Shirley Camp - Retired University of Illinois County Extension Specialist

Check out Mrs. Wages’ canning tips and food preservation ideas for the 2012 harvest along with safety recommendations from canning expert Shirley Camp, retired University of Illinois Extension Educator.

Food preservation can be delicious, easy and fun if you plan ahead.

1. Check your canning equipment.  Replace lids every year.
Gather together all of your canning supplies into a food preservation kit:  your canner, jars, two-piece lids, funnel, lid magnet, bubble freer, cooling racks, towels, measuring cups (liquid and dry) and spoons, ladle, paper towels, cutting board, sharp knives, and any other equipment you might find useful.

Remember that the lids (or flats) used with the two-piece canning lids should be purchased new every year.  The sealing compound can break down in storage and cause seal failures.  Also, the manufacturers change the compound every so often.  Buy only what you will use during the canning season and follow the manufacturer’s directions on preparing them for use.

2. Use real canning jars
Jars are another item you may pick up at garage sales and auctions.  First of all, make sure they are real canning jars, not jars that once contained peanut butter, pickles, mayo, etc.  Mason canning jars are what you need.  Secondly, the green, blue, and brown canning jars are antiques – use them for your crafts, not canning.  The same is true for the old zinc lids and glass tops with wire bails.  Today use the flat lids (called either lid or flat) and a ring to seal the jar.  Also check for nicks and cracks – these may cause seal failure.

Wands and Jar lifters
A jar lifter is essential as is a funnel.  A bubble wand is better than a metal knife for removing bubbles from the food.  A magnet lid lifter will help you get the lids out of the hot water before putting them on the jars.

Pressure Canners
If you have a pressure canner, check it over.  Some Extension Offices offer a service to check dial-type gauges.  This should be done annually, if possible.  Weighted gauges do not need to be checked.  If you are shopping for a pressure canner, one word of caution, beware of auctions and garage sales.  Pressure canners come in all shapes and sizes and have several parts – buying one at a sale may leave you with a large flowerpot because some of the parts are missing.  Also, there are lots of “antique” canners out there – ones that are no longer manufactured or that are unsafe to use.

3. Check your recipes for safety.
Are they from USDA tested sources?  Better to be safe when doing home food preservation.   The Internet is a wealth of information and recipes for cooking and food preservation. But, beware:  A safe food product depends on the acidity of the food and how you process it.  Low-acid foods, which include vegetables, meats, and mixtures containing these foods, need to be processed in a pressure canner.  The exceptions are tomatoes, which require acidification with lemon juice prior to processing and pickles.

Do not take shortcuts.  Botulism toxin can grow in improperly canned food and botulism can be deadly.  If you have questions about correct food processing methods, call your local Extension Office.  For questions on canning and food safety, visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation Web site.

4. Check Your Spices, Pectin’s and Mixes for Freshness
Open the container and sprinkle a bit of the spice into your hand and crush it.  Smell the spice to see if it has the appropriate aroma.  If the aroma is weak or the spices seem discolored, throw them away and replace them. Purchase spices in bulk so you buy only what you’ll use in the coming year.

Jams, jellies, and preserves are always popular and many recipes call for pectin. Pectin does have an expiration date.  Check any packages of pectin you have and make sure they are not outdated.  If they are old, throw them away and buy new. If you have any leftover packets of mixes for canning, check those too.

Canning your own pickles, tomato sauces and fruits has never been easier. Check out Mrs. Wages® products, respected for more than 40 years for its pickling spices and tomato sauce and salsa mixes .

5. Plan what you want to preserve for the coming year.
You should only preserve the amount of food you will eat or give as gifts in one year – this is not a food safety issue, it is a quality issue.

Contributor: Shirley Camp is veteran educator and retired University of Illinois Extension specialist who helped develop the canning education curriculum for Illinois and taught for almost 40 years. 

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About Mrs. Wages:
Mrs. Wages is a division of Precision Foods Inc. Mrs. Wages inspires people to develop healthy food traditions for their families. For more information and recipes, visit www.mrswages.com

For More Information, Please Contact:
Liz Lareau, Partner, Bawden & Lareau Public Relations – 309.764.7860  (liz@bawdenlareaupr.com)

Additional Assets:
News Release – Word Format  |  PDF Format

Photograph – Shirley Camp (horizontal image – click to open or right-click to download and save)

Shirley Camp, Retired University of Illinois Extension Specialist (Home Economics)

Photograph – Shirley Camp (vertical image – click to open or right-click to download and save)

Shirley Camp, Retired University of Illinois Extension Specialist (Home Economics)

Here are links to each recipe:

• Duane Renko’s Blue Ribbon Whole Pickled Beets

• Dianna Wara’s Blue Ribbon “Raise The Roof” Barbecue Sauce

• Ken Pitman’s Blue Ribbon Cherries

• Ken Pitman’s Blue Ribbon Pears in Turbinado Sugar Syrup

• Ken Pitman’s Blue Ribbon Peaches in Heavy Syrup

• Linda Cifuentes’ Best Blue Ribbon Mango Preserve

• Shawn Sechrest’s Best Blue Ribbon Basil Jelly

• Jennifer Lair’s Blue Ribbon Strawberry Jam

• Linda Cifuentes’ Blue Ribbon Bread and Butter Pickles

• Rod Zeitler’s Blue Ribbon Kosher Dill Pickles

• Sandy’s Spicy Dill Pickles

Ingredients:
3 cups flour, use bread flour, if you can find it.
(You can also mix in ¼ cup of whole wheat flour for the added fiber.)
1 cup eggs beaten
1 tbsp kosher salt
2-4 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Add flour and salt to food processor, pulse to mix.
2. With processor running add eggs in a steady stream.
3. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until a firm ball forms, continue to process for 20 seconds.
4. Remove pasta to a floured surface and knead into a ball, dough should be just barely sticky to the touch. Place into a plastic bag and let rest for 30 minutes.
5. Divide dough into 4 equal portions, on floured surface begin working past through rollers with on largest setting. Drop the setting smaller and continue to roll out sheet until desired thickness is achieved. I keep mine fairly thick. Continue with remaining pasta.
6. Change handle on pasta machine to cutting slot and feed sheets of past through cutters, or hand cut into desired widths or lengths.
7. You can drape pasta to dry over a dowel fitted between two chairs or simply separated strands and coat with flour and leave on a pan.
8. Boil fresh pasta for 3-5 minutes in large volume of salted water. Drain and immediately toss pasta with prepared sauce and serve.

Ingredients:
1/4 olive oil
8 cups peeled tomatoes chopped seeded if desired
4 cloves fresh garlic chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in pan add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for a few seconds, do not let garlic burn.
2. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Just before serving turn off heat add fresh herbs stir and cover until ready to serve.
4. Toss in freshly cooked pasta with ¼ cup hot pasta water, top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serve this with a salad for a light dinner or with a grilled steak and fresh vegetable for something a bit more substantial.

Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes
1 large sweet onion
1 sweet pepper
1/2 cup fresh lime basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Directions:
Chop above ingredients and combine into a bowl, drizzle with a couple of tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.