Low Sugar Strawberry Jams

While I home can year round and have even taken to doing a bit of canning at our vacation home, this time of year through the end of September tends to be busier.  The canners (water bath, pressure) are going almost daily often several times in one day quickly putting up various fruits and vegetables as they are in season.  Unfortunately, I missed asparagus season.  There is still local asparagus available but the price is too high for preserving.  Strawberries just started.  We were on a road trip Saturday so I came home with a flat of local strawberries and fresh, free range eggs. 

I made three batches of low sugar strawberry jam, all using Pomona's pectin (low methoxy pectin).  This pectin does not rely on sugar to gel so it is possible to use sugar substitutes like maple syrup, honey, stevia or agave.  If sugar is desired, it is used at a considerably reduced about usually 2 cups or less per batch in comparison to regular pectin that uses about 7 cups of sugar per batch.  The end result is the ability to create gourmet low sugar jams.  However, reduced sugar also means a smaller yield since sugar is a bulking agent as well.  This small price is well worth it for me. 

I also used a secret ingredient (non-alcoholic) to enhance the flavour of the jam.  I am pleased with the flavour and texture of the jam.  However, there is a bit more floating fruit than I would have liked.  Floating fruit is common with jams even when following the guideline to stir for five minutes before jarring.  This does reduce but not eliminate floating fruit.  The easy remedy for floating fruit is simply stirring the jar of jar when first opened.  Floating fruit does not affect the texture or flavour of the jam but it is not a desirable visual element for competition. 

A Successful Canning Run (Beans)

I have affectionately named this year the Land of Not!  Seriously, it has been nothing but chaos which means a lot of the things I normally do are not being done, including blogging.  Some years are just like that but honestly, I need things back to normal.  Aside of mint and gooseberries, my garden is non-existant and I doubt there will be much in the way from the peach and pear trees.  I realized the year quickly slipping away leaving me little time to get my canning done before we head south.  So, I went to my favourite organic grower last Thursday to pick up beans for fresh eating and canning. 

Green and wax beans are one of my favourite vegetables to can.  By far, the best canning bean with respect to flavour and texture is Blue Lake but any string bean can be canned, especially the heirloom favourite Kentucky Wonder.  Ask for these varieties if buying.  Both grow easily and are suitable for small spaces growing vertically.  It's best to remove the string for some varieties as it can become hard when canned resulting in a less than ideal end product.

Quite often someone will ask how many pounds of beans to buy for canning.  I generally aim to buy enough beans to run a full canner load of 19 - 500 ml (pint) jars.  I prefer this size for beans because we use the entire jar in a meal with no left overs.  One and a half to two pounds of beans gives a yield of about 1L (quart) or 2 - 500 ml (pint) jars according to Putting Food By (1975).  Ball Blue Book estimates 1½ to 2½ lb beans per 1L (quart) jar.  Pictured are the beans I bought, 3 lb wax beans and 8 3/4 lb green beans.  Based on the estimated yield, I should have had a yield of about 16 - 500 ml jars. 

I ended up with a yield of 7 - 500 ml jars of wax beans and 20 - 500 ml jars of green beans, well over the predicted yield.  This is one reason why I always prepare extra jars because the actual yield is seldom the same as the predicted yield.  Another reason is, I very seldom buy produce by the pound or kilogram.  Rather, the organic growers I buy from sell by the basket full or by the unit and it is quite common for them the add an extra or two for me as a thank-you.  This time I did pay $32 for the beans but they gave me three large slicing tomatoes and three field cucumbers at no charge!  The organic growers are generally close to or even a bit lower in price than the grocery store.  I should have waited as fresh beans went on sale in the grocery stores for the long weekend so the organic grower would have lowered the price as well!

Another common question is whether I save money canning beans.  The answer is yes but the amount of savings is dependent on whether I grow the beans myself or buy then.  In this case, I had a yield of 27 - 500 ml jars which is the equivalent to 34 - 398 ml cans of commercially canned beans.  The cost worked out to $1.18 per 500 ml jar which is equal to 94¢ per 398 ml can.  Even with paying the higher price for the organic beans buying them when I did, I still realized a savings!  More importantly, I have a higher quality product in my pantry.

How do you calculate how many jar of beans to can?  This is actually quite easy simply by analyzing our eating patterns.  We eat beans as a side at least once a week which works out to 52 - 500 ml jars.  We are away almost 16 weeks of the year so at bare minimum I need to can 36 - 500 ml jars.  I plan on canning at least another canner load of beans this week.  If I were canning home grown beans as I normally do, I would can whatever we didn't eat fresh, freeze or give away even if over the amount needed for the year.  This ensures a steady supply that compensates for years such as this where I can less than the normal amount.

Bernardin's New BPA-Free Canning Lids

This has been the first year in many, many, many years that my home canning in down.  Despite that, I am always on the look-out for home canning products.  One of the recent food contaminants concerns has been BPA (Bisphenol-A), an additive found in many plastics.  Most of the exposure to BPA is dietary through plastic food containers and the lining in metal cans.  The general work around is to avoid using plastics entirely and if not possible use BPA-free plastics.  Home canners, however were forced to use BPA lined single use canning lids unless they used glass inserts or Tattler reusable canning lids.  [Please note the warning against using the 4ever Recap canning lids as they have an extremely high seal failure rate during storage.] 

One of the reasons I do a lot of home canning is to avoid food contaminates like BPA.  The fact that the metal single use snap canning lids contained BPA has bothered me ever since I made that discovery.  As a result I have been in the process of switching to glass inserts and Tattlers.  However, only gaskets for the Gem jars are currently available which limits how many of my inserts can be used and switching to Tattlers is expensive when doing large scale canning.  Despite the additional initial cost, Tattlers really are the frugal choice but only if you going to do enough canning that they will be reused to justify the added expense.  Glass inserts and Tattlers are too expensive to be used on home canned foods that will be given as gifts.

I recently discovered Bernardin BPA-free canning lids at Dollarama.  Dollarama is currently the cheapest source for the single use canning lids.  A couple of years ago a package of 12 cost $1 but now they are $1.50, still almost half the cost of other retailers. A lost cost BPA-free canning lid is definitely a welcomed addition in the home canning world!

Visually there is very little difference between the BPA-free lids and those containing BPA.  In comparison to the older gold colour Bernardin lids, the underside is whiter than the newer silver lids.  The newer lids with BPA are very slightly mottled while the BPA-free lids look smoother.  Other than that, you can't really tell the difference.  You can however, have peace of mind that you are not contaminating your food with BPA.

I currently have a stash of 36 boxes of snap lids in three sizes (standard, widemouth, Gem).  As I use those boxes I am replacing with the BPA-free lids.  In general, food does not come into contact with the plastic coating when foods are properly processed in a boiling water bath canner.  Food will come into contact with the plastic coating when foods are pressure canned.  It is imperative to follow the instructions with the lids as the prep has changed.  The plastisol sealant on the new lids (with or without BPA) has changed so there is no longer a need to boil or heat the lids before processing.  Simply place them on the prepared jars and continue with the sealing process. 

Home Canned Picante Sauce

I am constantly looking for as well as developing new, safe home canning recipes.  This fall I added home canned picante sauce to my ever growing list of must make recipes.  Picante means hot but the recipe I used was mildly pungent and stimulating.  The results were delicious!  I will do a bit of tweaking for the next batch but overall, I am quite pleased with the sauce.  This one is a keeper!

