Read The Amish Canning Cookbook Online
Authors: Georgia Varozza
The Amish Canning Cookbook (18 page)
(See Greens.)
Note: Super sweet corn varieties are not good for canning because the kernels turn brown in the jar.
Remove corn husks and silk and then wash the ears. Cut the corn from the cob at about two-thirds kernel depth. Do not scrape cob.
Hot pack:
Measure corn and place it in a large pot, adding water to cover. Heat to boiling. Ladle hot corn and boiling cooking liquid into jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add salt, if desired (1 tsp. per quart, ½ tsp. per pint). Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process pints for 55 minutes and quarts for 85 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
Raw pack:
Pack corn loosely, without shaking or pressing down. Add salt, if desired (1 tsp. per quart, ½ tsp. per pint). Ladle boiling water over corn, leaving 1-inch headspace. Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process pints for 55 minutes and quarts for 85 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
Hot pack only:
Remove corn husks and silk and then wash ears. Blanch ears in boiling water for 4 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut the corn from the cob at half-kernel depth. Using a butter knife, scrape remaining corn from the cob. Measure amount of corn and “milk” and then place in a large pot. For each quart of corn, add 1 pint water. Heat to boiling. Pack in pint jars only—
do not use quarts
. Add salt, if desired (½ tsp. per pint). Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process pints for 85 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
Greens—Beet, Chard, Kale, Mustard, Spinach, etc.
Wash greens thoroughly, using several changes of water. Cut away large, tough stems and midribs. Working with about a pound at a time, blanch greens by steaming for 3 to 5 minutes or until well wilted. Use a blancher basket or a cheesecloth bag to keep the greens from being submerged in the water while blanching. Loosely pack in jar, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add salt, if desired (½ tsp. per quart, ¼ tsp. per pint). Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process pints for 70 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
(See Greens.)
Hot pack only:
Trim stems. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes to remove clinging soil and then wash in clear water. Leave small mushrooms whole; cut large mushrooms into halves or slices. Place mushrooms in a pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes. Pack hot mushrooms into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Use half-pint or pint jars only—
do not use quart jars
. Add salt, if desired (½ tsp. per pint, ¼ tsp. per half-pint). Ladle boiling water over mushrooms. Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process half-pints and pints for 45 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
(See Greens.)
Wash and drain okra. Remove stem and blossom ends. Leave whole or slice. Place okra in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Pack hot okra into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add salt, if desired (½ tsp. per pint, 1 tsp. per quart). Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process pints for 25 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
(See Beans and Peas, Dried)
Note: Snow, sugar snap, and pod peas are not suitable for canning due to poor quality results.
Shell and wash peas.
Hot pack:
Place peas in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Pack peas loosely into jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add salt, if desired (1 tsp. per quart, ½ tsp. per pint). Cover peas with boiling cooking liquid or boiling water. Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process pints and quarts for 40 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
Raw pack:
Pack peas into jars without pressing or shaking down. Add salt, if desired (1 tsp. per quart, ½ tsp. per pint). Cover with boiling water. Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process pints and quarts for 40 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
Peppers, Hot (jalapeno, Anaheim, Serrano, etc.)
Wearing disposable rubber gloves, wash peppers, remove cores and seeds. Remove skins (see below). Using only half-pint or pint jars (do not use quarts!), pack peppers loosely, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add salt, if desired (½ tsp. per pint, ¼ tsp. per half-pint). Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process half-pints and pints for 35 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
To remove skins:
Blister the skins in a very hot oven (400° to a broil) or over an open flame such as an outdoor barbeque or gas grill. Turn the peppers often to blister evenly and prevent scorching. Cool peppers before removing the skin. When working with hot peppers, wear rubber gloves and keep hands away from your face, especially your eyes.
Note: You must use vinegar to safely process sweet peppers. Use half-pint and pint jars only—do not use quarts.
Wash peppers and remove stems, seeds, and white ribs. Cut peppers into quarters. Place peppers in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Pack hot peppers into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Half-pints:
Add ¼ tsp. salt and ½ T. vinegar to each jar.
Pints:
Add ½ tsp. salt and 1 T. vinegar to each jar.
Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process half-pints and pints for 35 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
Wash potatoes to remove clinging soil. Boil sweet potatoes just until peel can be easily slipped off; peel potatoes and cut into quarters or cubes. Pack hot potatoes into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Ladle boiling water or a light to medium sugar syrup over sweet potatoes. Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process pints for 65 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
Wash and peel potatoes.
