Canning

Cloudy liquid may be a sign of spoilage or be due to minerals in hard water or starch from overripe vegetables. If liquid is cloudy, check for other signs of spoilage. If there are not other signs of spoilage, boil the food. Do not eat any food that foams or has a disagreeable odor during heating.

Always boil home-canned, low-acid foods for 10 minutes before tasting. Do not use this method to make improperly processed food "safe." If enough bacteria is present (due to improper process), it is not certain that ten minutes will destroy the toxin.

Black deposits on the underside of a lid are not a sign of spoilage. The under side of canning lids is coated with enamel. If there are imperfections, such as tiny scratches or pinholes in the enamel, natural compounds in food can react with the metal in the lid to form harmless brown or black deposits.

For more information call the Extension Home Economics agent in your county. The Cooperative Extension Service is usually listed in the telephone directory under county offices.

• Processing Directions for Canning Acidified Tomatoes, Acidified Figs, and Other Fruits
  
• Processing Directions for Canning Vegetables
  
• Canning Meat, Poultry, and Game
  

• Ball Blue Book, Edition 1, Ball Corporation, Muncie, IN, 1994.
• Kerr Home Canning and Freezing Book, Kerr Glass Manufacturing Corporation, Sand Springs, Oklahoma, 1982.
• The New Putting Food By, Third Edition, R. Hertzberg, B. Vaughn and J. Greene. The Stephen Greene Press, Brattleboro, Vermont, 1982.
• So Easy to Preserve, Third Edition, Cooperative Extension Service -- The University of Georgia, 1993.
• Home Canning and Freezing, Second Edition, Better Homes and Gardens Books, 1982

The Icons below will guide you to more information on Canning. Recipes will be found on pages 4 and above.