Canning

Much mystery is made of the canning process. Essentially, it is very simple. Make sure you have clean jars and a new set of lids and liners (jars can be re-used as long as they’re sterile; lids and liners cannot).

Fill jars almost to top with preserves (the gap, called headroom, is to allow the preserves to expand during heating). Attach lids. Submerge jars in boiling water for specified period of time, usually 10 to 15 minutes.

Carefully remove jars from boiling water and set in cool, draft-free spot overnight. When cool, wipe outside of jars with damp cloth and gently tighten lids. Tightening too much can break seal. It’s easy to check the seal: Press down in the center of the lid--it should give very little; if it flexes noticeably and pops back, reprocess in the boiling water.