BPA in canning jars

I just read a post about how Bisphenol-A (BPA) is part of the rings, lids and seals that we use to preserve our harvests. BPA is a poison. Here's a link about the effects of BPA: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/484739_5

Check out these links:
- http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/is-there-bpa-in-your-home-canning.php
- http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=921820
- http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/home_canning_faq/42.php
- http://frugalcanning.blogspot.com/2009/09/used-jar-lids.html

That's just a small sampling.

BPA has even been found in some baby food jars! Yes, those we find at the grocery store! AND supposedly in most pre-canned products on any grocery shelf.

Those purported to have BPA in the lids/rings are Ball, Kerr, Golden Harvest, and Bernardin brands. I heard a rumor that Weck Canning jars don't have BPA but can't find confirmation on their website ... they don't even address it.

This makes me very glad that I dehydrate almost everything.

I gotta figure out an alternative to canning. It was bothering me, anyway, about how I needed to buy new lids every year. What did people do to "put up" their harvests before jars were invented?

Food Storage Shelf Life

I just got an e-mail from a good friend that stated a lot of canned food and properly-stored dry good will last a long time. Here's the jist:

When stored away from light and heat, in airtight moisture-proof containers at temperatures between 40-70 degrees F:

30+ YEARS
-wheat
-corn
-white rice

30 YEARS
-apple slices
-macaroni (pasta)
-rolled oats
-potato flakes

20 YEARS
-powdered milk

INDEFINITE
The following items have an indefinite shelf life (last a very very long time!) when stored in the original packaging, away from heat and light and moisture (and bugs/rodents!):
-salt
-baking soda
-granulated sugar

Canned foods when stored away from moisture (to prevent rusting of cans) and away from variations in temperature (not in attic or garage) should last 20, 30, 100 years! These include jams, fruits, veggies, and even meats! The vitamins and nutrients degrade but studies show protein levels stay pretty much the same, although the taste ain't all that great!

For items I grow myself, I've been dehydrating then using a seal-a-meal and storing small baggies in mason jars (unprocessed). I'd like to re-pack some of my supplies. I used to buy bulk dried fruits from http://www.justtomatoes.com/ because my kid loves them but am switching to www.thereadystore.com because they have better prices. Need to buy blackberries, blueberries, mango and green peas... he loves these!

Sorry... I digressed! When I buy pasta and huge bags of rice (among other things(, I'd divide in smaller portions and seal-a-meal'd them. But I don't want to keep doing that. I'm thinking I'd like to seal in a mylar-bag and put in a bucket (used and cleaned icing bucket from bakeries). Will buy the supplies after we move (hopefully within another month).

Here's a link for the mylar supplies: http://www.survivalunlimited.com/buckets.htm

I would also like to #10 can (that's the can that things from Providant Pantry come in) my own supplies but I can't find a supplier for a non-Mormon. Anyone have a link and a cost?

NOTES:
1. The info above said "wheat" or "corn" - not the flour made from those. Grains should be stored whole, and ground when ready to use.

2. I can't find info on storing gluten-free grains like quinoa. I'm going to assume that properly sealed in mylar bags or #10 cans that the whole grains of quinoa, amaranth, etc. should be good for at least a couple of years. Hope so.

3. The info said "pinto beans" - sure am hoping it's good for other legumes, like lentils, split peas, black turtle beans, white navy beans, etc. We just don't like pinto beans much.

4. Not on the list was honey but we've all heard the story of honey from ancient Egyptian tombs that was still edible and delicious.

5. Before I store bought-rice, I always freeze it for 2 days to kill any bugs. Starting to do that with almost everything I buy to store!

6. I just read that a lot of dry goods can be preserved in quart canning jars, with just the tight seal of lids and rings, and not processing. Anyone done this?

Storing powders in mason jars

A recent comment: "Please tell me your process for storing powders in Mason jars. I have been putting cake mixes in the wide mouth jars still in the bag. But I tried to do the same thing with Pancake mix and it would not go in the jar. I worry about the powder getting in my Food Saver and it suddenly stop working. That would be a terrible thing! Thanks for all you do. GRITS"

Great question.

First, I tend to use the larger wide-mouth jars... mason, ball, etc. Second, since I was talking about the small bags of gluten-free flours, they will usually fit.