I decided to try the picante recipe in Bernardin's Tomatoes Canning & Specialty Recipes.  This easy sauce has the texture of a chunky salsa but different flavour notes.  Parsley can be substituted for the coriander if desired.  It can be served with a rice or meat dish, or used as a dipping sauce for chips and seafood.  This sauce can be puréed for use as an enchilada sauce.  It can be home canned chunky or puréed so be sure to make a batch or two of each!

Picante Sauce
source: Bernardin Ltd., Tomatoes Canning & Speciality Recipes (2000), Pp. 64

7 c coarsely chopped tomatoes
1½ c coarsely chopped Spanish onion
½ c finely chopped jalapeño pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c malt vinegar
1 can (5½ oz) tomato paste
1 tbsp pickling salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 tsp cumin

Prepare vegetables.  Leave ingredients as is for picante sauce or purée mixture if making enchilada sauce.  Place all ingredients except coriander and cumin into large saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil gently for 45 minutes.  Stir in the coriander and cumin.  Continue boiling for 15 minutes for picante sauce or 30 minutes for enchilada sauce.  Ladle sauce into hot 250 ml (half pint) jars.  Wipe rims and cap with metal snap lids, Tattler reusable canning lids or glass inserts as per instructions for type of lid used.    Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes.  Remove from canner.  Tighten bands fully if using Tattler lids or glass inserts.  Allow to cool undisturbed for 24 hours.  Remove bands and test for seal.  Wash jars and label for storage.

Yield: about 8 - 250 ml (half pint jars), 7 enchilada sauce

4ever Recap Reusable Canning Lids Warning

I am a high volume home canner with over 30 years of experience.  In addition to the two piece metal snap lids, I also use reusable canning lids (eg. glass inserts, glass lids, Tattler, and 4ever Recap).  I ordered one dozen standard and one dozen wide-mouth size of the 4ever Recap lids.  The 4ever Recap lids came in at 10¢ less per lid than the Tattlers and promised the lids with gaskets (treated properly) would last forever.  As a high volume canner, I knew that savings would make a difference.   I contacted 4 Ward Industries immediately upon receiving my 4ever Recap lids who did not resolve my problem or address my concerns.

I started testing the 4ever Recap lids in April of 2013, wrote about sealing problems with the 4ever Recap lids the same month, and wrote a review of the 4ever Recap lids in May.  I left the remainder of the jars using 4ever Recap lids in the pantry which is both cool and dark.  During the midst of the busiest of my canning while putting newly canned foods in the pantry I noticed a jar of stock with a 4ever Recap lid that looked strange.  Upon closer inspection I discovered the lid had actually popped up and the contents obviously spoiled.  I immediately checked through all my jars of stored food, no easy task given the volume.  Every jar with a 4ever Recap lid had come unsealed.  I have to tell you, I was beyond furious!

I have used the reusable lids often enough that I can tell just by a quick glance whether the seal has failed.  It is very, very subtle but there is less compression between the lid and the jar (orange arrow).  What caught my attention though was the clouding of the turkey stock (yellow arrow left).  What I found with the remaining jars with 4 ever Recap lids were clear signs of spoilage (yellow arrow right).  I carefully brought the jars to the kitchen for further investigation, taking pictures.  Of note, jars of the same stock canned on the same day in the same batches using Tattler reusable canning lids and metal snap lids were fine with no sign of spoilage or seal failure.  All of the jars were stored in the same pantry in the same conditions.

I know the jars using the 4ever Recap lids were sealed when they went into storage.  They were removed from the pressure canner, bands firmly tightened immediately then sat undisturbed for 24 hours as per normal.  In fact, I noted seal failures at a rate of 25% during this initial period but after reprocessing all had sealed and were sealed when put into the pantry.  I removed the bands and tested those seals before the jars went into the pantry.  The beauty of the reusable lids aside of being eco-friendly is they are either sealed or they aren't.  If a lid is not sealed it easily slides or lifts off the jar with no resistance.  It is would be impossible to miss a lid that wasn't sealed.

In my initial correspondence with Jackie Ward of 4 Ward Industries, I asked about the apparent gasket seat flaw that allows the gasket to move somewhat on the lid.  She did not address my concerns but rather brushed them off.  Pictured is a comparison of a Tattler reusable lid to the 4ever Recap lids.  The gasket sits firmly on the gasket seat of the Tattler lid.  It is tight against the flange (green arrow) with no possible room for movement.  The gasket sits loosely on the 4ever Recap lids with a fair amount of room for movement (red arrow).  It does not sit tightly against the flange but rather if the gasket is pushed tight against the flange it leave a wiggle room of 1/8 - inch. This movement makes placing the prepared lids on filled jars more difficult and definitely explains the higher percentage of initial seal failures fresh from the canner because the gasket actually has enough room to shift so as to not cover the rim of the jar properly.
 
Yesterday, a reader who wished to remain anonymous left the following comment on the 4ever Recap review post:

You may be interested in knowing that after finding out that their "superior silicone' rings will not stay sealed longer then 3 weeks, 4Ever Recap is now selling nitrile rings. Now if you have a superior product, why would you exact copy your competitors tried & true (which you claim to be inferior) product? Also interesting, if you type 4Ever Recap Trademark into your search engine you will find that the company is actually owned by Kang Investments LLC. You form your own opinions on that one!  

I decided to do some investigation:

According to their website, 4 Ward Industries LLC in Anna, Ohio "is the company that brings" you 4ever Recap owned by Jackie Ward (President).  Brandon Ward, her husband, is Director of Marketing and Sales.  The website 4everrecap.com is a GoDaddy domain with the registrant set as private and their IP 64.29.151.221 points to InternetNamesForBusinesses.com in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  I could find no real information on 4 Ward Industries LLC other than what is on their website which is rather odd.  Of note, Anna is a village of under 1,600 people and the Village of Anna Businesses does not list 4 Ward Industries as a business in Anna, Ohio but City Squares listed 4ever Recap (not 4 Ward Industries) at 114 West North Street in Anna.  It's interesting that Google Street View shows nothing that appears to be a building for manufacturing the lids but perhaps it is a small enough operation to fit in a large shed.  The 4ever Recap trademark is definitely owned by Kang Investments LLC (also not listed in the Village of Anna Businesses) in Anna, Ohio, filed by Matthew H. Swyers who appears to be a trademark lawyer for The Trademark Company in Vienna, Virginia.  The address given for Kang Investments is 12800 Wengler Rd. which appears on Google Street View as two rather impressive homes on a dirt road across the road from an empty field. .  My conclusion is that 4 Ward Industries is not who they say they are and may possibly be portraying themselves in a deceptive manner.  I don't feel they are actually manufacturing the lids themselves as their website indicates 'the company that brings you' not manufacturers of 4ever Recap lids.  It is unclear where these lids are made and may or may not be BPA-free.  At any rate there is evidence that 4 Ward Industries is simply selling someone else's product that mimics Tattler. 

According to their website, 4ever Recap is offering silicone (red) and nitrile (black) gaskets.  If the silicone gaskets were superior in the first place, inquiring minds would like to know why they are suddenly offering nitrile gaskets?  Nitrile is an oil-resistant synthetic rubber that has recently been used in the manufacturing of medical gloves as a less expensive alternative to latex gloves.  It is also used in applications such as gaskets where oil resistance is necessary.   Clearly, there have been seal problems with the 4ever Recap both immediately and during storage which is why 4ever Recap is again copying Tattler by offering nitrile gaskets BUT they are still offering silicone gaskets despite the gasket seating defects which would lead to seal failures and the problem in general with the seal failures using silicone.  My conclusion is both Jackie and Bruce are aware of the high level of seal failures AND have relayed that to whom ever is manufacturing the lids.  Rather than correct the problem, an alternative gasket is being offered.  Clearly, an alternative nitrile gasket would not be offered if there weren't known seal problems with the silicone gasket!  Based on the numerous complaints over seal failures using the 4ever Recap lids and the multitude of canning sites and forums recommending against their use, I would not be surprised to see a class action lawsuit in the near future!

