Food Preparation

What does "hot pack" vs "raw pack" refer to regarding canning produce? Hot pack and raw pack refer to the method of packing food into jars prior to canning.  There are advantages and disadvantages to each method; when both options are given, the one you choose comes down to personal preference…

Adjustments to recipe canning jar sizes is possible, within guidelines Is it possible to make changes to recommended canning jar sizes when canning your favorite recipes? In the case of canning with smaller jars, the answer is yes, you may safely size down and use a smaller jar. However, larger jar…

Canning Basics: Canning jar manufacturers specifically recommend against using their jars in the oven. Baking in canning jars (aka mason jars) is an unsafe practice, despite those cute pictures of miniature pies and cakes you see on the internet, especially around the holidays. Why? Canning jars are not…

Washing and sterilizing are two different things. Is it okay to wash canning jars in the dishwasher? Sure, it’s a convenient option, especially if you have a lot of jars to clean, and it’s a good way to keep the jars hot until they’re ready to be filled and go into the canner. (And just a reminder that…

Canning Basics: Make sure your canning jars start hot and stay hot Canning jars should always be washed and rinsed well before being used. And while they don’t always need to be sterilized (unless the processing time is less than 10 minutes), the jars do need to be hot when filled with food, and kept…

Canning Basics: Mason jar myths are rampant on the internet!  MYTH:  Brand new canning jars fresh out of the box are sterile and do not need to be washed. New jars are not sterile. Before use they should be checked for breakage or manufacturing defects, and then washed. In fact, jars should always…

Canning Basics: Busting more Mason jar myths MYTH:  Canning jars can be sterilized in the oven.  Canning jars can even be used for baking.  No and no. Canning jars are made from annealed glass and are not designed for the dry, fluctuating heat of an oven. These conditions can cause…

Preparing canning jars is an important step in the process. One of the very first steps in the canning process is preparing your equipment, including canning jars. Here’s how to go about prepping your jars for canning.Inspect.  Whether used or fresh out of a new box, inspect jars to make sure…

It's not always necessary to sterilize jars before canning.When canning, sterilizing jars is essential only when processing times are less than 10 minutes. For processing times of 10 minutes or more, pre-sterilization is not required – the jars become sterilized during processing. Can you pre-sterilize…

Cook them properly and not in a slow cooker! Red kidney beans are a healthy food – unless they’re not cooked properly. They contain a compound (“PHA”), found in many types of beans, and at especially high levels in red kidney beans. PHA can be toxic at high levels; in fact, consuming only 4 or 5 raw or…