Yvette Bender cans foods such as corn relish, mom's dill pickles and pickled asparagus in her spare time at her home in Lodi. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

The art of canning

Local residents share their methods for preserving summer's fresh produce

Yvette Bender has over 30 varieties of home-canned goods in her home. Following in her mother's footsteps in canning, she calls herself a canning enthusiast.

"It has been a true passion for me. I'm so proud to be one of the extinct kind — home canning," she said.

Some say it is a lost art. But for many local residents, the canning experience has been a family tradition and passed down through the generations.

The benefits

Bender, 46, of Lodi, grew up watching her mother can. She said she and her brothers would help by peeling the garlic. She began canning herself over 26 years ago. After she and her husband married, the two started a family right away and money was tight. She would can anywhere from 130 to 150 jars of fruit in one summer, some of which she used to make her own baby food.

"The cost would only be the sealer lids and sugar. (I) saved a lot of money ..." she said.

Janet Riley, of Lodi, agrees with the cost benefits.

"It's a lot cheaper than buying in the store," she said. Riley, 73, who has been canning for 30 years, says another added benefit is the amount of sugar that is in the store-bought canned fruit. Peaches, she said, usually have two cups of sugar per two cups of water. Instead, she prefers to use one cup of sugar per three cups of water. And Bender said she actually prefers to use Splenda rather than regular sugar.

"It tastes just as good. You can't even tell the difference," she said.

The supplies

Supplies needed to get started canning include a canner, jars, lids and sealers. Riley said she will use a rubber grip to pull the jar out of the hot water, although it is not a necessary supply. She said the inside of a canner will have a wire assembly that can be pulled out to get the jars out. Other supplies needed may include sugar for fruit, a paraffin topping for jams, pickling salt for pickles, a pressure cooker for vegetables and a canning book such as the Kerr canning book or the Ball Blue Book.

Pat Stump, of Lodi, suggests stocking up on all the supplies early in the canning season. Some of the stores, she said, tend to run out of her favorite products quickly. Kerry Teravskis, of Acampo, who taught herself to can nine years ago, said canning can be expensive in the beginning, but does pay for itself after awhile. To remedy some of the expense, Riley suggests finding supplies at garage sales.

"You can get jars for next to nothing," she said.

The process

The canning process should begin as each fruit or vegetable is being harvested. Most say the best quality of fruit should be used. And, Bender feels growing your own vegetables and fruit has an added benefit.

"Then the cost of canning (and) preserving costs almost nothing," she said.

The first step in the process is to sterilize the jars. Arlene Farley, 61, of Lodi, also followed in her mother's footsteps with canning. She says sterilization is very important. She used to just throw everything in the dishwasher, but now washes them by boiling in hot water.

"Make sure everything is really clean to stop all bacteria," she said.

The second step is to peel and chop the fruit, then pack the jars. For fruit, the third step is to make the syrup. If making pickles, the brine should be made next. Then, pour it in the jars and put them in the pot.

Stump has switched from using a huge kettle of boiling water to an easier method using less water and steam to process the finished jars. Teravskis prefers not to use a steamer canner.

"Last year, I lost about half of my pickle population because a good seal was not formed," she said.

The final product

Once the canning process is complete, Stump suggests making sure there is a good storage area. Fruit should be stored no longer than a year, said Farley, but jellies and jams may be kept up to two years.

To deal with an over-abundance of canned items, Bender and Teravskis like to give away some of the finished product for Christmas or for other gifts. Stump suggests having a jar exchange program with family members, where each must bring back an empty jar to exchange for a full.

Since so many work outside of the home today, Riley said people don't often have enough time or energy to can. Still, she recommends people try it.

"You have to like it to do it. But when you get the jars out of the canner, it's really an accomplishment," she said.

Bender agrees.

"You just feel so good when the counter and cupboards are full of your canned goods from the summer's harvest. It's a proud and fulfilling feeling," she said.