Planning ahead can save you time, money, and frustration. Get your equipment and supplies out and inspect them so you are ready when the crops are. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your source for current research-based recommendations for most methods of home food preservation.
With the weather getting cooler, you might want to see our directions for canning or freezing soups. Not all types of homemade soups can be successfully preserved for long-term storage.
Jelly didn't set up? Try using it as a pancake or ice cream syrup! If you want to try again, here's what we have to offer.
Canning pumpkin butter not a good idea, but try pieces or freezing.
If it is sadly time to put away your canner until next season, see our reminders for how to care for your pressure canner properly.
Looking for a last minute gift idea for the home food preserver? See our suggestions to stir your thinking!
If you are a home canner, this is the time of year to plan ahead and prepare. Get your equipment and supplies out and inspect them so you are ready when the crops are.
Many quick pickle recipes call for small, pickling varieties of cucumbers. If these interest you, be prepared by looking ahead to know what kind of cucumbers are needed for your favorite.
Ready to tackle your food cupboards during spring cleaning? Consult a food storage chart to see when it might be time to throw out some staples and start fresh.
If you are planning on canning this summer, plan now to make sure you have proper equipment in good condition. A pressure canner is needed to ensure safe low-acid canned foods.
Strawberries are the first fruits of spring in many locations. Frozen as whole or halved berries without sugar using the tray pack, individual berries can be removed from the freezer as needed. Sweet spreads are another favorite use and strawberries mix well with tart rhubarb in jam.
Can't wait for the garden before starting to put some goodies on the shelf? Use the grocery store or farm markets now to find ingredients for some relishes and sauces, such as Tangy Tomatillo Relish, Spicy Jicama Relish, or Easy Hot Sauce.
Cranberries are the fruit of the season; read more about the fruit and suggestions for preserved foods containing this bright red gem. Some of our favorites are cranberry salsa, cranberry-orange chutney and cranberry conserve. For a last-minute bright and pretty gift idea, cranberry sauce takes only sugar as the other ingredient!
To prevent botulism, follow directions for canning vegetables and meat, poultry and seafood in a pressure canner.
When pickling peppers, be sure to use recipes with enough vinegar if you process in a boiling water canner. Do not add oils unless you know you have a scientifically tested procedure to follow.
For best quality frozen foods, select and use appropriate packaging materials and methods.
Gardens are starting to produce those lovely, fresh vegetables. A pressure canner is needed to ensure safe low-acid canned foods. There are no safe boiling water canning options for vegetables, meats and seafood, soups and some other mixtures of foods.
Quality in frozen vegetables is maintained longer by blanching them before packaging and freezing. Proper packaging materials protect flavor, color, moisture content and nutritive value in frozen foods.
The amount of acid in a pickled product can make a difference in whether it can safely be canned in a boiling water canner. Check out our tested "How do I…Pickle" recipes for safe canning of pickled cucumbers and other vegetables and relishes.
It's apple season in much of the country! We can offer several ways to preserve your apple bounty. Our Seasonal Tip for apples lists many links of interest.
With the weather getting cooler, interest has seemingly turned to making and preserving soups. See our directions for canning or freezing soups. Not all types of homemade soups can be successfully preserved for long-term storage; we cannot offer you options for canning soups thickened with flours or cornstarches, or containing rice, pasta or cream.
Home canning for pumpkin, sweet potato or other squash butters is not recommended. You can still preserve your pumpkin; try pieces or freezing.
Salsas are on everyone's mind and a great option for spicing up meals, whether they be tomato-based or fruit relishes. Look at our canned salsas listing for the recipes we can recommend for canning. Many vegetable relishes use end-of-season produce and make good salsa options, too!
What to do with all your tomatoes? Can them, or try them pickled.
Acid levels in foods affect processing method There are two basic methods for canning foods at home, boiling water or pressure processing. The food's acid content, or pH, is a key factor in determining the minimally safe method. The boiling water canner method is used for acid foods and the pressure canning method is used for low acid foods.
