Got a question? The answer could be right here! Check through this list of questions and click on the question you need an answer to. These are the ones most often asked of us by home canners like yourself. For answers to any other questions or concerns you might have, just
us. We'll get right back to you.
| 1. |
What equipment will I need to can at home? |
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A canner, jars and lids, knives, long-handled spoons, saucepans,
measuring cups, a colander, and scrapers. A few additional helpful
aids are: A jar lifter, a jar funnel, a bubble freer, a timer.
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| 2. |
What types of canners are available? |
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There are two basic types of canners: Steam Pressure Canners and
Boiling Water Bath Canners. The Steam Pressure Canner method is used
for foods containing very little acid, such as vegetables, meats,
and seafood. We use this method to destroy bacteria and their by-products
including salmonella, staphylococcus aureus and the bacterium that
causes botulism, all of which can thrive in low-acid foods. That's
why these foods require the Steam Pressure Canning method that reaches
a high temperature of 240º F. The Boiling Water Bath method is
used for high-acid foods, including all fruits, tomatoes, sauerkraut
and most foods to which vinegar has been added such as pickles and
relishes. |
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| 3. |
Can a pressure canner be used for boiling water bath canning? |
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Yes, as long as the pressure canner can be utilized without pressure. |
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| 4. |
What do the terms "Raw Pack", "Cold Pack",
and "Hot Pack" mean? |
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"Raw Pack" is used interchangeably with "Cold Pack"
and refers to putting uncooked food into a jar to which a hot liquid
is added. "Hot Pack" means food is cooked to some degree
before it is put into jars for processing. "Hot Pack" requires
less processing time, since the food is already partially cooked. |
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| 5. |
What is head space? |
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Head space is the space between the top of the produce and the rim
of the jar. It is essential to have head space because it allows the
food to expand during the canning process, thus creating a vacuum.
Most instructions call for a half-inch of head space. |
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| 6. |
How can I save cucumbers until it's time to pickle them? |
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Store in a salt brine until ready to use. Then, de-salt them by
covering them with 180º F water and let stand for four hours.
Repeat this step two more times. Cover with a solution made of one
part water to three parts vinegar and let stand for 12 hours. Taste
one. If it is still too salty, leave cucumbers in the vinegar solution
for another 12 hours. |
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| 7. |
Can I make sweet pickles? |
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Certainly. Use MRS. WAGES® Pickling Spices with vinegar and
sugar. Directions for making sweet pickles, dill pickles, home-style
bread and butter pickles and others are on the package. |
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| 8. |
What kind of vinegar is best for pickling? |
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Use a quality commercially prepared distilled white vinegar that
has 5% acetic acid. Cider vinegar and malt vinegar can also be used
but will darken the produce. However, malt vinegar imparts a delicate,
sweet flavor and is desirable for many sweet pickle and chutney recipes. |
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| 9. |
What kind of salt is best for pickling? |
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We recommend MRS. WAGES® Canning and Pickling Salt. It's expressly
made for pickling. Ordinary table salt should never be used because
of its iodine and anti-caking additives that can cause "off"
colors and odors. |
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| 10. |
What causes soft or shriveled pickles? |
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A number of things, including:
- Holding cucumbers too long after harvesting. They must be processed
within one day of picking.
- Growing conditions ... either too wet or too dry.
- Overprocessing. Begin your pickling immediately ... don't leave
cucumbers sitting in water.
- Cucumber varieties not suitable for pickling. Those varieties
include burpless and slicing cucumbers.
- Using cucumbers from poorly nourished or diseased plants.
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| 11. |
Are preservatives ever used in canning? |
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Generally no, except when canning tomatoes. Then, citric acid is
added to preserve color. Also, salt can be added to enhance flavor. |
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| 12. |
Is home canning safe? |
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Unquestionably! In fact, home canning is much safer today than in
Grandma's day. If you follow directions carefully, you'll always get
delicious results with never a worry about spoiled food.
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| 13. |
Can I freeze tomatoes for canning, then make spaghetti sauce
and re-freeze the sauce for use later? |
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We never recommend re-freezing for any reason. Thaw your tomatoes,
make your sauce, store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator,
and use it to make scrumptious fresh pasta the first chance you get! |
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| 14. |
Do I need special equipment to make jams and jellies? |
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You probably already have most it. You'll need a large kettle that holds at least 8 quarts, a jelly bag (you can make one out of several layers of cheesecloth), and a bowl to catch the juice. Also, a knife, a large spoon and an accurate timer should be used. You will also need a hot water bath. All sweet spreads should be processed 5 minutes in a boiling water bath. |
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| 15. |
What's the difference between jellies, jams, preserves, marmalades
and conserves?
