Put a lid your surplus produce
Becki Janes details her approach to canning and how the process preserves vegetables and nutrients
Becki Janes
Guest column
The Valley Echo
October 15, 2020
Becki Janes discusses the advantages of canning surplus produce. Courtesy photo
Why do people lock their cars in July and August? To keep folks like me from loading them up with zucchini.
Yes, it has been a very productive year for many area gardeners. Lots of rainfall this growing season has produced bumper crops of tomatoes, beans, squash and cucumbers.
So what to do with the abundance? I am grateful to share my surplus with local food insecurity efforts like Bounty and Soul.
This year I chose to preserve much of my produce. I preserve fresh produce with four methods: canning, freezing, drying and fermenting.
So why go to the trouble of canning? For me the reasons are many. I have the control of canning produce at its peak condition to preserve optimal taste and nutrients. I love sharing my products with friends and family members. Keeping a good supply of canned produce on my shelves reduces my trips to the grocery, an added bonus in these troubling days. The most important reason I can is to avoid filling my freezer up. I reserve space in my freezer for a yearly bulk meat purchase. By canning I also avoid the risk of losing food should I experience a lengthy loss of electricity.
The two methods of home canning I employ are the hot water bath method and pressure canning. Use the hot water bath method for all high-acid foods. These include tomato products, jams and jellies, pickling and fruits. Use pressure canning for everything else to achieve the higher temperatures needed for vegetables low in acid, and meats and prepared recipes like soups, stews and sauces.
Now you may think it’s too late to can as local gardeners and small farms in our area are wrapping up production. You can, however, still purchase bulk amounts of produce at large farmers’ markets. Check out the WNC Farmers Market in West Asheville.
And what about canning supplies? There is an apparent nationwide shortage of glass jars, lids and rings. Look in Facebook groups or on Craigslist as many folks are selling their supplies. Just remember the lids are not reusable for canning but are fine to use when storing dry products like grains or dehydrated foods.
Here is a link to the National Center for Home Food Preservation for the safest approved methods for home canning. You may see lots of recipes and methods in your internet searches but it is best to follow scientifically proven methods listed with the USDA.
You can also email me at beckisbounty@gmail.com to request my free overview of helpful hints and techniques for your canning activities.
Happy canning from Becki’s Bounty!
Becki Janes is owner and operator of Becki’s Bounty, a large market garden in Black Mountain. Her operation, which is temporarily closed due to COVID-19, features a 6,000-square-foot-foot vegetable garden and a passive solar greenhouse with rainwater collection. In her next piece, Janes will discuss freezing, drying and fermenting.