[Sca-cooks] OT: Quick question about canning

[WyteRayven at aol.com]

Thank you for the info! I will definately read it when I get home this evening.

Above all, I want to be safe. :) And I have never done any type of canning either, so I am learning as I go.

Thanks again,

Ilia

In a message dated 9/25/2003 11:22:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time, vox8 at mindspring.com writes:

> 
> 
> 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