Understanding altitude effects on processing The amount of time that jars are held at a certain temperature during canning is important to producing a safe product. Because altitude affects the temperature of boiling water or steam inside a pressure canner, adjustments are needed in canning times based on your altitude.
Using a canning funnel to fill jars Using a canning funnel to fill jars makes the process neater and keeps the jar sealing surface (rim) cleaner. These funnels are also known and sold as "jar fillers."
The importance of headspace in canning Headspace is the completely empty space left in the jar underneath the lid and above the food. Headspace allows for food to expand during canning and not have food come out of the jars. Recommended amounts also allow for good vacuums to be formed for holding lids in place and good food quality to be maintained during storage.
Applying lids to jars It is important to have a clean sealing surface when lids are applied to filled jars. Lids should be prepared according to manufacturer's instructions and then applied with ring bands tightened without too much or too little pressure.
Cooling jars at end of process Jars are placed on a protected surface after canning and allowed to air cool, undisturbed, until sealed. After boiling water canning, jars are removed from the canner at the end of the process. After pressure canning, the canner must be allowed to cool naturally to 0 pounds pressure after turning off the burner. The jars are removed after the pressure is gone from the canner.
The following video segments offer some specific recommendations for boiling water and pressure canning.
The boiling water canning process Boiling water canning is recommended for processing acid foods such as fruits and properly acidified tomatoes, pickles, and relishes. This information covers most of the basic steps in managing the boiling water canning process.
The pressure canning process Pressure canning is the only recommended method for canning low acid foods such as vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood. This information covers most of the basic steps in managing the pressure canning process, including venting air out of the pressure canner before it is brought to pressure.
These next two segments demonstrate hot pack and raw pack steps. Raw packs do not call for preheating food pieces before they are filled into jars. Hot packing by preparation steps that call for boiling or simmering foods before filling jars is the best way to remove excess air that could lead to color and flavor changes over time during storage. Hot packs are often preferred for many fruits canned in boiling water. Hot packs also usually allow you to fit more food into less jar space than raw packs.
Hot pack for fruits Prepared fruit is heated in water or syrup as described for specific foods prior to filling jars. This information demonstrates the hot pack process for filling jars with peaches.
Hot pack for vegetables Prepared vegetable pieces are heated in water or other liquid, as described for specific foods prior to filling jars. This information demonstrates the hot pack process for filling jars with green beans.
Raw pack for vegetables Raw prepared vegetable pieces are placed into jars without preheating. The vegetable pieces are then covered with hot or boiling liquid as described for specific foods. This information demonstrates the raw pack process for filling jars with green beans.
Preventing browning of cut fruits Ascorbic acid is an effective anti-darkening agent when used as a pre-soak while peeling and cutting light-colored fruits and vegetables. It can also be added to syrups used in containers to pack fruits for freezer storage.
Syrup pack for freezing fruits Sugar syrups are a good packing medium for many fruits being frozen. The syrup can result in maintaining a good texture for many frozen fruits during storage. This segment also discusses headspace for freezer containers and achieving a good seal on a plastic container for freezing peaches.
Sugar pack for freezing fruits Some fruits can be frozen by mixing the cut pieces with dry sugar and allowing the sugar to draw out the juices from the fruit. This method can help maintain a good texture for many frozen fruits during storage compared to a water or plain pack without sugar. This segment covers the process of a sugar pack for sliced peaches.
Dry or tray pack for freezing fruits Many fruits work well for an unsweetened pack of fruit pieces individually frozen on a tray before they are packed into containers. This segment demonstrates a tray pack for whole strawberries. Fruit pieces frozen in this manner are easily removed from packages without having to first thaw them.
Drying vegetables Vegetables are easily dehydrated in an electric dehydrator and preparation steps for different vegetables will vary. Small, uniform pieces make the process easier to manage. This information shows drying for green beans and discusses blanching as well as a short freezing step prior to dehydrating that is specific for green beans.
Determining doneness of dried fruit Many fruits are good candidates for preservation by drying. Specific directions can be followed for preparing each fruit for the dehydrator. This segment discusses determining when fruit is dry enough to stop the process, and how to package dried fruits for storage.
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