Category Archives: Canning

Holiday Gifts for the Home Food Preserver

With the holiday shopping season here, you may either have a special someone on your list for whom it is hard to buy, or you may need some fun stocking stuffers. If that certain someone is a home food preserver, here are a few suggestions that will make them smile this holiday season! These items will make their work easier and more enjoyable. Check kitchen stores or any major shopping venues to purchase these gifts. Of course, specialty catalogs and online shopping will also offer other sources for purchasing.

Here’s a list and check it twice!

* Jar lifter– Essential for easy removal of hot jars from a canner.

* Jar filler or funnel – Helps in packing of small food items into canning jars.

* Plastic spatula – A handy aid for removing air bubbles from the jars. (This must be plastic not metal.)

* Hot pads/trivets – Mitts for hands or counter-top versions for hot items and cooling of canning jars.

* Labels or label printer – Special designs give home-preserved treats a personal touch and may help categorize them (jellies, canned fruits, pickles, etc.). If you can’t find preprinted sheets of labels with food designs, a few sources on the Internet sell CDs with various designs, or some companies have a few free designs to download and customize; you could print your own sheets of labels to include with other gifts.

* Sharp knives – It is always a luxury to upgrade to special, new paring and slicing knives for product preparation.

* Magnetic lid grabber – A tool with a magnet on the end that helps remove treated lids from hot water.

* Timer or kitchen clock – These come in a wide array of shapes, sizes and battery or wind up. Find something unique and fun! A good timer with loud signal is a must for timing canning and cooking processes.

* Cutting boards – New, food-safe cutting boards are always appreciated for those who prepare a lot of fresh foods. Plastic, or non-porous, hard maple is best. Some plastic cutting boards today come with antibacterial surfaces, too.

Other home canning accessories for your list for the dedicated home food preserver might include items such as a corn cutter, apple corer/slicer, and special canning spoons or ladles. These are not essential, but can make work easier. A new apron and a set of kitchen towels also make great gifts. These may seem ordinary to some people, when a person does a lot of food preparation, new tools, aprons and towels can be really appreciated! You may also choose items that fit the kitchen décor or collections of your recipient. Taking time to select that perfect gift will make for a great season of food preservation in the months to come.

For original article, go to the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.

Apples are Peaking! Choose the Best Preservation Method

Did you know that once an apple tree begins to bear fruit, it will do so for a century? Today, there are over 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States. Fall weather brings the best fresh apples in bushels.

While we are in a season of peak apple production in many states, you might consider preserving some specialties that will add variety to menus throughout the year.  Apples can be dried, made into applesauce or apple butter, or even made into a delicious apple pear jam. Apples do not make the highest quality canned or frozen slices, but they can be preserved by those methods, also.

Whether you are buying apples by visiting the nearby orchard, the grocery store or market, or even picking apples from your own backyard, choose the preservation method that is best for your apple variety. Varieties that are good for freezing include: Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Stayman, Jonathan and Granny Smith. Varieties that are good for making applesauce and apple butter include: Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Stayman, Jonathan, Gravenstein and McIntosh. Red Delicious apples are best eaten fresh. They do not freeze or cook well.

When selecting your apples, remember that their flavor is best when they are at the peak of maturity.

Here are some options to prepare for and choose from in preserving your apples:

Making and canning a flavorful applesauce: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_02/applesauce.html

Making and canning a tasty, robust apple butter: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_02/apple_butter.html

For those who want a no-sugar added apple butter: (ours was developed  for sucralose as a sweetener) http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/apple_butter_reduced.html

Drying apple slices or rings: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/uga_dry_fruit.pdf

Combining the best of fall fruits in tasty pear-apple jam: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/pear_apple_jam.html

Making old-fashioned, pretty crabapple jelly: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/crabapple_jelly.html

Canning fun, cinnamon-flavored spiced apple rings: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_02/apple_rings_spiced.html

Canning a special, spicy gift quality apple chutney: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_06/apple_chutney.html

And, for all those extra apple slices to save for pies and desserts later in the year, freezing: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/apple.html

Additional ideas and preservation methods are available from the National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia, www.homefoodpreservation.com.

For original article, go to the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.