In the United States, we lose or waste more than one-third of all available food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Feeling overwhelmed by summer produce? You can prevent spoilage by canning and preserving fruits and vegetables.
Canning might sound daunting. But Christina Ward, a certified master food preserver, is here to help. With some education and proper equipment, you’ll be turning cucumbers into pickles in no time.
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Ward is also the author of several books, including “Preservation: The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation and Dehydration.” She joined WPR’s “The Larry Meiller Show” to answer canning questions.
The following was edited for brevity and clarity.
Larry Meiller: What are you currently preserving at home?
Christina Ward: A lot of friends are lucky enough to have some lovely peach trees. So I am definitely thinking about peaches. And of course, thinking about pickles, as we come to the end of some of the cucumbers, and doing some proper Wisconsin-style whole kosher pickles. Milwaukee and Wisconsin have a great, almost unique, pickle style. We do kind of a half-fermented, half-vinegar brine. It’s very unique to us.
LM: I’m thinking about what’s good for canning at this time of the year. Cucumbers are good. Tomatoes would be good.
CW: Oh, tomatoes are fantastic. Tomatoes are so versatile. You can can them whole and use them as whole tomatoes. You can make sauces and Bloody Mary mix. People forget sometimes they’re a fruit. You can make tomato jam, and that tastes lovely. Add a little cinnamon and put it on a roast beef sandwich. That’s delicious.
LM: What do you need to get started in canning?
CW: Pressure canners are more of an advanced tool. You can use a hot water bath canner, essentially a vessel to boil jars in. Those can cost a little money.
Also, the Ball canning company makes something called the discovery kit that essentially is all the tools you need. A basket, a grabber, the measurement stick and a funnel is what gets you started. And that means any stock pot can become your canning pot.
The other thing you need is a tested, safe recipe. And what we mean by tested is it’s been tested by the consortium of the universities that make up the National Center for Home Food Preservation. They are university extension offices throughout the entire country that share knowledge and test it to make sure that you are kept safe. Wisconsin has a number of recipes available freely on the website.
A caller from Stevens Point: A couple years back, I had canned some dilly beans. My daughter was going through cancer, and that’s what she requested. I probably have about 24 jars left. I was wondering how long are they safe to eat?
CW: If they’ve been properly canned and processed, then the official recommendation is that they are ideal within 12 months from the date you can them. If you add another six months, keep a close eye on those jars.
Have I personally gone two years with a canned good? I have. I’m not going to lie to listeners. Because you’re coming up on that two-year mark, I’d be very cautious.
Make sure that those beans look the correct color. The color of the beans should be the same color as the day you took them out of the canner. If they look a little faded, grayish or brown, those are not good, and I wouldn’t eat those at all.
If you still have 20 jars and you’re coming up on that 18 to 24 month period, it’s time for a dilly bean party or a Bloody Mary party with lots of dilly beans in them. So give those to the neighbors and use them up sooner than later.
