I realize there are to many posts to catch up, but I have some questions.
1. I have a recipe book that has recipes but not the canning technique I am used to. It calls for wax seals. Not something I'd prefer. Can I convert this to metal lids?
2. Also how do I know which jellies or jams are safe to use the water bath method on? Some jams I'm interested in doing are , Apple and Geranium (made with Geranium
leaves), Pear and Ginger Marmalade, Pear Apricot Jam, Melon
Jelly, Melon and Pineapple jam, Red Bell pepper jelly, Zucchini Relish and Banana Jam.
3. The recipe for the Melon Jelly says "allow to cool and seal". What does this mean? If I cool them first and then put them in a canner does that make sense?
4. Would a pressure canner be safer than the water bath method?
5. If I used a pressure canner instead of the water bath,
how do I adjust for the time?
6. Would added lemon juice and pectin be enough to bring up the acidity?
7. Some recipes say to wait "4 weeks" before use. Is this something that should be done with all jams and jellies? Does the flavor get enhanced over time?
8. I recently made a Gooseberry Ginger jam, but I prefer not to have the seeds of the Gooseberry, if I strain it how do I know how much liquid to have enough of for the recipe?
I'm not sure I like this jam anyhow but have other
Gooseberry jam recipes.
The book I have is "Art of Preserving" Rodney Weidland
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Freshpreserving.com will answer many of your questions.
This is the Ball canning website.
Yes, you can use the metal lids in place of the wax. The paraffin was used more years ago. The metal lids became
more readily available and replaced it.
Fruits are a high acid food.Most do not need the addition of lemon juice, but some recipes add it if there is a need or perhaps to insure that the acidity is high enough. The pectin is what sets the jelly or jam up. Apple has a lot of natural pectin so no addition is needed.(I learned this last year. I added pectin to one batch of apple jelly and got glue!)
Pressure canning is for low acid foods like veggies and meat, soup,etc. Probably the zucchini relish would need the pressure canner.
If you cool something first and then can it, the jars will sometimes crack or break. I have seen recipes that will tell you to ladle the jam in jars then allow to cool and seal, but usually I boil water can it to make sure. Also, in the pectin packages themselves are all kinds of recipes and directions for different kinds of jams and jellies. With jams and jellies the sugar is important too. There arelow sugar or nosugar pectins out therethat use less sugar.
My grandma made gooseberry jelly. She crushed the berries and strained them to get the juice out. You can do the same with any berries or grapes.Use cheesecloth or new panty hose.
Hope this helps but freshpreserving.com is thebest resource.
Just in time too, had a puker this morning!
