- Author: L. Watts
Wanted, Wanted: People interested in learning about Home Food Preservation. For a very reasonable fee and investment of your time as a volunteer, you can learn all about preserving food at home.
You will learn about: food safety, high-acid canning (fruits, jams and jellies, pickles, and the like), low acid canning (meats, beans, vegetables, etc.), fermentation (kimchi, brined pickles, sauerkraut. . . ), freezing (you know about that!), and dehydration (fruit, vegetables, leathers, jerky) among other things.
This is a very interesting course, and with its information you can learn to preserve all sorts of things.
I hope to see you there!
- Author: L. Watts
Join us for the Gifts from the Kitchen class. It is this coming Thursday. Sign up now, put it on your schedule. You will be informed, entertained and will get a bag of swag to take home: a sample of everything demonstrated. See you there!
- Author: L. Watts
AKA: Apri-NOT Butter
In this missive I shall relate to you some depressing things:
1. I purchased apricots at a store. (YIKES!)
2. Next day, I cut them up, added sugar and lemon juice and cooked it up for a jam, er, butter.
3. The result thickened/jelled but tastes like sweet-sour mystery fruit “stuff”. No 'cot flavor at all.
4. I have the equivalent of about a quart and a half mystery-fruit-apricot-jam-wannabe-butter-stuff in a tub in my refrigerator.
The above is truly a huge failure: but by my failures shall I (and) you learn.
Take Number 1:
Anyone knows that you cannot buy decent apricots in a store; where I live it is impossible. I seriously doubt that anyone can buy a decent, good apricot in any store anywhere. Good apricots canbe gotten at road side stands or farmer's markets, but not in a brick-and-mortar store, especially if they have them shipped in. And if YOU can get good apricots in a store where you live, you are truly blessed by the Apricot Deity OR you do NOT know what a truly ripe apricot tastes like. Around here, the difference between store-bought and home-grown is just like the pictures on this page-please note!
In my area, good apricots are ONLY found on a tree. If you don't have your own tree, the best tree is usually one that is in a backyard, planted too close to a wall, and has fruit-laden branches are hanging over that wall. This means you need to be bold and run and steal that low-hanging fruit (because you KNOW it is NOT “low hanging fruit”, if you get my drift), then run to your car laughing crazily and zip off in a hurry because you are feeling so guilty about stealing. Or you knock on a door to ask permission to pick, but, of course, no one ever answers and so you are still forced to steal those fantastic apricots. But wait, you are going to drop off a jar of jam to give those not at home a thank-you for your steal, so it is not that bad, right?
Well, any way, I purchased apricots at a store. And they were truly a worst-case example of the phrase “low hanging fruit” I have ever had the misfortune to experience. Some were big, some smaller. Pretty color, some dark, some not so dark. No. Aroma. What. So. Ever. But like a fool, I said to myself, I'll give them a try; it was a true case of hope springs ever-eternal in the breast of an apricot lover.
Number 2:
I cut them up, sugared them on, juiced them up and attempted to cook them down. Too much in one pan—a double batch. Undistinguished apricot flavor equals mystery fruit.
Number 3:
“Stuff” says it all. Very depressing.
Number 4:
It now resides in my fridge. Should I process and can it? If I do, would I even consider giving it out for gifts—nope, I would be embarrassed to give it for a gift unless I labeled it “Mystery Fruit” jam. And if I did can it up, what would I use it for? Maybe I will can some up and use it for some barbecue glaze or base for a grilling sauce.
If you want to do the following recipe, “For the love of God, Montresor!” make sure you do it with wonderful apricots from someone's back yard!
So below is the recipe I used. It is from So Easy To Preserve. I tried, but it turned into a soft mystery-fruit jam. Need I mention to NOT double the recipe?
I wish you the absolutely best of luck. Maybe you will get mine!
Apricot Jam (if it fails, you call it butter, or syrup, or sundae topping or . . . and I didn't peel the apricots!)
From "So Easy To Preserve", Cooperative Extension Service, University of Georgia, Third Edition.
Makes about 10 half-pint jars.
2 quarts crushed, peeled apricots
6 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
Sterilize canning jars. Combine all ingredients; slowly bring to boiling, stirring occaisionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly until thick, about 25 mintues. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.
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- Author: L. Watts
Apple Festival is Here!
Come and celebrate all those upcoming apples with us. Learn what to do with them and learn about delicious foods can be made in your own kitchen.
Please leave a comment by clicking on the blue "Comments" below.
- Author: Denise Turner
- Editor: Lauria Watts
Containers
Moisture and oxygen are the two most important factors in spoilage or decay of stored foods.
Moisture in dried foods can lead to microbial growth and moisture around metal canned foods can lead to rust and eventually compromise the can.
