Bulletin #4086, Content Creator’s Food Safety Style Guide and Checklist for Acidic Home Canned Recipes
By Kathleen Savoie, MS, RD, Extension Professor and Kate McCarty, Food Systems Professional, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
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Content Creator’s Food Safety Style Guide and Checklist for Acidic Home Canned Recipes
The Content Creator’s Food Safety Style Guide and Checklist for Acidic Home Canned Recipes is designed for anyone who creates and publicizes recipes with a pH of 4.6 or lower for distribution to the public.
This Guide builds upon established best practices and standardization guidelines to create clarity and consistency within the language used in home canning techniques. In addition to adherence to USDA Home Canning Guidelines, this guide addresses issues related to readability, another factor in recipe comprehension, and reliance on Food Processing Authorities to approve recipes. Four critical control categories for home food preservation are addressed in this style guide: prevention of cross-contamination, proper acidification, adequate thermal processing, and vacuum sealing. This targeted educational outreach effort intends to minimize the risk of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of home-canned products.
The Content Creator’s Food Safety Style Guide and Checklist for Acidic Home Canned Foods below is divided into categories or topics that will assist you as you write your recipe.
| Food Safety Style Guide and Checklist |
|
|---|---|
| Title of Recipe: | Yes |
| A Food Processing Authority has approved the recipe | |
| General Layout and Design | |
| Use a 14-point font for the recipe title | |
| Use a 12-point font for the ingredient list and instruction text | |
| Use a sans serif font style | |
| Do not justify text format | |
| Ingredients Style | |
| List ingredients in a bulleted list | |
| List ingredients in the order in which they are used in the instructions | |
| Ingredients are written as they are measured (e.g. 1 cup 1/4-inch chop onion instead of 1 cup onion, 1/4-inch chop) | |
| Include all the ingredients used in the recipe in the ingredients list | |
| Indicate if ingredients are optional using (optional) after the ingredient | |
| Use lowercase text except for proper nouns | |
| Specify the canning jar size and quantity needed | |
| Units of Measure | |
| List measurements in the imperial, standard units of measurement, not metric | |
| If using abbreviations: Use abbreviations T. (tablespoon) and tsp. (teaspoon) | |
| Use numerals not words (e.g. 1 garlic clove, not one garlic clove) | |
| Do not use subscript (i.e. ½); for readability use 1/2 | |
| Use a hyphen between whole numbers and fractions (e.g. 4-1/2 cups) and between a number and a word (e.g. 1/2-inch) | |
| Avoid numeral runs by separating numbers with parentheses (e.g. 1 (15-ounce) can of kidney beans) | |
| Spell out the word inch instead of using a quote mark (”) abbreviation | |
| Use the easiest units of measure (e.g. 1/4 cup instead of 4 tablespoons) | |
| As Needed, Ingredients Must Include: | |
| Brand name of pectin, as recipes are brand-specific. | |
| Standard chop measurements defined by the actual size (i.e. use 1/4-inch chop instead of small chop; use 1/2-inch chop instead of medium chop; use 3/4-inch chop instead of large chop). | |
| Acidification: specify (5% acidity) after vinegar; specify bottled lemon or lime juice. | |
| Salt is referred to as “canning and pickling salt.” | |
| In salsa recipes, specify “Do not drain tomatoes.” | |
| Instructions Style | |
| Use numbered steps that contain complete sentences and an active voice; steps should be in manageable task units. | |
| Include Before Any Instructions Specific to the Recipe: | |
| To ensure you are using current canning recommendations, refer to USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning or the National Center for Home Food Preservation for an overview of canning procedures. | |
| Products that have had Product and Process Review by a Food Processing Authority should be clearly stated. | |
| Clean the kitchen area and wash hands with soap and water. | |
| Wash and rinse standard mason-style canning jars; keep warm until ready to use. Wash two-piece screw bands and lids. | |
| If processing time is under 10 minutes include: Sterilize jars by submerging for 10 minutes in boiling water. | |
| Do not include information on simmering lids in warm water. | |
| As Needed, Recipe Instructions Include: | |
| Directions to wash produce under running water. | |
| Clear cooking directions (temperature and length of time). | |
| Instructions for making safe substitutions. | |
| Standard Instructions for Filling Jars: | |
| Immediately pour hot [product name] into hot jars, leaving [#]-inch headspace. | |
| Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids until fingertip tight. | |
| Place the jar in a preheated boiling water bath canner (140˚F for raw pack, 180˚F for hot pack) with a rack. Repeat until all jars are filled. Check that the water level in the canner is at least 1 inch over the jars. | |
| Once the water in the canner has come to a vigorous boil, process for [#] minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let the jars stand for 5 minutes. | |
| Remove jars from the canner and let cool, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours. | |
Check that vacuum seals have formed. Label and date jars; remove screw bands; store in a clean, cool, dark, dry place and use within 1 year for best quality. Refrigerate after opening and use within 2 weeks.
