Questions and answers as food canning season approaches

Melinda Hill
·3 min read
Melinda Hill
Melinda Hill

As the summer days provide just the right conditions for produce production there’s always many questions that keep coming my way.

Please note there will be pressure canner testing done at Mt. Hope Hardware on Aug. 24 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and at Lehman’s in Kidron also from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Aug. 25. You only need to bring the lid unless you are having problems with your canner in keeping pressure.

I thought you might find some of the following questions helpful to you. The resource information is from National Presto Industries and National Center for Home Food Preservation.

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Have a pressing canning question? Read on

I have a pressure canner. Can I use it as a boiling water canner instead of buying one? Yes, as long as you can have 1-2 inches of water over the top of your jars and room for it to boil you can use it. Presto recommends removing the overpressure plug and the pressure regulator so that steam can escape when you place the lid on.

What causes pickles not to be crisp? There could be several reasons, see if any of these might help:

  • Cucumbers deteriorate quickly, for best results process within 24 hours of picking

  • Use a cucumber variety that is recommended for pickling

  • Use a cucumber that is prime quality, not overripe and be sure to remove the blossom end.

How do I process yellow tomatoes? Red, yellow and green tomatoes are all processed according to the same directions. All of them will need to have added acid (lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid) before processing. Follow directions with your approved recipe.

Can I use table salt instead of pickling or canning salt? Yes, you can, but remember that it includes anti-caking ingredients which may turn your liquid cloudy. Canning salt is purer. Salt is an optional ingredient for flavor, you may decrease the amount if desired in most recipes.

Why do my jars lose liquid during processing? There are several reasons, here’s a list for your review from Presto:

  • Jars were packed too solidly with food or were overfilled—in other words, there was not enough headspace to allow foods to expand during processing

  • Canner may not have been exhausted sufficiently

  • Pressure regulator on the weighted-gauge canner rocked vigorously during processing, maintain a slow, steady rocking motion

  • An unsteady heat source or steam leakage caused a fluctuation of pressure during processing

  • Uneven pressure from rapid temperature changes—in other words let the canner drop in pressure naturally, don’t hasten it or remove the pressure regulator before it has reached zero pressure.

  • If, all the canning procedures have been followed and the lids have sealed, the food is safe to store and eat. Remember the food above the liquid may discolor during storage, plan to use these jars first.

All recipes call for adding time or pressure if above a certain altitude, how do I find out what mine is? Usually you can find at the local map office but here’s a website that you may find helpful: whatismyelevation.com.

Type in your street address, city and state in the 'Enter Your Location' box.

  • Select feet (ft) as the unit of measure to use our processing tables.

  • Wooster elevation shows up as 889, Orrville is 1,053 and Kidron is 1,109 just for your information.

Check out National Center for Home Preservation

Home food preservation is a timeless tradition to share with your family and friends.

Make sure you are following approved, tested recipes and not making changes or substitutions on your own. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a wonderful website for instructions and a great library of recipes.

OHIOLINE is Ohio State University’s library of fact sheets (select food, then food preservation) for a complete list of food preservation. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact me at hill.14@osu.edu.

Melinda Hill is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or hill.14@osu.edu.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Hill: Solving potential canning troubles before you reap the harvest