Can fresh summer fruits to enjoy them all year long
Summer means enjoying a stunning bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you grow them in your garden or buy them at farmer’s markets and roadside stands, summer’s fruits are the sweetest and tastiest. There’s no doubt that you’d love to enjoy them all year long, but is that really possible? If you grab a few canning supplies, the answer is definitely yes.
Can I Really Handle Canning?
If you’ve never made a jam or canned your own tomatoes before, you might find the process daunting and scary. However, there’s nothing to be scared of when it comes to canning. So long as you follow safety guidelines, you can enjoy a wide variety of canned goods. In addition to taking pride in your efforts, you’ll also be able to cut down on the costs of buying out-of-season, canned and frozen fruits during the rest of the year.
When it comes to canning, all you have to do is buy the right supplies and follow established recipes. The USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning provides specific information about how you should process and handle a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and meats. Make sure to carefully follow the safety guidelines in this publication when canning. Also be sure to pay attention to processing adjustments for your elevation.
Canning offers many possibilities, but jams and jellies are among the easiest items for first-time canners to master. They also provide a great use for fruits that are just a little too soft or ripe to eat. When canning other items such as pickles, fruit halves, corn and green beans, fresh and crisp produce is best. Produce that is very ripe won’t hold up well enough for these uses.
Essential Canning Supplies
You’ll be able to find all the basic supplies that you need to can in your kitchen and at your local hardware store. Among the most important is a water bath canner or a pressure canner. You can use a water bath canner, which looks like a graniteware pot, for foods with medium to high acidity levels. You’ll need to use a pressure canner for foods with lower acidity levels. For your family’s safety, you should never use a water bath canner when a recipe calls for a pressure canner.
Beyond that, only a few other supplies are needed. Good measuring spoons, knives and cutting boards all come in handy while canning. For most projects, you’ll also need
• glass canning jars,
• jar lids and seals,
• a canning funnel,
• a jar lifter,
• a food press or sieve, and
• a canning bubble popper or butter knife.
Safety is essential when you’re canning. That’s why it’s important to have the right tools and supplies for the job. Stop by Rocky’s Hardware today to get everything you need to enjoy those fresh summer fruits for the rest of the year.