Putting Food By - Janet Greene [203]
For thickening, a wonderful addition to everyday kitchens is a modified cornstarch called ClearJel by its maker, National Starch and Chemical Company. Supplied to the frozen food industry among other commercial users, it will not break down under prolonged heat processing, and it will not get opaque or chunky but become pleasantly firm. It’s a prime ingredient in the Pie Fillings in Chapter 12. ClearJel is not sold in supermarkets but is available at many online stores that sell preserving and/or baking products.
CHAPTER 6: THE CANNING METHODS
The most thorough general reference book is, of course, The Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2006 revision, which not only covers canning but all other common methods of home preservation, such as pickling and dehydrating. It can be accessed at: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html.
Jarden Home Brands, makers of Ball and Kerr canning jars in the U.S. and Bernardin canning jars in Canada, offers many recipes. Call 1-800-240-3340 or go to http://www.homecanning.com.
So Easy to Preserve by Susan Reynolds, et al., Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Georgia (1984)—a favorite with PFB because of its style and organization. Now in its fifth edition, the book can be ordered through http://www.uga.edu/setp/.
Worthwhile pamphlets/bulletins start with Dr. Pat Kendall’s publications on high-altitude canning fruits and vegetables, from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, cited earlier. Notably sensible.
Mirro Company, Manitowoc, Wisconsin 54220, makes Pressure Canners, as well as pressure cookers; their entire line is deadweight gauges. For information on their products, go to www.wearever.com.
National Presto Industries makes both Pressure Canners and pressure cookers. Presto’s current line of dial-gauge Pressure Canners is sold on its website. Presto’s weighted-gauge canners are available only through Walmart. The Presto people have helped fund much research, including the 15-psig research at the University of Minnesota, and work in home-canning of seafood. Contact them at www.gopresto.com.
Ball and Kerr have long been the most popular canning jars in the United States. Both are now manufactured by Jarden Home Brands (formerly Alltrista). The caps, lids, and rings of either brand can be used on both brands of jars. Also now part of Jarden Home Brands, Bernardin makes jars in Canada.
Freund Container & Supply Company has a wide selection of cans (and sells in less than giant carloads). They also have a manually operated can sealer. For their products, go to their website at www.freundcontainer.com or phone 1-800-363-9822.
CHAPTERS 7–12: CANNING SPECIFIC FOODS
Refer to The Complete Guide to Home Canning for the latest USDA–CES research on processing traditional foods; where there is a discrepancy in handling or processing compared with outdated material, use the Guide’s processing instructions. Apply latest research in using old-time jelly/jam, etc., recipes.
See also the following: USDA Farmers’ Bulletin No. 2138, Pork Slaughtering, Cutting, Preserving, and Cooking on the Farm.
USDA Farmers’ Bulletin No. 2209 . . . Beef on the Farm.
USDA Farmers’ Bulletin No. 2152 . . . Lamb and Mutton, etc.
USDA H&G Bulletin No. 106, Home Canning of Meat and Poultry.
The Missouri and North Dakota extension services both offer an array of publications on dressing, cutting, preserving, and cooking wild game. These sites can be accessed at http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/ and http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/hunting/wildgame.htm. Your local cooperative extension service may also have materials. Meanwhile Audrey Alley Gorton’s The Venison Book—How to Dress, Cut up and Cook Your Deer (first published in 1957) is out of print but available through online stores.
Publication PNW 194, Canning Seafood (1979), Pacific Northwest Extension Publication (Cooperative Extension Services of the Universities of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington). Reprinted in 2008, this document can