Can It!
The California State Fair has focused a spotlight on an oft-neglected practice for the average home cook: canning. The Sacramento Bee’s Gwen Shoen offers the details on the judging of the canning contest held at the Fair each year, where entrants submit “preserved jams, jellies, fruits, pickles and vegetables.”
While home canning was previously a practice borne out of necessity, it has transformed into an art for many, according to one State Fair judge.
“The types of things people are doing now are more creative rather than simple basics,” says Davis. “So home preserving has become more of an art, especially in the categories of jams, jellies and conserves. We see more products made with the addition of liquors, for example.”
When judging the preserved food, the important factors considered include color, texture, taste, and whether the entrant followed directions exactly. Entrants into the State Fair competition enjoy canning because you can control the ingredients, take advantage of seasonal bargains on produce, and use up the entirety of what your home garden produces. “It is very satisfying to grow your own fruit and vegetables, then preserve it to use all year,” according to one participant. However, another says, “I do it primarily because it’s fun, and most of it I give away.”
The type of canning method used depends on the item you seek to preserve:
They explain that there are two basic canning methods: water-bath canning used for high-sugar or high-acid foods such as fruit, pickles, tomatoes and jams; and pressure canning, for low-acid items, including beans or meat.
Water-bath canning is fairly simple. In a nutshell, you pack the food into sterilized mason-type jars, add liquid, place a sterilized lid over the top and submerge the jar in a pan of simmering water for a specified processing time.
Pressure canning is a bit more tricky. It requires specialized equipment, and if procedures are not followed exactly, there is a bigger chance of spoilage.
To learn more about canning methods and recipes, visit this detailed collection of sources for such information that the Bee was kind enough to compile.
[Photograph from The Sacramento Bee]
