Fruits and vegetables are plentiful in the summer and fall months, making this is a good time to preserve extra produce for enjoyment in the winter.

Patti Griffith, Nutrition and Food Safety Educator, University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service

Making Canning Work for You

MP-119-12

Issue Twelve

Be sure to check your equipment and supplies before starting any canning project to avoid stopping in the middle and running to the store. The trick to summer canning is staying “cool” while spending the day in the kitchen.

Experienced canners follow simple guidelines:Share the labor and the rewards with family and friends. Additional * hands make the job more enjoyable and completion quicker.

Begin canning early in the day when the kitchen is cool and you are * fresh.

Plan ahead by grouping fruits, vegetables, and meats according to the * way they are canned and the types of equipment used.

Schedule jams, fruit butters, and conserves in one group and pickled * vegetables and relishes in another since they require similar ingredients and types of processing.

Don’t go overboard trying to do everything at once. Estimate carefully * the time needed to prepare, process, and cool.

Set out the equipment the day before. Check jars for nicks; make sure * screw bands are clean and unbent and lids have a complete ring of sealant.

Be sure there are enough new caps and lids for the amount being * canned.

Old Pressure Canners: Garage Sale Bargains or Flower Planters?Old canning equipment often turns up at garage sales and auctions. Though canners may appear to be in good shape, many need replacement parts before they can be safely used. In some cases, old brands of canners are no longer manufactured, which makes finding replacement parts virtually impossible.

For some models of Kook Kwik, Maid of Honor, and Magic Seal canners, replacement parts are carried by Presto®. Contact the Consumer Service Department at National Presto Industries Inc. at www.gopresto.com or (800) 877-0441.

Given the value of your time to investigate the potential utility of a used canner, it may be less expensive in the long run to purchase a new one. If, however, you decide to buy a used canner, here are helpful questions and tips from a Colorado State University Extension Web site on evaluating used pressure canners available at www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/cfs/food/pressure.html:

Is the gauge attached or with the canner? (Weights and * dials can be replaced)

Is the petcock safety valve complete? (Replacement parts * are available)

Are the threads of the opening undamaged? (Opening * cannot be rethreaded)

Does the canner lid require a rubber gasket? (Most sizes * are available)

Is the metal-to-metal seal smooth around the lid and * bottom with the minute manufactured grooves visible?

Is the canner round? When looking directly into the * canner, does it appear to be exactly round and not oblong or bulged in one place? If it is not round, do not use it for canning – it might be a flowerpot!

Is the bottom of the canner flat and level? A canner with * a recessed or rounded bottom should not be used for canning. Flowerpot!

On wing screw-type canners, make sure each screw and * corresponding space on the lid is in good condition.

Many replacement parts can be found at hardware stores, appliance repair shops, and companies that make canners. In some cases, replacement parts may not look exactly like the old parts but will serve the same function. Hole diameters and thread sizes are standard on all makes of canners, so replacements will fit on old canners. Many old handles and knobs that have either cracked or fallen off can usually be replaced. A good cleaning may also help to determine whether it is a bargain – or a flowerpot! Use hot, soapy water. If you need more scrubbing power, use baking soda, which is less abrasive than commercial scouring powders and pastes.

When considering the purchase of a new canner, you will choose between models with either a dial gauge or weighted gauge. A gauge is essential to control pressure and to let you know how much pressure is built up inside the canner.

Dial gauges are visual, indicating the amount of pressure inside the canner with a pointer that moves around the dial face. The benefit of canners with dial gauges is also their drawback: You can more closely control their pressure, but dial gauges should be checked every year as well as after any mishap, such as being dropped, or after potential mishandling, such as after a household move.

Weighted gauges will rock gently or frequently make a “jiggling” noise, indicating maintenance of the correct pressure. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to know how a specific weighted gauge should rock or jiggle.

When pressure is released too frequently or constantly, liquid is pulled from the jars inside. This is a common

problem in jars canned in a weighted-gauge canner. If the jars stay sealed after they are cooled, the

product inside is safe to use even though the liquid is down. Pulled liquid may keep some jars from sealing because the residue on the jar rim will prevent a complete seal.

Dial pressure gauges can be checked at local University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES) offices. Contact information is in your local phone directory and on-line at http://ces.uwyo.edu/Counties.asp.

An accurate gauge will help you avoid having to throw out jars of improperly processed food or exposing your family and friends to serious – and potentially fatal – food-borne illnesses.

Green and Wax Beans – Snap and ItalianApproximately 14 pounds of beans are needed per canner load of seven quarts while approximately nine pounds are needed per canner load of nine pints. A bushel weighs 30 pounds and yields 12 to 20 quarts – an average of two pounds per quart. Select filled but tender, crisp bean pods. Remove and discard diseased and rusty pods.

Wash beans and trim ends. Leave the beans whole, cut them, or snap into 1-inch pieces. If using the hot-pack method, cover with boiling water, and boil 5 minutes. Fill

the jars loosely, leaving 1-inch headspace.For the raw-pack method, fill the jars tightly with raw

beans, carefully working the beans to eliminate as much air space as possible. The tops of the beans should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Add 1 teaspoon of canning salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Add boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process in a pressure canner following the recommendations in Table 1 or Table 2, according to the type of canner being used. (There is no safe option for processing green beans in a boiling-water canner.)

To be safe, boil low-acid, home-canned foods for 10 minutes plus 1 minute for each 1,000 feet of altitude above sea level. The boiling will destroy toxins that could have formed.

Table 1. Recommended process times for snap and Italian beans in a dial-gauge pressure canner.

Canner Pressure at altitudes of

Style of Pack Jar Size Process Time 2,001 to 4,000 ft 4,001 to 6,000 ft 6,001 to 8,000 ft

Hot and RawPints 20 min 12 pounds 13 pounds 14 pounds

Quarts 25 min 12 pounds 13 pounds 14 pounds

Table 2. Recommended process times for snap and Italian beans in a weighted-gauge pressure canner.

Canner Pressure at altitudes

Style of Pack Jar Size Process Time Above 1,000 ft

Hot and RawPints 20 min 15 pounds

Quarts 25 min 15 pounds

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Complete Guide to Home Canning

For more tips on preserving fruits and vegetables, contact your local UW CES office or go to UW CES Food and Nutrition Web page at www.uwyo.edu/cesnutrition/Food_Preservation.htm. This page links to on-line versions of the USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning. Click on the UW Resources link to access Wyoming-specific versions of USDA’s guidelines (click on the Preserving Food in Wyoming link), or click on the Web Sites link to access the entire USDA publication as well as other on-line resources.

Patti Griffith is one of the UW CES nutrition and food safety educators serving northwestern Wyoming. She works out of the UW CES offices in Lander and Riverton.

Some of the information for this fact sheet came from newspaper columns by Cindy Shuster, an extension educator for The Ohio State University in Perry County, Ohio, from Colorado State University Extension’s “Pressure Canners Use, Types and Care” at www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/cfs/food/pressure.html, from USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning, and from the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s So Easy to Preserve, 5th edition, by Elizabeth Andress and Judy Harrison. Information about So Easy to Preserve, which contains many recipes, and the companion video series can be found at http://www.uga.edu/setp/.

Editor: Robert Waggener Graphic Designer: Bernadette van der Vliet

Persons seeking admission, employment, or access to programs of the University of Wyoming shall be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact their local UW CES office. To file a complaint, write the UW Employment Practices/Affirmative Action Office, University of Wyoming, Department 3434, Laramie, WY 82071-3434, or call the office at (307) 766-3459.