greenapple2012

Eat cheap and healthy – Time to pickle asparagus. 

Asparagus is now abundant and you can find some beautiful asparagus at local farmers markets or produce shops that specialize in local produce.   Personally my favorite way to “stock up” on asparagus is to pickle it.

Water-bath canning is just for high-acid foods; namely, tomatoes and fruits (jellies, etc).  Low acid foods like vegies MUST be properly pressure-cooked (be sure to get a Ball pressure canning cookbook).  However pickling recipes use a vinegar – water solution which increases the acidity (lower ph) enough that you can hot-water bath process them.

In years gone by, canning was a skill that every girl and many boys knew because they helped mom in the kitchen with her canning chores while growing up. Now, these skills are being lost which is a shame.  If you have never canned before, I HIGHLY recommend taking a class at your local extension bureau.  Last summer I attended one in Howell County and still learned valuable information, even though I have been canning for years.  I mainly can tomatoes and jellies but I wanted to be sure the recipes I had for pickling asparagus, okra, etc. were legitimate.

One thing I learned that you may be interested in, is they are recommending that all canning recipes more than just a couple of years old, be re-evaluated by the extension bureau for safety. Canning times have changed due to changing ph values of the tomatoes grown now.  With the public demanding ‘less acid’ tomatoes to accommodate for a variety of popular digestive conditions, tomatoes are not as acidic as they were 20+ years ago so BE SURE to pick up a NEW canning cookbook.

Also, you cannot just take your favorite recipe and can it! (I didn’t know that).  If your recipe is different from a published one, the canning times will be different.  That means if a recipe calls for (for instance) 1c of chopped green peppers and you have 1 1/2 cups in the recipe, the canning time may be different.  If the consequences were a recipe that just tasted off, that wouldn’t be so serious. However the consequences of not properly canning a low-acid food is the possibility of botulism.  That’s a killer!   Be safe.  Take a class, buy a new Ball cookbook, learn how to can correctly and enjoy the old skill of canning produce in season.

Recommended reading: Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving; 2006.   I LOVE my copy!!

For local, fresh produce: Howell valley grocery, 1372 Bill Virdon Blvd West Plains, MO 65775. (417) 256-6220