Preserving food is the perfect way to lock in the freshness of season foods to enjoy during our cold Canadian winters.
Here are 5 things to consider to ensure you are preserving foods safely.
- Use proper canning jars and new self-sealing lids. It is not recommended to use old lids even if they seem to be in good condition.
- Follow the proper preserving processes when preserving food at home. If you are new to canning, consider taking a course to make sure you are doing it correctly.
- Use up-to-date, tested home canning recipes. Follow the recipe carefully and don’t adjust ingredients, amounts or jar sizes.
- Consider freezing. You can freeze low acid food like vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, and spaghetti sauce rather than canning them.
- Oil is not a preservative. Flavoured oils and pesto made with fresh herbs and garlic must be kept refrigerated and used within three days.