However, I've found a resource for certified gluten-free oats and those bigger bags don't fit in my mason jars. Here's the 2 options I've come up with:

Option 1:
Freeze the product to kill any potential bugs (between 2-3 days). Open the original package, and divide into smaller portions using ziploc or other strong baggies. Squeeze out all of the air. Place in the mason "canning" jar. Add a dessicant package and a couple of bay leaves (to keep away critters). Apply lid then ring. No need to process. Mark with contents and any expire date that was on the original package. Sometimes I photocopy (shrink to 50%) the original package and wrap around the inside of the jar before applying lid.

Option 2:
There are other ways to do this one. Gather those large glass pickle jars. Except, well, not pickles because anything you store in those jars will smell like pickles. Go through Sam's Club or Costco or even Wal-Mart and look at the bulk condiment section... salsa, ketchup, mayonnaise, etc. Need not be glass. Place what you're storing in the big jar/container. Again, add dessicant packages and bay leaves, seal and mark.

I've even used a super-large plastic coffee container, emptied, cleaned, and loaded with small bags of coffee beans!

I recently found a huge bulk pancake mix (just add water kind of thing) in the bakery markdown section at my local grocery, for $3.00. I froze to kill any bugs, then scrubbed out an old huge mayo container. Perfect!!

Let me know if this answers your question, GRITS.

Recipe: Berry and Apple Jam

I've seen recipes for blackberry-and-apple jam, and blueberry-and-apple jam, and found this recipe to work well with both. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of cooking apples (windfalls are fine)

2/3 cups water

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 pounds blackberries or blueberries

4 pounds sugar

Directions:

Peel, core and slice the apples. Place them into a medium-to-large saucepan with the water and lemon juice. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender. Add the berries and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, at a simmer (low heat) until the sugar is dissolved. Then bring up to a boil. Boil rapidly until the setting point is reached (you'll be able to tell by how thick it gets). Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal with immediately. Or let cool and seal with paraffin.

Sometimes a dash or two of cinnamon added to the blueberries completely changes the taste... yum!

Copyright (c) 2009 V P Lawrence-Williams

Recipe: Blueberry Jam or Preserves

Blueberries are so cheap this week so I'm buying lots. I don't have time to make jam this weekend (since we're getting the house ready to sell and move) but I'll freeze as many as I can afford to buy. I'll make the jam after the house is ready to put on the market. This recipe will make a big batch.

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups crushed fresh (or frozen) blueberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
7 cups of sugar
2 pouches of Certo fruit pectin

12 8-ounce jars with lids, sterilized
or
20 4-ounce jars with lids, sterilized

Directions:
Prepare the jars (boil 10 minutes). Prepare fruit in a large (5+ quart) pan on the stove. Add lemon juice and sugar. Mix well. Bring to full bubbling boil and stir constantly while mixing for 5 minutes over high heat. Add the Certo to the mixture and boil for another minute, stirring constantly. Move from heat; skim off foam, then quickly (while boiling hot) ladle into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims and add lids, screwing on tightly. Turn upside down for 5 minutes (to help move the bubbles around) then turn back upright. Let set for 1 hour, cooling.

Seal each jar with paraffin when the jam is cool.

Preserving Radishes by Dehydrating

We're about to harvest our first radishes of the year, and I'm so excited. They are almost always our first crop, along with lettuces/greens.

We had lots of radishes in our garden last year... so many that I got tired of looking at them. They are one of the quickest crops to grow, and pretty much just "pop" out of the soil when they are ready. We mostly grow Pink Beauty radishes with a few red Cherry Belle and White Icicle thrown in. Sometimes, when we forget to harvest them, the Pink Beauty grow very big, tough, and very hot, almost like a horseradish. Hubby popped a 2-incher in his mouth at our Harvest Party last year, and his face turned so red from the heat I thought I'd have to throw him in the duck's swimming pool!

But that gave us a thought: What if we let them get big on purpose, then dehydrate them. Could we powder the dried radishes and use them like horseradish? Let me tell you ... it works! If you want to use mature (and therefore, hot) radishes to make a spicey-radish sauce for your Winter meals, here's how:

• Harvest radishes about 2 weeks after you normally would. They will be bigger, tougher, and hotter. You could go even longer if you'd like.