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Jellies are made of fruit juices and sugar and are jelled enough
to be shimmeringly firm. No particles of fruit are seen in jellies.
Jams are made from crushed or ground fruit and have enough jell to
hold their shape. Preserves contain whole fruits or large pieces of
fruit in a slightly jelled syrup. Marmalades are clear jellies in
which pieces of citrus or other fruits are mixed. Conserves consist
of mixed fruits and citrus, with raisins and nuts. |
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| 16. |
Can I make jams and jellies that are sugar-free? |
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Yes, you can! Use MRS. WAGES® Light Home-Jell® fruit pectin.
You need no sugar whatsoever with this product. Light Home-Jell is
a low methoxyl fruit pectin that does not require sugar in order for
it to gel. If you prefer, you can add a non-sugar sweetener. NOTE:
Do not substitute non-sugar sweeteners for sugar measure-for-measure.
Use enough sweetener to provide the equivalent sweetness of one cup
of sugar. |
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| 17. |
What if my jelly doesn't set? |
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Don't worry, there's a solution. You can re-cook your jelly with
a small amount of additional pectin. Partially set jelly should be
given an extra day after it is made before it is re-cooked. It might
just set up during that time. If not, re-cook 4 cups of jelly at a
time. Mix 4 teaspoons of MRS. WAGES® Home-Jell into 1/4 cup of
water in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add
jelly and 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir thoroughly, bring quickly to a full,
rolling boil. Boil 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove jelly from
heat, skim, pour into clean, hot jars, seal and process 5 minutes
in a boiling water bath. Sometimes, depending on a lot of things,
jelly just wants to be delicious pancake, waffle and French toast
syrup! Just enjoy it that way! |
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| 18. |
I made strawberry jam and it did not set. It looks more like strawberry topping. What can I do to fix it? |
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Sometimes it will take 24 hours for strawberry jam to set. Heavy rain while the strawberries are on the vine will cause them to have a more soup-like consistency. If the jam has not set after 24 hours, you can add additional pectin to thicken. |
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| 19. |
How many pints do seven pounds of cucumbers make? |
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Depending on the size of the cucumbers, the recipe calls for 11-14 pounds per package which would yield about 10-11 pints. |
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| 20. |
What is the purpose of soaking the pickle? |
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Soaking the pickle makes it crispy and results in a firm product. |
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| 21. |
Explain the chemical reaction with Pickling Lime. |
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The Pickling Lime has calcium oxide, which is absorbed into the tissue of the cucumber. The calcium oxide then combines with pectin to make/form calcium pectate, which makes the final product firm. |
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| 22. |
What is the purpose of the lime in Pickling Lime? |
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This is confidential information. |
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| 23. |
Will Pickling Lime make the pickle/cucumber more porous to the syrup? |
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Based on the Mrs. Wages literature, nothing indicates that Pickling Lime makes the pickle/cucumber more porous. |
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| 24. |
Is modified food starch the same as cornstarch? |
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Yes |
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| 25. |
I used Lite Fruit Pectin and the jelly separated to fruit on the top and jelly on the bottom. How can I prevent this in the future? |
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When the jam begins to cool and the fruit and jelly begin separating, turn the jar upside down. |
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| 26. |
Is polysorbate 80 a nitrate? |
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No |
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| 27. |
Is shake lime the same as pickling lime? |
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No |
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| 28. |
I canned some pickles about a year ago using the Kosher Dill mix. Now there is a black, cloudy haze in the jar. What is this and what causes it? |
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Either hard water or improper cleaning of the cucumbers could cause this. You should use a vegetable brush to remove wild yeast and thoroughly clean the cucumber. |
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| 29. |
I used the Kosher Dill mix and my pickles became spongy and shriveled. I used sumtor cucumbers and cross-country hybrid cucumbers, both of which are listed to be great for pickling. What causes this? |
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Overcooking the cucumbers may have caused this. Boil the cucumbers for 10 minutes and remove immediately. Do not let them cool in the water. |
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