Cubed potatoes:
Cut potatoes into ½-inch cubes. To prevent potatoes from darkening, keep them in a brine of 1 tsp. salt per quart of water. When ready to place in jars, rinse and drain. Place in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Whole potatoes:
You can keep small to medium potatoes whole if you prefer. Boil the whole peeled potatoes for 10 minutes and drain.
Pack hot potatoes into hot jars and ladle fresh boiling water into jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add salt, if desired (1 tsp. per quart, ½ tsp. per pint). Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process pints for 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
Pumpkin and Other Winter Squash, Cubed
Note: It is not considered safe to home-can mashed or pureed pumpkin or winter squash, but cubed is fine. If you want to use your canned pumpkin for pies, simply mash the canned pumpkin when ready to bake.
Wash pumpkin or squash. Remove seeds and scrape off fibrous strings. Peel and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place cubes of pumpkin or squash into a large pot and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Pack hot pumpkin into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add salt, if desired (1 tsp. per quart, ½ tsp. per pint). Following the pressure canning directions in chapter 4, process pints for 55 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes at 10 psi, adjusting the psi as necessary for your altitude according to the altitude adjustment directions.
(See Greens.)
W
hen you choose to include canned meat on your food shelves, your possibilities for varied and delicious meals are enhanced and increased. Also, if there are hunters or fishermen in your family, canning is a logical way to preserve all that fresh meat. And if you are among the many folks who choose to produce some of your own meat, the possibilities widen further still.
Or maybe there’s a great sale on at your local grocery store and you want to take advantage of the low price—buy plenty and can it up. Another plus is that if dinnertime is looming and you realize you have nothing thawed, a quick trip to the pantry will yield the makings of dinner in a hurry. Canning meat just makes good sense.
General Tips for Canning Meat, Poultry, and Fish
• Use good-quality meat. If you plan to can game or fish that you have caught or meat that you have harvested, refer to your county extension service or other qualified organization for tips on how to properly field dress, bleed, clean, and age the carcass.
• Chill meat to 40° or lower as soon as possible. If you aren’t able to can the meat within a few days of slaughter, freeze it and keep frozen until ready to process. If you have bought the meat fresh at the store, follow these same guidelines.
• Trim off gristle, bruised spots, and fat from the meat before canning. Taking care during this stage will result in a milder-tasting product. Also, too much fat left on the meat can cause sealing failures.
•
Only
use a pressure canner—a water-bath canner is not safe when processing low-acid foods such as meat.
• Always use a trusted and tested canning recipe so you are confident the jars of meat have been processed for the correct amount of time.
• Take time to carefully read all instructions and make adjustments in psi according to your altitude. Refer to the altitude adjustment directions below.
• Have your dial gauge tested annually so you are certain that it’s reading correctly.
• Vent your pressure canner for a full 10 minutes before setting the weight on the vent stem or closing the petcock to begin building pressure.
• Do not use a thickening agent such as flour or cornstarch when canning meat. If you want a thickened sauce or gravy, you can add them when you are preparing your meal.
• If you suspect spoilage when you open a jar,
do not taste the contents
. Instead, place the opened jars on their sides in a very large pot and cover with water; add the lids as well. Wash your hands carefully and then cover the pot and heat the contents to boiling. Boil for 30 minutes to help detoxify the food; cool and discard. When you are done, thoroughly scrub your hands and arms, all utensils and containers, counters, sink, and anything else that might have come in contact with the food.
• Clean the outside of the jars when processing is complete and the jars have cooled. Using a vinegar and water solution will help cut the grease that has migrated to the outside of the jars during processing.
Preparing and Processing Meat, Poultry, and Fish
In this section you will find listed the most common meats suitable for canning and the specific guidelines for each.
Altitude Adjustment Directions
Depending on the altitude where you are canning, you may need to adjust the psi of your canner in order to ensure that your food has been safely processed at the required high temperatures. The following chart lists the adjustments you need to make depending on where you live:
Weighted gauge canner:
Process at 10 pounds pressure from sea level to 1,000 feet in altitude; at 15 pounds pressure above 1,000 feet.
Dial gauge canner:
Process at 11 pounds pressure from sea level to 2,000 feet in altitude; at 12 pounds pressure from 2,001 to 4,000 feet; at 13 pounds pressure from 4,001 to 6,000 feet; at 14 pounds pressure from 6,001 to 8,000 feet.
Ground Meat (or finely chopped)
Bear, Beef, Elk, Lamb, Pork, Sausage, Venison
A note about sausage: If you decide to season your sausage before canning it, omit sage, which turns bitter and off-flavor when canned. You can always add sage later when you are preparing the food for eating. If your sausage is in casings, remove the meat from the casings before browning and canning.