- Author: Jennifer Codron, UC Master Food Preserver
- Editor: Jennifer Hopkins
Lately, I've been experimenting with making jam the “old fashioned way,” which means a long cooking time and no added pectin. I'm finding that the fruit's flavor is much more concentrated and the jam has an extra layer of richness that I don't taste from jams made with added pectin. These jams require quite a bit of sugar, so you may prefer to use a low or no sugar pectin to reduce the sweetness.
Today I made raspberry jam using the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (2016) recipe, Berry Jam, pg. 23. After purchasing the raspberries at my local farmer's market, cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen and gathering my canning supplies I set out to create some delicious jam during the height of raspberry season.
First, prepare your canner and jars.
Wash the raspberries and pick through making sure not to use any moldy or badly blemished berries. Ideally, you want a mix of ripe fruit and some of the berries a little underripe. These contain more natural pectin which helps the jam set.
When making a full sugar no pectin jam you will need to cook the jam longer and use the spoon gel test to make sure it will properly set after canning. To do this, take 3-5 teaspoons and set them on a plate and place in the freezer as you are cooking the berries.
Combine berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large heavy bottom pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Bring this mixture to a boil and let boil for about 10 to 15 minutes until the foam recedes and the mixture starts to become glossy.
You can now take one teaspoon from the freezer and dip it into the mixture and return the spoon about half full to the freezer for about 3-4 mins. After that time, take the spoon out, make sure the bottom feels cool, not warm, and tilt it to the side. The drops should run together and form a sheet as viewed in the last spoon photo. If the jam runs quickly, keep stirring and cooking the mixture. Repeat the test after another 5 minutes.
When the jam is done, remove from heat and ladle into the warm jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. You can measure with the ruler tool and scrape down the sides of each jar to remove any bubbles that may have formed. Now take a damp paper towel and wipe the rims to remove any drips that may have occurred. After ensuring a clean rim on the jar, place the lids on and screw on the bands until fingertip tight. You don't want the bands too tight. You want to allow the air to move out under the band to help seal the lid during the canning process.
Process the jars in a boiling water canner at a full roiling boil for 10 minutes. Steam will escape through the side of the lid during this process. If the water ever drops below the boiling point, start your timer over for the full processing time as directed by the recipe. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the lid and let the jars stand for 5 minutes.
After this time, use a jar lifter and carefully remove each jar to a towel on your counter. You can use a tray lined with a towel if you want to move the jars to a different location before letting them set for 12-24 hours.
Don't worry about the water that pools on top of the lids. Just leave it be. Do not tilt the jars to remove it. Once the jars have sealed you can remove this with a paper towel and a little vinegar to remove any white sediment.
After 12 hours make sure the lids have sealed properly, the lids should be concave. Label the jars and store without the bands in a cool, dark location. If a jar or two has not sealed properly simply place them in the refrigerator and use them within a month. Once opened, store jam in the refrigerator. Use unopened jars within a year for best flavor.
I love this jam spread on toast but also plan on filling thumbprint cookies with it. The long cooking time creates a thicker jam with a richer color than what you usually get with a pectin added jam. The process is more labor intensive but well worth it!
/span>- Author: Saoimanu Sope
UC Master Food Preservers give live canning demonstrations at Orange County Fair
If you visited the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa during the past month, you might have seen the Master Food Preservers of Orange County in their rustic farmhouse-themed kitchen located in the OC Promenade exhibit hall.
If the decor did not catch your eye, the colorful rows of glass jars lined along the walls certainly would have. For an entire month, three volunteers conducted live canning demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. five days a week. They are with the UC Master Food Preserver Program, a public service and outreach program under UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The OC Fair is UC Master Food Preserver's largest event in Orange County. Last year, the UC Master Food Preservers engaged 7,000 people at their booth.
Food preservation has a deep history rooted in human survival. Whether freezing, drying, fermenting or pickling, preservation is a practice that has prolonged the life of food and humans. Other benefits include reducing food waste and increasing food security.
The latest form of preservation, called canning, was introduced in the early 1800s according to a Smithsonian article. By placing food in a glass jar and heating it to a certain temperature for a prescribed period of time, oxygen is removed and a vacuum is created. This process prevents the growth of undesirable bacteria, yeasts and molds, thus keeping the food from spoiling.
This is what you would have found the UC Master Food Preservers demonstrating at the OC Fair.
During her shift, Flo Vallejo, UC Master Food Preserver since 2018, carefully chopped carrots and daikon into thin slices and placed them inside small mason jars with spices inspired by Vietnamese cuisine.
Between the produce donated by Melissa's Produce and the diverse spices donated by Tampico Spice, the possibilities of what you will see the UC Master Food Preservers canning are endless.
“This is something my great-grandmother, grandmother and mother did. I never understood it because they didn't let the little kids in the kitchen,” said first-year UC Master Food Preserver Alice Houseworth.
Many of the UC Master Food Preservers have some experience with canning, whether it be a practice passed down from generation to generation, or, in Houseworth's case, something they watched their elders do as a child.
Some might view canning as a hobby, but according to the UC Master Food Preservers, food preservation is an opportunity to prepare for economic and climatic change.
Esa Kiefer, another UC Master Food Preserver since 2018, expressed her concern for the rising prices of food and decline in arable land. “I feel like now is the time to prepare for these changing times,” she said. “Who knows what the future will look like for food?”
Perhaps the future of food will come from glass jars.
“You can even can chicken,” Houseworth said. “When it's cheap at the grocery store, you can buy it and use the pressure canner and then eat it when chicken prices go up.”
Vallejo recalls when pickling and canning were trending on social media during the stay-at-home phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult to find mason jars.
