Food
Preservation
Just
Imagine ....
Gardens full of shiny, red tomatoes and brightly
colored peppers ....
orchards filled with sweet, juicy peaches ....
farmer's markets piled high with fresh fruits and vegetables ....
Now imagine capturing all this into rows of decorative jelly jars,
pints of crisp pickles and quarts of tender green beans to enjoy all
through the year.
The
science of preserving food has been around for centuries beginning
with drying, curing and fermenting, then canning and eventually freezing.
The goal of food preservation is to increase the shelf-life of a food
while keeping it safe. To accomplish this, sound, research-based preservation
methods must be used.
There
are three main methods of preserving food:
Canning
Canning is the process in which food is placed in a jar and heated
to a temperature that destroys nearly all microorganisms and inactivates
enzymes. High-acid foods, such as fruits, pickles, and jelly products,
can be safely canned in a boiling water bath. A steam pressure canner
is the only safe way to can low-acid foods such as vegetables and
meats.
Freezing
Freezing
is one of the easiest, most convenient, and least time-consuming methods
of preserving foods. Freezing does not sterilize foods; rather, the
extreme cold simply retards the growth of microorganisms and slows
down chemical changes that affect quality or cause food to spoil.
Drying
Drying removes
most of the moisture from foods so microorganisms cannot grow and
enzyme activity is slowed. Dried foods are stored in airtight containers
to prevent moisture from rehydrating the foods and allowing microbial
growth.
For
current guidelines and recipes for preserving food at home, contact
the Family & Consumer Sciences Agent at your county Cooperative
Extension Service.
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Seasonal
Highlights
Drying
Apples
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Apple
Varieties Best For Drying:
Gravenstein, Granny Smith, jonathan, newton, Rome Beauty and other
firm- textured, tart varieties.
Selection:
Apples should be mature but very firm and free from bruises or soft
spots. Store at refrigerator temperature, 35-40 degrees to maintain
highest quality.
Preparation:
Wash, peel if desired, core and slice into ¼ inch slices. Pre-treat
by following ONE of these methods:
-
Mix
1 cup lemon or lime juice in 1 quart water. Soak fruit no longer
than 10 minutes; drain.
-
Dissolve
1 tablespoon ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to each quart water. Hold
fruit in solution no longer than 30 minutes; drain.
-
Dissolve
2 tablespoon ascorbic and citric acid blend in 2 quarts of water.
Hold fruit in solution no longer than 30 minutes; drain.
Drying
Temperature :
In food dehydrator, 150 degrees for 2-3 hours, then 130 degrees until
dry.
Dryness
Test:
Pliable to crisp. Apples store best when they are slightly crisp.
