Canning Quiz - Pantry Insider

Here’s your chance to answer my mail. Are you a canning whiz?

"I want to make a batch of chili, which includes ground beef. The recipe calls for 90 minutes of processing in a pressure canner. I don't have a pressure canner, so is it ok if I waterbath my chili for 180 minutes instead?"

Sure! Water gets warmer the longer you boil it, so go ahead!

Absolutely not! No matter how long you boil water, it will never get as hot as the steam inside a pressure canner.

Correct! Wrong!

"I noticed paraffin wax being sold in the canning supplies section and I remember my mother using wax to seal her jam jars when I was a little girl. Seeing the wax block on top of my jam brings back happy childhood memories! Can I use paraffin wax to seal the jars instead of waterbath canning my jams and jellies?"

Yes. Jam is a high acid food so it's perfectly safe.

No. Paraffin wax was traditionally used to seal jam, but now we know that it's not effective because it contracts as it cools, allowing bacteria to enter the jar.

Correct! Wrong!

"Browsing through Facebook the other day, I saw an ad for homemade salsa for sale. In the ad's picture, all the jars were on her kitchen table upside down. Why were the jars upside down?"

Flipping the jars over is a traditional practice that we now know is unsafe.

Flipping the jars over allows the flavors to blend and creates a better-tasting salsa

Correct! Wrong!

"I've noticed on You Tube that there are MANY ways to can! (Waterbath canning, steam canning, sun canning, open kettle canning, pressure canning, canning in the slow cooker/ microwave / dishwasher...) As long as the jar seals, then it's safe, right?"

Absolutely! A sealed jar is a safe jar.

Ack! The food must go through either the waterbath, steam or pressure canning process to kill microorganisms that could lead to food borne illness.

Correct! Wrong!

"I keep hearing people talking about the dangers of Botulism. What are the signs and symptoms of Botulism?"

Nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, sweating and chills, weakness

Difficulty swallowing or speaking, dry mouth, facial weakness on both sides of the face, blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, trouble breathing, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, paralysis.

Correct! Wrong!

"I want to can applesauce and I have a safe, tested recipe to do so. The recipe calls for pint jars, but I only have half-pint jars on hand. Can I safely use the smaller jars instead of the size the recipe calls for?"

Yes, you can. Tested recipes test to see how long it takes the heat penetrate into the middle of the jar and so you can always use a smaller jar, but never a larger one.

o, you can't. Tested recipes test the density of the food and so it is important that you use only the exact size specified in the recipe.

Correct! Wrong!

"I have a safe, tested recipe for pressure canning potatoes. It says to peel the potatoes first, but I want to keep the peels on for nutritional value. Can I do this safely?"

Yes. Peeled or unpeeled... it makes no difference to the canning process as long as the potatoes are pressure canned

No. Peels harbor botulism and cause issues with heat penetration.

Correct! Wrong!

Yes, that would be a good extra safety measure. If the dial gauge is a little off, increasing the processing time will compensate.

No, that's taking a risk. If the dial gauge isn't working correctly, increasing the processing time will not be helpful.

Correct! Wrong!

Someone just gave me their gently-used dial gauge pressure canner. I haven't had a chance to have the dial gauge tested yet but hopefully it's fine. I have some green beans that need to be canned today. Can I just pressure can the green beans a little longer than the recipe calls for to be on the safe side?

I was a little overly ambitious in my canning today! It's been a long day and I am exhausted! My last load in the pressure canner just finished processing and I’m waiting for it to release pressure before venting. Can I just let the cans sit overnight so I can go to bed? Or do I need to wait for it to release pressure, vent, and then take them out tonight before I go to bed?

Now that they've gone through the pressure canning process the jars are safe. Feel free to go to bed and remove the jars in the morning when they are cooler.

Cooling is an important part of the canning process. Leaving the jars in the canner overnight could cause the growth of undesirable bacteria.

