Home cooks have been preserving food in jars for centuries, and these days we have plenty of resources to do so safely and with confidence.

Right now, our produce department has pickling cucumbers, pickling salt and wide-mouth canning jars available for all of you canning fans! And for a short time, 20 lb. cases of fresh Colorado peaches are for sale here. Check out this U of M Extension web page and learn what you can do with all those peaches!

Check out our online coupon page and save $.50 on a 1 pound minimum purchase of pickling cucumbers or $5.00 on a 20-lb. case of Colorado peaches. Coupons good through August 23, 2011.

Canning is a great way to preserve your home-grown produce. You can save lots of money and enjoy your garden bounty all year round, preserved at the peak of ripeness! If you are interested in learning more about canning, click here to read a wonderful story published by MIX this month! You will also find a recipe and steps for simple and safe canning.

For your convenience, canning jars and lids are available in Trail 8 here at Valley Natural Foods.

Harvests from backyard and community gardens must be in full swing because lately, we’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about canning salt! Since our co-op does not carry canning salt, below are a couple of tips and recommended substitutes. You can find 3 lb. boxes of Kosher salt in our meat department. 
 

pickling salt = canning salt = canning and pickling salt   

Canning or pickling salt is similar to table salt, but lacks the iodine and anti-caking additives that turn pickles dark and the pickling liquid cloudy. Pickles made with table salt would still be good to eat, but they wouldn’t look as appetizing. Pickling salt is available in large bags or boxes in some supermarkets, but sometimes hard to find in cities.   

Substitutes:

Kosher Salt (Since it’s not as dense as pickling salt, you’ll need to use more, but follow directions on package or use a recipe that has measurements for substitute salts.  For some brands,  it’s best to measure by weight rather than volume.

Table Salt (The iodine in table salt may turn your pickles dark, and the anti-caking agents may turn the pickling liquid cloudy but it won’t affect the flavor.)

Don’t substitute reduced-sodium salt for pickling salt when making pickles.