The bottom line:

Regardless of the confusion over who actually manufactures the 4ever Recap reusable lids, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that they are not manufactured at the location implied by the Wards.  There is a question on the feasibility of a business built on a non-sustainable business plan selling a product designed to last forever meaning they are only interested in first time buyers not maintaining existing customers.  There is reasonable evidence to speculate that these lids may not manufactured in the USA which brings their safety into question.  There clearly is a recognized problem with the silicone gaskets that leads to a higher rate of initial seal failures as well as increased seal failures during storage.  Of note, all negative comments regarding the 4ever Recap lids have been removed from their Facebook page, something they do blame Facebook for but I have my doubts.  It's their page so they have the power to remove any comments as they see fit.  I fully believe they have removed the negative comments to prevent perspective buyers from seeing them which could influence them not to buy the faulty lids.

On a personal level, I was not happy with the correspondence from Jackie who failed to resolve my problem or address my initial concerns over the gasket seating.  Despite several emails, she did not answer my concerns at all!  She blamed seal failures on being a new user of 4ever Recap lids even though they are used exactly the same way glass inserts and Tattler reusable lids are used, both of which I have been using on a regular basis for a few years.  Every single jar with a 4ever Recap lid in storage had lost the seal by September.  While this is longer than the 3 week in storage failure some are reporting, it is still unacceptable.  I currently have a little over 12 dozen jars in storage using Tattler and glass inserts.  Some of those jars have been in storage over a year.  To date the only seal failures I have experienced during storage has been using the 4ever Recap lids.   I definitely will not be using these shoddy reusable canning lids!  I am not willing to waste my time, effort, cooking fuel and food using what is clearly a substandard, defective product!  I do not recommend these lids!

Where are the Canning Police When You Need Them? aka Darwinism At It's Finest

If you have been following this blog you will know I do a lot of home canning and that I share the safe methods for home canning.  All home canned foods must be properly processed for safe storage.  Low acid foods (eg. meats, fish, stews, soups, vegetables) must be processed in a pressure canner.  High acid foods (eg. jams, jellies, pickles, fruits) must be processed in a boiling water bath canner.  There are no ifs, ands or buts!   Older methods that your grandparents or parents used may no longer be safe to ensure a proper canned food that is shelf stable.  Oven canning aka open kettle canning or inverting the jars is no longer considered safe as neither method kills off existing bacteria or mold spores, nor do they denature any botulin toxin that may be present.

<rant> Yesterday, a post came down on one of the forums I follow to check out a blog where the author actually told her readers how to oven can tomatoes and that vegetables should be put into a boiling water bath.  Now this is just wrong on so many levels!  Not only is she giving dangerous advice that could cause someone to get quite sick or worse she is opening herself up to one or more lawsuits should someone follower her advice.  I don't care whether her mother, her aunt, her friends or anyone else used oven canning for thousands of years, it is still bad advice.  She erroneously claims the FDA is too strict on their home canning guidelines.  Hello!  Even as a Canadian home canner, I know it is the USDA not the FDA who has done the research and is the leading home canning expert.  Even if she oven canned tomatoes and cold vegetables in a boiling water bath herself she certainly should not be telling others to do so.  It is akin to giving a child an unlocked gun to play with!  Not only could she ultimately be responsible for someone's death she can and should be held liable!  Several from the forum left comments to indicate her advice could end causing illness or worse but she deleted them all which is entirely up to her.  I just hope we don't read in the news about illness or death caused by improper canning following this person's advice!  Honestly, she is practicing Darwinism at its finest!</rant>

The USDA has done a tremendous amount of research on home canning.  They do not approve or disprove anything but rather make recommendations based on the results of their research.  They may not recommend using a certain ingredient (eg. corn starch) or canning a certain food (eg. broccoli) because the resulting quality is less than acceptable.  They may not recommend canning a certain food (eg. thickened stew, pureed pumpkin) because it presents a safety issue as the heat cannot penetrate to the centre of the jar to ensure a safe product.  The problem is, the USDA does not disclose whether their recommendation is based on safety or quality. 

The best course of action is to follow all USDA recommendations with respect to food safety in home canning.  After all, the goal is to put a safe product on the table for you and your family.  That does not mean you cannot use older recipes or tweak flavours as long as it does not interfere with the safety of the final product.  For example, substitute white wine vinegar for white vinegar in a recipe to get a mellower flavour.  This is a perfectly acceptable substitution as long as the white wine vinegar you use is 5% acetic acid by volume.  In general, the exception being pickled products, salt is optional when home canning.  You don't need to add salt to something like green beans.  You can but you don't have to as this is a taste issue not a food safety issue.  Older recipes can be converted to be processed using current safe canning guidelines providing they are similar to recipes recommended by the USDA or tested recipes in the Ball Blue Book and Bernardin's Complete Guide to Food Preservation.  Keep the ratio of vinegar to low acid vegetables or when making a pickling brine the same if processing in a water bath canner.  Have fun canning and stocking your pantry but always, always, always put food safety first!

Mom's Pizza Sauce

My busy canning season like the rest of the year has been a bit odd.  In the past, my husband would pick up two hampers of tomatoes at a time so I usually made four to six products sometimes more.  In the end, I would usually process ten hampers of tomatoes over a seven to ten day period which meant long, tiring days back-to-back.  This tomato season has been slow and relaxed.  So far, I've processed two hampers of tomatoes into three products - pizza sauce, dehydrated tomatoes and tomato powder.  I won't reach the ten hamper mark which is fine since I've been busy canning a lot of other foods as well.  This busy canning season is also a bit different in that I am doing a lot of tweaking and fine tuning of flavours to create unique home canned foods tailored to our family's tastes.

We use a lot of pizza sauce and I make extra to give to the kids.  This year I tweaked the pizza sauce recipe that I had previously modified from Bernardin's Tomatoes Canning & Speciality Recipes (2000).  Pizza sauce must be acidified so both the original and modified versions include lemon juice as the acidifier.

In my newest version, Mom's Pizza Sauce, the acidifier is citric acid added on a per jar basis just before sealing.  I tweaked the seasonings and added that little extra touch of flavour that sets this pizza sauce apart from the ordinary.  My husband determined the exact consistency he wanted for making homemade pizza.  While I make the dough, he usually shapes the dough and does the toppings.  The end result was a delicious, tasty tomato based pizza sauce worthy of being called Mom's!

Pretty in Pink - Low Sugar Chocolate Raspberry Sauce

There has been a breast cancer awareness badge on this blog since it was first created.  Like many, breast cancer has, in more than one way, affected our family.  I was delighted when Brad Steig, President of S&S Innovations, Corp invited me to promote their limited edition pink Tattler reusable lids.  This was an offer I could not refuse!  I have been using the Tattler reusable canning lids for over three years now and cannot say enough good things about them. 
 

I wanted a special product to showcase my new pink Tattler lids.  I chose my original low sugar chocolate raspberry sauce because I thought the pretty pink lids would compliment it nicely.   The original recipe has a firmer consistency which makes the sauce perfect to topping cream cheese or as a dessert topping.  This time I made changes to my original recipe to give a softer texture sauce suitable for use as an ice cream topping.  With a bit of tweaking of the sugar and adding vanilla for a little warmth, I ended up with a delectable ice cream topping worthy of the limited edition pink Tattler lids.  My husband poured some of the left over chocolate raspberry sauce over French vanilla ice cream.  He declared it a winner and went for a second helping with a huge grin on his face.

