What equipment will I need to can at home? Either a large cooking pot or a water bath canner, or pressure canner, jars and lids, knives, long- handled spoons, saucepans, measuring cups, a colander, and scrapers. A few additional helpful aids are: A jar lifter, a jar funnel, a bubble freer, a timer. What types of canners are available? There are two basic types of canners: Steam Pressure Canners and Boiling Water Bath Canners. The Steam Pressure Canner method is used for foods containing very little acid, such as vegetables, meats, and seafood. We use this method to destroy bacteria and their by- products including salmonella, staphylococcus aureus and the bacterium that causes botulism, all of which can thrive in low-acid foods. That’s why these foods require the Steam Pressure Canning method that reaches a high temperature of 240ºF. The boiling water bath canner method is used for high- acid foods, including all fruits, tomatoes, sauerkraut and most foods to which vinegar has been added such as pickles and relishes. Can a pressure canner be used for boiling water bath canning? Yes, as long as the pressure canner can be utilized without pressure. Why do I need to use a pressure canner instead of a boiling water bath canner on some items? Low-acid foods, pH values higher than 4.6 include red meats, seafood, poultry, milk, and all fresh vegetables, with the exception of most tomatoes. Boiling water bath canner temperatures do not reach heat levels to destroy botulinum spores. Pressure canning is the only safe method of canning low-acid foods, since the internal temperature of the foods packed in the jars must be reach at least 240°F to 250°F. Pressure canners operated at 10 – 15 PSIG (pounds per square inch of pressure as measured by gauge) and higher to destroy botulinum bacteria. More information What do the terms “Raw Pack”, “Cold Pack”, and “Hot Pack” mean? “Raw Pack” is used interchangeably with “Cold Pack” and refers to putting uncooked food into a jar to which a hot liquid is added. “Hot Pack” means food is cooked to some degree before it is put into jars for processing. “Hot Pack” may require less processing time, since the food is already partially cooked. Is home canning safe? Unquestionably! In fact, home canning is much safer today than in Grandma’s day. If you follow directions carefully, you’ll always get delicious results with never a worry about spoiled food. What is head space? Head space is the space between the top of the produce and the rim of the jar. It is essential to have head space because it allows the food to expand during the canning process, thus creating a vacuum. What kind of vinegar is best for canning? Use a quality, commercially prepared, distilled white vinegar that has 5% acetic acid. Cider vinegar and malt vinegar can also be used but will darken the produce. However, malt vinegar imparts a delicate, sweet flavor and is desirable for many sweet pickle and chutney recipes. Why is commercially bottled lemon juice recommended? The acidity level in commercial bottled lemon juice remains consistent, whereas acid levels in fresh lemon may vary. What kind of salt is best canning? We recommend Mrs. Wages® Canning and Pickling Salt. It’s made for pickling. Other salts have anti-caking materials and may make the brine cloudy. Imitation salt varies in density and is not recommended for use in canning. Nor is it recommended to use reduced-sodium in fermentation recipes. Does Mrs. Wages have a best if used by date? On the side of every Mrs. Wages® pouch is an 8 digit code that you can use to determine when the product was produced, and you will find it stamped into packet, for example B2181A23. The B identifies the facility that produced the mix. The number, which follows, represents the last digit of the year the mix was produced, e.g., a 2 would indicate 2012. The next three numbers indicate which day out of 365 days in the year, the mix was produced. So if the number is 181, it means the product was mixed on June 29th as this is the 181st day of the year. The final 3 digits are used by Kent Precision Foods to indicate the batch code. For optimal performance, we recommend using Mrs. Wages® Pickle, Tomato, Fruit mixes and Fruit Pectins within 24 months of the day and year, it was produced. What is a non-reactive pot? When canning, we recommend stainless steel or enamelware because vinegar, which is an acid, attacks aluminum and dissolves the metal, forming undesirable compounds. In the Forest Berry Pie Filling, how many cups of fruit do I need? If you begin with 12 cups of