Food Preserving: Better Safe than Sorry
Add comment August 6th, 2009
I’ve spent several Tuesday evenings this summer attending the Master Food Preserver training being offered by the Stephenson County Extension. I enjoy growing my own veggies and am interested in eating more local foods year-round, so this course seemed like just the thing for me. As I have no experience whatsoever with any kind of food preserving (other than memories of my mother freezing homemade applesauce when I was a kid), I’ve been soaking up loads of interesting information during the classroom and practicum parts of the class.
Â
It seems that food preserving is a skill that waned in popularity, but is now making a comeback, just like knitting, sewing, baking, and veggie gardening. For those of you who are curious about getting started, I’d like to share some things I’ve learned. This might be of interest even for more experienced folks, as new discoveries are constantly being made at the University of Georgia, the national hub for research on food preserving. Guidelines for safe food preserving change as new discoveries are made. Indeed, researchers have found that means of food preserving that were once considered safe, are in fact not so. When it comes to the well being of one’s family, I feel it’s better safe than sorry.
Â
There are only two safe ways of canning, depending on the type of food being preserved: the boiling water canner method and the pressure canner method. The former is used for high-acid foods like fruits and tomatoes, as well as jams, jellies, and pickles, while the latter is the only safe way to can other vegetables, meats, and poultry. The bacteria that causes botulism can be killed only at temperatures above 240°, a temperature that can be reached only in a pressure canner.
Â
The open-kettle method, which was common in the past, is now considered unsafe. Foods were heated in a pan, then poured into jars. A lid was placed on the jar, but there was no further processing in a canner. Spoilage was common because bacteria, yeast, and mold were not killed by processing. There is a real risk of botulism with this type of canning.
Â
Steam canners are also no longer considered safe, because the steam does not heat the jars in the same way that submersion in boiling water would. Canning in a microwave oven, standard oven, slow cooker, crock pot, and in the sun are all viewed as extremely dangerous.
Â
Even though you may have a canning recipe that has been passed down in your family, you should be careful because some old recipes call for processing that is now considered unsafe. Cookbooks that are safe to rely on include the Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving and So Easy to Preserve (published by University of Georgia Extension, and available through your local county Extension office). They’re chock full of great recipes and are the safest source of guidelines on the most up-to-date canning, freezing, and dehydrating methods.
