Vegetable do not have natural acidity, so they need to be cooked at high enough temperatures (240ºF) when canning to kill any potential dangerous organisms or bacteria in the food. The exception to this is when you are making pickles, relishes, or sauerkraut from vegetables. The vinegar or brine used adds the acidity needed to make them safe for eating without having to be cooked at a high temperature.

Canned vegetables

When canning vegetables, make sure you use a pressure canner and that you process the food for the correct length of time. Use the best quality veggies you have, and prepare only enough to fill the number of jars your pressure canner will hold at one time.

TABLE 8-2

AMOUNT OF RAW VEGETABLES FOR 1 QUART CANNED

Vegetables can usually be packed cold or hot. Make sure you tightly pack raw vegetables (cold pack) into the jars and that they are completely covered with boiling water. If you choose to hot pack, precook the vegetables either by blanching or steaming them. Cover the vegetables completely with liquid — preferably, the liquid you cooked them in — to restore at least some of the nutrients and vitamins that escaped during the cooking process.

Most vegetables will shrink once they are cooked; however, starchy vegetables like corn, peas, and lima beans will expand during the canning process. They need to be packed loosely into the jars to give them lots of room to expand without breaking the jar.