I'd like to thank Brand Steig and S&S Innovations, Corp for sending me a sample of the limited edition pink Tattler lids.  They perform just as nicely as the regular white Tattler lids except 35% of proceeds from their sale is being donated to the Munson Medical Center Women's Cancer Fund in Traverse City, Michigan!  If you would like to buy some of these lids in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, you can you can click the pink button for the sale on the Women's Cancer information page on the Tattler website on October 1.  I just know you will enjoy these lids as much as I do!

Put a Lid on Cancer!

Over the course of authoring this blog for over seven years, I have had the great pleasure to form online relationships as well as endorse products I use and believe in.  Quite some time ago, I did extensive testing of the Tattler reusable canning lids and wrote a review on them.  I've been using Tattler lids for a little over three years now.  They quickly became and remain my preferred canning lid to use wherever possible.  I should clarify the 'possible' which really means I don't like using them on home canned foods that will be gifted as they are meant to be kept and reused multiple times.  Earlier this month, I received an email from Brad Steig, President of S&S Innovations, Corp. manufacturer of Tattler Reusable Canning Lids asking me if I would be interested in promoting their limited edition pink reusable canning lids in support of breast cancer awareness month with 35% of proceeds from their sale being donated to the Munson Medical Center Women's Cancer Fund in Traverse City, Michigan.  Through this program, 100% of donated funds go directly toward assisting women in meeting the financial burdens associated with battling cancer.  This request was one I could not turn down!

Nearly 1.5 million world wide were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010.   While this statistic includes both male and female diagnosed with breast cancer, the disease remains the most common female cancer world wide.  North America along with the UK and Australia/New Zealand have the highest incidence rates world wide, making these countries a priority for breast cancer awareness.  October is breast cancer awareness month.  Breast cancer affects everyone.  Someone you know is now battling this disease or have lost their life to it.  Like most, we too have been affected by breast cancer which is rather prevalent on my husband's side.  In 2001 we welcomed our beautiful daughter-in-law into our family and hearts.  Little did we know that we would see her go through the devastating pain of losing a sister from breast cancer who left behind a husband and two very young children. 

The S&S Innovations, Corp sent me four boxes of their Tattler reusable lids as pictured.  Two of the boxes were their limited edition pink reusable canning lids, one box of wide mouth and one box of standard!  They are gorgeous, the perfect shade of pink for breast cancer awareness month.  I will be using these lids for something special and share the results with you.

How can you get these gorgeous limited edition lids?  On October 1 you can click the pink button for the sale on the Women's Cancer information page on the Tattler website.  Be sure to get your special, limited edition pink Tattler lids to support this worthy cause!

Home Canned Beef and Mushrooms

Throughout the seven years that I have authored this blog, I have given considerable coverage on home canning.  Home canning is one of the most economical and eco-friendly activities a frugal home cook can do.  The bottom line is home canning very much fits in with my philosophy of home cooking so a lot of the dishes I make use my own home canned foods.  Like many who cook from scratch, I do appreciate using certain convenience products.  Unlike many, the vast majority of the convenience products I use are also homemade. 

One homemade convenience product I made with some of the mushrooms I recently bought was home canned beef and mushrooms.  This is a very versatile product that can be used as a soup or stew base, a sauce addition or the juice can be thickened for a rich beef and mushroom meat serving or meat pie filling.  The possibilities are endless.  A jar of beef and mushrooms combined with a handful of frozen vegetables along with pasta, rice, potatoes or bean and a mouthwatering dinner can be on the table in 15 minutes!  I made seven 500 ml wide mouth jars of this delicious homemade goodness that will be a welcomed addition in our pantry. I think the jars of beef and mushrooms look great!

Canning meats at home is not difficult and it can save considerable time and money.  It is a wonderful way to take advantage of those great meat sales you find.  Meats are low acid so must be processed in a pressure canner.  I use an All American model 921 pressure canner for all of my low acid canning needs.  I prefer using wide mouth jars for canning meat products if at all possible as it is easier to remove the contents for reheating later.  Standard mouth jars can be used but the shoulders can make it a little more difficult to get some meat products out of the jars later.  The jars pictured are the older Bernardin embossed pints that are slightly taller than their newer embossed 500 ml jars. 

Meats invariably have fat that can cause a seal failure.   Meats should be trimmed well before canning to remove excess fat and connective tissue.  I wipe the rim with alcohol to remove any grease that could prevent proper sealing.  A layer of fat will form on most home canned meat products once they have cooled.  Ideally, this will be minimal as pictured.  This fat can easily be removed before reheating if desired. 

Home Canned Mushrooms and Mushroom Stock

While writing about out great road trip/camping adventure, a tangent came along that saw me quite busy processing mushrooms, peaches and pears.  I recently bought 20 lb of mushrooms because we were on another road trip that took us by one of the area mushroom farms.  Produce is always very much being at the right place at the right time.  So, I took advantage of the opportunity.

Mushrooms are a must have in our home.  We go through pounds and pounds of them!   Home canned mushrooms are a convenience pantry product for those rare times when I don't have fresh mushrooms on hand.  This is one of the very few products I make that hovers near the  price of store bought however it is a superior product in comparison to commercially canned mushrooms.  Despite a large number of mushroom farms in North America, commercially canned mushrooms are imported from China.  Unfortunately the food safety issues in China are horrid with report after report of unsafe food originating from there.  While I don't boycott other products made in China, I will not use food grown or produced in China.

Home canned mushrooms are easy to process using a pressure canner.   There is no metallic taste as there is with commercially canned mushrooms.  I put up ten 500 ml jars of home canned mushrooms which used up about 5 lb.  This will be enough home canned mushrooms to last us 6 months.  I make a few stops at the mushroom farm throughout the year so can always restock my pantry supplies as needed.
 

One of the ways a home canner can make a high cost product more economical is canning a by product in addition to the main product.  So it is with mushrooms.  Mushroom stock is a very easy to make stock originating from the preparation of mushrooms for other purposes including home canning.  I canned six 1 - L jars of mushroom stock, a welcomed addition to the pantry.  This rich, tasty stock will be used for soups, stews and gravies.  Six litres will be enough to last us for 6 months.

With mushrooms and mushroom stock canned it was time to move on to other ways to use up the mushrooms.  Trust me, we had no problem doing that!  We went through the entire 20 lbs of mushrooms in less than a week but almost half was preserved for later use.  I'll have to make another trip to the mushroom farm!

Great News From NCHFP Regarding Reusable Canning Lids

Social media really is the place to keep up on a lot of food related information.  I am on both Twitter and Facebook one a personal and blogging basis.  A couple of days ago, I spotted an interesting post regarding reusable canning lids.  Now, in technicality, the only recommended closure for home canning is the metal two piece snap lids consisting of a metal disc with attached plastisol and a metal band.  Notice that I say recommended not approved?  The USDA does not approve anything including recipes, it only makes recommendations, something the canning police fail to recognize.

