Home Canning Instructions - A Girl's Guide to Easy Canning and Preserving

A canning guide on how to can food at home. Home canning just got a whole lot easier with a new publication from Voyageur Press with step-by-step home canning instructions that are very easy to follow with delicious, straight forward recipes.

I was sent a couple of books by a publisher this week and one of the little gems inside the parcel was a book called “The Fresh Girl’s Guide to Easy Canning and Preserving”, Ana Micka. I have to confess that when I first read the title I misread it as Girl Guides and I combed through neglected memories of sausages on sticks, campfires and marshmallows, but couldn’t remember any canning involved.

On further investigation I realized that I had indeed misread the title and on opening the book I soon realized that it was a great little book for novice canners but also a great book for the more advanced canner as it goes beyond the basics and has some wonderful canning recipes from around the world.

What I like about this little book is the simple way in which it has been written. The text is straight forward, and the home canning instructions are cleanly laid out. Words are used economically with clear instructions, quick understanding and a feeling that anything within the book is easily achievable.

One thing that I wasn’t crazy about was the accompanying pictures with the text. The artwork was too simplistic and stylized and I would have preferred proper photographs. However, this is a minor detail and perhaps I am being too picky.

There are several sections to this book. The first, as you would expect, focuses on the basics, the type of equipment needed and the stress for total cleanliness and sterilization. However, it guides you through growing your own canning garden, how to choose your produce for canning, and safety aspects of the canning process.

Home Canning Instructions - Two Methods

The two methods of canning are discussed in detail, but in simple terms so that you understand the process but are not bombarded or confused by additional irrelevant material in order to get the job done. In the process using a hot water bath method of home canning instructions are given for fruits and sauces, jam, tomatoes and pickles.

In the section on pressure cooker canning, home canning instructions there cover how to use a pressure canner in canning, canning vegetables both diced and whole, as well as how to can stocks and soups.

Home Canning Instructions - Canning Recipes

My favorite sections were reading the award winning canning recipes and the canning recipes from around the world. The canning recipe for apple sauce has already been mentioned, however, there is also another for strawberry jam that uses very little sugar and includes dried apples.

The around the world section covers appetizers, soups and stews, main dishes, side dishes, desserts and condiments. Recipes for a simple Boeuf Bourguignon, Korean Kimchi, Baked Beans, Tomato Barbecue Sauce or a Tex-Mex Vegetarian Chili are here, to name but a few.

A nice addition to this home canning instructions publication, which is a must for any how-to book, is the accompanying video. Here you will not only learn the basics of canning take place, but the first episode is an interesting way of making an award winning apple sauce that is made using 3 different types of apples that the presenter doesn’t divulge, but it is made without peeling the skins. Instead a Victorio food strainer is used that mills the apples and spits apple sauce out one side and discards the peels at the other. This is a very handy gadget, for those too who want to make tomato sauce. Of course if you don’t have one of these ‘must have’ gadgets then you will have to spend time removing all the skins first.

So, would you like a peep of what is inside this book? I thought you would, so here is the canning recipe for Naturally Sweet Strawberry Jam by Paula Pentel, the lady who has won awards at county state fairs for her Apple Sauce recipe, as well as others. If you want to learn more about that particular recipe, then you will have to buy the book. But here is her recipe for strawberry jam.

Home Canning Instructions - Naturally Sweet Strawberry Jam

Makes 5 pints (2.41 l)

Standard jam recipes use quite a bit of sugar. This jam recipe instead creatively uses dried apple pieces, which both sweeten and add pectin to create the desired jam consistency. Make sure to buy the book and watch the Fresh Girl’s Guide to Easy Canning and Preserving DVD to see this great jam made step-by-step.

1 C (90g) dried apples

2 qts (837 g) strawberries

� C (59ml) lemon juice

1 T (15ml) pectin mixed with 1 T (12g) sugar

1. Boil water. Submerge all jars, lids, and any kitchen tools you will be using for 2 minutes in boiling water.

2. Gather clean towels for the countertops and for wiping down the jars.

3. Clean kitchen surfaces with hot water and a touch of vinegar.

4. Make sure that your hands are squeaky clean.

5. Fill your hot water bath canner 2/3 full with water and bring to the boil. You want enough water so that when you submerge the jars, the water level remains 2 inches above the lids. Adding vinegar (2 tablespoons (30 ml) or a good splash) helps if you have hard water. Minerals in the water tend to form a cloudy surface on your jars. Vinegar helps to keep the minerals in the water and off your jars.

6. Prepare your canning recipe, using only recipes meant for home canning. Fill your sterilized jars with the food, leaving the recommended amount of headspace. Use a non-reactive kitchen utensil, such as a narrow rubber spatula or a bamboo skewer, to remove air bubbles.

Air bubbles can cause uneven heating during the process and may impair the jar’s ability to seal. Using a clean paper towel, wipe the rims of the jars. This removes any spilled liquid or food, which can also prevent the jar from sealing. Place a dome lid on top of the jar and secure with a jar ring, screwing on so it’s secure but not tight.

7. Now chop dried apples in food processor.

8. Wash strawberries and remove stems.

9. Add strawberries to a medium-sized, stainless-steel or enamel pan and mash.

10. Add apples and lemon juice to pan. Turn heat to high.

11. Wait until mixture reaches a strong boil, then add pectin-sugar solution.

12. Let cook for 2 minutes or until thickened.

13. Using funnel, pour mixture into hot jars, leaving a � inch (6.4mm) headspace. Remove any air bubbles with a rubber spatula or clean wooden chopsticks.

14. Clean rims and any spills with sterile cloth. Secure lids and rings.

15. Place jars on rack in canner with boiling water.

16. Once water returns to boil, process for 5 minutes, adjusting for altitude if necessary.

17. Remove jars and let cool on the counter. Check seal before storing. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use within 2 weeks.

Well, there you have it. If you are looking for this lovely little publication, by Ana Micka, published Voyageur Press, 2010 then click on the link left that will allow you to purchase the book.

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