Oxygen is an important factor in quality deterioration of many foods.
Oxygen Absorbers
Oxygen absorbers protect dry foods from insect damage and help preserve product quality.
Foil Pouches
Glass Jars
Any glass jar with a screw-on lid will work for storing dried foods. Two-piece lid, Mason style jars are the safest for home canning foods.
Metal Cans
These are molded, rigged bottles made from the same material as the foil pouches. These containers have short-term oxygen barrier qualities. They can be used with an oxygen absorber for an extended life. Not dishwasher safe.
Plastic Buckets
Only use buckets made of food-grade plastic with gaskets in the lid seals.
Note: Foil pouches, PETE containers, and plastic buckets are not rodent proof. If rodents or other pests are a significant potential problem in the storage area, foil pouches, PETE containers, and plastic buckets holding food should be placed into containers that are rodent or pest proof. Do not store food in containers that have been used to store non-food items.
What Not To Store For Long Term
Oily Grains
(Nuts, brown rice, pearled barley, quinoa, sesame seeds and flax seeds)
Storing food can cause quality deterioration. Oily grains or seeds have high levels of oils, which are subject to rapid rancidity. The more unsaturated the oil, the more quickly it will become rancid. In other words, the healthier the oil, the faster it will deteriorate.
Milled Grains
(Whole wheat flour, cornmeal, cereal, granola)
Milling or grinding makes the interior surfaces of grains accessible to oxygen. The oxygen then can catalyze an oxidation reaction leading to rancidity of the grain oils and causing changes to other chemicals in the flour.
Here are some DANGEROUS home preservation methods that are being circulated. Don't do them!
Home Canned Quick Breads
This is dangerous. A recipe for baking zucchini bread in a canning jar has been widely distributed with a 45-minute baking time at 325 degrees F. According to several studies, canned bread meets all the criteria to allow growth of Clostridium botulinum, which can cause the fatal food-borne illness botulism.
Petroleum Jelly or Mineral Covered Raw Eggs
This is a food shelf life extension (quality extension) method, NOT a food preservation method. According to some studies, there is a major food-borne illness risk if eggs are stored above refrigeration temperature (34-38 degrees F). To extend the shelf-life of eggs, mineral oil (often called egg oil) may be rubbed onto egg shells to fill their pores. This minimizes air and bacteria entry, prolonging their (refrigerated) shelf life. The key is that the eggs always be refrigerated.
Home Canned Butter
The methods circulating for canning butter have not been scientifically tested for consumption safety. .
Vacuum Sealed “Wet Foods”
Vacuum sealed dry foods are safe because of the absence of moisture. But don't vacuum seal wet foods because they provide optimal environment for the growth of botulism-causing bacteria. Many people see foods like tuna in a mylar bag and assume it is only vacuum sealed. It's not! Actually, it has been heat processed, just as if it were in a Mason jar, for low acid canning.
Note: To avoid potentially exposing your family to food borne illnesses, purchase commercially processed butter and eggs. Pressure can meat in a Mason jar or purchase them commercially processed. Make your own, dry quick bread packages and add liquids the day you intend to cook it; this will taste much better and be safer than the home canned quick breads we've mentioned.
Freezer Tips - When the Freezer Goes Out
In case of a power failure, check with the utility company to see how long it will be before power is restored. If your power is not likely to be on again within a day, you can do the following:
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Check into moving your frozen food to a freezer that is working; you might have a friend or neighbor with space in their freezer for your food.
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If there is no space available in another freezer, use dry ice in your freezer to keep your food frozen. Dry ice is very cold. Handle it quickly and always wear heavy gloves to prevent the ice from burning your hands. A 50 lb. bag of dry ice is enough to protect solidly frozen food in a 20-cubic foot freezer for three to four days. Put heavy cardboard on top of packages of frozen food in each compartment of your freezer and put the dry ice on top of the cardboard. Close the freezer and DON'T open it again until you need to replace the dry ice or the freezer is working again. Cook smaller packages that are beginning to defrost and leave larger foods like turkeys and roasts in the freezer, as these can serve as blocks of ice.
You can provide extra insulation for your freezer by covering it with blankets or quilts. Putting packaging material or crumpled newspapers between the cabinet and the blankets will also help. Be sure to fasten coverings away from the air vents on the outside of the freezer. The power may come on unexpectedly and ventilation will be needed.
If there is ample advanced notice of an emergency, fill food-grade water jugs with water and freeze them; you can use them to keep the food frozen longer. When the ice melts, you can drink the water.
References:
“A Guide to Food Storage For Emergencies”, Utah State University: extension.USD.EDU
“What to do if the Freezer Stops” National Center for Home Preservation: nchfp.uga.edu
“Build A Kit” Food Ready: ready.gov
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