[svalli]

Canning is not very popular here except pickles and jams. Finding good durable jars is difficult and most of those do not have extra lids available, so for reusing the jars people do reuse also the lids, which do not have separate rim and lid. In USA I loved the mason jars with two part lids and I used to do a lot of hot water bath canning of fruits, pickles and salsa. When we moved I packed my collection of jars with me and purchased a lot of new lids to use with them. Over the years I used all my new lids, so now every time I hear someone coming to Finland from USA, I have asked them to bring me lids. There is an Italian jar maker, who makes jars with same size lids and threads as in the wide and regular mouth jars, but even the jars are sold here nobody sells the extra lids. I know that the lids should not be reused, but I have now done it for some and they have sealed fine.

Just tonight I canned dozen pint jars of tomato salsa. I do not make as much jams and jellies as I used to do, since we do not eat those so often and the shelves are stacked with old jams. We eat a lot of salsa and cucumber relish, so those are the ones I make more every year.

This year we got bumper crop of raspberries, so I made couple of batches of raspberry and blueberry jam. Most of the raspberries went to the steam juicer and I bottled the juice hot to clean wine bottles and closed with special rubber caps, which seal the bottles air tight. The berry juices can be stored long time with this method, when there is some sugar and ascorbic acid added as preservative.

If my husband starts again hunting moose, I may have to get a pressure cooker and start canning meat. So far I have canned only high acidic foods, because I do not have a pressure cooker and I am a bit concerned about the safety of canning low acidic foods.

Sari