by Captain Len Belcaro
A few years ago, I wrote an article in The Journal about my new discovery—“canning” tuna in mason jars using the water-bath method. It works fine and produces the very best tuna salad I’ve ever eaten.
I employed the water-bath method for years and years because I heard some of the horror stories circulating about the dangers of using pressure canners. After doing some research on present day pressure-canning systems, I learned the pressure canner has come a long way since those early days. Most units have multiple safeguards that actually make them completely safe and idiot proof to operate. Explosion plugs and pressure release valves protect the operator from an exploding pot that could cause severe injuries.
Recently, I purchased a 23 quart liquid capacity pressure canner/cooker from www.sausagemaker.com, and it has simplfied the “canning” process by allowing more jars of tuna to be cooked in half the time.
During the water-bath method, jars containing fresh tuna must be submerged in water to just below the jar’s rim and boiled for a period of three hours. Using the pressure- canner method, the tuna is cooked by steam, not boiling water. Using a circluar-ring grate placed on the tops of the first tier of jars, another tier of jars full of fresh tuna can be placed atop the first tier, thus doubling the number of jars cooked at one time. Because the pressure canner temperatures at 11 pounds pressure at 0 to 2,000 feet altitude can reach 240 degrees, the processing time is cut from three hours to 1 hour, 40 minutes. Pressure canning is the only method of canning low acid foods approved by the U.S.D.A.
In this article I’ve combined the how-to water-bath canning pictorial which was published in the March/April 2002 issue of the Journal on the water-bath process with a new section explaining how to use the pressure canning system. Please excuse the black and white pictures of both the preparation section, which is used by both methods, and the water- bath canning system method. They were published in our technical section which was black and white at the time.
BOTH WATER-BATH AND PRESSURE CANNING EQUIPMENT
• Pint wide-mouth Ball canning jars with rims and lids
• Large pot and macaroni insert strainer or something to raise the jars off the bottom of the pot.
• Tongs
• Fresh tuna loins cut in 6-inch pieces.
TUNA PREPARATION
Soak the loins in Kosher salted water and ice in your cooler overnight. All the blood must be removed from the tuna—this is very important!
The next day, drain the cooler, flush the tuna with fresh water several times, cut out any blood lines that may be in the meat, cut the 6-inch loins into one inch staeaks then soak in fresh water for about an hour. Leave a few steaks for the grill, and take the rest inside for canning. Dry the tuna thoroughly with paper towels and cut it into pieces that will fit into the jars.
Boil all the jars, rims and lids for 10 minutes to kill any bacteria. Remove the jars from the hot water and fill them 3/4 full with tuna pieces. Place the lids on the jars and carefully screw on the rims without tightening them down. At this point, there is no water in the jars— just fresh tuna.
I employed the water-bath method for years and years because I heard some of the horror stories circulating about the dangers of using pressure canners. After doing some research on present day pressure-canning systems, I learned the pressure canner has come a long way since those early days. Most units have multiple safeguards that actually make them completely safe and idiot proof to operate. Explosion plugs and pressure release valves protect the operator from an exploding pot that could cause severe injuries.
Recently, I purchased a 23 quart liquid capacity pressure canner/cooker from www.sausagemaker.com, and it has simplfied the “canning” process by allowing more jars of tuna to be cooked in half the time.
During the water-bath method, jars containing fresh tuna must be submerged in water to just below the jar’s rim and boiled for a period of three hours. Using the pressure- canner method, the tuna is cooked by steam, not boiling water. Using a circluar-ring grate placed on the tops of the first tier of jars, another tier of jars full of fresh tuna can be placed atop the first tier, thus doubling the number of jars cooked at one time. Because the pressure canner temperatures at 11 pounds pressure at 0 to 2,000 feet altitude can reach 240 degrees, the processing time is cut from three hours to 1 hour, 40 minutes. Pressure canning is the only method of canning low acid foods approved by the U.S.D.A.
In this article I’ve combined the how-to water-bath canning pictorial which was published in the March/April 2002 issue of the Journal on the water-bath process with a new section explaining how to use the pressure canning system. Please excuse the black and white pictures of both the preparation section, which is used by both methods, and the water- bath canning system method. They were published in our technical section which was black and white at the time.
BOTH WATER-BATH AND PRESSURE CANNING EQUIPMENT
• Pint wide-mouth Ball canning jars with rims and lids
• Large pot and macaroni insert strainer or something to raise the jars off the bottom of the pot.
• Tongs
• Fresh tuna loins cut in 6-inch pieces.
TUNA PREPARATION
Soak the loins in Kosher salted water and ice in your cooler overnight. All the blood must be removed from the tuna—this is very important!
The next day, drain the cooler, flush the tuna with fresh water several times, cut out any blood lines that may be in the meat, cut the 6-inch loins into one inch staeaks then soak in fresh water for about an hour. Leave a few steaks for the grill, and take the rest inside for canning. Dry the tuna thoroughly with paper towels and cut it into pieces that will fit into the jars.
Boil all the jars, rims and lids for 10 minutes to kill any bacteria. Remove the jars from the hot water and fill them 3/4 full with tuna pieces. Place the lids on the jars and carefully screw on the rims without tightening them down. At this point, there is no water in the jars— just fresh tuna.
