pointsevenout 1 year, 3 months ago said: Boiling Water Canner I need more information on boiling times for different foods.
Here's what I think I know:
The food is cooked (processed) before it goes into the jar. The jar and rings and seals are sanitized before the food goes into the jar. The jar is sanitized again by the boiling water canner. The boiling water kills the bacteria and bugs. The jars are raised to the temperature of boiling water (212*F)at sea level. The jars are maintained at the boiling water temperature for a predetermined amount of time depending on the mass in the jar and food type. The boiling water canner plays a minimal roll in cooking the food, its main roll is to kill the nasty organisms that make us sick.
EX: Fruit juice is boiled with pectin and sugar for a predetermined time, usually 1 to 2 minutes, to activate the pectin long enough for it to make the fruit juice turn to jelly once it has cooled off. No boiling water canner is needed if the jelly is jarred and put in the fridge for immediate use. For long term storage the jars do need to be processed in the boiling water canner to kill any bacteria that would develop. Jar dwell time in the boiling water canner will vary from half-pint to pint to quart so the entire mass of the jar is elevated in temperature for a required time. Jar dwell time in the boiling water canner will also increase because of altitude. Water boils at a lower temperature as altitude increases.
Someone digest this info and tell me why I don't know what I think I know, and corrective procedures.
thepiggs 1 year, 3 months ago said: RE: Boiling Water Canner I think you are on the right track and have the main ideas, but there are some things that you should still know. IF you get the Ball canning book, it's mostly blue this year, it should explain some of the things you've mentioned. It's an inexpensive investment. The first thing you mentioned about cooking all food before canning is correct if you are using the hot bath method, not pressure canning. If you are following your pectin package instructions, you should follow the times given. Experience comes with mistakes, so just expect to get some experience along the way. .. :)
luvshk 1 year, 3 months ago said: RE: Boiling Water Canner You do always have to cook the food before the water bath method.
Water bath canning is - from what I understand - used for foods that are acidic. Like canned tomatoes and pickles. These recipes are not always cooked first. I cold pack my tomatoes and pickles and the water bath method cooks the food in the jars plus creates the heat needed for the canning jars to seal.
You want to pressure can items like green beans, meats and stews.
pointsevenout 1 year, 3 months ago said: RE: Boiling Water Canner I believe you are correct on that point luvshk. I think the tomatoes are right on the cusp of going either way. Meats and other things need the pressure canner to get the temperature up higher to kill those little nasties that would make us sick.
When I get back on my feet again, a pressure steamer canner is on my list. Dear Santa.............
thepiggs 1 year, 3 months ago said: RE: Boiling Water Canner If you want a good price, you might be able to find one on sale now. Our farm stores here have good canning/preserving departments and have had them on sale. If you don't get the large one, you can even use it as a regular pressure cooker. BTW...mine was less than $60.
pointsevenout 1 year, 3 months ago said: RE: Boiling Water Canner That's a good point! How large of a canner do you really need for the average home cooker that wants to put up a few jars? How often are you going to put up 9 or more quart jars? Is a 7 quart processing or smaller canner better suited for a home kitchen?
The high acid foods (jellies) I am making now have instructions that say the product turns out better (more reliable) when done in small batches.
thepiggs 1 year, 3 months ago said: RE: Boiling Water Canner Yes, the jellies and jam, etc. recipes are better when not made in larger batches. I think it had to do with the cook time and the pectin. One thing that I found out early on was that the canner wouldn't work on my stove, which had a built-in overhead oven. The canner was too tall. Unless you are canning for many people or for the whole year, I don't think the large canner woulld be needed. That same canner can also be used to do the water bath, so it would serve a double purposoe for canning.
thepiggs 1 year, 3 months ago said: RE: Boiling Water Canner I guess I should also say that the stove has been gone for years. I learned my lesson. If you ge something, make sure it will work with what you have, don't find it out later. The canner works NOW! That's what is important. Plan your kitchen for what you do or think you will do. It will save grief later.
whodunitrdr 1 year, 3 months ago said: RE: Boiling Water Canner And I have heard that the newer flat top stoves do not work for canning because the burner areas do not get hot enough. And I just checked WalMart.com and they have canning equipment on sale right now, both water bath and pressure canning types. And definitely get a basic canning book (the Ball one comes with the water bath kit ant Walmart) - it should have charts with processing times for different foods in quarts, pints and half pints.
thepiggs 1 year, 3 months ago said: RE: Boiling Water Canner Yes, the Balls canning book should be read by everyone who wants to can. It's easy to understand and has some decent basic recipes. It makes me wonder how people kept from killing themselves when they canned, when they didn't have the pressure canners. They lived...
Reply
You need to be logged in and a member of this group to post a message. You can join this group here.
