Are you tired of the time it takes to heat 5 gallons of water in your hot water bath canner? How about all that heat and steam on those hot summer days? The fuel cost and your precious time to run the bath for an average of one and half hours per batch is nothing to overlook either. Throw in the added step of sanitizing caps and rings (the old way) and the endless supply of “syrup” rather than “jam”; you may decide it just isn’t worth it.
For those who enjoy the flavor and freshness of homemade jams and jellies, life just became a whole lot easier! The FDA just approved the use of steam canners for acidified or naturally acidic foods. For over a decade research has been incomplete and the process was debatable. But researchers from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, funded by a grant from the USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), have now concluded that steam canners can be as safe and effective as water bath canners when properly used. This is great news for us homemade jam die-hards!
I didn’t waste any time purchasing a steam canner for myself. This opened up a whole new world of processing! Instead of boiling 5 gallons of water, I only had to simmer 6 cups of water. After placing my jars into the steamer, it took less than 15 minutes to process my pints from start to finish. The bottom line is this: by using a steam canner, you can reduce your fuel cost and personal time from 1 ½ hours to just 15 minutes! Think of the savings on fuel, think of cooler summer days without all that boiling water, think of how fast you can get the job done!
The good news doesn’t stop there though. Most of us process our lids and rings by placing them in a pan, covering them in water, then bringing the water to a boil. After boiling for a couple of minutes (and I usually forget so mine boil longer!), the water is turned off and the rings are left to sit until they are needed. Well, that has changed too! Thanks to how cheap these caps are being manufactured (not your mother’s caps!) boiling the caps is now discouraged. Now, you can simply place your clean caps in a metal or glass container (I like to use glass) and cover them with hot, steaming water from your tea kettle, then leave them until they are needed. Voila! Another easier step!
Despite these easy processing steps, some of us are still discouraged because our jams just don’t seem to gel up. Commercial products, like sure-gel, require very precise measuring and one mistake can lead to a whole batch of syrup! Your Country Cupboard offers a product call DUTCH-JELL NATURAL. It can be purchased in REGULAR or LITE (low sugar). Many have used this and are delighted with the results. So, throw away the magnifying glass and grab that “heaping 1/3 cup of pectin” and get great results every time! Make sure to check out our EASY JAM AND JELLY RECIPES for more ways to use Dutch-JEll. Don’t let the 10 pound case worry you; this stores well in your pantry in good ole’ fashioned mason jars. Although, technically, it has a 1-year shelf life, it lasts way longer than that. Following are photos and explanations of my new jam processing experience with DUTCH-JELL LITE (that is two years old) and my new steam canner!
For those who enjoy the flavor and freshness of homemade jams and jellies, life just became a whole lot easier! The FDA just approved the use of steam canners for acidified or naturally acidic foods. For over a decade research has been incomplete and the process was debatable. But researchers from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, funded by a grant from the USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), have now concluded that steam canners can be as safe and effective as water bath canners when properly used. This is great news for us homemade jam die-hards!
I didn’t waste any time purchasing a steam canner for myself. This opened up a whole new world of processing! Instead of boiling 5 gallons of water, I only had to simmer 6 cups of water. After placing my jars into the steamer, it took less than 15 minutes to process my pints from start to finish. The bottom line is this: by using a steam canner, you can reduce your fuel cost and personal time from 1 ½ hours to just 15 minutes! Think of the savings on fuel, think of cooler summer days without all that boiling water, think of how fast you can get the job done!
The good news doesn’t stop there though. Most of us process our lids and rings by placing them in a pan, covering them in water, then bringing the water to a boil. After boiling for a couple of minutes (and I usually forget so mine boil longer!), the water is turned off and the rings are left to sit until they are needed. Well, that has changed too! Thanks to how cheap these caps are being manufactured (not your mother’s caps!) boiling the caps is now discouraged. Now, you can simply place your clean caps in a metal or glass container (I like to use glass) and cover them with hot, steaming water from your tea kettle, then leave them until they are needed. Voila! Another easier step!
Despite these easy processing steps, some of us are still discouraged because our jams just don’t seem to gel up. Commercial products, like sure-gel, require very precise measuring and one mistake can lead to a whole batch of syrup! Your Country Cupboard offers a product call DUTCH-JELL NATURAL. It can be purchased in REGULAR or LITE (low sugar). Many have used this and are delighted with the results. So, throw away the magnifying glass and grab that “heaping 1/3 cup of pectin” and get great results every time! Make sure to check out our EASY JAM AND JELLY RECIPES for more ways to use Dutch-JEll. Don’t let the 10 pound case worry you; this stores well in your pantry in good ole’ fashioned mason jars. Although, technically, it has a 1-year shelf life, it lasts way longer than that. Following are photos and explanations of my new jam processing experience with DUTCH-JELL LITE (that is two years old) and my new steam canner!
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Step 2: Prepare your fruitCHOP your fruit, don't puree it. Our personal favorite is Pluots! A cross between plums and apricots. Just follow the plum jam recipe.
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Step 4: Add lemon juice and pectinFirst the lemon juice.
Then.... |
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......the pectin.
Bring this to a light boil. |
Step 5: Add sugarContinue to boil 1 minutes while stirring and add the sugar. (DO NOT add sugar substitute yet if you are using it.)
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Step 6: Boil 1 minute longerBring this to a hard boil then start timing your one minute. Don't worry if you boil a little longer; sometimes I boil another 10 or 15 seconds longer. After 1 minute, you can OFF the heat. At this point, if you are using a sugar substitute, this is the time to add it. You can also skim off the foam....or NOT!
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Step 7: Ladle jam into your jarsYou know the routine!
Wipe down the rims, twist on the lids then...... |
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Step 8: Place into your new steamer canner!Once the jars are placed in the steamer, place the lid on top, then crank up the heat to get the steam rolling.
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Step 9: Start timing!Once the stream of steam coming out of the side hole is about 8 inches long then you are ready to start timing. Processing time is the SAME as you would use for a hot water bath so check your recipe. My pints took only 10 minutes.
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Step 10: Enjoy!After measuring all the ingredients, this process took less than 45 minutes.
Making jam is worth it again! |
NOTE: Please make sure to follow the directions provided for your particular steamer canner and recipe.