We’ve tried to steer clear of canning for years, and for a perfectly good reason—we all found it incredibly intimidating. Until food editor Ruth Cousineau came along, that is. She’s been pickling and preserving her garden produce for ages, and watching her in action was enough to make the rest of us want to integrate canning into our home kitchens as well. After all, this endeavor, like preparing chicken stock or baking bread, is not something you make, exactly, it’s something you do.
Cousineau always works in small batches. “Never more than eight pints—that’s about four to five pounds of something—at a time,” she says, “or it’s just too daunting. It turns into a weekend project.” Working in small batches also makes it easier to can a bigger selection of fruits and vegetables. “Always start with really fresh produce,” she cautions, “and remove any blemishes or bruised spots.” Microorganisms multiply so fast on decaying areas that the processing might not be able to destroy them all.
Making jams and preserves can be fraught with anxiety: Will it set? Will it set enough? The trick is in the balance of fruit, sugar, and added pectin, a natural substance that’s found in varying degrees in fruits and that causes the cooked down mass to set, or gel. “Many older recipes use equal amounts of sugar and fruit,” Cousineau says, “but you end up with something that’s very sweet. You don’t really taste the fruit.” She’s no fan of the “no sugar” school of preserving, either, because sugar, like salt, brings out flavor. “And without sugar you have to cook the fruit down too much in order for it to thicken,” she says. “You lose the freshness, and it can taste caramelized.” Pickling is another area of canning where proportions—in this case, of the brine—are all-important. The mixture acts as a preservative and adds flavor and crispness to the pickles. The one specialty ingredient you’ll need is canning salt.
The only pieces of specialty equipment required for canning high-acid foods like those in Cousineau’s recipes are a boiling-water canner, although it’s simple enough to rig one with a large pot and a rack—low-acid foods such as corn, beans, and most other vegetables call for a steam-pressure canner—and canning jars with lids and screw bands. The jars and screw bands may be used more than once, but you must use a new lid each time. If using wire-bailed jars and rubber rings (still sold, but not approved by the USDA), follow the manufacturer’s instructions. A wide canning funnel comes in handy as well. Supplies are available at many hardware stores and by mail order from Alltrista Consumer Products Company (800-392-2575). Alltrista also publishes the Ball Blue Book, which is full of great information and has a helpline (800-240-3340).
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