Water Bath Canning Vs. Pressure Canning

When choosing how to pickle or what pickle recipes 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

½ 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

Learn much more on how to pickle, pickle recipes, pickle tips, and everything else having to do with pickling at http://www.howtopickle.com Check out the free newsletter to receive our Free Pickling Recipe of the month, and share your joy of pickling with others at our pickling forum!

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Home Canning - Water Bath Versus Pressure Canner

Home canning can reduce our exposure to pesticides and preservatives. It can help save money, and it can be rewarding to grow your own food. It allows people to preserve tastes that you just can't find in a grocery store (surely your own chili tastes better than a can off the grocery store shelf). Home canned items also make great gifts.

The water bath processing method is fairly simple and inexpensive. The filled canning jars are placed in the canner, which has enough hot water in it to cover the jars. The water is brought to boiling and held at that temperature for the time specified in the canning recipe. However, this method is only safe for certain foods.

If a food is naturally high in acid (most fruits for example) or if acid is added to the food (for example the vinegar in pickles), then the acid helps to prevent the growth of bacteria. The heat from the boiling water is enough to destroy any harmful organisms that can survive in the acid.

If the food is low in acid content (vegetables for example) then the temperature of boiling water is not enough to destroy the harmful bacteria that can live in these foods. Although it is more expensive, a pressure canner should be used for these foods. By increasing the pressure, we also raise the boiling point of the water and thus increase the temperature at which the food is processed.

For somebody who is new to canning, the "Ball Blue Book" has been a reliable source for generations. Some other sources that are very good are "The Food Lover's Guide To Canning: Contemporary Recipes & Techniques" by Lucy Clark Crawford, and "Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving" by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Charlotte Wingert ([http://www.homecanningjars.com]) writes a blog that includes basic instructions for home canning, and canning recipes

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Pressure Canners - What Are the Differences Between Water and Pressure Canners

If you are into canning your own fruit or food, then you most likely know that there are several different ways you can go about canning. The three main canning methods available are water bath canning, steam canning and pressure canning. Each of these different methods has their own advantages and disadvantages. You are about to see that they aren't all equal and in actual fact water bath canning can be used for only a small variety of foods, whereas pressure and steam canning is suited to a much wider variety of foods. Knowing this in advance will ensure that you don't end up buying the wrong canner in the near future.

Water bath canning is perhaps the most basic and limited of all the canning methods. Water bath canners are only able to can food that has high acidic levels. This includes things like acidic fruits and vegetables, such as jams, jelly and tomatoes. Only a very select few vegetables are very acidic and the remaining have very low acidic levels. Another limitation of water batch canners is that they are limited in terms of how hot they get. The maximum temperature possible with a water canner is 212F. This isn't a problem if you are canning high-acid fruits, but to effectively can other fruits and vegetables you will need a canner that can reach much higher levels. Why is the temperature important? You canner needs to reach a certain level in order to kill all the bacteria in the food you are canning. If you don't then the bacteria will remain and this can be a danger to your health.

Steam and pressure canners can reach a maximum temperature of 250F, which is more than enough to kill all bacteria in low acid vegetables and meat. This is the main advantage of using a steam or pressure canner over a water bath canner; being able to reach such a high temperature means that canning just about every kind of fruit or vegetable or even meat isn't a problem with these canners. The difference between a pressure canner and a steam canner is minimal. They are almost identical with the only major difference between them being that pressure canners are much larger and usually have some kind of tray or additional devices which makes canning easier and faster. Other than this they have the ability to can the exact kinds of fruits, vegetables and meat.

Which canner you buy really depends on how serious you are about canning. If you are just starting out then a water bath canner might be just right for you, but anyone who is experienced or plans on taking up canning full-time should consider purchasing either a steam or pressure canner. The ability to reach much higher temperatures makes it possible for steam and pressure canners to can almost every kind of fruit, vegetable and even meat out there. The downside is that these canners are a little more complex and more expensive. If you are still unsure as to which one you should buy, try making a list of all the kinds of things you plan to can and if you find that the bulk of them are fruits, then a water bath canner is right for you; however, if your list consists of both fruits, vegetables and meat, then only a pressure or steam canner will fit your needs.

Want to learn more tips about a pressure canner [http://www.pressure-canners.net/why-use-a-pressure-canner/]? Visit the pressure canning website today to find out more about pressure canners [http://www.pressure-canners.net/why-use-a-pressure-canner/] and how they work.

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