Canning it: Tools of the trade

Home preservation can and should be done inexpensively.  But it can also be a super-fun way to fill your cupboards with tools and gadgets specifically designed to extend the life of food.  If you are really interested in food preservation -- and you should be –- here are nine tools that can help you on your way.

• Basic canning kit: If you have ever made jam, jelly or pickles, this should be in your pantry. By far the least expensive thing on this list, a kit consists of a jar lifter, wide-mouth funnel, magnetic lid lifter and a combination head-space measurer/bubble remover. Must-haves for anyone canning food.
• Canning jars: Oh, Ball canning company, what would we do without you? Available at most grocery and hardware stores this time of year, the jar is the most vital tool in canning. Remember, the jar and ring are reusable (and if they survive long enough, collectible), but the lid needs to be replaced with every new use, so when you buy a set of jars, go ahead and get the extra lids too. You should never try canning in commercial pasta or mayonnaise jars, since they aren’t designed for reuse.
• Swing-top bale-wire bottles: The perfect thing for showing off your beautiful cordials and homemade ginger ale.
• Steam juicer: This amazing gadget, which can be ordered online from Finland, is perfect for anyone who owns a fruit tree or has an abundant garden. It makes short work of pomegranates, lemons, tomatoes and apples. Also doubles as a steamer.
• Pressure canner: Once you’ve become (understandably) obsessed with canning, you should go all the way and get a pressure canner. Sure, they’re 21 quarts' worth of enormous, but it really is the key tool in canning shelf-stable products. Follow the directions and you will have a lifetime of canning fun. They need to be treated with care and recalibrated every few years, which can be done by the L.A. County Master Food Preservers free of charge.
• Dehydrator: Make jerky, crackers, dried fruit and fruit leather. Think outside the box too. Try kale chips or pureeing salsa to make salsa leather, or how about banana mash and flaxseed crackers?
• Home smoker: When you’re really committed to smoking, it’s time to invest in a hot smoker. Stovetop versions are available at finer cooking stores. Dedicated smokers can be found at grilling stores and hardware stores. Smoke preservation works for meats, vegetables and, when using cold smoke, dairy.
• Vacuum sealer: For just under $100 you can own one of the modern marvels of home preservation. Friend to all, the vacuum sealer can be used for meat going into your freezer, for sealing food you intend to sous-vide and for protecting grains and flours. There is also a jar attachment, so you can vacuum-seal dry items using your canning jars.
• Yogurt maker: Turning milk into yogurt is one of the oldest preservation techniques. Doing it with a machine is a lot more contemporary and a lot more fun. The difference between homemade and store-bought will impress you.

Los Angeles County Master Food Preservers are food-safety specialists trained and certified by the University of California Cooperative Extension. Support for the University of California Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County, has been provided by the Metabolic Studio, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation. The Master Food Preservers are volunteers who provide information and technical assistance to home preservationists in L.A. County. They can be found on Facebook.

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-- Rachael Narins

Photo credit: Rachael Narins

 

Home preservation can and should be done inexpensively.  But it can also be a super fun way to fill your cupboards with the tools and gadgets specifically designed to extend the life of food.

 

If you are really interested in food preservation – and you should be! – here are ten tools that can help you on your way.

 

Basic Canning Kit – If you have ever made jam, jelly or pickles, this should be in your pantry. By far the least expensive thing on this list, a kit consists of a jar lifter, wide mouth funnel, magnetic lid lifter and a combination head-space measurer/bubble remover. Must have’s for anyone canning food.

 

Canning Jars – Oh Ball Canning Company, what would we do without you? Available at most grocery and hardware stores this time of year, the jar is the most vital tool in canning. Remember, the jar and ring are reusable (and if they survive long enough, collectible) but the lid needs to be replaced with every new use, so when you buy a set of jars, go ahead and get the extra lids, too. You should never try canning in commercial pasta or mayonnaise jars, since they aren’t designed for re-use.

 

Swing Top Bale-Wire Bottles – The perfect thing for showing off your beautiful cordials and home-made ginger-ale.

 

Steam Juicer – This amazing gadget, which can be ordered online from Finland, is perfect for anyone who owns a fruit tree or has an abundant garden. It makes short work of pomegranates, lemons, tomatoes and apples. Also doubles as a steamer.

