TigerChef

With summer coming to an end, there are many delicious summer fruits and vegetables that are coming to an end along with it. It's a good idea to preserve some summer fruits and vegetables so that you get a taste of summer during the coldest, dreariest days of the long winter months. Here are some tips on how to can your fruits and vegetables safely.

1. It is important to always wash out the jars and the lids very well, with hot, soapy water. Make sure the jars are warm before filling them otherwise the hot food will cause the jars to break.
2. Fill the jars with the fruits or vegetables to its capacity before adding the hot brine. Make sure to leave the required amount of space at the head of the jar, between ¼” and ½”, so that you can secure the lid properly.
3. Get rid of 100% of the air bubbles before sealing the jars. Otherwise, the air bubbles can cause the glass jar to crack when it is being heated up.
4. In order to achieve the best canning results, make sure to follow the recipes down to a “T”.
5. Wipe the rims of the jar very well before fastening the lids on the jar, and then fasten as tightly as possible.
6. Place the tightly fastened jars in a pot of hot water. Make sure the jars are completely submerged in water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil for as long as the recipe suggests.
7. Remove the jars from the pot once it is done boiling and store in a cool place, undisturbed, for 24 hours. After 24 hours, store jars in a cool, dry place.
8. Before eating, make sure the jar lids have not popped. If they have, they may be unsafe to eat. If the lid popped, you must have strayed from the processing path somewhat at some point of the preserving game.

Filed under: General • How-To • Food Quality

Tags: can, fruits, preserve, summer, vegetables