To: JANIS FOLEY
Subject: Canning/preserving
JF> > Don't get frightened.  As I said earlier, check with your public health
JF> > and they will steer you to literature that will help you do it 
operly.
JF>        Oh okay...
JF> > Pickling is a lot less worrisome.
JF>        Well that's good to hear... I'm more interested in that than
JF>canning  anyway!
   Canning IS easy, Janis. Basically, it consists of putting cooked
   foods (acid ones mainly) into sterilized jars and sealing while
   boiling hot. Fruits are easiest, because they are all acid, and if
   you have access to cheap fruit, it can save you a lot of money.
   Although canning vegetables other than tomatoes is possible, modern
   instructions call for pressure-cooking to replace the tedious boiling
   for hours of veggies like canned corn. This is where preserving
   pickled veggies really saves time and energy. The addition of vinegar
   to non-acid foods makes canning them easy and swift, particularly
   after a bit of experience helps you with your technique.
   One particularly nice book is "Summer in a Jar" by Andrea Chesman,
   which gives measurements for one or 2 jar lots. Easy to prepare, easy
   to can, and each lot is small enough to give experience w/o tying one
   to hours of work. And making veggies into pickles is as simple as
   adding the right amounts of vinegar, sugar and spices to the boiling
   food before placing in sterilized jars.
   The most up-to-date book is a revised version of "Putting Foods By"
   by Hertzberg, Vaughan and Greene. There have been a couple of
   revisions since the initial publication, but any of them will get you
   started right.
   I love to can ...well, when both hands worked properly, I did. I'm
   more into freezing now. :-(  Less chance of burns if I lose my
   balance.
                         ...Sandra...
   P.S. You can make certain pickled vegetables w/o any cooking
   whatsoever. And lactic acid fermented veggies can be very crisp and
   tasty. Sauerkraut can be made w/o any cooking.
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