Making your own canned food is a great way to enjoy fresh and healthy food all year round. Canning is a method of preserving fruits, vegetables, and other foods in airtight containers.
It helps keep the food from spoiling and makes it easier to store and transport. Making your own canned food is an easy and affordable way to ensure that you have access to quality foods when they’re not in season.
To start canning, you’ll need a few essential tools: a pressure canner or boiling water canner, jars, lids and rings, jar lifter, funnel, lid lifter, magnetic lid wand, tongs, and a ladle.
Once you have the necessary supplies on hand, you can begin the process of canning your own food. Start by washing the jars in hot soapy water before sterilizing them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Next, prepare the food that you wish to can according to the recipe or instructions provided.
Once the ingredients are prepared for canning, fill each jar with the desired amount of food leaving about ½ inch of headspace at the top of each jar. Be sure to remove any air bubbles with a rubber spatula or chopstick, then wipe down the rim of each jar with a damp cloth before attaching lids and rings.
If using a pressure canner, place filled jars in the rack inside the cooker and follow manufacturer instructions for proper sealing time and pressure settings. Once sealed correctly, turn off heat and let cool naturally before removing jars from cooker.
If using a boiling water canner, place filled jars into boiling water and allow them to boil for 10-20 minutes (depending on altitude). After they have finished boiling remove them from heat source with tongs or jar lifter. Allow jars to cool before handling.
Once cooled completely check seals by pressing down on center of lid—if it does not flex up or down it has been sealed correctly! Store canned goods in a cool dark place for up to one year; after that time discard any unused canned goods.
Conclusion:
Making your own canned food is an easy and affordable way to ensure that you have access to nutritious foods all year round. All it takes is some basic equipment like pressure or boiling water canners along with fresh ingredients and recipes! Follow these steps for successful homemade canned goods that will last up to one year when stored properly.