Ongoing research

Flat sour is a result of improper cooling procedures. Flat sour is a type of food spoilage that results in food having an unappealing tasteless or off-flavor and a sour-like vinegar aroma.  It is caused by thermophilic bacteria surviving the canning process because the jars of food were kept hot…

Blanching is an important step for vegetable quality. Blanching is a heat process in which vegetables are scalded in boiling water or steam for a brief (but specific) amount of time. It is a very important step in the freezing procedures for most (but not all) vegetables. Blanching stops enzymatic…

Hard cheese freezes best, others less so. Cheese is best stored in the refrigerator, but there are some cheeses that freeze fairly well, especially hard or semi-hard cheeses. Good choices for freezing include Cheddar, Edam, Muenster, Parmesan, Provolone, Romano, and Swiss.  Some softer cheeses such…

Tricks for preserving the highest quality of fresh cranberries. Cranberries are a wonderful fall fruit that are easy to preserve for use throughout the year. The very easiest preservation method is to simply store them in the fridge (refrigeration is preserving!), where they will keep for about 4 weeks…

Freezing eggs is a great way to ensure you always have eggs on hand. If you’re tempted by the better pricing of a 24-pack of eggs but are worried that you can’t consume them before they go bad, or if you raise …

Canning Basics: How to know that a gel will form when making soft spreads. How do you know when your jams, jellies, and other soft spreads are ready to remove from the heat? There are several tests that can determine that the gel point (aka gel stage) has been reached, including the sheet test and the…

Use a food-safe recipe to make this inexpensive, fun, creative play dough. Playing with play dough is a fun and creative activity for kids to engage in and making your own play dough at home has plenty of benefits: It can be cheaper, it can be softer and smoother, and you can even get the kids involved…

It's getting hot in the kitchen! With the arrival of summertime, lots of fresh seasonal produce becomes available and “canning season” really heats up. Unfortunately, so does your garage, attic, and maybe even your kitchen.Storing canned goods in hot places, such as a garage, attic, above the stove,…

Understand the difference between hot pack vs raw pack for canning meat and poultry.Hot pack and raw pack refers to the method of packing food into jars prior to canning. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method; when both options are given, the one you choose comes down to personal preference…