Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> 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.
You're exactly right Barb, that's all Tilia recommends is sealing fruit
jars of dry stuff. I keep herbs, noodles, etc in mine and there's a
whole rack of them in the pantry.
George
>
>>Dieter Zakas