fruit, you will have the appropriate amount for 3 quarts. My recipes says to add lemon juice, can I use vinegar? No, in recipes that request lemon juice – you must use lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice tends to be more acidic than vinegar. It also has less effect on the overall flavor of the product in which it is used. Equal amounts of bottled lemon juice can be substituted for vinegar in recipes calling for vinegar. Jelly and Jams Are commercial pectins interchangeable? No, commercial pectins are not interchangeable. Commercial pectin comes in liquid and powdered form. Both give satisfactory results, but the methods of adding the ingredients differ. So the powdered and liquid forms are not interchangeable. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s recipes and instructions. Powdered and Liquid Pectin are not all the same. There are differences between them in the amount you need to add to the recipe, the amount of sugar you need to add to activate the pectin to create the gel, and the possibility of adding additional ingredients. For a recipe that calls for liquid pectin a powdered version is not interchangeable. Some recipes explain that the liquid version is always added after boiling and then not reheated back to a boil but immediately ladled into the sterilized jars. For jellies, liquid pectin is recommended because it readily mixes with hot liquids and it’s relatively clear. Powdered versions must be added then boiled again for some period of time to activate the gel. Mrs. Wages offers three types of cooked pectins and a non-cooked: Mrs. Wages® Fruit Pectin Home Jell®, Mrs. Wages® Liquid Fruit Pectin and our Mrs. Wages® Lite Fruit Pectin Home Jell. Please note, Mrs. Wages® Lite Fruit Pectin Home Jell® is a special type of pectin making jelly or jam no added sugar or with less sugar than regular pectin recipes. Mrs. Wages® No Cook Freezer Jam is a quick and easy way of making jam. Just like the powder and liquid forms of pectin, this special type of pectin is not interchangeable. For proper set, please follow the directions or tested recipes and use the pectin type noted in the recipe. Do I need special equipment to make jams and jellies? You probably already have most of it. You’ll need a 6-quart to 8-quart saucepan, a jelly bag or cheesecloth, large metal spoon or skimmer, colander, timer, jar funnel, jar lifter, tongs, canning jars with 2-piece lids (lids and rings) and water bath canner or other large metal container with rack and cover. What’s the difference between jellies, jams, preserves, marmalades and conserves? Jellies are made of fruit juices and sugar and are jelled enough to be shimmering firm. No particles of fruit are seen in jellies. Jams are made from crushed or ground fruit and have enough jell to hold their shape. Preserves contain whole fruits or large pieces of fruit in slightly jelled syrup. Marmalades are clear jellies in which pieces of citrus or other fruits are mixed. Conserves consist of mixed fruits and citrus, with raisins and nuts. Can I make jams and jellies that are sugar-free? Mrs. Wages® Lite Fruit Pectin Home Jell® is special fruit pectin that does not require sugar to gel, so you can enjoy the true fruit goodness and fresh fruit taste of jam or jelly made with reduced sugar or with no added sugar. If you prefer, sweeten your jam or jelly with a non- sugar sweetener. Will jam and jelly made with Mrs. Wages® Lite Fruit Pectin Home Jell® differ in consistency than jam and jelly made with Mrs. Wages® Fruit Pectin Home Jell®? Yes, jelly made with less sugar, or sweetened with non-sugar products, will be less clear than regular jelly. This won’t affect its good, fruit flavor. You may see some “weeping” or surface moisture after jam or jelly has been opened and refrigerated. Small amounts of liquid won’t affect flavor or texture. It can be absorbed from jelly surface with a paper towel or stirred back into jam. Texture may change after refrigeration. You may notice a firmer set and a slight loss of spread ability. (Soft-set jam or jelly can be firmed by refrigerating. What if my jelly doesn’t set? Keep in mind that your jams and jellies could take up to two weeks to set. Don’t worry, there’s a solution. You can re-cook your jelly with a small amount of additional pectin. Partially set jelly should be given an extra day after it is made before it is re-cooked. It might just set up during that time. If not, re-cook 4 cups of jelly at a time. Mix 4 tsp of Mrs. Wages® Fruit Pectin Home Jell into 1/4 cup of water in a large saucepan.