Preserve fruits and vegetables by canning.
Canning allows you to preserve and enjoy summer fruits and vegetables from your garden all year long. Buying and canning fruit during the summer months reduces your winter grocery bills since fruits and vegetables tend to be cheaper during the spring, summer and, occasionally, in the fall. Canning preserves perishable foods by creating an airtight barrier within a glass jar. Since most bacteria and molds cannot survive without oxygen, your food will be preserved as long as the jar's airtight seal remains intact.
Instructions
1. Rinse your fruit and vegetables in cool water to remove any visible dirt. You may want to use an organic fruit and vegetable wash. Pat the produce dry with a clean towel. Use a kitchen knife to remove any stems, bruises or gashes on the produce. Cut your produce into any size pieces or use smaller fruits and vegetables whole.
2. Sanitize canning jars, lids and bands by submersing them into a pot of boiling water for at least 10 minutes. When the time is up, turn off the heat on your stove top and let the jars, lids and rings cool. Drain the water the pot, remove the canning jars and dry them with a clean towel or turn them upside down and allow them to air dry.
3. Fill your jars with your fruit and/or vegetables. Leave a half-inch of space at the top of the jar. Pour boiling water into the jar to fill in any spaces or air pockets up to the "half inch from the top" mark. Place your lid on the top of the jar and secure your band over top of it.
4. Place jars into the canning kettle. Pour water into the kettle until the jars are completely submerged in water. Ideally, there should be about an inch of water on top of the jars. Place the lid or cover on your kettle and turn your stove heat on "high." When the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to "medium." This is when you will begin timing. Fruits and vegetables each have specific recommended processing times, but most range from 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Lay a clean towel on the kitchen counter or table. Remove the jars from canning kettle with tongs. Place the jars onto the towel and allow them to cool. Once cooled, press on the top of the lid to ensure that an airtight seal was created during the canning process. If the lid "pops" or moves when you press down on it, an airtight seal was not created, and the jar will need to be resubmitted to the canning process in order to preserve its contents.
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