Preserving Food at Home

FACS Standards 8.6.1, 8.6.2, 8.6.3Kowtaluk, Helen and Orphanos Kopan, Alice. Food For Today.

McGraw Hill – Glencoe. 2004.

Advantages of Home Preserving

• Way to stretch food dollar• Spend time together and work

together• Ready source of food

Methods of Home Preserving

• Freezing, canning, drying• Method you use depends on

personal preference and equipment available

• If you don’t grow own food, can buy fresh produce at market, farmer’s market

• Use ripe, high-quality food• Freezing and canning do not

improve food’s quality• Wash food carefully and prepare

according to directions, keeping cleanliness and food safety in mind

Freezing• Many fruits can be frozen• Pears, oranges, and bananas do

not freeze well; applesauce freezes better than apples

• If fruit does not go through enzymatic browning – most berries, melons, pineapple, cherries – simply dry-pack

• Dry-pack means place prepared fruit on cookie sheet, leaving space between fruits and place in freezer

• Once frozen solid, place fruits in labeled and dated freezer package

• If freezing fruit that darkens – apples, figs, peaches, nectarines, plums – either

• Sprinkle with ready-to-use ascorbic acid and dry-pack

• OR• Toss fruit in sugar until well

coated and freeze

Freezing Vegetables

• Vegetables must be blanched before freezing

• Blanching kills enzymes• Tomatoes do not need to be

blanched• Work with 1 pound of vegetables

at a time

• Place vegetables in strainer and immerse in boiling water; when water returns to rolling boil, begin timing

• Time depends on type of vegetable and size of pieces

• The larger the pieces, the longer the blanching time

• When time complete, remove strainer and plunge into ice water until completely cool

• Drain vegetables on clean, dry towels and pat dry

• Pack into containers and freeze

• Can blanch vegetables in the microwave

• Times similar to stove top times, so not a time saver

Canning Produce

• Contact local cooperative extension service office for latest information on canning methods

• Have up-to-date recipes, equipment, and instructions

• Don’t take shortcuts or change recipes

• Salt and sugar are preservatives• For lower sugar and sodium

foods, find those types of recipes

Jars and Lids• Use only jars made for home

canning• Must be in perfect condition• Lid used only once; ring can be

used more often• If filled jars are to be heated

more than 10 minutes, they don’t have to be pre-sterilized; others should be

Processing the Food

• Food needs to be heated to stop enzyme activity and kill harmful microorganisms

• 2 heating methods–Water-bath canning– Pressure canning

• Water-bath canning – for high-acid foods – fruits and most tomatoes

• Pressure canning – vegetables and other low-acid foods – like pressure cooker only bigger; heats to temperatures above boiling point to kill harmful microorganisms

Packing Methods• Raw-pack jars place raw food in

jars and pour boiling syrup, water, or juice in jar leaving ½” – 1” headspace; run knife around jar and between food pieces to remove air bubbles; wipe jar top clean; apply lid and screw metal band/ring on tightly by hand

• Hot-pack method – heat food in liquid; then pack into jars; leave ½ - 1” headspace; run knife around jar and between food pieces to remove air bubbles; clean jar top; place lid and ring on jar, turning to hand tight

Hot-Pack method

Processing Methods

• Process food by one of recommended methods

• Do not process canned food in microwave or conventional ovens

Fruits• After packing fruit into jars,

process in boiling water in a water-bath canner for time directed in recipe

Jams and fruit spreads

• Process jars in boiling water in water-bath canner for time specified in recipe

• Do not seal with paraffin – does not make a tight seal

Vegetables

• Process jars in pressure canner

• After processing, cool jars on a rack of clean dish towel away from drafts until completely cool, usually 12 hours

• Check to make sure jars are sealed – tap lid; if hollow or lid moves, jar is not sealed; if lid does not move and clear, ringing sound, jar is sealed

• Store in clean, cool, dry place

• Before eating home canned foods, boil for 10-15 minutes to be certain any harmful microorganisms are destroyed

Drying Food

• Easiest way to dry food is with a food dehydrator

• Follow manufacturer’s instructions

• Fruits, vegetables, granola, and beef jerky can be easily made at home