At any rate, reusable canning lids have been used for almost a hundred years.  I have used both glass lids and glass inserts as well as Tattler and 4ever Recap reusable canning lids.  Glass lids and inserts have been in use since at least the forties and while neither are no longer made as well as the gaskets for the standard mouth glass inserts, the gaskets for the glass lids and Gem jars are still in production.  Tattler lids are a plastic disc with a rubber gasket that has been in production since 1976 and 4ever Recap lids has only been in production a few years.  If the folks who are adamant about following the USDA guidelines to the point of it being a fault aka the canning police had their way, no one would be using the reusable lids.  Seriously, some of these folks are so insistent on the USDA guidelines that no substitutions are allowed in any USDA recommended recipe meaning sea salt should not be substituted for regular salt which is utter nonsense but that is another story.  What they fail to realize is the USDA makes their recommendations based on testing and that testing is paid for by manufacturers.  Recipes submitted to the USDA to be tested for home canning safety are tested at a cost to the submitter.  So, the large scale manufactures like Ball and Kerr in the US paid to have their closures, the metal two piece snap lids tested to the point the USDA would recommend them.  Note, recommend not approve.  Bernardin, a Canadian owned company and leading expert in home canning in Canada were purchased by Altrista Corporation (now Jarden Corp) in 1993.  They remain the leading Canadian home canning experts and are still well known for their jars, closures and publications.  Their jars and closures also are recommended by the USDA.

To date, the reusable canning lids have not been tested by the USDA even though many experienced home canners including myself feel the reusable canning lids are safer than the metal snap lids as the possibility of false seals is eliminated.  Not only are they safer, they are the eco-friendly choice for home canners.  The the United States, university extension services do testing for the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) on behalf of the USDA.  The University of Minnesota Extension service made the following announcement in their June 2013 newsletter:

Reusable canning lids have been around for 40 years and today, there is renewed interest in these lids. When using the lids, carefully follow the manufacturer’s (Tattler®) instructions. This lid should not impact the safety of the product as long as the food was processed properly. Currently, there is no research that looks at seal failures, rates, number of reuses or performance throughout reuses. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recently received a grant to study the performance of these lids with results available in 2014 or 2015.

This is amazing news!  Home canning is not exactly a high priority with respect to funding for testing.  On a per capita basis, home canning is a activity that is mainly low level and quite seasonal focusing mostly on jams, jellies, and pickles.  Those with higher level canning volumes tend to be rural folk, survivalists, and religious groups but there are a growing number of folk wanting to take control of their food supply.  These folks like myself want to put good, healthy foods on their table that are preservative free, additive free, and not laden with all those things the food industry puts into our foods that in turn are causing health problems.  Home canning is seeing a revival and has since the y2K scare as more realize it is a frugal and eco-friendly way to enjoy good food year round.

Like many home canners, I will be keeping a close eye for the results of the NCHFP's results testing the Tattler lids.  While the testing is specific to Tattler lids, the result will apply to the Gem glass inserts with rubber gaskets as well as the 4ever Recap lids.  The only differences are the discs for Gem are glass and the gaskets for the 4ever Recap are silicone.  Hopefully this will lead to the testing of the 4ever Recap closures.  I doubt testing will be done on the glass inserts because the inserts themselves are no longer in production and most Gem jar usage is in the Canadian prairie provinces.  At any rate, I am excited to hear about the testing and hope the results will finally put the minds of the canning police at ease!

Best Bread and Butter Pickles Revisted

Every year I develop and/or try new home canning recipes.  Of those, some are duds, others are keepers and then there are the one or two outstanding recipes.  In many ways this is to be expected.  The duds are simply not to our expectations based on flavour and/or texture BUT that doesn't mean the recipe can't be tweaked to become a rather good recipe at some point.  This is especially true of some of the basic recipes in Bernardin Complete Guide to Home Canning, Ball Blue Book or recipes for jams and jellies using traditional pectins.  I often tweak these recipes for the trial run just based on experience and know what can be safely tweaked, substituted, added or omitted.  The end result is a creation tailored to the tastes of our family. 

Last year, I made a lot of pickles.  One of the recipes I used was Best Bread and Butter Pickles modified from Small-Batch Preserving (2001) by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard.  I did a bit of slight tweaking ingredients as well as added calcium chloride to the jars in this recipe even though I had not made it before.  These pickles were a huge hit!  They are delightfully delicious, better than any store bought bread and butter pickle!  They aren't too sweet and have a nice tang without a bite.  They are quite pretty presented in a pickle dish for serving.

If you are looking for a nice flavoured, sure to please bread and butter pickle, do try these pickles.  You won't be disappointed.  The recipe is quite easy but the results are above average!

Canadian Made Improved Gem Jars for Home Canning

I have been talking about the very generous gift of old canning jars received from one of our friends.  Yesterday, I talked about why old canning jars using glass lids and inserts are still quite safe to use and what closures to not use.  Today, I want to share with you a bit more on the Canadian Gem jars that were in the boxes.

I was very impressed!  There were 12 newer style (about 30 years old) Imperial size Canadian jars (upper right corner), 27 Canadian made Improved Gem jars with glass inserts (middle), 25 mainly Canadian made Crown jars (right) with glass lids, 6 extra glass lids, 10 Gem bands and 12 zinc bands.  All of the jars were in excellent condition with no chips.  All of the lids and glass inserts were in excellent condition with no chips.  Finding older jars (circa 1950's) with glass inserts, glass lids and rings in this kind of condition is almost unheard of.  They certainly were well loved and cared for by someone!  I am very honoured to be able to give them a home and like their previous owner will gladly love and care for them.

The Canadian made Gem jars have quite a history.  They were the most popular jars on the Canadian prairies for over 100 years.  The Improved Gem jars made by Bernardin (Toronto, Ontario) have a mouth opening of 78 mm, in between standard mouth (70 mm) and wide mouth (86 mm).  When Bernardin was bought by Altrista Corporation in 1993, the Canadian manufacturing of Bernardin jars and lids moved to the US.   The Canadian manufacturing plant ceased operations in 2001 spelling the end of Gem lids rendering the many thousands of Gem jars useless unless of course they had the glass inserts.  However, by 2001 most of the home canners some who were canning over 3,000 jars of food per year were using the metal snap lids for Gem jars, manufactured only at the Canadian Bernardin plant.  Paulette Lysyshyn, a home canner from Saskatchewan took up a petition to get the Gem lids back into production in 2002 but she wasn't the only one pressuring Bernardin to resume producing the lids.  About 27,000 members of the western Hutterite communities with an estimated 250,000 useless Gem jars joined the protest as did Rosann Wowchuk, the cabinet minister of agriculture along with a multitude of other home canners depending on the Gem metal snap lids.   As a result, in January of 2003 the Gem metal snap lids went back into production and have been available ever since. Originally the decision was to make one long run of the Gem metal snap lids but that quickly changed to continue production as long a folks kept buying the lids.  While the issue with Bernardin was being settled, Gordon Tirebuck, a former manager of Bernardin who had signed a contract not to go into direct competition with them, went into production with Gem lids under his own company, Canadian Home Canning Inc.  With Tirebuck in production and Bernardin back in production, there were two choices of lids for the beloved Gem jars. 

There are two options for closures for Gem jars.  There are the original glass inserts with metal bands and rubber gaskets as pictured.  The rubber gaskets, made by Viceroy (Weston, Ontario) are still in production and available on a limited basis depending on location.  I paid $1.99 for a box of 12 at Home Hardware.  I did notice that while these gaskets were originally made in Canada the newer boxes say 'made in Sri Lanka' and they are now about triple the price I used to pay for them .  The rubber gaskets fit on the glass insert.  A deeper metal band is necessary to use the glass inserts.  Note that these are not zinc bands (see previous post).  They assembled glass insert and rubber gasket is placed on the filled jar then the band is tightened and turned back a quarter inch for processing.  Immediately after removing from the canner the band is fully tightened and left for the cooling period.  The band is then removed.  If the jar did not seal, it will be immediately apparent as the lid will pop right off with no pressure.  While the glass inserts are not recommended by the USDA they are a viable, eco-friendly alternative to the metal snap lids AND there is no worry over BPA leaching into your food.  The second option is the metal snap lids.  A box of bands and lids cost about $8.50 for 12; lids without the bands can be bought in a box of a dozen as well.  Both are available at Home Hardware. 