Correct! Wrong!

"I am trying to eliminate sugar from my diet. Is it safe to can fruit without sugar?"

No. Sugar acts as a preservative in addition to improving the flavor, helping stabilize color and retain the shape of the fruit.

Correct! Wrong!

"We have as a salsa recipe that has been in the family for several generations and it is AMAZING! Can I safely can it at home"

Yes. Salsa recipes are just variations of the same tomato base with lemon juice or vinegar for acid and can be safely canned at home.

No. The specific combination of ingredients and preparation method determines if a salsa can be processed in a boiling water canner or pressure canner and the processing time must be scientifically determined for each individual recipe.

Correct! Wrong!

"The doctor just put me on a low sodium diet. Is it safe to can vegetables without salt?"

Yes. Salt is used for flavor only and is not necessary to prevent food from spoiling.

No. Salt is an important preservative and is a necessary part of the canning process

Correct! Wrong!

"I'm canning to save money, but the lids are so dang expensive! I've seen people reuse their lids and it seals just fine. As long as the lid is in good condition and the jar seals, is it safe to reuse lids?"

Yes. As long as the jar seals, it's perfectly safe.

No. The first use of the lid creates an indentation on the sealing compound. A jar may appear to be sealed, but that indentation may prevent the compound from creating an airtight seal.

Correct! Wrong!

"I'm hearing a lot of debate about whether or not we need to sterilize the jars before canning. Some people say they need to be sterilized, others say they don't. What is the current recommendation?"

Better safe than sorry! Always take a few minutes to go ahead and sterilize those jars in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.

Only jars that will be processed in a waterbath canner for less than 10 minutes need to be sterilized for 10 minutes prior to processing.

Correct! Wrong!

"I have a lot of fruit to process this year. Can I speed the process up by stacking jars on top of each other inside the canner?"

Yes, you can stack 2 layers of jars in a waterbath or pressure canner, as long as you use a wire rack in between The layers of jars so water or steam can circulate around each jar.

No. If you stack jars on top of each other, the weight of the upper layer will push down on the lower jars, causing them not to seal correctly.

Correct! Wrong!

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"I want to make a batch of chili, which includes ground beef. The recipe calls for 90 minutes of processing in a pressure canner. I don't have a pressure canner, so is it ok if I waterbath my chili for 180 minutes instead?"

"Browsing through Facebook the other day, I saw an ad for homemade salsa for sale. In the ad's picture, all the jars were on her kitchen table upside down. Why were the jars upside down?"

"I've noticed on You Tube that there are MANY ways to can! (Waterbath canning, steam canning, sun canning, open kettle canning, pressure canning, canning in the slow cooker/ microwave / dishwasher...) As long as the jar seals, then it's safe, right?"

"I keep hearing people talking about the dangers of Botulism. What are the signs and symptoms of Botulism?"

"I want to can applesauce and I have a safe, tested recipe to do so. The recipe calls for pint jars, but I only have half-pint jars on hand. Can I safely use the smaller jars instead of the size the recipe calls for?"

"I have a safe, tested recipe for pressure canning potatoes. It says to peel the potatoes first, but I want to keep the peels on for nutritional value. Can I do this safely?"

"I am trying to eliminate sugar from my diet. Is it safe to can fruit without sugar?"

"We have as a salsa recipe that has been in the family for several generations and it is AMAZING! Can I safely can it at home"

"The doctor just put me on a low sodium diet. Is it safe to can vegetables without salt?"

"I'm canning to save money, but the lids are so dang expensive! I've seen people reuse their lids and it seals just fine. As long as the lid is in good condition and the jar seals, is it safe to reuse lids?"

"I'm hearing a lot of debate about whether or not we need to sterilize the jars before canning. Some people say they need to be sterilized, others say they don't. What is the current recommendation?"

"I have a lot of fruit to process this year. Can I speed the process up by stacking jars on top of each other inside the canner?"

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