You can just about everything as you soon learn after taking the lid off a canning book or two. In this post, you’ll learn about canning ravioli.
A simple and safe way to preserve your food, trending since the 1700s
Why is Canning important? Canning is a great way to preserve food from spoilage for long periods of time. Our military uses canned foods and outdoorsmen. We feed the less fortunate and those in need around the globe with canned foods.
Canning not only preserves food and its quality, but it also prevents decay. It can do so little like open space in your kitchen or something huge like make sure you stay fed during big emergencies. To be honest, the whole canning process is pretty cool.
I’ll let you be the judge, though. Just follow these simple steps and I promise you’ll be canning your own ravioli in no time. I even through in a tip or two so you can look like a pro when showing your friends.
Supplies
Having the right tools for the job is always important. The same can be said when canning ravioli. The right equipment will make sure the job is done right and to standard.
- Ravioli
- Sauce (It’s best to can ravioli with sauce, the acidity from the tomato helps with stopping bacteria from forming.)
- Canning jar (The market has a lot of jars to choose from but try to stick to the standard pint or quart canning jar.)
- Canning rack
- 2 Large pot
- Canning manual if available. This will help with the different boil times for each food. For Ravioli we will use the 10 mins. Per pint or quart.
7 Easy Steps to Canning Raviolis by Water Bath Canning
- Prep
- Sterilize
- Fill Halfway
- Add Salt
- Before Boiling
- Be Gentle
- Take Out
There are two USDA approved methods of canning, Water Bath Canning, and Pressure Canning. I’ll be showing you how to Water Bath Can, this method allows you to preserve foods that are high in acidity. Pressure Canning will require you to have a pressure canner and is also the only way you ever can meat, fish, poultry, and all vegetables besides tomatoes.
Step 1: Prep
Prep your food. I’ve learned that using fresh food is always the best. Try to work quickly and with small amounts. To ensure value, precook for a short period of time and pack the ravioli hot along with the sauce.
Step 2: Sterilize
Sterilize your jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. When you begin to work with jars pull out a piece at a time to prevent contamination.
Step 3: Fill Halfway
Fill your second pot about halfway with water and bring the temperature up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. This will be the water you dip the jars in once you fill and seal them.
Step 4: Add Salt
Now you can take the jars out of the sterilized pot of water one at a time and begin to fill them. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to help bring the acidity level up. Leave 1 inch of space in the jar and make sure you take out all air bubbles by running your knife down the sides of the jars.
Next, take out the lid and seal the jar. Place it on the canning rack and repeat this with the rest of your jars.
Step 5: Before Boiling
At this point your second pot should be at 212 degrees, nice and ready to help your jars get a good seal. Now that you have all the jars properly sealed and on the canning rack you’re ready to lower the rack into the pot. Once the jars and rack are in the pot you may need to add a little more water. Your goal is to have the water an inch above the lid for proper boiling.
Step 6: Be Gentle
Allow the water to come to a hard boil then turn it down to a gentle boil for 10 minutes per pint or quart.
Step 7: Take Out
Once the timer goes off take out the jars quickly and place on a cloth on the counter to cool. You will notice the lids become concave as they cool and hear light noises. When the jars reach room temperature test the lids seal by lifting the jar by the rim of the lid a little.
Now you can store away your jars in a cool dark space for 1 to 5 years in some cases.
Common Setbacks
Some common things that may cause an issue.
- Not using fresh food.
- Not tightening jars properly
- Not examining jars before use
- Using a nonstandard jar
Making sure you remember to leave the 1-inch space in the jar
Read the sealing instruction if any came with the jar. Mistakes in sealing jars is one of the most common.
So, was that as much fun for you as It was for me? Now you can Can.
Canning has been around since forever and doesn’t plan on going anywhere. Now you know how to do it yourself at home or in the great outdoors. You can safely seal and preserve food by Water Bath Canning.
Canning has plenty of advantages like preventing bacteria, mold, yeast, and microbes. It can help you store certain foods, almost all foods, for long periods of time. This will free up space in your kitchen cabinets and even help in reducing the cost of living.
One Last Tip
Remember, for any meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables besides tomatoes use a pressure canner. Water baths only need to reach a temperature of 212 because you are sealing foods with high acidity.
All non-acidic foods need to boil at a higher temperature for safety reasons. A pressure cooker will be able to bring the water temperature well above the 212 degrees mark. Both methods are USDA approved, so you should be proud of yourself for that USDA quality Canning seal.
Conclusion
Canning is one of the best methods for preserving food. We always recommend learning how to do it and try out a few recipes if you haven’t already.
I hope this post on canning ravioli helped you. If you like articles like this, you may also be interested in canning cheese and canning hamburgers at home.
