4 and 9, respectively, for detailed information on using each of these vessels.
Water-bath canner: A water-bath canner, also referred to as a boiling-water canner, is a kettle used for processing high-acid foods (primarily fruits, jams, jellies, condiments, and pickled foods). The canner consists of a large enamelware or stainless-steel pot with a tight-fitting lid and a jar rack. Check out Chapter 4 for an illustration of a water-bath canner and instructions on how to use one.
Pressure canner: A pressure canner, sometimes referred to as a steam-pressure canner, is used for canning low-acid foods (primarily vegetables, meats, fish, and poultry) in an airtight container at a specific pressure. A weighted gauge or a dial gauge measures steam pressure in the canner. This ensures that the high temperature of 240 degrees is attained to safely process your food. Pressure canners and how to use them are described (and illustrated) in Chapter 9.
Must-have canning tools
These tools are must-haves for water-bath or pressure canning. Safety in the kitchen is a number-one priority, and the right tools for handling hot, filled jars and other large canning equipment are indispensable.
Jar lifter
A jar lifter is one tool you don’t want to be without. It’s the best tool available for transferring hot canning jars into and out of your canning kettle or pressure canner. This odd-looking, rubberized, tonglike item (check out Figure 2-8) grabs the jar around the neck (the area just below the threaded portion at the top of the jar) without disturbing the screw band.
FIGURE 2-8: Jar lifters.
Foam skimmer
A foam skimmer, shown in Figure 2-9, makes removing foam from the top of hot jelly, jam, or marmalade easy while leaving any pieces of fruit or rind in the hot liquid. (The openings in slotted spoons are too large to achieve quick and efficient foam removal.)
FIGURE 2-9: A foam skimmer.
Home-canning jars
Over the years, many types of jars with many varieties of seals have been used for home-canning. The most commonly used jars bear the names of Ball and Kerr and are commonly referred to as Mason jars. They use a two-piece cap to produce a vacuum seal in the jar after heat processing.
Home-canning jars come in many sizes: 4-ounce, half-pint, 12-ounce, 1-pint, and 1-quart. They offer two widths of openings: regular-mouth (about 2½ inches in diameter) and wide-mouth (about 3⅛ inches in diameter); see Figure 2-10. Regular-mouth jars are used more frequently for jelly, jam, relish, or any other cooked food. Wide-mouth jars are mainly used for canning vegetables, pickles, and meats, because it’s easier to get the large pieces into the wide opening.
FIGURE 2-10: Varieties of canning jars: wide-mouth, regular-mouth, and jelly jars.
Some canning jar companies offer half-gallon jars, but they are not USDA or Cooperative Extension System approved for safe canning. However, these larger jars make excellent containers for dehydrated foods.
Lids and screw bands
Each jar must be sealed using either a single-use or reusable lid and a metal screw band (see Figure 2-11). Single-use lids are more readily available on retail store shelves, but if you find you’re canning a large amount of food, you can save money by purchasing reusable lids online.
Single-use lids: The underside edge of these lids has a rubberlike sealing compound called Plastisol. This compound adheres to a clean jar rim and creates an airtight seal after the heat-processing period and the metal screw band is removed. These lids aren’t reusable.
Reusable lids: These lids are made of FDA- and USDA-approved, food-grade plastic. They are also BPA- and phthalate-free. They consist of a plastic lid with a rubber gasket and are held down by the same type of metal screw band as single-use lids.
Screw bands: The screw band holds the lid in place (whether single-use or reusable) during the processing period and secures it in place when you store an opened jar in the refrigerator. After verifying that your cooled jars have successfully sealed (refer to Chapter 4), you remove the screw band before you store the canned food. The screw bands may be used many times, as long as there are no signs of corrosion or rust and they aren’t bent or dented. Always remove screw bands from either single-use or reusable lids before storage.
FIGURE 2-11: Two-piece caps: lids and screw bands.
MASON JARS
If the most commonly used glass home-canning jars bear the names of Ball and Kerr, why do we call them Mason jars? The Mason jar is named for its creator, James Landis Mason. He designed and patented a unique glass jar that used a screw-top lid to create an airtight seal for food. This easy-to-seal jar replaced the large stoneware vessels that had previously been used for food storage.
The tapered jars we use today were introduced after World War II. They use a two-piece cap consisting of a lid and a metal screw band that fits the threaded jar top. Today, all home-canning jars are generically referred to as Mason jars. Thank you, Mr. Mason, for making the task of home-canning easy with the use of screw-top closures.
Lid wand
A lid wand (see Figure 2-12) has a magnet on one end of a heat-resistant stick. With it, you can take a lid from hot water and place it on the filled-jar rim without touching the lid or disturbing the sealing compound.
