Contents
In order to enjoy the fruits of summer in winter, it is important to know a few simple canning secrets.
Favorite jams, crispy pickles, delicious salads – if you really start creating blanks, it is better to learn about the most common canning mistakes on the shore in order to still taste the treats, and not wash them off the walls of the balcony or pantry.
We have collected 8 typical housewife mistakes, which will lead to sad consequences in the form of exploding cans, clouding of brine and sour taste of the workpieces.
1. Damaged vegetables and fruits
Products for blanks must a) be carefully selected; b) wash with passion. For mushrooms, change the water several times, soak them a little. Rinse the vegetables thoroughly, inspect each cucumber-tomato: there should be no signs of rot on them. And if there are such, then it is better to send vegetables to a salad – you can find the best salad recipes for the winter HERE.
For canning, choose fresh, dense, not overripe and not bitten by insects, fruits that are free of defects: mold, dark spots, dents. Even when you cut out a spoiled part of a vegetable or fruit, you cannot be 100% sure of a quality result.
Do not forget about the sterility of the herbs that you are going to add to the curls: the leaves should not be yellowed, bitten by insects, wilted.
2. Insufficiently sterile containers
The prepared jars should be inspected for chips and cracks, select whole ones, rinsed thoroughly, and then sterilized in an oven preheated to 130 degrees for about half an hour. The second option for sterilizing cans: place the cans in a pot of boiling water with the neck down for 15 minutes.
3.defective covers
If the covers are left idle for more than 6 months, the elastic inside them may lose elasticity. This, in turn, will lead to damage to the workpieces and incomplete tightness of canned food. Better not to risk it and buy new ones. And be sure to boil the lids for 3-5 minutes before work.
4. Use of stale food
Harvesting and then leaving the crop to languish for a week in the refrigerator or in a bag is not the best choice. The berries need to be sent to jam or compote on the same day you bought them, at most the next. It is also better not to store cucumbers and tomatoes for longer than two or three days, because they wither, overripe and become unsuitable for canning.
The only exceptions are eggplants, zucchini and squash. They can wait a week for their turn to be sent to the bank.
5. Poorly rolled jar
A jar with a blank can explode if its lid is not screwed on enough or, on the contrary, has overdone it a little. Also, tightness will not happen if there is no special rubber ring on the lid. If the roller of the seamer does not work well or does not work properly, the edges of the lid may be uneven and loose against the can. So the depressurization process will occur by almost 100%. The workpieces can oxidize and explode because of the lid itself: if it has rust, holes, dents or scratches, it is better to discard it. Otherwise, air and microorganisms will enter the jar, which will spoil the product.
By the way, there are also requirements for banks. They must be perfect: without a single chip. A jar with a crack cannot be rolled up tightly, air will inevitably penetrate into it and ruin everything.
6. Deviation from the prescription
Salt with a high iodine content can darken canned foods. It is generally better not to use it for blanks, take the usual one. Insufficiently concentrated brine or marinade will make the blanks not juicy and crispy, but soft. Tap water can also contribute to the spoilage of canned food. To avoid all this, it is best to strictly follow the directions in the recipe. If you need to use regular table salt, take it! If you acted strictly according to the recipe, but still the workpieces deteriorated, next time try using filtered water.
7. Neglect of sterilization
Sterilizing foods, jars and lids is one thing. But it is just as important then to sterilize the workpieces themselves. How to do it? Jars with blanks are placed on a stand or a canvas napkin in a wide and high container, for example, a saucepan, water is poured into it over the shoulders of the jars and brought to a boil. After boiling, you need to measure the time for sterilization in accordance with the volume: for a container of 0,5 liters – 10 minutes, 1 liter – 15 minutes, 2 liters – 25 minutes, 3 liters – 30 minutes.
Why sterilize cans of blanks? So they destroy all harmful bacteria and microorganisms that could later “prove themselves” and spoil the delicious product.
8. Improper storage
If it seems to you that the process of making blanks goes according to the “rolled up – removed to the balcony” scheme, then you are mistaken. There is a clear order of actions with the cans that have just been rolled. If a liquid product is canned (compotes, mashed potatoes, sparse jam), then after seaming, the cans are turned upside down and put to cool. Only then is it returned to its original position.
The second point: after rolling, the cans are covered with blankets and towels. This is done so that the workpieces cool slowly and the last stage of canning proceeds correctly.