HOME CANNING: A TASTY OPTION FOR VEGANS, VEGETARIANS, AND ALL WHO SAVOR THE FLAVORS OF FRUITS AND VEGGIES YEAR-ROUND

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Story and photos by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Photo left: adjusting the water bath canning pot

September 29, 2021 (San Diego's East County) - Home canning is a great way to preserve the treasured taste of summer fruits and vegetables to savor during a winter meal.  It’s also a helpful way for vegans to stock up on special homemade sauces.

Vegans may choose (or learn) to can their special sauces or organic, homegrown vegetables. It saves money and offers a chance to revisit those fruit and vegetable summer-time treasured tastes for months.

Roadside fruit stand “finds” of a particularly good fruit can prompt a vegan to pull out their stored water bath canning pot and start searching for recipes using vegan stylized, even personalized, recipes. Numerous vegan canning recipes can be found online or modify, to vegan standards, a family recipe.

In East County, Santee Farmers’ Market, held every Wednesday, offers farm fresh produce. La Mesa Farmer's Market is on Fridays. Sample and buy what suits your needs. Visit other farmer’s markets in your area for more finds.

Find exceptional fruit at your neighborhood store to can.

(Photo-right- preparing fresh peaches for canning.) 

Homegrown gardens can also provide tasty vegetables for canning be it carrots, tomatoes, corn, or more.

Additionally, prepare ahead of time some of the basics of vegan cooking such as chickpeas or beans by using an Instant Pot, or water bath pot, which can come in handy for a winter recipe that requires chickpeas and beans as a core ingredient in a dish.

Whether canning a vegan stable such as beans or canning a personalized sauce the rewards of those seasoned, personalized items can be revisited at-a-later-date -– typically to be used in a year or less.

Is a common canning product, pectin, allowed in a vegan or vegetarian diet? Yes, pectin is made from plants.

You can also make your own pectin by using 4-6 sliced ripe apples, some citrus pith, 2 cups of water, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Simmer for 40 minutes until it’s reduced by half. Then strain the liquid and simmer again until that mixture is reduced in half which typically takes 20 minutes more. Store up to 4 days in the refrigerator or freeze.

Canned vegan foods can also come in handy as Christmas gifts. However, it’s best to sample the contents before giving away other jars of the same recipe.

(Photo- left- canned vegan peach jam.) 

Always check canned foods for spoilage.

Signs to look for when spoilage occurs:

 -Mold on lids or food.

-Liquid is cloudy or foaming.

-Food is mushy or smells unusual.

--Jar seals are bulging, or seal is broken.

If a vegan cook comes across, or creates, a prize-winning canned food recipe, they could be well-served to note the ingredients, measurements, and processing time, to recreate the recipe in the future and even pass along down the family tree.

Visit this website for ideas on vegan canning recipes: https://www.pinterest.com/kathy_hester/vegan-canning-recipes/ Additionally, here’s a link how to can for beginners but note it is not geared toward vegan canning per se: https://morningchores.com/how-to-can-food/ .

 

 

 


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