At first canning was not easy or natural for me, but now I am hooked. Here are the recipes and tips to help me get started.

Earlier this year, our spring tomato plants continued to grow to the sky until they collapsed on their own. "Finally," I thought. "They're finished." But they moved on-past the lingonberries, bee balsam, and pumpkins, and then returned to Earth. They stubbornly produce new flowers and fruits quickly. I am too tired and too pregnant, and even thought about harvesting them. I did manage to collect things that made me feel sick and unable to enjoy because of morning sickness, so I considered dragging the crops to our neighbors. I think I will ask them to make me a few cans of ketchup so that I can enjoy them in the future. It sounds like a big request, but this is exactly what they did the year before, when my fiance and I invited them to pick from our garden when we got married. We want them to keep what they have collected instead of spending hours turning it into a gourmet gift for us. Their sauce is a rare gift-both pleasant and thoughtful-I have always been eager to give, even to myself. So this season, before our autumn fruits and vegetables mature, I am learning to make my own canned food.

You can say that my family manages the preservation of agricultural products. For my grandmother, who was born and raised in Japan before moving to Kingsville decades ago, fermented food was only part of supporting the family. Nana placed the cabbage in a large container on the kitchen counter until it was completely marinated and ready to be enjoyed with a bowl of rice. Later this fall, she will quickly pickle one hundred white radishes ("kabu") that she grows in the backyard, which is a treat for my uncle. Soon she will turn her attention to the laborious process of pickling vegetables with rice bran ("nukazuke"), because my aunt at Canyon Lake wants to eat some.

My mother inherited the same do-it-yourself sensitivity, but I don’t remember that she made any canned food until her fig tree produced more fruit than the year she and my father could comfortably eat before they rot . Now, making jam is not only a practicality (to avoid garden waste), but also their hobby. I made my colleagues and in-laws obsessed with their fig jam and delighted guests with their strawberry and blueberry compotes.

It turns out that feeding other people is enough to motivate some people to start their own canned food. "It makes me more hospitable," Angi Schneider, Victorian cookbook blogger and pressure canning expert, told me. "I have the ability to invite new mothers or people who are sick to dinner." When her book "The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables" was published at the beginning of the pandemic, when we were still baking our own bread, a few months later, her publication The supplier asked for another book to be published. "I don't think they would want to make a pressure pot book, just because it is not super popular," she said. But the canning boom last year-one of the many dying art that has recently been revived-has led to a shortage of canned lids. Schneider's new book "Pressure Canned Food for Beginners and Beyond" launched in due course is on shelves this month. Just before it was released, Schneider shared with me her introductory skills.

To be honest: Even with her professional knowledge, I was dragged down. I quickly learned that there are many steps in pressure canning, and all steps are carefully planned to prevent foodborne illness. Wrong turn, boom! Botox! But Schneider calmed my fears. "I think that if you follow their recommended guidelines, the risk of botulism in your home canned food is zero." She was referring to the safe canning instructions issued by the CDC, which included the family's issued by the US Department of Agriculture. Canning guide, including recipes and instructions for preparing various foods. Sweet comfort, and more good news: The recipes in Schneider’s new book do follow the official guidelines and are easy to follow. 

On a recent workday night, I started making her garlic herb ketchup, as simple as throwing everything into a pot and simmering. I already know that I can do that part. What surprised me was how relaxing it was to put these things in the jar safely, almost meditation. I followed the steps clearly articulated by Schneider, from how to prepare the pressure tank to what to do if I end up with a half-empty tank, I walked and checked each one. Just before bed, I was done—and addicted.

Although it is often referred to as "canning", this process has nothing to do with canning. All you need are standard glass jars with lids, large pots (for water bath tanks) or pressure pots, and some small tools to make the activity easier. A few days before the start, I followed the manufacturer's instructions for a trial run with my new Presto pressure tank. It gave me confidence and I strongly recommend this extra step. 

A few days after I successfully dabbled in pressure canning, the equally considerate neighbors invited me to their backyard for dinner. We talked about our garden, and I left them a jar of ketchup. This reminds me of what Schneider told me: "I think pressure canning helps me become a better person and community member." After Hurricane Harvey, she shared the cans with neighbors in need, and was happy to know as long as she was If the child's friend wants to stay for dinner, she can open a few jars. "Our goal is not to fill the pantry with homemade cans. Our goal is to somehow make your life easier or more hospitable." With babies (and autumn tomatoes) on the road, a row Family members are eager to be with us during the holiday meeting with him, and I look forward to the return of this new hobby.

Here are some useful tips from Schneider for newbies, followed by the garlic herb tomato sauce recipe in her new book. (It is used for pizza, but Schneider said it is also suitable for soup or pasta. She is not wrong: I am typing while enjoying some, on a pile of pre-made wontons, and look forward to using it as a toast The foundation of noodles in the future.)

"I think the best advice is to start small and make sure you like a recipe before you can use it a lot," she said. "Many of these recipes, you can take them and cut them down and just make one for your family." You can think of them as a taste test that doubles as a meal.

Fruits and vegetables in the garden do not always ripen at the most convenient time. Schneider often finds that she is busy picking tomatoes in the summer, so she hides them in the refrigerator until she has more time to deal with them in the fall. "If you try to make whole tomatoes, it won’t work because it won’t be pretty in the end. But for everything else, it works well: I just take the stems out and freeze them whole, or I cut them in two. Half. When you pull them out and defrost them, the skin will immediately slip off. There is no need to scald them to peel them, so I saved a step there."

For more convenient shopping, please plan in advance. "Check your farmers' market. Many farmers will allow you to call ahead to order, no matter how much you need," she said. "Then, if you can’t find what you need at the local farmer’s market, please talk to the product manager at the grocery store." And, of course, try to "get your product in season so you can get it." Best Price."

The recipe below requires Roma tomatoes, but I didn't grow these and couldn't find them in the store. Schneider said there was no problem. "You can use any tomato in any recipe that requires tomatoes... Like the Romans, sliced ​​tomatoes contain more water than tomato sauce, so you may just need to cook it longer."

Schneider said that although you should strictly follow the pressure canning recipe, "you can safely add any dried herbs and spices to any canned food." Enjoy the fun of making your own dishes.

Schneider's recipe calls for the use of iodized salt, which she explained is just a peculiar way of describing "any salt without added iodine." Therefore, if you look at the back of a salt shaker or container, if it says only salt or sea salt, then it has no added iodine or anti-caking agent. "There is canned salt on the market, but Schneider only uses the same salt that her family put on the table: Redmond real salt.

This sauce is great on pizza, but it is also convenient to use as an instant pasta sauce or dipping sauce. It takes a little extra time to stew, so it's a thick sauce with a strong flavor, but you have to do it anyway. Your family will thank you.

Yield 9 (1 pint or 500 ml) cans. 20 pounds peeled Roma tomatoes* 3 cups chopped onion* 8 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped dried basil 2 teaspoons dried thyme 4 teaspoons dried oregano 4 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons iodized salt 2 teaspoons 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 2 ½ teaspoons citric acid

*You will need approximately 22 pounds of unprepared tomatoes and 1 ¼ pound of unprepared onions.

When eating, garlic herb tomato sauce can be used on the top of pizza crust, spread on flour tortillas to make pizza rolls, added to soups for an Italian flavor, or enjoyed as a dipping sauce. You can also heat it in a small saucepan for 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling, then place it on pasta or rice.

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