The Canning How To on Barbeque Sauce

These canning how-to tips came out of necessity. You see, I've been making my own barbeque sauce since I was a kid, but it caused conflict in my household.

I loved using the sauce as a grilling marinade so I'd make gallons of my "New York Attitude" Barbeque Sauce and portion it into used plastic Wonton Soup containers. The shear number of containers would fill my Mom's refrigerator.

I had to find a better way to preserve my sauce without taking up the whole fridge. "People have been preserving food for generations," I thought to myself. "They didn't have refrigerators or Chinese take-out containers, how did they do it?"

At the time, I probably had to go to the library and look through the encyclopedias. That seems laughable now, but even as a child, I knew there was a better way waiting for me. I found it with a 125 year old device, the two-part lid canning jar.

The inventors of these jars are really the creators of every canning how to instructions from that day forth. The idea is simple. Their jars consist of a flat lid with a rubber washer to seal the jar. A band fits over the lid, securing it to the jar but also allowing air to escape.

Under boiling water, air leaves the jar between the two parts of the lid. When it's cooled, it creates a vacuum, sealing the jar in an anaerobic environment. This not only preserves the sauce, but keeps it safe from bacterial growth as well.

Hot water canning is meant for highly acidic products like tomato sauce, marinades, and perfect for my barbeque sauce. At sea level, water boils at 212F or 100C. This is certainly hot enough to let the two piece lid do its job, and the acid content of the sauce will keep it safe.

The Precise Canning How To Steps:

Inspect all jars, lids, and bands for defects.

Wash all jars, lids, bands, and any other equipment that will come in contact with the sauce.

Place a round cake cooling rack in the bottom of a very large stock pot and fill with water.

Bring the water to a full, rolling boil.

Place the empty jars in the boiling water to sanitize them.

In a small saucepan or bowl, remove some boiling water and place the flat lids in the hot water.

Prepare your barbeque sauce and keep it very hot.

Remove the jars from the water bath, one at a time, and fill with barbeque sauce

Be sure to leave 1-2 inches of "head room" between the sauce and the lid.

Wipe the rim clean of any spilled sauce

Stir the jarred sauce with a wooden stick to drive out excess air

Remove the flat lid from the warm water and place it on top of the jar.

Secure the lid with a band and hand-tighten only.

Place the filled jar, standing up, into the boiling water canner.

Wait 15 minutes and remove the jar to cool.

(Add 5 minutes for every 3000 feet above sea level)

As the barbeque sauce cools, you'll hear the vacuum created as the jar lids are sucked toward the interior of the jar. Soft "ping", "ping", a symphony of suction is created and the jars are now safe for storage. Any jar lid that still yields to pressure when pressed with a finger has not sealed correctly. It should be refrigerated and not stored at room temperature.

The canning how to instructions are different for low acid products, because there's greater risk of bacterial growth. Items like vegetables or protein-based soups must be canned in a high-pressure canner because the boiling water bath does not get hot enough to assure the safety of the food.

As a child, I simply wanted to preserve refrigerator space. What I discovered is a process that's been around for more than a century. Home canning saves money, preserves fresh ingredients, and is a fun and easy hobby when you know the canning how to steps.

See the entire Canning How To video here.

Ball Canning Jars

From years men have thought of way to preserve food by different methods to ensure the supply throughout the year. Some tried salting of meat during the winter, pickling of fruits or making jams and jellies, while others tried heating to kill the germs and then preserving to protect from natural decay. Proper ways of home canning include the storage of food in a ball canning jar. Heating the jar to appropriate temperature and for appropriate time, processing the jar to kill the microorganisms and inactive the enzymes.

The history of ball canning jar manufacturing goes back to 1880 in New York, when Frank and Edmund Ball bought the wooden jacket can company and in 1884 the first ball jars were formed. Within 70 years the company produced 41 million canning jars due to which Ball enjoyed a great position in jar manufacturing companies. Then in 1897 Ball invented the first semi automatic jar making machines that made jar production faster and cheaper. With time Ball canning jars became desirable in people's sight and Ball corporation owned a number of other companies in different cities.

Collecting Ball Canning Jars
Pictures can say a good thousand words but the beauty of the ball canning jars can be appreciated only through first person encounter. Knowledge is power and knowledge can be increased by research, reading, interaction and by discussion with people of like mind. This knowledge can help you in spotting the right product for your collection of ball canning jars. Some jars are really expensive while others are worthless but in my opinion every jar has its own value. Ball jars are available in high degree of diversity, in different shapes and colors. Colored jars are more valuable as it allows less light to pass through such as a blue jar, keeping food preserved longer.