 

Pressure Canner – Once you’ve become (understandably) obsessed with canning, you should go all the way and get a pressure canner. Sure, they’re 21 quarts worth of enormous, but it really is the key tool in canning shelf-stable products. Follow the directions and you will have a lifetime of canning fun. They need to be treated with care and recalibrated every few years, which can be done by the LA County Master Food Preservers free of charge.

 

Dehydrator –Make jerky, crackers, dried fruit and fruit leather. Think outside the box, too. Try kale chips or pureeing salsa to make salsa-leather or how about banana mash and flax seed crackers?

 

Home Smoker – When you’re really committed to hot smoking, it’s time to invest in a hot smoker. Stove top versions are available at finer cooking stores. Dedicated smokers can be found at grilling stores and hardware stores. Smoke preservation works for meats, vegetables and when using cold smoke, dairy.

 

Vacuum Sealer – For just under a $100 you can own one of the great modern marvels of home preservation. Friend to all, the vacuum sealer can be used for meat going in to your freezer, to seal food you intend to sous-vide and to protect grains and flours. There is also a jar attachment, so you can vacuum seal dry goods using your canning jars.

 

Yogurt Maker – Turning milk in to yogurt is one of the oldest preservation techniques. Doing it with a machine is a lot more contemporary and a lot more fun. The difference between home-made and store bought will impress you.

 

Los Angeles Master Food Preservers are Food Safety Specialists trained and certified by the University of California Cooperative Extension. Support for the University of California Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County has been provided by the Metabolic Studio, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation. They are volunteers who provide information and technical assistance to home preservationists in L.A. County. The Master Food Preservers can be found on Facebook.

Comments

[Ernest Miller]

Phil,

First, gardening is undergoing a renaissance in Los Angeles, so there are plenty of people who need to preserve the bounty of their gardens.

Second, farmers' markets are very popular in Los Angeles and if you want to eat locally, then preserving some of the bounty from the farmers' markets makes a lot of sense.

Third, any sort of cooking takes time. You want to save time and money, go to McDonald's. They're the cheapest/fastest source of calories around. Hard to beat them even cooking at home.

However, food preservation does have its advantages.

Most of the canning I do, for example, is with my pressure canner, in which I can meat, soups, stews, chilis, chiles and beans. Yes, it takes some of my time, but not that much really. What it does do is allow me to time-shift. I can a big batch of chili on my day off when I have extra time and then for the next several months, whenever I want a batch of my homemade chili I simply grab a can off my pantry shelf. Personally, I prefer my chili to what is available in stores. I know the quality of the ingredients I use as well as the flavor profile is exactly what I want.

As for expense, when there is a big sale on chicken I buy it and can it. My pressure canner has probably paid for itself on chicken alone. Home canned chicken doesn't take room in my freezer and I have chicken for soups, enchiladas, chicken salad and what I ate last night - homemade chicken pot pie.

As for homebrew, it might not be the most cost effective thing in the world, but learning how to make beer (making liquor is illegal - though you can flavor liquor at home) will teach you more about beer, the different styles and choices brewers have to make. You'll appreciate beer more, whether yours or commercial brands. I might also point out that the craft beer revolution we are seeing, particularly here in Los Angeles, is thanks in most part to the fact that people learned more about beer by homebrewing. Many of the beer artisans out there today learned their craft at home. I might also note that although you'll never match the price of cheap commercial brew at home, you can often beat the price (and match the quality) of more sophisticated (and expensive) brews.

An expensive hobby? For some, sure. However, our grandparents didn't can because it was hip. They canned because it made economic sense. If you learn to do it properly, it still makes economic sense.

[sandor sesmith]

Phil from Ohio evidently does not understand what is in his food and where it comes from; cheap and easy got us into the environmental mess that the state of our agricultural system has created, thanks to subsidies that pay giant ag interests not to grow or to grow only mono-crops that undermine soil health and pollute the soil and water. The food propaganda cool-aid that he's been drinking apparently has messed with his ability to think clearly!! When the food crisis hits, he'll probably be begging his neighbors to share their backyard bounty, and if he's lucky, they'll share a jar of something they preserved.

[Phil, Ohio]

Think of the costs involved first!
Unless you have a large yard and garden, forget it!
Even if you use 'pick-r-own' produce, the time involved cost a lot.
My time is worth more than that.
Stuff is so cheap now, why bother?
Then consider home-brew or even illegal homemade liquor, for what you end-up paying for your ingredients, its cheaper to buy your own off the shelf.

Canning and home brewing is just an expensive hobby.