Of note are the bands for the Gem jars.  The silver coloured widest band (left) is for use on the jars when using a glass insert and rubber gasket.  The centre gold band is for use on the jars when using a metal snap lid.  The smaller, narrowest band (right) is a standard mouth (70 mm) band to show the difference in band depth between Gem jars and the standard or wide mouth bands both of which are not as deep as the Gem band.

Gem jars are mainly used in Canada specifically the prairie provinces and the jars themselves are no longer in production, only the metal snap lids for the jars.  Canning jars tend to get around because home canned foods are gifted so it is quite possible to find Gem jars throughout North America.  Generally what has happened is these jars get discarded because there were no available lids.  To date there are no Tattler or 4ever recap lids available for the Gem jars although I did see where Tattler may consider it.  While Bernardin does make plastic storage lids in both standard and wide mouth sizes, they do not make them for Gem.  There is also no Gem size attachment for food savers to vacuum seal the jars however, Gem jars can be vacuum sealed using the canister method.

I am beyond excited at acquiring this number of Gem jars!  They effectively replace two dozen of my regular jars AND complete with the glass inserts are one step further from depending on the metal snap lids.   Not only that, I also have the option of using the Gem metal snap lids even though they are a little over double the price of wide mouth that are more expensive than stand lids.  Still, having the option is nice!  Now it's time to get all these jars filled with this years harvest...

Old Canning Jars and Closures

I posted yesterday about my wonderful gift of old canning jars.  These jars are all quite usable for home canning and I intend to use them as such.  I really want to tell you more about the Gem jars, a uniquely Canadian home canning jar but thought I should discuss a few thought on jars and closures first.  Before the canning police feel the need to inform me that the old glass jars with zinc lids and rubber seals are not approved by the USDA, I will explain further.  First off, the USDA does not approve any home canning product.  Instead the USDA makes recommendations based on their testing and it should be noted for a product to be tested by the USDA it costs the manufacturer.  So smaller companies like Tattler that make reusable canning lids have not been tested by the USDA simply because of the cost factor.

The 2001 Ball Blue Book says that porcelain lined zinc caps and glass lids with wire bails requiring rubber gaskets should not be used for home canning as there is no way to determine if the closure has a safe seal.  Pictured are a few of the jars from my collection that are not in regular use canning that the USDA recommend not using.  As you can see from the lid, the porcelain liner is attached to the lid.  The lid screws on the jar but there is no gasket that would complete a seal.  Honestly, it would be quite difficult to use these jars for canning because the lids are very hard to find and the newer band or even the older deep metal or zinc bands won't fit on them.  The other two have the bail and wire closure with gaskets.  I'm on the fence about the bail and wire closure as it is fairly close to the Weck canning jars widely used but I think with Weck the wire clips are removed for storage.

In my opinion these jars should be used for display purposes only.  First, the jars themselves are old glass so there are flaws such as bubbles and in the case of the smaller back jar with metal cap on it, the seam is rough at the top causing unevenness around the rim.   Both types of closures would make it difficult to tell if there is a seal or not because there is no way for the lid to pop off indicating a seal failure.  Second, the age of these jars make them antiques.   In good condition, complete with caps  are worth a bit of money.

Newer versions of the Ball Blue Book has simplified the USDA recommendation to include all zinc lids with rubber gaskets even though the USDA was referring to the porcelain lined zinc lids as well as the bail and wire closures.  This recommendation does not apply to the older glass lids, older glass inserts or newer plastic discs all which use rubber or silicone gaskets.  Essentially these are a two piece version of the metal snap lids. The USDA recommends against using zinc bands that are used for glass inserts with rubber gaskets.

Pictured are older metal bands (left), older deep standard mouth band for glass inserts and newer bands for metal snap lids or reusable lids (centre back) and zinc band (right).  The older metal bands are smooth with the same type of finish as the newer metal bands.  These can safely be used for home canning with glass lids or glass inserts.  There are deeper to accommodate the extra width of the glass lid or insert and the gasket. The older zinc bands develop a whitish film much like hard water buildup so they take on a dull greyish appearance as well as a roughness to the touch.  Although the USDA says it is difficult to easily tell if  a jar is sealed, which is true of the porcelain lined zinc lids or the bail and wire closures,  this does not apply to the glass lids, glass inserts or newer plastic discs.

The USDA recommends the metal snap lids because the manufacturers paid to have them tested.  They are relatively easy to use with minimal seal failures and at one time were fairly inexpensive.  It is important to note that when the USDA wrote their guidelines, the emphasis was on food safety which still holds true but the concern over availability of the metal snap lids or the fact they were single use was a non-issue.  The USDA also was not concerned over the leaching of BPA into food from the plastic lining on the metal snap lids which we now know is a health concern.  None of the reusable lids (glass or plastic) have been tested by the USDA so no recommendation has been made.  Thousands of home canners are using all three types of lids and the plastic discs are growing increasingly popular.  The only difference between these closures and the metal snap lids is the closure becomes a three piece system comprised of lid, gasket and band rather than two (metal lid with sealant, band).  If anything, the glass lids, glass inserts and plastic discs (eg. Tattler, 4ever recap) are safer than the metal snap lids because there is no danger of a false seal that can happen if the centre of the metal lid is pressed before the jar is fully cooled.  This will make it appear that the jar is sealed when in fact during storage is will quickly become apparent that it is not sealed.  However, the problem arises if the band is left on preventing the lid from popping off the unsealed jar.  In contrast, if a jar does not seal using a glass lid, glass insert or plastic disc it is immediately apparent upon removal of the band.  The lid will pop right off!  bottom line is the USDA recommends the metal two piece snap lids, recommends against porcelain lined zinc lids and makes no recommendation with respect to the glass lids, glass inserts or plastic discs all using rubber gaskets.

If a zinc lid is in good condition, it is suitable for dry storage but be careful as the sharp edges present a cutting hazard.  I am only guessing at the reasoning for the USDA's recommendation against zinc lids but to me, the roughness they develop with use could cause seal failures during the canning process.  Older zinc lids (left) don't bend up over the lid as much as the slightly newer ones (right) and they can be quite sharp on the edges.  It is possible to find some zinc lids that have no bend at all.  To the middle right there is an unused zinc lid showing how these lids look before developing the characteristic deposits and roughness.

The Ball Blue Book does mention to not use rubber gaskets which if following to the letter would mean you would not use the newer plastic discs (eg.  Tattler, 4ever recap).  Regardless, there are two primary issues with rubber gaskets, availability and degrading with age.  Rubber gaskets are hard to find with the exception of those manufactured by Viceroy in Weston, Ontario.  These gaskets fit the older jars with glass lids AND the Canadian Gem jars (78 mm).  These rubber gaskets will not fit the Tattler, 4ever recap or standard (70 mm) mouth glass  inserts.  These gaskets can be found at Home Hardware in Canada but it is very much on a location basis.

