Food Preservation

Commercial product jars are not designed to be repurposed for home canning. Is it possible to reuse mayonnaise and other similar commercial product jars for home canning? Some people have done so with some success. But even though it’s technically possible, it’s really not advisable. Here’s why…

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…

Canning Basics: Thermal shock and how to prevent it. There are many reasons that canning jars can break during the canning process.  One common cause for jar breakage is thermal shock, caused by a temperature differential between hot and cold. The break is characterized by a crack that runs around…

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…

When in doubt, throw it out! Leftovers can be a lifesaver when you need a meal in a hurry, but unfortunately they don’t last forever. Or even a long time. And no, turning leftovers into another kind of leftover does not extend the life of the original food. Keeping food at proper temperatures and…

There has been no testing with monk fruit sweeteners to determine their effects on pH Monk fruit sweetener is becoming popular amongst people looking for alternatives to sugar. Its sweetness is derived not from traditional fructose sugar molecules in the fruit, but from extracted chemicals that provide…

Canning basics: The difference between volume capacity and jar capacity. Looking to acquire a new (or used) pressure canner? One consideration when evaluating whether a pressure canner will suit your needs is the size of the device. It’s important to distinguish between volume capacity and jar capacity …

Canning basics: What qualifies a pressure cooking device as a canning device? Like the old gradeschool analogy, “a Cadillac is a car, but a car is not a Cadillac,” a pressure canner is a pressure cooker, but a pressure cooker may not necessarily be a pressure canner. What qualifies a pressure cooking…

Canning Basics: Research disputes manufacturers' claims regarding safety. Electric “multi-use” pressure cookers are all the rage these days, with good reason.  One simple device can be used for many cooking applications, saving time and energy (as well as other benefits). Unfortunately, despite…

Canning Basics: If sub-zero, separate the gauge before storing the canner. There’s no question that a pressure canner can take up a lot of cabinet or pantry space.  As it’s an appliance that typically is not used on a daily or very frequent basis, many people opt to store their pressure canner in a…