Canning for Fall

 

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Video Transcript

Chuck Denney (UT Institute of Agriculture)
Fresh green beans, snapped into almost identical rectangles, and ready for a pot of boiling water. But unless you’re really, really hungry, it’s going to be hard to eat a whole garden’s worth in one meal. Instead of going into somebody’s belly right away, these beans are about to meet Mr. Mason. If it’s edible, it can be canned.

Chris Sneed (UT Extension)
“Of course the most popular canned item would be your jams and jellies. Those are the most popular among novice canners who are just getting started. But we can see things canned all the way up to meat and meat products.”

Chuck Denney
Growing up, Chris Sneed watched his grandmother can green beans, pickles and blackberry jelly for winter storage. Now a UT Extension agent, he shares that knowledge with others in this canning college. It includes four sessions with lots of hands-on work in the kitchen.The green bean gathering was about preserving low acid foods using a pressure cooker. High acids would be fruits and jellies which can be preserved with a water-bath cooker.  

Chris Sneed
“The food safety issue is a huge concern and that’s really why Extension is involved. We’re the leading authority on safe food practices when it comes to home food preservation. Especially we’re concerned with low acid foods. Those can be the most dangerous.”

Chuck Denney
How long will canned foods keep?  If stored properly canned foods should maintain their quality and freshness for up to one year.

Chris Sneed
“What’s important is first labeling the product with the date so you know hold old it is, and secondly to store it in a cool, dry space.”

Chuck Denney
Safety tips for canning include obvious cleanliness and to follow tested recipes and canning procedures. Elizabeth Cross and her husband have a 27-acre farm with lots of fruit trees. They’re part of a growing trend of people returning to more traditional ways of living and cooking - and that includes the sometimes difficult chore of canning.

Elizabeth Cross
“It really is time-consuming. It’s hot. You’re stuck in the kitchen. You can’t go anywhere, but I think it’s worth it in the end.”

Chris Sneed
“Lots of younger folks are becoming interested in food preservation. I think that ties in to an increase that we’ve seen in the number of farmers markets across the state, and an increase in people’s concern over where is my food coming from?”

Chuck Denney
These canning college graduates now seal future nutrition - green beans that will compliment a great meal someday - and all because of proper canning. Saved today, enjoyed tomorrow.

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NOTE: You can find tested recipes for canning a variety of tasty foods at the UT Extension office in your county.