- Author: Brenda Roche
This time of year, many food preservation enthusiasts are hard at work in their kitchens canning, freezing, drying and fermenting. They are scouring their recipe books (USDA approved, of course!) for interesting and delicious ways to take fruits and vegetables at the peak of their freshness and preserve them so they may be enjoyed year-round. For the home food preserver, this hard work will pay off for months to come, and lucky family members and friends will delight in the delicious gifts that are sure to come their way.
When we think of preserved food, however, we often conjure up thoughts of sticky, sweet jams and jellies and salty pickles and sauerkraut. The treats from the kitchen of a home food preserver are tasty, but it's not exactly health food, right? Well, you might be surprised to learn that this is not necessarily the case.
The many benefits of fermentation
Typical fermented foods include yogurt, soy sauce, miso, tempeh, buttermilk, pickles and sauerkraut. Fermented foods have been used for centuries in almost every culture for long- term food storage, to flavor foods and in times of food shortages. These foods offer a wide variety of health benefits due to the process of fermentation, which actually increases nutrients such as folic acid, vitamin B12, nicotinic acid, riboflavin, and thiamine. Fermented foods also have "friendly bacteria" or probiotics, that are similar to the beneficial microorganisms found in our gut. More research is needed in this area, but some studies show promising results in treating bowel diseases and stimulating the immune system with probiotics. Additionally, the process of fermentation partially brakes down lactose, making it easier for lactose-intolerant people to consume milk-based products such as yogurt.
Cancer-fighting phytochemicals
When food is cooked, dried, frozen and reheated, there is always a loss of nutrients.
Vitamins A, C and B are often degraded through the cooking process, however, some cooked vegetables actually supply more cancer-fighting antioxidants than their raw forms.
For instance, researchers at Cornell University found that heat from cooking actually increases lycopene content and overall antioxidant activity in tomatoes. Lycopene is a naturally occurring chemical (or "phytochemical") found in tomatoes that decreases risk of cancer and heart disease. So what does this mean, exactly? Is it better to eat our veggies raw or cooked? Well, raw tomatoes are undoubtedly a great source of Vitamin C, but it's also a good idea to eat some canned or cooked tomatoes to benefit from the high levels of lycopene and antioxidant activity. This is true for many other vegetables in our diet, as well.
What about all that sugar and salt?
Sure, jams and jellies are often made with a good amount of sugar, and we need to use salt to ferment pickles and sauerkraut, but there are ways to preserve food without high amounts of salt or sugar.
We can't remove the sodium from fermented pickles or sauerkraut (unless we rinse them before eating), but sodium can be removed from fresh-pack pickles. You can find delicious, low-sodium recipes on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/diet_pick.html). One concern we may have about canned vegetables (whether homemade or store bought) is that they are often high in sodium. Well, the salt in canned food is only used to season the food, it is not necessary for safety. So, if you desire to keep sodium levels low, you can omit the salt when canning and use salt substitutes when you're ready to eat the food. Cooking with garlic and fresh or dried herbs is also great way to add flavor to a low-sodium canned food.
There are a variety of fruit spreads that can be made lower in sugar and calories than regular jams and jellies. There are also two types of modified pectin that can be used that require less sugar. Recipes for low-sugar fruit spreads can be found on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can7_jam_jelly.html).
You can also use gelatin as a thickening agent in low-sugar recipes, but these fruit spreads must be refrigerated and used within a month or so, rather than canned for long-term storage.
Fruits can also be canned more healthfully in water or 100% fruit juices, rather than sugary syrups. These fruits must be ripe but firm and prepared as a hot pack. Refer to the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning for more information. Splenda is the only sugar substitute that can be added to covering liquids before canning fruits. Other sugar substitutes can be added when serving.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor
The next time you enjoy a jar of home canned vegetables or fermented pickles, think cancer- fighting antioxidants and friendly bacteria for your gut. Not only are you consuming produce that was preserved at the peak of its freshness, but you are certainly doing your body some good!