What to know about preserving food in Ball canning jars
The first thing to keep in mind is that before canning any food, make sure the jar is free from any nicks or cracks, The surface should be in proper shape to make a good seal

There are special ways of canning food, such as selecting a perfect jar, cleaning, heating the jar to kill germs, always follow an experts advice or a good book can help you

Food can be canned without sugar or salt, so no need to add sugar or salt if it is your dietary requirement

Every jar is not suitable or safe for canning

Canned food can remain fresh up to one year if properly processed

Water-bath Canning Vs. Pressure Canning

When choosing how to pickle or what pickle recipe's you would like to try, there are a number of things you want to keep in mind. One of those things is which canning method you would like to use. Home canning is a very simple process that can be done in two ways: pressure canning, or water-bath canning. Pressure canning is a process that requires a pressure canner, which can be often times, be expensive. You may however be able to find a cheap one with a little bit of hunting through garage sales or flea markets. Water-bath canning, on the other hand, can be done using only a couple of simple tools. We will assume that you will be using a water-bath canning method. The following article will explain this particular method.

Firstly, of course you will need a water-bath canner. You must make sure it is deep enough to hold enough water to submerge your canning jars by at least 1 inch. You will also need your canning jars, screw-on bands, and canning lids. It is the much-less-expensive, tried-and-true way of canning. It is a way of preserving hundreds of foods, including salsa, jam, jelly, pickled fruits and vegetables, as well as relish for hundreds of years. It is a great canning method for beginners, or avid canners.

A water-bath canner is basically a large pot with a rack that will hold up to seven mason quart jars or up to sixteen pint jars. By using a large stock pot and being creative with wire, one could improvise a rack to create their own water bath canner. As long as the jars avoid direct heat from the burner and are completely submersed in the water, a number of crafty setups could be used. If you would like to save the trouble of rigging your own, they can be readily purchased at many locations or online.

The way a water-bath canner functions is that it increases the temperature of your canning jar to a temperature hot enough to kill yeast, bacteria, and molds that are found in food. The heat also creates air bubbles that push the air inside the jar out as the contents inside the jar heat and expand. When the jar cools down to room temperature, the air pressure creates a seal that prevents air and other organisms from entering the jar, preventing the food from spoiling, thus the reason for canning's existence.

It is essential that the jars are free of nicks or cracks and that the rim is flat. They should also be newly washed, either by hand or dishwasher, so they are sterile and free of any micro-organisms. The process begins by filling the canning jar with the desired ingredients. Make sure to wipe the rim clean with a laundered towel so as to create an ideal seal. Place the lid on the rim, making sure to center it so that the rubber is on the entire rim and then screw on the band. The band does not need to be screwed on tightly; over-tightened bands do not allow the gasses to escape the jars. Then you will place the jars into the water-bath on the rack. Make sure the water is covering all of the jars by at least one inch and then bring the water to a boil. When finished, turn off heat and let sit for a full five minutes before removing jars from the canner. Be sure to let the canning jars cool, so as not to burn yourself.

As the canning jars cool off, the tops should pop closed as they seal, meaning that; after sealing the tops will not depress by pressing down on with your finger. If the jars are not sealed, the center of the lid will pop up and down when pressed. Either throw these jars away or eat the contents within a week. If the lids did not seal, do not use them again as they will not seal if used again.

Once the jars are cooled they may be stored. It is best if they are stored in a cool dark place like a basement or pantry. Contents will be ready to eat according to the recipe. Make sure that before eating, the contents are inspected for signs of spoilage: mold, gas, cloudiness, odors, or drainage. If spoilage has occurred, do not eat the contents of the can as it may cause serious sickness.

Here is a simple pickling recipe for you to try out!

Delicious Pickles:
Wash cucumbers, pack into sterilized canning jars.
Solution (sufficient for 3 gallons of pickles in glass jars):
1 gallon vinegar
1 cup salt
pound (16 tablespoons) dry mustard, make sure to fully mix the dry mustard in with vinegar so that there are no clumps. A good way to do this is to take a little vinegar and make a paste type of substance with the dry mustard, then mix this into the vinegar.

Pour mixture over cucumbers in your sterilized jars and seal at once (Using the method of your choice.). Store pickles without removing screw bands.

I hope that this helps you to choose your method of pickling, and make sure to head on over to my homepage for many more pickling tips and recipes. Also visit the forums to share info with other picklers.

Copyright 2006 Jonathan Heusman

Weck Canning Jars

In the beginning of the 19th century, J. Weck Company was founded in O flingen Germany. It introduced the home canning method in glass jars and became popular not only in Europe but worldwide. Weck jars are those beautiful jars that you so around in many houses with a glass lid and a rubber seal. Weck jars are a little expensive than those other common jars available at every grocery store but the strawberry mark weck canning jars' beauty and the quality worth the price.

