It’s never too early to start thinking about what supplies and materials you will need for preserving those delicious garden items. Don’t wait until the food is ready to be harvested. Start by checking your equipment and supplies.
“Proper equipment in good condition is required for safe, high-quality, home canned food,” states Janey Burney, UT Extension Food Preservation Specialist.
A pressure canner is a must for canning low-acid vegetables, meats, fish and poultry. Two basic types are available. One has a dial gauge to indicate the pressure inside the canner; the other has a metal weighted gauge. Dial gauges must be tested for accuracy before each canning season. Aneta Eichler, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, will be offering free testing of your pressure canner gauges on May 28, 2020. She will be available between the hours of 9:00 – noon and again from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Please contact the UT/TSU Extension Office at 615-792-4420 to schedule a check-up time. Mrs. Eichler will also check the rubber gasket if your canner has one. It should be flexible and soft, not brittle, sticky or cracked. She will also make sure any small pipes or vent ports with openings are clean and open all the way through.
Are you interested in learning more about preserving foods safely at home? Are you a seasoned canner but want to check out the newest procedures? Join Let’s Preserve Facebook group sponsored by UT/TSU Extension. Each week we will focus on a new preservation topic with video lessons, live question and answer sessions, new recipes, challenges and helpful techniques. We will have information on canning, freezing, drying and fermentation. To join the Facebook group visit tiny.utk.edu/letspreserve.
Our first topic on Best Practices will be revealed Monday, May 25 at 8:00 a.m.
UT/TSU Extension Cheatham County is your first stop for accurate, research-based information for all things related to food preservation. Please feel free to reach out to us by calling 615-792-4420 or emailing adodd2@utk.edu.
