Transcript Master Food Preserver Training

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.
3
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!
5
Getting Started…Equipment
 Boiling Water Canner with rack
 Inspect jars, rims & lids
Supplies – measuring cups/spoons,
spatula, jar/lid lifter, funnel,
other “nice to haves”
6
Don’t Forget
• Process at the correct temperature
• Follow an up-to-date, research
tested recipe
• Adjust for elevation
7
Making Jams,
Jellies and Fruit
Preserves
Jams and Jellies
As 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
When things just don’t work…
• 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…
•
•
•
•
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)