Advantages of weck canning jars
Weck canning jars bring satisfaction and the realization of family and friends. Weck has been successful in providing canning jars to preserve food in healthy and economical way especially when the food is home grown. Weck canning jars:

Have mouth wide open for easy fill

Are made of glass lids that do not rust

Glass Canning Jars

The glass canning jars is a modern and stylish type of jar that is used to preserve the food items. They are generally used in home canning for the purpose of storing the different eatable items. These classical glass canning jars are made according to the requirements of the people for the preservation of the food. In this modern age this equipment is designed by keeping the requirements of the most of people in view. This is the most modern, stylish and attractive product that is designed for the ease in preserving the food items. These are designed as high efficient and high quality so that these can be purchased and utilized individually by everyone.
These are the simple and beautiful glass canning jars that are found today just for the use in several homes, according to the needs of the people. These classic glass canning jars are reliable to utilize and do not have leakage problem, crack and break quickly issues over a long period of time. Surely keep the things safe by encasing in glass canning jars.

3 Secrets to Conquer Soggy Home Canned Dill Pickles

Home canning has been a part of our family traditions for as long as I can remember. Each year, when the harvest was complete and preserved in our family cellar I loved to be the one to give the final count on the fruit of our labors - peaches, pears, applesauce, beets, green beans, strawberry jam, and....PICKLES! I loved the pickles.

One particular day I wandered down to the cellar. I looked around the room, it was loaded with perfect home canned fruit and vegetables right out of our family garden and orchard. But...I had my mind set on one thing. I carefully scanned the shelves - Ah ha I found what I was looking for -- a bottle of dill pickles I had canned myself.

As the bottle came off the self, my mouth started to water. Those pickles looked so good, I could hardly wait to get the lid off the bottle.

I finally made it to the kitchen and popped off the lid - immediately the smell of those home canned pickles wafted through the room - I couldn't wait any longer. Out came the biggest pickle and I sunk my teeth into it.

Surprise! My joy quickly turned to despair when my teeth squished into a soggy dill pickle - not even worth eating! Almost weeping I ran to mother. What bad thing had happened to my pickles?

With a twinkle in her eye and a half smile, she started quizzing me down: "How long did the cucumbers wait before you pickled them?" "What size were the cucumbers that you used?" "Did you get them right out of the hot water bath when it started to boil?" Etc.

After playing detective for a couple of minutes, she laughed and gave me these important keys:

3 Family Secrets for Crispy Home Canned Pickles:

1. Harvest your cucumbers early in the morning and pickle them within 24 hours. The quicker the better. If you start with fresh, crisp, firm cucumbers you will have a better pickling experience.

2. Don't let the cucumbers get too big. Smaller cucumbers become better pickles.

3. When you process the bottles of pickles - make sure you DON'T over cook them. The less they are cooked, the more crisp and crunchy they will be.

Believe me, I learned a valuable lesson - one I never forgot! Next time I canned my dill pickles I followed these guidelines religiously. My dream came true - to bite down into a crispy, crunchy, mouth-watering home canned baby dill pickle

I wanted to share these family secrets with you so your pickling experience can be a successful and happy one. Good luck fellow pickle lovers!

Canning - How To Make Homemade Pear Marmalade

When it comes to home canning, one of the easiest recipes you can make is some type of fruit marmalade and this pear marmalade recipe is no exception.

You will need your basic home canning supplies: water bath canner, half-pint or pint-sized mason jars, seals and rings, jar lifter, ladle, silicone nonstick spatula and a funnel.

If you enjoy giving homemade food gifts during the holiday season, this is a nice one to make and give as a gift. If you seal your mason jars correctly, this marmalade should last for up to 1 year.

Pear Marmalade Recipe

4 lbs. fresh pears
8 cups granulated sugar
2 cups tap water
4 fresh oranges
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange rind

Wash and remove stems and leaves from pears. Peel off the skins and chop the flesh up into small pieces. Peel the skin off the oranges and discard the seeds and membranes. Reserve one small piece of the orange rind and finely grate it until you have 1 1/2 teaspoons of finely grated orange rind. Chop the flesh of the oranges into small pieces.

In a large stock pot, combine all of the above ingredients and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for approximately 45 minutes or until the mixture thickens. You will need to stir the mixture every 8 to 10 minutes using a nonstick silicone spatula to keep it from sticking to the pot.

Wash and clean your half-pint or pint-sized mason jars. You will want to warm up your jars using your oven set at 200 degrees F. Remove jars from the oven, one at a time. Ladle the hot mixture into clean warm jars leaving a 1/2" head space. Wipe the jar rim clean with a soft cotton towel. Place ring and seal onto the jar.

Process jars in your water bath canner for 10 minutes or according to manufacturers instructions.

This recipe will make approximately 4 to 5 half-pint jars of marmalade.