• Wash off the dirt. Do NOT cut off the stems yet but do cut off a bit of the bottom/root end and any bad parts.



• Holding the stem, slice the radish into thin slices. Throw out the radish stems.



• Arrange on a dehydrator tray, just barely not touching. When the tray is full, set up to dehydrate.



• Dehydrate between 108 and 115 degrees F. until slices are very crisp.

Store in a tightly-sealed container (we use small jam canning jars - unprocessed). We tape thick construction paper around the jar, labeled with contents and date. Store in a cool dark place. When ready to use as a powdered hot "spice", take out a couple dried slices, grind into a powder with mortar/pestle or spice grinder, and make "horseradish sauce" as usual. Maybe we should call it "spicey radish sauce". Hmmm.... unusual and delicious!

The spicey radish sauce recipe will post tomorrow.

Preserving Asparagus by Canning

It's almost too late to can your asparagus, but if you still have some growing, or find some on sale at the local farmer's market, go for it!

I don't can much because I prefer to dehydrate, but some friends swear by doing it this way:

= = = =

Directions:

1. Wash the asparagus (green or white). Only use perfect asparagus, with no blemishes.


2. Cut off the tough ends.


3. White asparagus should normally be peeled before canning.


4. Blanch, if desired, for 3 minutes to help retain color.


5. Can using the hot pack method, with 1-inch of headspace.


6. Pour lemon juice and salt over the stalks.


7. Pour hot water over the stalks, keeping that 1-inch of headspace.


8. Process in a pressure canner for 30 minutes for pints, or 40 minutes for quarts, at 11 pounds or 10 pounds for a weighted gauge.


9. For elevations above 1,000 feet above sea level, adjust. Click here.


10. After processing, remove from boiling water. Place jars on a towel, keeping at least 1-inches in between to allow air flow. Cool.


11. Label with contents and date.


12. Store in a cool dark place.
    

Calculations for Pint Jars:

asparagus (approx)... 1 3/4 pounds

boiling water... as needed

lemon juice... 1/2 tablespoon

canning salt... 1/2 teaspoon

pressure canning processing... 30 minutes

Calculations for Quart Jars:

asparagus (approx)... 3 1/2 pounds

boiling water... as needed

lemon juice... 1 tablespoon

canning salt... 1 teaspoon

pressure canning processing... 40 minutes

Copyright (c) 2009 V P Lawrence-Williams

Preserving Asparagus by Dehydrating

Whether you have grown asparagus in your garden and can't eat them all, or you find them on sale, now is the time to preserve the taste and vitamins for Winter use.

You Need:

Asparagus

Water

Pot

Dehydrator

Directions:

Wash asparagus, cut off the tough ends, and cut into 1 inch pieces. Add them to a large pot of boiling water and boil for two minutes. While that's going on, prepare a large bowl of ice water. When the two minutes is up, drain the asparagus and immediately place them in the ice water to stop the cooking process and to cool. Place the pieces on dehydrator trays, with just a little space in between (the pieces will shrink). Dehydrate. May take from 12 to 16 hours to dry at 115 degrees F. Store dried asparagus in a cool dark moisture-proof area (I store dried foods in mason jars, covered with a construction-paper label of contents and date).

Use to create cream of asparagus soup, or to add to soups and stews.

Copyright (c) 2009 V P Lawrence-Williams

Recipe: Rhubarb Strawberry Freezer Jam

Here's another recipe for jam using your garden's rhubarb and strawberries. This one will last quite a while in the freezer. Your guests will delight in figuring out the special ingredient.

Ingredients:

5 cups diced rhubarb

3 cups sugar

1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, with juice

1 cup diced fresh strawberries

1 6-ounce package strawberry gelatin

Directions:

Boil slowly the rhubarb, sugar, strawberries and pineapple in a medium saucepan for 20 minutes. Stir every few minutes to prevent sticking and burning. Remove from heat and add gelatin, stirring until completely dissolved. Quickly spoon into small jam jars, wipe edges, and seal. Screw on the sterilized lids and bands on the sterilized jars and tighten. As the jam cools, the lids will pop. Leave out until it's cooled to room temperature. Carefully wash and dry the outside of the jars. Store in freezer. Defrost to serve.

