Canning Tips and Tricks

Well, if you’re like me, you’re up to your elbows in canning right about now. I thought I’d share some of my canning tips and tricks to help you during the rush:

• Always prepare an extra jar than what a recipe calls for. For example, if a recipe says it will make 6 pints, I prep 7 pints or 6 pints and 1 half pint. That way, I don’t have a million half-filled jars leftover in my refrigerator…although sometimes extras are nice.
  
  

  

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• Prepare more brine that what a pickle recipe calls for. Sometimes I make a batch-and-a-half of brine, sometimes double.

• If you’re making jam, jelly, or anything with a high sugar content, put your used dishtowels in the washing machine afterwards or in a sealed tub/container until you're ready to do laundry. This way, you won’t end up with a laundry basket full of ants.

• Roasting/broiling tomatoes for peeling is SO much easier and less messy than boiling/blanching.

• Get one of these vegetable choppers when you need to uniformly chop a large amount of produce. I use this for making salsa and it makes things SO MUCH easier.

• If you’re processing anything for more than 15 minutes in a BWB, move the canning pot with its contents to a cool burner and let the jars sit in the water an extra 5-7 minutes before removing after processing. This helps prevent siphoning.

• If you’re overwhelmed and just don’t have the time and energy to do a full processing session, simply prep all your ingredients for a recipe, mix them together in a pot (if called for), and store in the refrigerator till the next day. Heat up and process the next day accordingly. I often do my salsa and chicken stock this way.

Do you have any canning tips and tricks you'd like to share?