“Preservation has been done for a long time. When I saw a lot of people doing it during the pandemic, I thought it was just because people had time on their hands. But I realized that many became concerned about the food supply and accessibility,” she explained.
The resurgence in food preservation interest makes the work of the UC Master Food Preserver program much more essential. Whether you are feeding a large family, living in a food desert or managing a tight budget, food preservation ensures you are fed today, tomorrow and beyond.
To learn more about the Master Food Preserver Program or to locate the nearest program in your area, visit: https://mfp.ucanr.edu/.
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- Author: Shannon A Klisch
- Author: Debbie George, Master Food Preserver Volunteer
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Looking for gift ideas that don't cost much? University of California Master Food Preservers, a program of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, will host online workshops showing how to safely make hot holiday beverages, infused vinegar, spiced nuts, meat rubs, cookie mix in a jar and more. Participants may make their own creations as they watch the demonstrations.
“You can create inexpensive gifts that are made with love for friends and family,” said Wendi Weston, coordinator of the UC Master Food Preservers of Sacramento County.
Gifts from the Kitchen Virtual Workshop will be held 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17. This workshop is hosted by the UC Master Food Preservers of Sacramento County, but they welcome participants from outside the county as well. Register at https://mfp.ucanr.edu/Events/?calitem=499948&g=72758.
“Participants will learn to make flavored tea and the barbecue spice rub during the workshop. It'll be fun and festive,” said Weston, who is planning the series of workshops.
During the two-hour Zoom workshop, the UC Master Food Preserver volunteers will demonstrate how to make cranberry conserve, spiced nuts, infused vinegar and holiday cookies in a jar. They will also share decorating and food safety tips.
After the workshop, the recipe books can be purchased for $10 at https://sacmfp.ucanr.edu. Recipes from past workshops can be downloaded for free at https://sacmfp.ucanr.edu/Monthly_Demonstrations/Recipes.
On Dec. 1, UC Master Food Preserver volunteers of Amador and Calaveras counties will discuss freezing, dehydrating, canning and food safety during an online workshop. Register at https://mfp.ucanr.edu/Events/?calitem=516566.
“We can reduce food waste and save money by preserving food,” said Sue Mosbacher, UC Master Food Preserver Program coordinator.
The UC Master Food Preserver Program extends UC research-based information about home food safety and preservation to the public throughout the year. They are located in 19 counties of California, most recently adding UC Master Food Preserver volunteers in Modoc County, where they are offering pressure canner testing.
For 2022, the UC Master Food Preservers of Sacramento County are planning to offer the following workshops via Zoom:
- Jan 19 – Citrus for Super Bowl
- Feb 16 – Dehydration for Soups
- March 16 – Soups & Roots
- April 20 – “Night of Fermenting” Cheese/Yogurt/Sauerkraut
- May 18 – Jams & Jellies
- June 15 – “Ready for BBQ Season” Condiments & Beverages
- July 20 - Red, White & Blue
- Aug 17 – “Tomato Mania” Salsas, Sauces & Peppers
- Sep 21 – Sausages & Mustards
- Oct 19 – “Apples, Pears & Persimmons Oh My”
- Nov 16 – Sides Dishes for your Holiday Dinner
- Dec 21 – Quick Gifts
To sign up for any of the workshops above, visit https://sacmfp.ucanr.edu.
To find other upcoming UC Master Food Preserver Program events, visit https://mfp.ucanr.edu/Events.
For resources for preserving food and more information about the UC Master Food Preserver Program, visit https://mfp.ucanr.edu.
- Author: Christine Davidson
During the COVID-19 pandemic, families were becoming more food insecure than ever before and with stay at home orders, shopping for food and other items was becoming limited. It was also a time where more families were interested in growing and preserving their own food to help combat the uncertainly of the pandemic.
To help families become more resourceful and self-sufficient, EFNEP partnered with UCCE's Master Gardener and Master Food Preserver programs to provide extended education on food safety, food resource management and healthy eating habits. EFNEP provided a series of lessons via Zoom using the Eating Smart Being active curricula through UCCE Connects to You. Throughout the series, educators promoted the upcoming MFP and MG workshops and how the participant's would benefit from continuing to learn. The EFNEP series was followed by virtual MFP and MG workshops which turned into monthly classes. The food preservation topics included refrigerator pickling, jam making, apple pie filling, dehydrating, freezing vegetables, fermentation, and making fruit leather. During the workshops food safety concepts from EFNEP were reinforced and participants received detailed information on the process, a live demonstration, the recipe and handouts. The gardening topics included sustainable landscape and composting, growing strawberries, peas, blueberries, herbs, tomatoes and peppers, and container gardens. At the end of each workshop volunteers were available to answer questions. Both programs reinforced food resource management and food security by sharing how to use items at home to grow and preserve food.
The three programs plan to continue serving families and expanding reach. We will continue to provide monthly gardening and food preservation workshops for EFNEP participants in Spanish and English. The programs have received grant funding through The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program to extend the program to include kits for each workshop. The participants will receive a kit to participate during the virtual or in person workshop. Receiving a hands on experience will help to increase self-efficacy. The Master Gardener and Master Food Preserver programs are now reaching under severed groups they had not be able to reach previously by delivering workshops in both English and Spanish to low-income families participating in EFNEP. Momentum was gained over a 9 months and participation increased by over 25%. One participant shared “MFP has taught us a variety of methods to preserve our foods. When the berries are on sale at the store, I make a big purchase and preserve them, by using the ‘freezing method'.” Another participant shared her experiences with all three programs saying “We've learned how to make changes that have helped us save money and my daughters make parfaits and smoothies in the morning, which makes me feel proud that they are making healthier choices. We planted a tomato tree with the hopes that it will help me save money and eat healthier. I make my own compost as well now. I don't throw away too much trash and hopefully the environment slowly becomes a better place.”