AY Honors/Food - Canning/Answer Key

1. Define the following:

a. Botulism

is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, botulin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Foodborne botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Outbreaks of foodborne botulism are usually caused by eating contaminated home-canned foods.

b. Steam pressure canning

is a method of canning by placing the food in a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker allows water to be heated to a temperature higher than the "standard" boiling point of 212°F (100°C).

c. Boiling water bath

A boiling water bath is a method of canning that uses a large pot of boiling water. The filled jars are placed on the rack, then the rack is lowered into the boiling water. Process for the required time as listed in the recipe. This method of canning is the most popular technique for processing canned foods.

d. Steam canning

This is a method of canning that involves a shallow pan with water in the bottom. The lid for this method is rather deep, as to allow for the top clearance of the filled jars. The shallow pool of water is heated to boiling as to create steam. The steam processes the filled jars.

e. Open kettle canning

This method of canning uses a large pot where the product to be canned is heated to boiling as to purge out any impurities. The filling is then packed into hot jars after which the seals and bands are processed. The jars will seal on there own. No processing is needed for this method of canning. This method is not endorsed by Bernardian.

f. Pectin

Under acidic conditions, pectin forms a gel, and it can be used as an edible thickening agent in processed foods. This effect is used for making jams and jellies.

g. Hot pack

Food is packed into jars after being cooked and while still hot. It is then placed in a pressure cooker.

h. Cold pack

Food is packed into jars in an uncooked state (or sometimes after being scalded). It is then placed in a pressure cooker.

i. Sterilize

Killing all forms of bacteria and other pathogens present on an item (such as a jar).

j. Scald

Immersing a fruit or vegetable in boiling water for a minute or two. This splits the skin, easing the task of removing the peel.

k. Jelly

A jelly is a sweet or savoury food gel, usually made through the addition of gelatin or pectin to edible liquids. "True" jellies are smooth textured and made from fruit juice, such as grape jelly.

l. Jam

is a type of sweet spread or condiment made with certain fruits or vegetables, sugar, and sometimes pectin. In the United States and Canada, jams are invariably made from mashed or ground fresh fruits.

m. Marmalade

invariably refers to a conserve derived from a citrus fruit, most commonly from oranges. The recipe includes sliced or chopped fruit peel, which is simmered in fruit juice and water until soft; indeed marmalade is sometimes described as jam with fruit peel.

n. Pickles

Pickling is the process of preparing a food by soaking and storing it in a brine containing salt, acid (usually vinegar), or both, a process which can preserve otherwise perishable foods for months. The resulting food is called a pickle.

3. Give directions for sterilizing, filling, sealing, and testing seals on jars.

Sterilizing

There are at least two ways to sterilize jars:

• Boil them in water for 15 minutes
• Wash them in hot soapy water and then let them soak in bleached rinse water for at least two minutes. Use a quarter cup of bleach for every two gallons of water. Take the jars out of the bath and allow the bleach and water to evaporate for at least 15 minutes.

Boiling them can take a long time because it takes a lot of water to cover the jars completely, and it is difficult to get very many jars in even a very large pot. Then there is the problem of removing the boiling-hot jars from the pot. Because of this, it is often easier to use bleach.

Filling

You can either try to pour or ladle your food into the jars directly (though you risk making a big mess), or you can use a wide-mouth funnel. Most places that sell canning jars will also sell these funnels. The small end of the funnel fits nicely in the mouth of the jar, and the large end is wide enough to make pouring or ladling a lot easier.

Do not overfill the jars. Leave 2 cm or so of space at the top of the jar, though most recipes will actually specify the recommended headroom. If you run out of food before a jar is completely filled, it's OK to just leave it that way and seal it.

Sealing

Place the lid on top of the jar, making sure that the rubber seal on the underside of the lid comes in contact with the mouth of the jar. Then screw the threaded portion of the lid on over it. It only needs to be tight enough to hold the rubber seal to the mouth of the jar. The actual seal occurs because the air inside the jar shrinks as it cools, and this actually pulls the underside of the lid inward. Of course this only works if the food is hot when you pour it into the jar.

Testing Seals

After processing, remove jars from canner and place upright jars on a towel in a draft-free place. DO NOT retighten screw bands or check for seal while the jars are hot. Allow processed jars to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. After 24 hours, check the seals. Sealed lids curve downward and do not move when pressed.

4. When should food be steam pressure processed?

Foods that are low in acid have a higher pH level and do not contain enough acid to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria. These foods are processed at temperatures of 240 - 250 degrees F, attainable with pressure canners.

6. Can the following items:

d. One jelly or jam

You can make jelly or jam from almost any fruit you like. Strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, grape, and plum are all excellent choices, but you can also use a variety of wild fruits as well, including rose hip, gooseberry, autumn olive, and elderberry. We present a recipe for plum jam here, but an almost identical recipe for rose hip jam can be found in requirement 4 of the Herbs honor.

References

• USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning