Getting Started with Home Food

Preservation

Getting Started with Home Food

Preservation

Take a minute to consider…

Why do we preserve foods?

Canning, Freezing & Drying

• Which method will you choose?

• Our aim: safe, high quality food.

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Methods in Food Preservation

• Refrigeration & Freezing• Fermentation or Acidification• Control of Moisture:

– Drying– Adding sugar or salt

• Heat Processing: – Blanching, pasteurization, canning

Two Types of Canning

• Boiling Water Canning (212°F) – fruits and acidified foods

• Pressure Canning (240°F or above) – meats and vegetables

• Remember…adjust for elevation!

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Getting Started…Equipment

Boiling Water Canner with rack Inspect jars, rims & lidsSupplies – measuring cups/spoons,

spatula, jar/lid lifter, funnel, other “nice to haves”

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Don’t Forget

• Process at the correct temperature

• Follow an up-to-date, research tested recipe

• Adjust for elevation

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Making Jams, Jellies and Fruit

Preserves

Making Jams, Jellies and Fruit

Preserves

Jams and JelliesAs Easy As 1, 2, 3, 4….

1. Fruit – adds flavor!

2. Pectin – natural carbohydrate that causes fruit to gel

3. Acid – needed for gel formation

4. Sugar – preserves jellied fruit, helps form a gel & adds flavor

Fruit

• Fresh, Canned, Frozen, Dried

• Use just-ripe fruit for best flavor and quality

• Mix ripe and unripe fruit if you don’t use added pectin

• Overly ripe fruit will taste great, but may fail to set

Freezing Fruits

• Freeze unsweetened for greatest flexibility

• Individually quick-freeze on trays• Thaw almost completely before

making jam• Or freeze juice for making jelly

Preparing Fruit

Jam:• Rinse – don’t soak• Remove stems, pits, or cores• Prepare fruit according to recipe:

crush or chop (with skin on)• Pack tightly into measuring cup

Preparing Fruit

Jelly:• Juicy berries – Crush without heating• Firm fruit – Crush, boil, then simmer

– Apples: add water only to cover, cook until soft (20-25 minutes)

– Grapes: only enough water to prevent scorching, until soft (10-minutes)

• Strain in jelly bag or cheesecloth

Pectin

• Can use natural pectin in apples, plums, grapes, currants

• Add pectin to other fruits (plus canned & frozen) to ensure a good gel

• Add pectin to fully ripe fruit

More about Gels

• Liquid and powered pectin are not interchangeable

• Low-methoxyl pectins for low- or no sugar products

• Powdered gelatin for refrigerator products

Acid and Sugar

• Added acid for gelling

• Measure sugar carefully

• Use honey or corn syrup sparingly

• Sugar substitutes can be used only in special recipes (refrigerator jelly–www.uga.edu/nchfp OR www.splenda.com/index.jhtml)

Water Bath Canning…

A Must for jams and jellies

• Helps form a seal

• Destroys yeast and mold

• Is required for

the Fair!

Basic Steps• Wash ½ pint jars in warm, soapy

water; then boil for 10 minutes (until filled)

• Prepare jam/jelly and pour into jars leaving ¼ inch headspace

• Remove bubbles between jam/jelly and jar

• Wipe jar rims and put on lids/bands

Basic Steps• Place jars in canner – boiling water

1-2 inches above jar lid• Start counting processing time when

water returns to a boil• Process in boiling water 5+ minutes• Cool jars for 12-24 hours then check

for seal, remove bands, wipe jars

• Mold – imperfect seal, too large jar

• Failure to set – too large a batch, incorrect proportions of ingredients

• Fading – storage place too warm or too light; stored too long

• Fruit floats – Stir fruit mixture for 5 min. before ladling into hot jars

When things just don’t work…

When things just don’t work…

• Use for syrup

• Refrigerate up to 3 weeks

• Freeze – ½ inch headspace

• Re-process- darker, cooked

When things just don’t work…

Re-make Instructions• Work in small batches• Carefully measure all

ingredients• Add pectin to product while

re-cooking

For Goodness Sake

• Jams and jellies are shelf stable for at least 1 year

• Store opened jars in the refrigerator

• Don’t consume product that has molded or that appears spoiled

Resources• USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning

(1994 or later), National Center for Home Food Preservation: www.uga.edu/nchfp

• Wisconsin First:www.wisc.edu/foodsafety/ (see Making Jams and Jellies)

• So Easy to Preserve – University of Georgia (1999 or later)

• Ball Blue Book (1997 or later)