- Author: Felicia Friesema
We had a great question on our Facebook page this morning about getting a pressure gauge tested. The National Center for Home Food Preservation says: take it to your local Cooperative Extension! Awesome! Here at the Los Angeles County UC Cooperative Extension we would love to test your pressure gauges! Many county offices all over the country have provided this service to the public for years. After all, improper pressure canning can result in severe illness or death - yikes. And it's recommended you get your gauges tested every year prior to diving into your canning season. If the gauge reads high or low by more than two pounds at 5, 10 or 15 pounds pressure, replace it. If it is less than two pounds off in accuracy, you can make adjustments needed to be sure you have the required pressure in your canner.
Like I said earlier, we would LOVE to do this. But we're not equipped to do so yet. As we dive head first into our super bountiful summer season, we realize this is an important service that LA County residents need. We're looking into the policies and procedures that will be necessary for us to provide this service to the public. In the meantime, you have a few other in-state options to explore:
California Counties Providing Pressure Canner Inspection OR Pressure Gauge Testing:
El Dorado County Master Food Preserver Program
Either send or bring in lids with the gauge attached and return postage OR drop the lid off
and pick it up at the county office. The entire pot can also be brought in for evaluation. In 2009 there was no charge for this service.
Solano and Yolo County
Drop off the whole pressure canner. They inspect the entire pot and test it at all three basic temperatures that home canners might use. $20.00 fee.
Non-UC Testing Services:
Embarcadero Home Cannery
2026 Livingston Street
Oakland, CA 94606
Phone: 510-535-2311
Email: ehcan@hotmail.com
Dial gauges are tested for approximately $5 plus return postage. Individuals would remove the gauge and mail it to EHC. They will test it using their master gauge and return it with a report as to its accuracy and invoice. They sell new gauges for $21. Once mailed, EHC will return within a week.
NATIONAL PRESTO INDUSTRIES, INC.
Consumer Services Department
3925 N. Hastings Way
Eau Claire, WI 54703-2209
Phone: 1-800-877-0441 1 – 800-368-2194.
Email: contact@gopresto.com
Presto will test Presto canners for no charge. Simply send gauge to them (prefer shipment by UPS; allow turn around time of more than two weeks, so plan ahead!)
We're working on adding LA County to this list. Hopefully we'll be able to make an announcement about this soon. Thanks for your patience while we get this ship moving.
The Assumption of Risk Form should be used in all county offices that are continuing to test pressure canner
gauges. The policy is as follows:
- The owner of the pressure canner must be the one who signs the release form.
- Duplicate copies of the form should be signed and the office should keep a copy for at least six (6) years.
- Fees should be charged for testing pressure canner gauges. The fee should be sufficient to cover the cost of one or two canning bulletins to assure that home canners have the most recent versions of the bulletins. One of these should be the bulletin “Using and Caring for your Pressure Canner” (unless the client already owns that bulletin).
Your office has the option of no longer testing pressure canner gauges. If you do choose to continue testing, we recommend that your office purchase the version of National Presto Industries testing unit for dial gauges, which uses an air pump and master gauge. The fees for testing pressure canner gauges can be set to include funds for cost recovery of the unit’s purchase. One disadvantage with the new air pump gauge tester is that will only test Presto canners. However, it is more accurate and safer to use than Presto’s older testing unit which uses steam.
- Posted By: Felicia Friesema
- Written by: Felicia Friesema
The 2011 Class of Master Food Preservers - first in a decade!
Twelve weeks really flies by! A few of us found ourselves twiddling our thumbs last Monday night - the first night in months when we didn't have an MFP class to attend. This first class graduated back on Monday, June 20th, sending 18 (!) brand new Master Food Preservers out into Los Angeles County to teach the public the essentials of safe home food preservation. Our instructor, MFP Ernest Miller wasted NO time in recruiting some volunteers for his new Pickle University at The Farmer's Kitchen in Hollywood and several of us are already partnering with local organizations and markets to fulfill our 30 volunteer hours.
