Nutrition & Health

Canning Basics: How to know that a gel will form when making soft spreads. How do you know when your jams, jellies, and other soft spreads are ready to remove from the heat? There are several tests that can determine that the gel point (aka gel stage) has been reached, including the sheet test and the…

Use a food-safe recipe to make this inexpensive, fun, creative play dough. Playing with play dough is a fun and creative activity for kids to engage in and making your own play dough at home has plenty of benefits: It can be cheaper, it can be softer and smoother, and you can even get the kids involved…

It's getting hot in the kitchen! With the arrival of summertime, lots of fresh seasonal produce becomes available and “canning season” really heats up. Unfortunately, so does your garage, attic, and maybe even your kitchen.Storing canned goods in hot places, such as a garage, attic, above the stove,…

Understand the difference between hot pack vs raw pack for canning meat and poultry.Hot pack and raw pack refers 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…

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…

Choose the correct shape, and don't forget the headspace! Canning jars are a great choice when it comes to packaging foods for the freezer.  They’re durable, reusable, leakproof, and they keep food from absorbing odors and off flavors from other foods in the freezer. However, it’s important to…

In July 2025, an executive order renewed national focus on youth physical activity by reestablishing the Presidential Fitness Test; however, implementation was left up to existing state policy systems. Because effective school-based fitness testing depends on a strong physical education infrastructure,…

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…