|
|
Sample recipe using Food Safety Style Guide for Acidic Home Canned Recipes
Let’s Preserve: Tomato Salsa with Paste Tomatoes
- 7 quarts peeled, cored, 1/2-inch chopped paste tomatoes, do not drain tomatoes
- 4 cups seeded, 1/4-inch chopped long green chilies
- 5 cups 1/4-inch chopped onions
- 1/2 cup seeded, finely chopped jalapeno peppers
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups bottled lemon or lime juice
- 2 tablespoons canning and pickling salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin (optional)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced (optional)
- To ensure you are using current canning recommendations, refer to USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning or the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
- Clean the kitchen area and wash hands with soap and water.
- Wash and rinse standard mason-style canning jars; keep warm until ready to use. Wash two-piece screw bands and lids.
- Wash produce under running water. Combine all ingredients except cumin, oregano, and cilantro in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add spices and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Ladle hot salsa into pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids until fingertip tight.
- Place the jar in a preheated (180˚F) boiling water bath canner with a rack. Repeat until all jars are filled. Check that the water level in the canner is at least 1 inch over the jars.
- Once the water in the canner has come to a vigorous boil, process for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let the jars stand for 5 minutes.
- Remove jars from the canner and let cool, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours.
- Check that vacuum seals have formed. Label and date jars; remove screw bands; store in a clean, cool, dark, dry place and use within 1 year for best quality. Refrigerate after opening and use within 2 weeks.
Yield: 16 to 18 pint jars
Adapted from the National Center for Home Food Preservation
References
Andress, E. L., & Harrison, J.A. (2014). So easy to preserve. 6th ed. The University of Georgia, Athens, GA.
Granberg, A., Brante G., Olsen V., & Synder Y.M. (2017). Knowing how to use and understand recipes: What arithmetical understanding is needed when students with mild intellectual disabilities use recipes in practical cooking lessons in home economics? International Journal of Consumer Studies, 41, 494-500.
Lezama-Solano, A., Chambers IV, E. (2018). Development and validation of a recipe method for doughs. Foods. 7(10). doi.org/10.3390/foods7100163
Maughan, C., Goodwin, S., Chambers, D., & Chambers IV, E. (2016). Recipe modification improves food safety practices during cooking of poultry. Journal of Food Protection. 79:1436-1439.
Savoie, K.A., & McCarty, K. (2023). Food safety style guide for acidic home canned recipes. Journal of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. 18,109 – 117. Retrieved from neafcs.memberclicks.net/assets/documents/journal/2023-jneafcs/2023%20NEAFCS%20Journal%20FINAL.pdf
Savoie, K.A., & Perry, J. (2019). Adherence of food blog salsa recipes to home canning guidelines. Food Protection Trends. 39, 377 – 386. Retrieved from foodprotection.org/files/food-protection-trends/sep-oct-19-savoie.pdf
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2015). Complete guide to home canning. National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539.
Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.
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