Rubber has the distinct problem of drying out and becoming brittle with age as pictured.  This renders the gasket useless for home canning.  The glass inserts that fit the standard mouth (70 mm) jars are vintage as are the rubber gaskets.  Any rubber gaskets available are old vintage stock so may already be brittle depending on how they were stored.   To date, I have found no source for new gaskets to fit these glass inserts.  What this means from a canning perspective is the standard mouth glass inserts will only be useful until the gaskets wear out at which time it is unlikely a replacement will be found although there were sellers on eBay selling the gasket material so you could cut your own. 

Now that I've discussed what jar closures should not be used for canning and why I consider the glass lids, glass inserts and plastic discs every bit as safe for home canning as the metal snap lids, I'll make a couple of points about self-sufficiency and being eco-friendly.  Glass lids, glass inserts and plastic discs allow the home canner to be less reliant on finding a supply of the single use metal snap lids.  At one time these lids were available even in the variety stores but no more.  In our small community there are five stores which sounds like a lot but they only carry limited amounts and other than the dollar store the price for a doze is almost $3.  The dollar store currently sells them for $1.50 and I have cleaned out their stock on several occasions!  That means someone is out of luck until new stock arrive.  Outside of the busy canning season, any canning lid supply in town practically dries up.  In some areas, canning lids are available by mail order only.  Re-usable lids make a lot of sense both in terms of cost and waste reduction while allowing the home canner to take advantage of canning opportunities without worrying about rushing out to buy metal lids.  Re-usable is the eco-friendly approach as well.  Each time I use a reusable lid I save a lid from going to the curb.  Sure, it is the recycle bin but it is still waste that costs to recycle.  At my level of canning, I am saving over a thousand lids per year from ending up in the recycle bin!  Actually, I also saving that many aluminum cans from ending up in the recycle bin as well but that is another story.  Tomorrow I will tell you all about the Gem jars!

A Generous Gift of Old Canning Jars

Home canning has been a big part of my life.  My Mom canned as did most of the ladies I knew growing up.  I have been home canning myself for over 35 years.  All of our family and friends know that I'm an avid home canner so boxes of canning jars tend to show up on my door step.  We arrived home from a weekend in the Niagara area to find one of our friends had dropped off four boxes of canning jars!

To anyone else, these four boxes would look like old canning jars unusable for canning but perhaps usable for dry storage.  Others with an eye for antiques would quickly spot the more valuable jars.  I took one look at the boxes and immediately knew this was a special find!

As I went through the box, my excitement grew.  The jars were mainly Crown and Gem, a few Corona and Jewel , all Canadian made.  There were a couple of Ball jars (American made).   There were zinc and metal bands, glass lids and glass inserts.  The Gem jars made these boxes of jars a particularly amazing find!  I will explain more about these jars in tomorrow's post.

It is always a treasure hunt going through any box of old things.  So it was with these boxes of jars.  Some of the jars still had hand written labels with the contents and dates.  I carefully soaked these off and added to my collection.  There was a Bernardin bag that originally held one dozen preserving jar rings.  Bernardin is the leading home canning expert in Canada.  At one time they manufactured the jars and lids but those operations were moved to the US in the 1993 when they were purchased by Altrista Corporation, now Jarden Corporation. Bernardin is still in operation in Canada and are well known for their home canning and preserving publications.

A vast number of my canning jars in regular use were made in Canada although that has been slowly changing as I acquire newer Bernardin jars manufactured in the USA.  At one time there were several smaller glass factories scattered throughout Canada, some of which manufactured mason jars for home canning.  The Gem jars in this lot of jars are unique to Canada, made in Canada and still widely used in Canada.  Stay tuned...

Using Honey as a Sweetener in Homemade Jam

The busiest time of my home canning has started.  Ontario strawberries are in season just perfect for a few batches of homemade strawberry jam.  Of all the foods I can, strawberry jam is seldom a bargain in terms of cost.  Strawberries are expensive at as high as $5 per quart although you can get them a bit cheaper at the U-pick.  Even then, the price has risen significantly.  It takes on average 2 quarts plus the pectin and sugar to make the jam.  Certo (liquid or crystal pectin) adds about $1.50 to the price of a batch of homemade jam.  The average batch of jam takes 7 cups of sugar which further increases a batch of jam at a cost of about $1.40.  The yield for a batch of strawberry jam using traditional pectin is 7½ cups.  At the cost of homemade strawberry jam, it is hard to justify making it other than the fact you are getting a superior product to store bought. 

Pectin is the ingredient that makes the jam gel.  It is dependent on the sugar content which is why recipes using traditional pectin should not be altered.  The cost of traditional pectin (eg. Certo) really adds to the price of homemade jams.  Liquid pectin averages $2.89 for 2 pouches but I've seen it as high as $3.49.  The biggest problem for me with traditional pectin is their short shelf life which means I can't buy a lot of it on sale for the following year as the pectin won't keep that long.

Sugar as mentioned is necessary for the pectin to form the gel (eg. jam set).  Sugar is also a bulking agent that adds texture to the jam.  This is noticeable when making a low-sugar jam that gives a lower yeild.   It is a cheap ingredient that doesn't add flavour only sweetness.  Until a few years ago, those making homemade jams and jellies had two choices.

The first was long cook, no pectin added and the second was shorter cook, pectin added.  Both relied on adding a lot of granulated white sugar.  Low sugar pectin became available but while the amount of sugar was reduced it was not eliminated and sugar substitutes could not be used.  Then I discovered Pomona's universal pectin.  This is a low methoxy pectin that uses calcium water, a solution of monocalcium phosphate for the gel which is not dependent on sugar.  That means sugar substitutes can easily be used in jam making.  Pomona's universal pectin works out to 35¢ per teaspoon.  Only a ½ tsp to ¾ tsp of Pomona's is needed per cup of prepared fruit so it is less per batch than traditional pectin.  It has no expiry date and you can easily develop your own recipes.  Pomona's universal pectin can also be used to make sugarfree jello and gummy candies.

I made a batch of honey strawberry jam (pictured).  This jam has no sugar added, only honey and my gosh is it ever delicious!  Honey adds a wonderful flavour to any dish!  Not only that, honey is good for you.  It is easier to digest and has a wide range of health benefits.  I never use the pasteurized, homogenized honey found in the grocery stores.  This honey is a blend of several honeys with the end result being a bland, tasteless honey stripped of its natural nutrients and health benefits.  Rather, I use raw, unpasteurized honey usually local or from an area we are visiting.  Honey varies in colour (very pale amber to very dark amber) and flavour (light to strong)  depending on the nectar source.  While it is the same sweetness as sugar, honey has flavour! 

I like pairing the honey variety with the fruit to enhance and accent the flavour of the fruit.  I used a medium amber (golden) honey in the strawberry jam which accented the flavour of the strawberries nicely without being overpowering.  Honey differs from granulated sugar in that it is a liquid as well as a humicant (attracts moisture).  It does not add the bulk to jam that sugar does but I used less honey than what I would have sugar if using a traditional pectin.  Jam foams as it cooks and normally that foam is skimmed off.  Jams made with honey have a finer foam that is a bit more tedious to skim off but there is a lot less of it than there is if using sugar.  The butter trick works to reduce the foam when using honey the same way it does if using sugar.  Everything comes back to the flavour and for that honey certainly does not disappoint in creating a gourmet, delectable jam!

My Busy Home Canning Season Starts With Asparagus

While I home can year round, my busy canning season runs from mid-May through mid-October.  Since buying our vacation home I have had to shorten that timing to run June through September which really cuts it close for missing the local asparagus.  Our first local crop is asparagus usually appearing the third week of May.  This spring was unseasonably cool and wet so the asparagus crop was delayed.  We were leaving for our vacation home in sunny Florida just after lunchtime on May 6 so I kept a close eye for the signs to go up for local asparagus.  The first sign actually went up the day we left.  I was disappointed to think I may miss the local asparagus season but knew one of our kids could get some near them where their season starts about a week later than ours.

