for canning tomatoes that included adding lemon juice to the tomatoes. Tomatoes are very acid.  Why do I need to add lemon juice?  My mother never did. 

Answer:  Years ago in your mother’s time, tomatoes were more acid.  As time has passed, tomatoes have been bred for a sweeter flavor and have less acidity.  They need the addition of acid to be processed safely in a boiling water bath canner.  Without that acidity, you could safely process the tomatoes in a pressure canner but the flavor may be compromised. 

Reference: “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p. 57. 

Question:  I know the difference between jam and jelly, but what about preserves, conserves, marmalades, etc?

Answer:  Jellies are made strictly from fruit juice with absolutely no pulp in the mixture so you attain that perfectly clear product.  Jams have pieces of fruit in them. Technically, preserves have whole pieces of fruit in them, usually small fruits like blueberries, although the terms jam and preserve are often used interchangeably. A conserve is a jam or preserve that contains dried fruits or nuts.  Marmalades contain citrus and contain pieces of the peel.  Fruit butters are pureed fruit that have been boiled down to a spreadable consistency.  Syrups are a pourable fruit pulp. In general, fruits are in the acid range of produce and it is that acidity that makes them safe to preserve.  The boiling water canning simply creates the vacuum and seals the jars.

Reference: “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p. 88 & 89. 

Question:  I bought a roast beef on sale for a special occasion. I put it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer when I got home with it. When I took it out of the freezer a couple of months later, it was freezer burned. How can I avoid this?

Answer:  When moisture is removed from food due to the very dry air in a freezer, it develops a white color called freezer burn. Since the roast was only in the freezer for a couple of months, it was probably improperly wrapped. To properly wrap meat for freezing, first wrap it tightly in butcher paper and tape it shut with masking tape. Then wrap the package with aluminum foil and label the package with the date and the contents name. Freezer burn is not harmful but it does impart an undesirable smell and flavor. Alternative methods to properly wrapping meats for freezer storage are to use a vacuum sealer or to use a plastic bag specifically labelled a “freezer” bag on the package and to press out as much air as possible. 

Reference: “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p. 258 & 190. 

Question:  I had some extra raw cutup vegetables that I put into a plastic freezer bag and put it in the freezer. When I thawed them to use them, the texture and taste weren’t great. Is there a better way to freeze vegetables?

Answer:  Although freezing may kill bacteria that will cause vegetables to decay, freezing will not harm the enzymes that causes them to decompose. Blanching will destroy those enzymes. Blanching is plunging the raw vegetables into boiling water for a short time and then plunging them into an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Blanching will preserve the color, texture and flavor much better than just freezing. Before you place them in a freezer bag, dry the vegetables as much as possible.

Reference: “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p. 188.   

Question: Why do I need a pressure canner to can certain foods? Doesn’t boiling water kill bacteria? If I do need a pressure canner, can I use my pressure cooker?

Answer:  High acid foods (4.6 or lower on the 0-14 pH scale) can be processed in a water bath canner. In general, they include fruits, fruit preserves, pickles and chutneys with vinegar and tomatoes with additional acid. Low acid foods like soup stocks, meats and unpickled vegetables need to be processed in a pressure canner. Boiling water will kill bacteria but the spores will survive the boiling water. Left in an environment of moisture and no oxygen, these spores will thrive. Clostridium Botulinum produces the toxin responsible for botulism, a potentially deadly disease. A pressure canner heats the canning jar contents to hotter than boiling water and will kill the spores that lead to botulism. A pressure cooker cannot produce the environment of a pressure canner to kill the spores that produce the toxin responsible for botulism.

Reference: “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p. 120.

Question: Why is dehydrating a safe method for preserving food?

Answer: There are no bacteria, molds or yeasts that can survive without moisture. Thus dehydrating is a safe method of preserving food and was probably one of the first methods of food preservation.

Reference: “Preserving Everything”, Leda Meredith, 2014, Published by The Countryman Press, Distributed by W.W. Norton Company, Inc. p.140.