Tuna antipasto can make a tasty addition to a green salad.
Antipasto is a traditional first course in Italian cuisine, such as an appetizer or salad. Oftentimes, antipasto contains salted or cured meats--such as salami or ham, fish--such as tuna or salmon, fresh or picked vegetables, bell peppers, olives and cheeses. Antipasto can be made fresh or be canned to serve at a later date. To successfully can tuna antipasto with no loss of flavor, it's better to can the tuna separately from the other antipasto ingredients. Then, when it comes time to serve, you can combine the ingredients and serve at the peak of flavor.
Instructions
Canning Tuna
1. Fill a large pressure canner full of water. Place on the stove and turn the burner to high heat. Bring the water to a full boil.
2. Add several half-pint canning jars--however many you need for the amount of food you have to can--as well as the same amount of canning lids and rims to the boiling water using tongs. Leave them in the water for at least one minute, then remove everything from the water and pour off excess water. Set everything on a clean towel to air-dry. Add more water to the pressure canner, if necessary.
3. Trim the tuna into bite-sized pieces using a sharp knife, removing any fat or connective tissue.
4. Fill the canning jars with the tuna pieces, leaving about one inch of space below the top of the jar. Add 1/2 cup of kosher salt to each jar. Fill each jar with extra virgin olive oil until the fill line is about half an inch below the lid. Shake the jars gently to remove any air bubbles within the liquid.
5. Wipe away any excess oil from the top of the jars with a clean towel. Place the lids on the jars securely and place the lids on top, screwing them on tightly.
6. Insert the jars into a canning rack. Place the canning rack into the boiling water. Verify that the jars are covered by at least two inches of water. Lock the top of the pressure canner and remove the pressure regulator cap from the lid.
7. Allow the pressure canner to steam for about 10 minutes, then put on rubber gloves and replace the pressure regulator cap.
8. Run the pressure canner for an hour and 40 minutes once the pressure gauge reads 11 pounds. Turn up the heat if the pressure drops below 11 pounds and resume the countdown once it does. Turn off the canner and let the pressure drop back to zero before removing the lid. Remove the canning rack from the pressure canner.
9. Check the seals to make sure that the jars are properly sealed; the tuna can be stored for up to a year in a cool, dark location.
Canning Antipasto Vegetables
10. Make the antipasto vegetable recipe as directed.
11. Follow Steps 1 and 2 from Section 1: "Canning Tuna" to properly prepare your jars for canning.
12. Add the hot antipasto ingredients to the canning jars, leaving half an inch of space below the top of the jar. Shake the jars gently to release any air bubbles.
13. Wipe any residue from the of the jars with a clean towel. Place the lids on the jars and screw the rims tightly onto the jars.
14. Place the jars into a canning rack and lower into the boiling water in the pressure canner. Verify that there is at least two inches of water above the top of the lids.
15. Follow Steps 6 and 7 from Section 1: "Canning Tuna" to begin the canning process.
16. Run the pressure canner for 25 minutes once the pressure gauge reads 11 pounds. Turn off the burner after 25 minutes and allow the pressure drop back to zero before removing the canner's lid.
17.Remove the canning rack from the water and let the jars cool. Check to make sure that the seals are tight on the jars. Store in a cool dry place for up to one year.
Tags: pressure canner, canning rack, boiling water, Canning Tuna, clean towel