We arrived home just before midnight on May 29.  The following day I bought local asparagus while grocery shopping.  It wasn't from the farm I usually buy from but it was raining and I was more concerned about getting some asparagus canned.  This asparagus was from a farm 40 km from our home so still local.  The going price for asparagus this year is $2 to $3 per lb in the grocery stores.   I paid $9.42 for 6 bundles of asparagus at $2 per lb.   It will be so nice when my asparagus bed is mature enough for harvesting, two years from now!

Home canned asparagus is perfect for making cream of asparagus soup.  I will likely make another batch if I can find enough local asparagus.  I'd like to dry some asparagus as well for asparagus powder.  Off to do a bit of shopping...

Sealing Problems Canning Beef Stock

It's that time of year to get a bit of canning done before the busy canning months start.  This is a great time of the year to clean out the bones from the freezer that have been saved to make stock to free up a bit of freezer space in preparation for the arrival of our beef on the hoof purchase.  I like running a full load (16 - 500 ml jars) in the pressure canner.  A couple of weekends ago I decided to take a bit of time to can beef and turkey stocks.  I ended up using two large beef soup bones for the beef stock and 2 turkey carcasses for the turkey stock.

I have been testing the 4ever Recap reusable canning lids.  The lids performed nicely as expected until I ran the first load of beef stock.  Pictured is the first load of beef stock.  The five jars on the left had Tattler reusable lids with one seal failure.  The six jars in the middle had metal snap lids with no seal failures.  The five jars on the right had the 4ever Recap reusable lids with three seal failures.  In terms of seal failures, a total of 4 of 16 or 25% seal failure is certainly not acceptable!

At this point, many home canners would blame the reusable lids and go back to using the metal snap lids.  That certainly happened when the manufacturers changed the metal lid colour from gold to silver, resulting in many complaints that the silver lids had a higher seal failure.  In reality they did not as the only difference was the colour.  Seal failures again increased when the manufacturers changed the plastisol sealant on the metal jars.  The old sealant required the lids to be scalded but the new sealant only needs to be warmed.  Over heating the new sealant results in seal failure so the real reason for these seal failures was user error.

I can't say I was happy about the seal failures but had to deal with them which meant doing a bit of trouble shooting.  I put the stock into the refrigerator then washed the lids and rings well and set about making the turkey stock.  The plan was to re-process the beef stock along with processing the turkey stock.  Re-processing is as much work as the original processing.  While stock can handle re-processing, some home canned foods cannot.  If this type of food does not seal, the only choice is to refrigerate and use within a couple of days. 

All went well with filling and processing the jars.  I ran the seal failures first even though I don't like running only a few jars in the canner.  That 1 - 500 ml jar beef stock with Tattler lid and 3 - 500 ml jars.  I ran the turkey stock in a separate load.

The following morning I removed the bands.  Pictured are all of the jars beef and turkey stock (sealed and unsealed).  The jar with the Tattler lid and one with a 4ever Recap lid that did not seal from the first processing sealed with the second processing.  The two unsealed jars of beef stock from the first load to the right had 4ever Recap lids.  They failed to seal with the second processing.  All of the turkey stock sealed.  By now I was getting a bit frustrated, having run the canner three times and still getting seal failures!  In my mind though, there had to be another problem besides just the 4ever lids because of the three that had not sealed in the first load, one had sealed in the second load.  The third load had no re-usable lids and no seal failures.

I was determined to find out what was causing the seal failures.  Meat products can be difficult to home can because there is a bit of natural oil in the product.  If that oil gets onto the rim of the jar where the ring/gasket or plastisol sealant sits, it can cause a seal failure.  If you watched the video of jars of beef stock fresh from the pressure canner, it is easy to see how boiling stock could actually be forced between the lid and rim of the jar.  In this case, proper headspace had been left so I did not feel that leaking stock was the problem.  There was no indication of any leakage in the pressure canner, reinforcing this conclusion.

Even though I used a funnel to fill the jars, I decided to use isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to wipe the rims of the jar to ensure there was no oil on them. I normally do not do this as my jars go through the dishwasher just before using them so there should be no oil unless spilled on during filling which is unlikely but still possible when using a funnel.  Many home canners routinely wipe the rims of their jars with vodka or white vinegar but I use a paper towel dampened with water.

As I was filling the three jars (2 beef stock re-cans, 1 turkey left-over from run 3), I noticed a problem with the metal band seating on the threading of one of the jars.  At one time, occasionally there would be a problem with a band seating.  This seemed to be isolated to using newer bands on older Imperial mason jars but I haven't ran into that problem in years.  The jar in question was a Golden Harvest, manufactured by Jarden Home Brands in the US.  This is now the same manufacturer of Ball, Kerr and Bernardin mason jars.  This particular 500 ml jar came from a box of jars filled with food that I had to clean out.  The box was purchased in 2010 from Home Hardware so the jars are not old although that doesn't mean the jar itself could be older.  At any rate, it is not an old jar.

Both Tattler and 4ever Recap reusable lids require tightening the band then turning back a quarter an inch for processing.  As I tightened the band, it popped off.  I tried again with the same results.  I quickly poured the hot stock into another prepared jar, positioned the lid and tightened the band then turned it back.  Once the jars were safely in the processing, I turned my attention to the jar.  After trying four different bands, I realized the problem was not with the bands at all but rather the threads on this jar were defective.  They were just off slightly yet the first time through the canner, a band had held just enough but did not tighten enough for the 4ever Recap lid to form a seal.

There is a misconception that new mason jars are flawless.  This simply is not the case.  I have seen brand new canning jars with air bubbles in the glass, small chips in the rim, a droop in the rim and slightly misshaped openings.  It happens.  A defective thread is a difficult one to catch and in fact if a band catches just enough, you might not catch it especially if using a boiling water bath canner.

The two jars of beef stock, one with fresh jar and 4ever Recap, the other with same jar and 4ever Recap sealed.  The turkey stock jar with a 4ever Recap lid sealed as well.  I marked the jar with the defective rim.  Unfortunately this jar will not be suitable for canning or dry storage requiring a screw band closure.  It can however, be used for vacuum sealing.

Finally, after running the canner four times all my jars of stock were sealed.  Two of those loads experienced seal failures.  In total, there were 4 seal failures, 1 was Tattler, the other 3 were 4ever Recap lids. At the end of the fourth run, all lids had sealed.  The only problem I found that accounted for one seal failure was the defective threads on one jar.  I still have no idea why the other 3 lids failed to seal originally.  There was nothing apparent that would contribute to the seal failure.  I do not feel that any of the seal failures were due to the lids considering two brands of reusable lides were affected.  It is possible that I did not turn the band back enough when putting the reusable lids on or I may not have tightened the band enough when just out of the canner even though I took great care during both steps. 

In comparison to the Tattler reusable lids, the 4ever Recap reusable lids perform just as well.  I do like the look of the 4ever Recap reusable lids that have a bit of a raised ridge on top giving them a rather unique look.  One thing I did notice because I reused both lids and rings in this canning session was the absence of sealing marks on the silicone rings.  I'm looking forward to doing a lot of canning reusing the 4ever Recap lids and rings.  It is encouraging that the silicone rings should not wear out under normal use! [retracted November 10, 2013 as all jars using the 4ever Recap reusable lids lost their seals during storage1
!]