[Sca-cooks] OT: Quick question about canning

[Barbara Benson]

Greetings,

I have just begun to get into canning and such, and it was never at thing
that my family did so I do not have the fortune to have the years of
experience to draw on from my Mom, Grandma ect... So I had to rely on
"technical" information to figure out what to do. I am not saying that the
people who have been doing this the traditional way that their families have
been doing it are wrong. But I have found that the USDA has extensive
guidelines to help people interested in preserving foods at home. Many of
their recommendations go against what has been common practice for
generations.

The National Center for Home Preservation can be found at:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_home.html

>From this site comes the following statement:
"Because of possible mold contamination, paraffin or wax seals are no longer
recommended for any sweet spread, including jellies. To prevent growth of
molds and loss of good flavor or color, fill products hot into sterile Mason
jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace, seal with self-sealing lids, and process 5
minutes in a boiling-water canner. Correct process time at higher elevations
by adding 1 additional minute per 1,000 ft above sea level. If unsterile
jars are used, the filled jars should be processed 10 minutes. Use of
sterile jars is preferred, especially when fruits are low in pectin, since
the added 5-minute process time may cause weak gels."

The Complete USDA guidelines can be found at:
http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/canningguide.html
Specifically the USDA Recipe for Apple Butter can be found at:
http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/usda/2SelectingPreparing&CanningFruit&FruitProducts/AppleButter.pdf

I hope that this might be helpful. Again I am not contradicting the good
gentles who use different techniques out of malicious intent or with the
belief that I am Right and they are Wrong. It is just what I have found on
my own.

Glad Tidings,
Serena da Riva

> I would like to try my hand at making some apple butter and canning it.
>
> I was wondering if I actually need to go out and buy a canner, or if I can
just use one of the pots I already have? I know that the rack would make it
easier to remove the jars, but I also dont have much disposable cash at the
moment, and if I can just use what I have that would be great.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ilia
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