You need to be 
pointsevenout 1 year, 3 months ago said:
Boiling Water Canner
I need more information on boiling times for different foods.
Here's what I think I know:
The food is cooked (processed) before it goes into the jar.
The jar and rings and seals are sanitized before the food goes into the jar.
The jar is sanitized again by the boiling water canner.
The boiling water kills the bacteria and bugs.
The jars are raised to the temperature of boiling water (212*F)at sea level.
The jars are maintained at the boiling water temperature for a predetermined amount of time depending on the mass in the jar and food type.
The boiling water canner plays a minimal roll in cooking the food, its main roll is to kill the nasty organisms that make us sick.
EX: Fruit juice is boiled with pectin and sugar for a predetermined time, usually 1 to 2 minutes, to activate the pectin long enough for it to make the fruit juice turn to jelly once it has cooled off.
No boiling water canner is needed if the jelly is jarred and put in the fridge for immediate use.
For long term storage the jars do need to be processed in the boiling water canner to kill any bacteria that would develop.
Jar dwell time in the boiling water canner will vary from half-pint to pint to quart so the entire mass of the jar is elevated in temperature for a required time.
Jar dwell time in the boiling water canner will also increase because of altitude. Water boils at a lower temperature as altitude increases.
Someone digest this info and tell me why I don't know what I think I know, and corrective procedures.
thepiggs 1 year, 3 months ago said:
RE: Boiling Water Canner
I think you are on the right track and have the main ideas, but there are some things that you should still know.
IF you get the Ball canning book, it's mostly blue this year, it should explain some of the things you've mentioned. It's an inexpensive investment.
The first thing you mentioned about cooking all food before canning is correct if you are using the hot bath method, not pressure canning.
If you are following your pectin package instructions, you should follow the times given.
Experience comes with mistakes, so just expect to get some experience along the way. .. :)
luvshk 1 year, 3 months ago said:
RE: Boiling Water Canner
You do always have to cook the food before the water bath method.
Water bath canning is - from what I understand - used for foods that are acidic. Like canned tomatoes and pickles. These recipes are not always cooked first. I cold pack my tomatoes and pickles and the water bath method cooks the food in the jars plus creates the heat needed for the canning jars to seal.
You want to pressure can items like green beans, meats and stews.
pointsevenout 1 year, 3 months ago said:
RE: Boiling Water Canner
I believe you are correct on that point luvshk. I think the tomatoes are right on the cusp of going either way. Meats and other things need the pressure canner to get the temperature up higher to kill those little nasties that would make us sick.
When I get back on my feet again, a pressure steamer canner is on my list. Dear Santa.............
thepiggs 1 year, 3 months ago said:
RE: Boiling Water Canner
If you want a good price, you might be able to find one on sale now. Our farm stores here have good canning/preserving departments and have had them on sale.
If you don't get the large one, you can even use it as a regular pressure cooker.
BTW...mine was less than $60.
pointsevenout 1 year, 3 months ago said:
RE: Boiling Water Canner
That's a good point! How large of a canner do you really need for the average home cooker that wants to put up a few jars? How often are you going to put up 9 or more quart jars? Is a 7 quart processing or smaller canner better suited for a home kitchen?
The high acid foods (jellies) I am making now have instructions that say the product turns out better (more reliable) when done in small batches.
thepiggs 1 year, 3 months ago said:
RE: Boiling Water Canner
Yes, the jellies and jam, etc. recipes are better when not made in larger batches. I think it had to do with the cook time and the pectin.
One thing that I found out early on was that the canner wouldn't work on my stove, which had a built-in overhead oven. The canner was too tall.
Unless you are canning for many people or for the whole year, I don't think the large canner woulld be needed.
That same canner can also be used to do the water bath, so it would serve a double purposoe for canning.
thepiggs 1 year, 3 months ago said:
RE: Boiling Water Canner
I guess I should also say that the stove has been gone for years. I learned my lesson. If you ge something, make sure it will work with what you have, don't find it out later.
The canner works NOW! That's what is important. Plan your kitchen for what you do or think you will do. It will save grief later.
whodunitrdr 1 year, 3 months ago said:
RE: Boiling Water Canner
And I have heard that the newer flat top stoves do not work for canning because the burner areas do not get hot enough. And I just checked WalMart.com and they have canning equipment on sale right now, both water bath and pressure canning types. And definitely get a basic canning book (the Ball one comes with the water bath kit ant Walmart) - it should have charts with processing times for different foods in quarts, pints and half pints.
thepiggs 1 year, 3 months ago said:
RE: Boiling Water Canner
Yes, the Balls canning book should be read by everyone who wants to can. It's easy to understand and has some decent basic recipes.
It makes me wonder how people kept from killing themselves when they canned, when they didn't have the pressure canners. They lived...