A brief introduction to canning

Do you have more produce on hand than you know what to do with? If so, canning is a great way to make sure your food keeps all winter long.

Preparing food for canning
Here are some ways of preparing produce before it goes bad.

• Cooking. Turn your fruit into jam, make tomato sauce or blanch your vegetables before canning them.

• Pickling. Vinegar helps produce become acidic enough to be canned in a water bath. Try cucumbers, carrots, green beans or even peaches in a brine of vinegar and water.

Methods of canning
Home canning involves using sealed glass jars to conserve your food. There are a couple of ways to do this.

• Water bath canning. This method uses boiling water to heat jars and seal them. Only foods with high acidity like berries, pickles and tomatoes can be safely canned this way.

• Pressure canning. This technique involves using high temperatures to can meat and vegetables that aren’t acidic enough to be safely water canned. You’ll need a pressure canner, which is similar to a pressure cooker.

No matter what canning method you use, make sure to sterilize your jars and always use rings that are free of rust and lids that are brand new.