Suggestion 1: gain inspiration from old cookbooks, family and friends, and blogs, but ultimately consult a reputable source. Food safety, standards, and technology have changed a lot even in the last couple decades.
Suggestion 2: allow extra time. Before canning the first time I read: boil water, fill jars, and process. I thought that sounded easy enough and wouldn't take too long. However, ensuring sterilization and using caution really slowed down the process for me. Hopefully after a few canning successes I'll be more confident and efficient.
Suggestion 3: be flexible. I suggest making a little extra syrup or brine. When I made pickles I was short on brine even though I was following the recipe closely. Either I did not pack the cucumbers as snug as the recipe intended, or my pickles were larger than average, or my jars were not the right shape. I also suggest keeping extra jars on hand for this situation.
Suggestion 4: do your research. Similar to gaining inspiration check out a few different sources. I recommend the following:
- Modern Cuisine, Volume 4. There is a chapter on canning covering the history and evolution of canning and important safety information. We checked this book out at the library.
- Better Homes and Gardens, Can It!. This is a great book for a newbie because it simply lays out the basics, has lots of photos, and a good variety of recipes. I purchased this book at Lowes.
- Pinterest. Search for "canned goods" or "canning" and you'll find many others with boards and pins about canning and links to recipes.
Since I am still new at this do you have any advice? If you're a seasoned canner what are some best practices? If you're a newbie too what is your favorite cookbook?
Happy canning!
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