Canning and Preserving For Dummies (14 page)

5
Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (see Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 79 (From fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg; Carbohydrates 21g (Dietary fiber 1g); Protein 0g.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb looks like red celery but isn’t related to celery. It can be mixed with strawberries for a pie filling and is delectable when combined with tart apples. Because of its tart taste, rhubarb is always canned with sugar and makes a great pie filling.

Rhubarb leaves are toxic. Always remove and discard any leaves from the stalks before preparing your rhubarb.

Rhubarb Pie Filling

Everyone loves rhubarb pie. If you make the filling ahead of time, in the winter you can just open a jar and fill your pie crust. Delicious!

Preparation time:
15 minutes plus 4 hours standing time

Processing time:
15 minutes

Yield:
6 quarts

12 pounds rhubarb

6 cups sugar, or to taste

1
Wash, trim, and remove the leaves from the rhubarb. Cut the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the rhubarb pieces in a 6-quart pan. Add sugar to the cut pieces and let them stand for 4 hours to draw out the juice. Taste the mixture with a clean spoon to check that it is sweet enough. If not, add more suger, to taste.

2
Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For detailed instructions on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)

3
When the standing time is complete, heat the rhubarb and sugar mixture to boiling over high heat.

4
Pack the hot rhubarb mixture into your canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3), adding more of the rhubarb mixture as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

5
Process the filled quart jars in a water-bath canner for 20 minutes from the point of boiling.

6
Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (see Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 115 (From fat 2); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 4mg; Carbohydrates 29g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 1g.

Rhubarb Sauce

Rhubarb sauce is a nice change from applesauce. Surprise your family with this tart and tasty side dish!

Preparation time:
45 minutes plus 4 hours standing time

Processing time:
20 minutes

Yield:
8 pints or 4 quarts

8 pounds rhubarb

8 cups sugar, or to taste

1
Wash, trim, and remove the leaves from the rhubarb. Cut the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the rhubarb pieces in a 6-quart pot and add the sugar. Let the rhubarb-sugar mixture stand for 4 hours to draw out the juice.

2
Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For detailed instructions on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)

3
Heat the rhubarb and sugar mixture to boiling over high heat and cook the mixture until it’s slightly chunky (about 30 minutes) or until the rhubarb is the consistency you desire.

4
Ladle the boiling hot rhubarb sauce into your prepared jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3), adding more rhubarb sauce as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

5
Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 20 minutes (both pints and quarts) from the point of boiling.

6
Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (see Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 211 (From fat 2); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 4mg; Carbohydrates 54g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 1g.

Tackling Tomatoes

Tomatoes are misunderstood. Are they a fruit or a vegetable? By definition, a
fruit
is a sweet, edible plant containing seeds inside a juicy pulp — which defines tomatoes perfectly. Each tomato variety has its own color, flavor, and texture. Roma or paste tomatoes and slicing varieties are all used for canning. Paste varieties simply have less juice and, therefore, require less cooking to remove excess water for paste and thick sauces. You can use both interchangeably, but cooking times will vary.

Not all tomato varieties are suitable for canning due to their lack of taste and mass-production genetics. Stick with those that boast good canning results on the plant’s tag or use a proven Heirloom variety. Some varieties that work well include Ace, Amish paste, Homestead 24, and Rutgers.

As always, choose nice, ripe, unblemished tomatoes. And to ensure the proper acidity level for your variety (4.6 or lower), add an acid, like bottled lemon juice or powdered citric acid: Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice per quart jar or 1 tablespoon lemon juice per pint. If you’re using citric acid, add 1/2 teaspoon per quart and 1/4 teaspoon per pint.

Canned Tomatoes

With the abundance of tomatoes in the summer months, can some for winter eating. Tomatoes, after all, are the best-tasting and easiest produce to keep. Try adding a jar of tomatoes to bow tie pasta and butter for a filling and delicious wintertime treat.

Preparation time:
15 minutes

Processing time:
Pints, 35 minutes; quarts, 45 minutes

Yield:
6 pints or 4 quarts

12 pounds whole tomatoes

Bottled lemon juice or citric acid

Canning salt (optional)

Boiling water

1
Prepare your canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For detailed instructions on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)

2
Wash and peel the tomatoes. (To make peeling tomatoes easier, blanch them first to loosen the skins: Dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then into cold water.) After peeling, cut the larger tomatoes into halves or quarters.

3
Place the tomatoes into your prepared canning jars, pressing them to release their juice. (Use a canning funnel to keep the rims clean.) To each pint jar, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid and, if desired, 1/2 teaspoon salt. To each quart jar, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid and, if desired, 1 teaspoon salt. If there’s not enough juice to cover the tomatoes, add boiling water to the jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3), adding more tomatoes as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.

4
Process the filled jars in a water-bath canner for 35 minutes (pints) or 45 minutes (quarts) from the point of boiling.

5
Remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter. Place them on a clean kitchen towel away from drafts. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (see Chapter 4). If you find jars that haven’t sealed, refrigerate them and use them within two weeks.

Tip:
Use wide-mouth pints or quart jars for ease in filling. Although not necessary, they will make the entire process go faster and with less mess.

Per 1/2-cup serving:
Calories 44 (From fat 6); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 19mg; Carbohydrates 10g (Dietary fiber 2g); Protein 2g.