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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend July 12, 2006 The art of CANNING Sure, it's time-consuming and sometimes tedious, but it does more than store food ... it nourishes the soul By JAN ROBERTS-DOMINGUEZ for the Mail Tribune Leaving the convenient and private studio environment to paint in the "real world" is something every artist must ultimately do, if for no other reason than to push the fold of one's creativity. But unless you're an artist, you probably can't relate to the utter trepidation I felt years ago when contemplating that first excursion. Of course, it wasn't just a fear of the unknown, which is something we've all had to deal with. What if I ran out of water or didn't bring the right watercolors? How could I keep people from peering over my shoulder? Could I paint in something other than my comfortable ergonomic swivel chair, with a three pound board balanced on my knees? But those were just the stupid details. And how many times had I heard from a host of wise advisors, "don't sweat the details." Not if it keeps you from seeing the big picture. So I drove out to the countryside armed with several jugs of water, every tube of paint and brush I possessed, extra paper, and a nervous stomach. I dallied along the back roads of Corvallis, in search of just the right scene. Then I dithered over my outdoor studio, arranging and rearranging palette, tissues, foot stool and water. Finally, there was no putting it off. I had to apply that first brush stroke. Advertisement The transformation was swift. My world shrank to a picture frame image above my left thumb, and suddenly, recreating it was my solitary goal. Delicate washes of color bloomed on the paper as minutes melted into hours. But it wasn't until my painting was complete and I was heading back to town that I noticed what had really taken place: I felt fabulous! Mentally relaxed, and physically invigorated. What a fool I had been to have denied myself such an experience. It occurred to me that food preserving is a lot like painting on location. A person can get so overwrought with the technicalities and science of the task, that it's easy to lose sight of the process and what it does for you. Deep down in your soul, I mean. Like several hours of painting in the forest, when you step into a kitchen to wrestle a bushel of produce into shimmering little jars, it focuses your concentration. And just like trying to capture an image on paper, at the end of an activity that leaves no room for mulling extracurricular woes, you come away gloriously refreshed. Plus, even though canning isn't an essential form of survival these days, your meals will be lovelier, and your gifts more cherished. And if by demonstrating the age-old process of putting food by helps your children make the inescapable connection we have with the land, then the future becomes a more hopeful place to look. Well, your opportunity to capture that harvest is upon us. An amazing journey that won't slow down until the fields of corn are spent, tomato bushes are finally too tuckered and chilled to fruit, and our filbert trees have yielded their nutty treasure. Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at [email protected]. Don't forget these canning necessities: Processing pot, or a boiling-water canner Most of my canning recipes provide two choices for storage (which influences how you finish a recipe): refrigeration or room temperature. Refrigeration (or in some cases, freezing) is the easiest approach, of course. Simply ladle your prepared jam (or relish, or jelly) into clean containers, add a lid and place them in your refrigerator up to a specified amount of time. But since most of us have limited refrigerator space, I'm starting with the premise that at some point this summer, you'll want to take the extra steps to "can" a batch of your jam, fruits, pickles and relishes to store at room temperature. To do so, then they need to be "processed" in a boiling water canner. These pots don't need to be expensive and heavy-duty. In fact, they're typically made from lightweight aluminum or enameled metal. But they do need to be large enough to hold at least half a dozen canning jars and enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Canning jars They're made from sturdy, tempered glass designed to withstand the heat and jostling of a boiling water canner. It's a false economy to substitute recycled mayonnaise or commercially made jam jars, because they might break during processing. And then all your efforts will be for nothing. Canning jars can be found all over the place this time of year, such as in any well-stocked supermarket or department store. And since these jars are sturdy enough to use over and over (unless they've developed nicks or cracks, of course), you may even find an adequate supply of them at garage sales or thrift shops. Canning lids If you've bought new canning jars, then you will also get your very first supply of two-piece canning lids, since they will be included. They comprise of a flat, round lid or "insert" that comes with a rubberized sealing compound around its edges. The second part of the two-piece lid is called the "ring" or "metal screw-band," designed to hold the lid in place. The flat, round lid is a one-time-only piece of gear, since the rubberized sealing compound needs to be fresh. The rings, however, are reusable, as long as they aren't rusted or dented. So keep an eye out for those at garage sales, if you want to save a few pennies. Jar funnel It's designed to nest on top of an empty canning jar and direct a ladle of preserves down into the jar without leaving messy glops on the jar rim or counter. You need one, trust me! Jar lifter The manually operated forklift of the canning world. Designed to grip a filled-and-capped jar securely around its neck for placing in and removing from a boiling- water canner, you really have no alternative method. Lid lifter What could be more simple and elegant in design: a 6-inch long wand with a magnet embedded into the business end, used to fish out the lids from hot water. OK, let me back up a moment. In the early phase of a canning project, you've cleaned your two-piece lids by bringing them to a boil in a pot of water. You leave them in the boiling-hot water until you're ready to cap a filled jar. At this point, the magnet end of the lid lifter will attract a metal lid or screw-band from the water. Rack Keeps jars off the bottom of the boiling water canner during processing. Also eliminates jostling among the jars, which helps eliminate breakage. You can use the racks that come with the canning kettles. However, I made my own rack many years ago from 1„8-inch galvanized hardware cloth (cut in a circle to match the inner circumference of the boiling-water canner), stapled on six small wood laths (cut in graduated lengths to provide maximum support of the round of meshing. Unlike the commercially made wire racks, this homemade rack produces a perfectly smooth-bottomed-yet-raised surface for jars to sit on. Thermometer For determining when your batch of boiling jams and jellies have reached the "gel point." Although a candy thermometer, clamped to the inside upper rim of the pot will work just fine, I prefer using an instant read thermometer to monitor the progress, which eliminates a dangling piece of equipment when you're trying to give the preserves a good stir. Canning books Arrange to have at least one basic guide on hand that offers basic and reliable information and conforms to all of the wishes and recommendations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Many of such books come in multiple editions. In order to make sure your information is up to date, do not purchase any edition that's been published earlier than 1988, which is when major changes in recommendations for canning tomatoes were made. The No. 1 book on my list: "Ball Blue Book: Guide to Home Canning, Freezing & Dehydration," by the Altrista Corporation. RECIPE: Raspberry-Blueberry Jam with Added Pectin ingredients: 3 cups fresh raspberries 2 cups fresh blueberries 1 large orange 61„2 cups granulated sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 (3-ounce) pouch liquid fruit pectin Wash 7 half-pint canning jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare two-piece canning lids as manufacturer directs. Mash the raspberries and blueberries in a large, non-aluminum pot. Trim away the thin outer rind from the orange with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler and cut into fine strips with scissors or a knife. Add to the saucepan. Remove and discard the white rind, then finely chop the orange in a food processor using the "pulse" or "on-off" switch. Measure 1„2 cup of the orange pulp and add it to the saucepan, along with the sugar and lemon juice. Bring the fruit and sugar mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the pectin. Ladle the hot jam into 1 hot jar at a time, leaving 1„4-inch head space. Wipe the jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach the lid. Fill and close the remaining jars. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes (15 minutes at 1,000 to 6,000 feet; 20 minutes above 6,000 feet). Makes 7 cups. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s Advertisement