But before we get into all that, first a little recap. Graduation was a fun night. We all talked about our plans, what we liked best in the class, and what we wanted more of in the future. We had a GREAT silent auction to raise money for the program. And before we were handed our diplomas, we had a little surprise for our dedicated instructor.
As classmate, and now MFP, Alexandra said, what's the point of social media except to embarrass those we love? Ernest Miller, you are awesome. And yes, we'll be teaching the next class. I only hope we're able to do as good a job as he did.
We'll be posting dates and locations of where you can find our new MFPs teaching about canning and preserving. In the meantime, if you want/need an MFP at your event, contact Brenda at bkroche@ucdavis.edu.
/span>- Posted By: Felicia Friesema
- Written by: Felicia Friesema
The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources is a vast and mighty organization that touches on everything from African "killer bee" invasions to leaf scorch on almond trees to, well, canning and preserving. What's even better is that they compile all of this information into easy to read, downloadable, FREE publications with pictures, diagrams, and easy to follow graphs that help illustrate how easy it is to create safe preserved food for your home.
You can search though the entire list here. But we've compiled a short list of links to some of our favorites.
Apples: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy
Cantaloupe: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy
Egg Basics for the Consumer: Packaging, Storage, and Nutritional Information
Garlic: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, & Enjoy
Nuts: Safe Methods for Home Gardeners to Harvest, Store, and Enjoy
Olives: Safe Methods for Home Pickling
Oranges: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy
Peppers: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, & Enjoy
Safe Methods of Canning Vegetables
Strawberries: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy
Tomatoes: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy
- Posted By: Felicia Friesema
- Written by: Felicia Friesema
Flavarosa Plums at the Hollywood Farmers Market - June 5, 2011
We're really lucky here in Los Angeles County. Most farmers markets across the country only recently opened for business for the year, running on a tight seasonal harvest schedule. Here in LA? We harvest year-round and our farmers markets are open from January to December.
"Putting up" is a constant activity here - pickling Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and cabbage in December; hot packing carrots and beets at their peak flavor in January; freezing persimmon puree and juicing pomegranates in November; and let's not forget all the winter citrus heading into marmalades, getting juiced, or flavoring myriad liqueurs and beers.
That said, things do tend to pick up a bit when May rolls into view. The first of the stone fruits - sour plums and cherries - hit the tables in mid-May. And let's not forget mulberries, though how could we when so many trees dot our neighborhoods, sometimes providing a free harvest. And now, we're just starting to see peaches and plums. It's going to be a busy summer. The colder-than-usual winter we had this year gave all the stone fruit trees plenty of rest time and now are producing some record setting fruit harvests.
To get you started, here's a super simple recipe from The National Center for Home Food Preservation. Happy summer!
Plum Jam (without added pectin)
- 2 quarts chopped tart plums (about 4 pounds)
- 6 cups sugar
- 1½ cup water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Yield: About 8 half-pint jars
Please read Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning.
Procedure: Sterilize canning jars. Combine all ingredients; bring slowly to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly to, or almost to, the jellying point (which is 8°F above the boiling point of water, or 220°F at sea level). Stir constantly to prevent sticking or burning. (See Testing Jelly Without Added Pectin.)
Pour hot jam into hot, sterile jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a Boiling Water Canner - five minutes if you are at 0-1000 feet, 10 for 1001-6000 feet.
Plum Jam
without added pectin
- 2 quarts chopped tart plums (about 4 pounds)
- 6 cups sugar
- 1½ cup water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Yield: About 8 half-pint jars
Please read Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning.
Procedure: Sterilize canning jars. Combine all ingredients; bring slowly to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly to, or almost to, the jellying point (which is 8°F above the boiling point of water, or 220°F at sea level). Stir constantly to prevent sticking or burning. (See Testing Jelly Without Added Pectin.)
Pour hot jam into hot, sterile jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a Boiling Water Canner.