6 Canning Secrets Your Grandma May Have Forgotten To Tell You

Our grandmothers made "putting up" look super easy, but there are some crucial canning commandments that they may not have shared with us.

Fortunately for us, the Southern Living Test Kitchen Team has our backs. They’ve drawn from their culinary backgrounds and thousands of hours testing recipes to share their best canning wisdom with us.

So before you start juggling those hot jars, check out these smart tips from the South’s most-trusted test kitchen.

Related: 12 Homemade Jam And Jelly Recipes To Sweeten Any Day

1. Always Follow A Recipe

Many of us like to play around when we cook, but according to Test Kitchen Professional Melissa Gray, when it comes to canning, improvising is not a good idea. "There’s nothing worse than spending a ton of time making jam to find out that it didn't set up or thicken enough. Always follow a recipe so you won't be let down," Gray says.

Test Kitchen Professional Renu Dhar agrees, “Always follow the recipe,” Dhar says. “Do not add or remove any ingredients. Any changes can lead to food being not safe to eat and food borne illness."

Tips

Use a recipe from a trusted source. Many on the internet may brag about their recipes or post beautiful images, but that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans when it comes to food safety. Only prepare a canning recipe that originated from a trusted test kitchen.

2. Don’t Use The Oven

Most canning recipes call for using a boiling water method or a pressure canner, depending on the acidity of the food being canned. Pay attention to the directions, and follow them.

Although some folks advise using a shortcut, don’t be tempted to use your oven. It heats unevenly and might result in improperly sealed jars.

3. Sterilize The Jars And Lids

With all the boiling involved, you might not think it’s important to pre-boil the jars and the lids, but it’s actually quite important—even if the jars and lids are brand new.

Test Kitchen Professional Julia Levy says you can never be too careful. “They might have just come out of the package, but in order to keep the invisible factory germs from creeping into your beautiful homemade jar of tomato sauce or fig jam, sterilize them first!” Her friend and coworker Dhar agrees, but has some extra advice. "Do not use old lids; they may not seal properly.”

4. Don’t Overfill The Jars

I know it’s tempting to pack as much as you can into each jar so there’s more goodness to enjoy later, but it’s important to leave a little bit of space at the top of each jar—known as “head space.”

When the filled jars are heated, the food inside will bubble. If the jar is too full, it could compromise the seal. So to be extra safe, leave about half an inch of head space between the food and the top of the jar.

5. Barely Tighten The Lids

It may sound counterintuitive, but it’s best not to screw the lid on super tight before starting the canning process. “Pressure during the canning process will cause any latent air from the jar to escape,” says Levy. “A super-tight lid will prevent that and could cause your jar to explode, ruining all your hard work!”

6. Don't Be Scared

If we’ve scared you about canning, take a deep breath. While it is multi-step process with some important rules to follow, it’s not hard and the results are well-worth the effort.

There’s nothing better than reaching into the pantry in the middle of February and pulling out a jar of preserved tomatoes or peaches. A little bit of caution and a dash of effort is worth the gift of tasting a bite of summer in the depths of winter.

Read the original article on Southern Living