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Tag: Food Preservation

Making Fruit Leather

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Fruit leather
Pureed fruit on a dehydrator tray.
Photo: University of Georgia

Making homemade fruit leather is a great way to use up extra fruit and have a healthful snack. But fresh fruit can harbor bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. It is best to heat the fruit for safety and better retain color.

North Dakota State University Extension recommends heating fresh fruit in a double boiler to steam heat the fruit. It takes about 15-20 minutes and the temperature should reach 160°F with a food thermometer. An alternative is to use canned fruit that is pureed, applesauce, or strained baby fruit.

Fruits choices for fruit leather include apples, apricots, berries, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums and strawberries.

Learn more at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/food-preservation-making-fruit-leathers.

 

Preserving Fresh Asparagus

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Pickled asparagus
Pickled asparagus
Photo: Newell Brands

March is here and early spring vegetables, such as asparagus, will be popping out of the ground. If you are lucky enough to have your own asparagus patch, you know the anticipation!

If you have an abundance of asparagus, preserve it for later use by freezing, pickling or canning. To help you plan, here’s a chart of approximate yields from Michigan State University Extension. Learn more at Preserving Vegetables, MF1181.

1 pound (snapped) = 2 cups cut up
1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh = 1 pint frozen
2 1/2 to 4 pounds fresh = 1 quart canned
10-pound box = 7-10 pints frozen
24 1/2 pounds = a canner load of 7 quarts
16 pounds = a canner load of 9 pints
1 crate (31 pounds) = 7 to 12 quarts canned
1 bushel (45 pounds) =30 to 45 pints frozen or 11 to 18 quarts canned

Can I Can My Favorite Soup Recipe?

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

Vegetable soups with or without meat or meat broth may be safely canned using the process time that takes the longest time as an individual ingredient. Most soups will take 60 to 90 minutes to process in a pressure canner depending upon size (pints or quarts) and ingredients. Never can soup in half-gallon containers.

Use caution to avoid packing ingredients into the jars. For vegetable soup, fill the jars half full of solids, add broth allowing 1 inch headspace and process in a pressure canner. Space is needed for the hot liquid to circulate between the food particles. Pieces of cooked beef or chicken can be added to the vegetables to make a vegetable meat soup.

There are no instructions for canning creamed soup or adding any flour, cornstarch, rice, pasta or cream.

Source: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/soups.html

 

Tomato Soup

No Recommendations for Canning Bacon

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

There are no science-based recommendations for canning cured, brined or corned meat. This includes ham and bacon.

Canning these forms of meat has not been in any USDA recommendations for decades. The texture of these meats can be firmer which slows heat penetration during canning. That would change the processing time. The canning procedures that are available are for fresh meat only and should not be used for any other form of meat.

The best method to preserve bacon, or other cured meat, is to freeze it for later use.

Bacon should not be added to vegetables, such as green beans, when canning.

Source: Clemson Cooperative Extension

Instructions for canning fresh meat, poultry and seafood can be found at the National Center for Home food Preservation.

Preserving Winter Squash, Pumpkins

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

Winter squash and pumpkins can be preserved by canning, freezing or drying. The only method for canning is to use cubed pieces of flesh. See directions at in our Preserve it Fresh, Preserve it Safe: Vegetables publication.

Do not can any mashed or pureed products. These forms of winter squash can be frozen for later use. The USDA recommendations to can mashed winter squash were removed in the 1970s because of too much variation in density between batches to provide a consistent processing recommendation.

Source: University of Minnesota Extension

Preserving Unripe Tomatoes

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
tomatoes
Source: https://preservingfoodathome.com/2019/10/
Photo: USDA Flickr

As fall approaches, those end of season unripe tomatoes are still usable. Be sure to pick them before a frost or freeze if canning them.

Unripe, or green, tomatoes can be preserved just like ripe tomatoes. So when canning them they still require acidification. Here are some ideas to can green tomatoes.

Don’t want to can them, or it is after a frost or freeze? Then freeze them for later use.

 

All About Apples!

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Apples
Photo: USDA/ARS

Apples are in season and there are many ways to use or preserve them. Besides being an crunchy snack, they can be used in many recipes from breakfast to dinner.

Apple pie is a favorite dessert. So have you tried canning your own apple pie filling? One specific ingredient is a thickener called Clear Jel®. Be sure to buy the cook-type, not the instant thickener. Clear Jel® makes gel clear as opposed to using traditional corn starch which gets cloudy and separates. Clear Jel® holds up to the heating during the canning process and doesn’t break down. See instructions in Preserve it Fresh, Preserve it Safe: Apples.

Apples can be canned in many ways from plain apples to chutney and more. They can be dehydrated and frozen also. Find more ideas at  www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/recipes.html.

 

 

 

Preserving Overripe Tomatoes

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

It is always best to preserve any food at its peak ripeness and freshness. Tomatoes that are overripe can be a problem if canned.

The acidity level in tomatoes varies during the growing season. If overripe, they are less acidic than when at the peak of ripeness.

Do not use damaged tomatoes or any that have mold growth. These may contain harmful pathogens that may not be destroyed during the canning process.

The best preservation method for these tomatoes is to freeze them.

Source: https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/canning-tomato-products-safety-guidelines

Treat all varieties and colors of tomatoes the same. They all require added acid for safely canned tomatoes. Learn more at www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF1185.PDF.

 

More on Tomatoes…

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Canned tomatoes
Canned tomatoes, University of Georgia

The safety of canning tomatoes primarily rests on the pH, or acidity, of the tomatoes themselves. Some myths state that older tomato varieties, or heirloom varieties, are more acidic than todays modern tomatoes. But research has shown that this is not true.

Research conducted at three universities, North Dakota State University, University of Illinois, and Utah State University, show that many varieties of heirloom tomatoes are actually less acidic than todays tomatoes. To be considered a high acid food, the pH needs to be below 4.6. Many are above that pH level and into the 5.0 or above pH range.

This is why, no matter what variety of tomato you preserve, it is important to add acid in the form of citric acid, bottled lemon juice or vinegar to can them safely. See instructions at www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF1185.PDF.

Sources: North Dakota State University Extension; Utah State University; and University of Illinois

 

Food Preservation Webinar

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

Are you looking for a way to keep fruits and vegetables fresh for longer? Do you want to extend the shelf life of summer and fall foods from your garden? Join USDA’s National Agricultural Library and the University of Minnesota Libraries Doris Kirschner Cookbook Collection for a free webinar and cooking demo at 12 pm ET on Thursday, September 29th: “Keep Your Food Safe & Fresh: Simple Canning & Preservation Tips.”

This event will be live-streamed and captioned. Registration required. A recording will be available at a later date.

Speakers will be:

Dr. Carla Schwan, University of Georgia

Kate McCarty, University of Maine

 

Reference to any specific commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation. Paid for by Kansas State University