Copyright (c) 2009 V P Lawrence-Williams

Recipe: Refrigerator Rhubarb Jam

I've mentioned before I don't much care for rhubarb, but Hubby does, and we have a huge bush of it in our backyard. So I experimented with this recipe, and wow ... wonderful! I even liked it a little. Does well in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Ingredients:

5 cups diced rhubarb stalks

2 cups sugar

1 package strawberry gelatin

Directions:

Wash the rhubarb stalks thoroughly, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (actually, I like smaller dices). Put into a sealable bowl. Pour the sugar over the rhubarb, cover and refrigerate overnight. (The sugar draws out water from the rhubarb.) In the morning, pour the mixture into a medium-large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender. Remove from heat. Add the strawberry gelatin, stirring until granules are dissolved. Pour into small jam jars (or other small coverable containers) and refrigerate.

Note: To make fresh in the Winter, place 5 cups of diced rhubarb stalks in a freezer baggie, label with contents, amount and date, and freeze. When ready to use, take out of freezer, add the sugar, reseal, and place in the refrigerator overnight. Ready to proceed the next morning!

Copyright (c) 2009 V P Lawrence-Williams

Altitude and Elevation Adjustments for Canning

We live near Denver, Colorado at the elevation of 5,280 (the "mile-high" city!), so when canning, we definitely have to adjust for the elevation. Here's a bit of info to help you.

Water boils when its vapor pressure exceeds the atmospheric pressure, which reduces as the altitude increases. Water will boil and maintain a lower temperature at higher altitudes than at sea level. These lower boiling point temperatures increase the cooking times for any food, they increase the processing time for canning in a water bath and they increase the pressure required to process in a pressure canner.The temperatures and processing times that we publish are from sea level up to an elevation of 1,000 feet. The charts below indicate the adjustments that should be made for each processing method at different elevations.

Source: http://canningusa.com/IfICanYouCan/TechniqueAltitudeAdjustment.htm

= = = =

If you don't know your elevation, call your County Extension office. They should be able to tell you.

= = = =

Adjustments for Boiling Water Bath Canner:

Altitude in Feet = Increase processing time
1001-3000 = 5 minutes
3001-6000 = 10 minutes
6001-8000 = 15 minutes
8001-10,000 = 20 minutes

= = = =

Adjustment for Pressure Canner:

Altitude in feet = Dial Gauge Canner (PSI) = Weighted Gauge Canner
0-1000 = 10 = 10
1001-2000 = 11 = 15
2001-4000 = 12 = 15
4001-6000 = 13 = 15
6001-8000 = 14 = 15
8001-10,000 = 15 = 15


p.s. Sorry - I haven't figured out how to do charts here!

Preserving Rhubarb from the Garden

I'm sure you've heard of strawberry-rhubarb pie, and putting up strawberry-rhubarb jam, but in this house, it won't work.

Hubby is really the only one of us that likes rhubarb. I'd offer some to my mother-in-law, but she is the one who gave us the plant because hers spread so much. Our little plant that gave us about 4 little stalks last year is huge this Spring, with about 20-25 stalks ready for stripping.

On Thursday, when the weather is cooler, I'll cut about half of them off. I'll bring them in, wash them, cut into 1-inch pieces, and place them on the dehydrator sheets. They will dry until as crunchy as possible.

They can be stored two ways:

1. Place the 1-inch dried pieces of rhubarb in a mason jar, add an oxygen absorber if necessary, and screw lid on tightly. I have my VHTS decorate a dark piece of construction paper with a picture of rhubarb on it, mark on the date, and cover well. Store in a cool dark place, like the basement or root cellar. Use when making a winter's strawberry-rhubarb pie.


2. Pulverize the dried rhubarb until it's a fine powder. Store as above, but noting on the label (construction paper) that it's the powder. Add to strawberry jam on biscuits, or when you want to kick-up the taste of an apple pie. Yum!

Rhubarb is a really healthy plant, providing lots of vitamins and minerals. You shouldn't count it out just because you don't like it. So... don't let rhubarb scare you. If you don't like the taste, then drying and powdering is the way to go. You could even add it to dough when mixing bread. Enjoy!