In article >, Dieter Zakas
> wrote:
> In article , Melba's
> Jammin' at wrote on 1/13/05 21:25:
>
> > In article >,
> > Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
> > (snippage of other necessary equipment)
> >> each); a couple glass measuring cups, as well as a dry-measure cup (I
> >> like 1- and 2-quart glass measures); a large bowl to contain your
> >> -Barb
> >
> > I forgot to mention why I have the 2-quart glass pitcher. I pour
> > the product from the hot preserving pan into the 2-quart glass
> > pitcher (it's rare that it is not large enough to contain all);
> > pouring from that pitcher to fill the jars is very much easier for
> > me than using a ladle (for which I also forgot to mention the
> > need). So, I cook, pour, and pour.
> Barb,
>
> When my mother made plum jam, after she poured in the product (her
> "canning funnel" was a conical plastic cereal bowl whose bottom was
> cut off), she'd pour melted wax over the top to seal the product from
> air, then close and "boil seal" the jars. Is the wax necessary, or
> could I omit that step?
That's interesting -- never heard of the wax folks doing a BWB on top of
it. Using paraffin to seal is no longer recommended by the universities
and USDA folks. Pinholes can allow air and the development of mold.
Don't use wax.
Let me add here, Dieter, that in reading the group you'll find some
folks from abroad who do things different than we do, have been doing
them that way forever, and that's how they do it where they live because
they don't have the same things available to them. I believe the Brits
have little wax circles that they lay atop their hot filled jars and
then cover with a shrinky cellophane to seal it. Something like that--I
was sent some a few years ago so I could see what she was talking about.
Fine with me. Because I'm stateside, however, I pretty much stick with
the USDA's guidelines and specialized information for my location, from
my University of Minnesota extension division folks.
> Incidentally, since my mother has the Tilia Foodsaver with a canning
> accessory, I could borrow that to evacuate the remaining air from the
> jar, and then used the boiling process to secure it, no?
No. It's the boiling process that drives the air from the container and
creates the vacuum which seals the lid to the jar. I don't believe
Tilia recommends any sort of canning with their gizmo -- what you refer
to as a canning accessory is for jar storage of dry goods. George
Shirley is one of the Tilia experts who play here and I'm sure he (or
Ellen) will correct me if I'm wrong or incomplete.
> Dieter Zakas
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Trip Report and pics added 1-13-05
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and say,
'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner, performance
at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.