STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS

Last weekend I was speaking to someone who was unsure about the procedure for processing food in a boiling water canner.

I’ll go through the method I use, for anyone who is wondering how to process food in boiling water. I learned this from a representative of the Bernardin Company and have used it successfully many times.

Predictably, the first step is to gather up what you need; in this case it’s clean mason jars without any chips around the rim, screw bands (can be used if not rusty) and new snap lids, a boiling water canner (usually blue enamel, with a rack inside to fit the bottles into), jar lifter for removing bottles from the water bath, magnetic wand for picking up lids and screw bands, funnel, ladle, small rubber or silicone spatula or a chopstick, clean dishcloth, timer, some newspapers or towels to spread on the counter, as well as the ingredients for the recipe you’re following, the measuring spoons and cups or kitchen scales required, knife, cutting board and wooden spoon for stirring.

When processing food in 500 mL (pint) jars or larger, the processing time will be at least 10 minutes, and you will not have to sterilize the jars before using them. Just make sure they are clean and hot because you’ll be putting hot food into them. Some people run them through the dishwasher. I place them, upright, in the rack inside the canning kettle, fill the kettle and the bottles with water and heat. You’ll be heating the water anyway, so it makes sense to heat the bottles in it. The water doesn’t have to be boiling, just hot.

Read more MARGARET PROUSE: A love of peaches and nectarines MARGARET PROUSE: Waffles popular in North American homes and restaurants

MARGARET PROUSE: A love of peaches and nectarines

MARGARET PROUSE: Waffles popular in North American homes and restaurants

If processing time is under five minutes, as it may be for jams and jellies in 250 mL or smaller bottles, sterilize them before filling. If using my method of heating them in the canner, bring the water to a boil, and boil the empty jars for 10 minutes before filling.

To fill, ladle hot food to within 1 cm (½ inch) of the rim for pickles, tomatoes, chutney or relish or 0.5 cm (¼ inch) for jams and jellies (this is called headspace) and run a spatula or chopstick through the contents to free trapped air bubbles. Add a little more food, if necessary to adjust to proper headspace, and wipe the rim of the jar clean with a damp cloth. Then apply a new snap lid, and turn on a screw band, fingertip tight. If the lid is too tight, trapped air will not escape and the bottle will not seal.

Previously, you had to boil snap lids before use. Now Bernardin recommends preheating their lids in hot, but not boiling, water before using. The Ball company says their lids can be applied without any preheating. In neither case do you boil the lids.

When you’re filling bottles, work with one at a time, and return it to the rack in the hot water before filling the next.

When all the jars have been filled, be sure they are covered by 2.5-5 cm (1-2 inches) of water. Return to the heat, cover the canner and when the water reaches a full boil start timing for the time indicated in the recipe. Maintain the boil, and when the time is up, turn off the heat, remove the cover from the canner and wait five minutes. Then remove bottles from the water, keeping them upright and place on folded newspapers or towels where they will sit, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Don’t tighten the lids.

After 24 hours, check the seals. The centre of the lid should not flex when pressed. Refrigerate any that aren’t sealed and use first. Now remove the screw bands, wipe the jars with a damp cloth, label with the date, and store. There are two reasons for storing jars without the screw bands. You can keep the bands dry and avoid rusting, for reuse. In the unlikely event that the contents of the jar go bad, the seal will break and the snap lid will loosen.

Use a boiling water canner only for high acid foods such as jams, jellies, pickles and relish. For low acid foods such as beans or clams, use a pressure canner to keep food safe.

Margaret Prouse, a home economist, writes this column for The Guardian every Friday. She can be reached by email at [email protected] .

Ensure local journalism stays in your community by purchasing a membership today.

The news and opinions you’ll love for only $20/year.

Start your Membership Now

Your home for the news shaping Canada's East Coast