“ The actual costs of home food preservation, for example, should be considered. The cost of home grown food should be compared to the cost of similar food purchased for preservation in quantities at local farms or markets. The quality of the home preserved items should be realistically analyzed against readily available commercially preserved food.
There is no such thing as free food. Someone, somewhere, has to pay for it in time, energy, know-how, and at least some outlay of dollars. Home production in amounts needed for food preservation requires a longtime commitment of family resources. ”

“ A group of bacteria produce extremely heat-resistant spores that can only germinate and grow at high storage temperatures such as those above 103° F. These bacteria often survive both the home and commercial canning process. Even though present, they normally are of little concern from the viewpoint of spoilage and no concern at all from the standpoint of human health. However, if canned foods are stored in attics or near hot water pipes or in any other area where the temperature will exceed 102° F at any time, these heat-loving bacteria (called thermophilic) can grow and spoil the product. ”

“ Every homemaker knows that meals must be planned to get the most out of the food dollar and to provide the family with a well-balanced diet. The freezer, more than any other household appliance, can help secure these results. The more you learn how to use it in relation to your own family, the greater the returns.
Freezing is a quick, convenient and easy way to preserve foods in the home. Plan ahead to manage your time and energy for preserving food directly from harvest. ”

“ The wise homemaker will can only the amount to be used within a year. Food held longer will be safe to eat if it has a good seal and no signs of spoilage, but there may be nutrient or quality loss, especially if stored at temperatures above 70° F.
As a beginner canner you need to know something about micro-organisms, including yeasts, molds and bacteria, on the food, in water, air and soil, as causes of spoilage in foods. Knowing about these minute forms of life, which are so abundant everywhere, will help make the work safer as well as more interesting. ”

“ How Food Is Heated
Heat is a form of energy which flows from hot to cold substances. This flow occurs by convection, conduction, and radiation. In a pressure canner, convection and conduction are the primary methods of heat transfer.
Convection heating occurs in thin liquids and in gases like air and steam. As molecules are heated, they become lighter and rise to the top of the jar, displacing cooler ones toward the bottom. This movement is visible in water that is being heated in a clear glass container. Convection heating occurs best in liquids like fruit and vegetable juices or broths. ”

“ What motivates people to return to home food production and preservation? Are their expectations realistic? How extensive is their gardening? Will they continue a second year? Do they preserve any of their crop? ”

“ Decide what you will freeze on the basis of availability of foods, family needs and taste, freezer space, cost of freezer storage, and availability of alternate methods of storage.
It is essential to start with high quality raw material. As garden foods mature, process without delay. Quality of the frozen food will be only as good as the quality of the food before freezing. Freeze foods at their peak of eating quality to preserve flavor, texture, and appearance as near those of the fresh product as possible. ”

“ Our people want a food supply that is safe, high in quality and appearance, adequate nutritionally, and reasonably priced. Many consumers try to obtain these food attributes by returning to the “old ways” of growing and preserving food themselves.
To understand food preservation, let’s look at five causes of food spoilage or deterioration (four are biological, the fifth physical or mechanical) :
(1) The primary cause of food spoilage in the United States is microbiological. Micro-organisms are small living organisms such as yeast, molds, or bacteria. ”

“ By having their own gardens and canning the harvested produce, they often can save money. Eating quality of home-canned products encourages some individuals to can. The activity of growing or obtaining produce and preserving it in the home sometimes gives people a sense of personal achievement and satisfaction.
In canning, food is preserved by applying heat to prepared food in containers so that micro-organisms that cause spoilage or food poisoning are destroyed and enzymes that cause undesirable quality changes in the flavor, color, and texture of food are inactivated. ”

“ Generally, more headspace is needed for foods heat-sterilized in a pressure canner than those in a boiling water canner, because of increased expansion of foods at the higher temperature.
With too little headspace, liquid is more likely to cook out of the jars during heat sterilization. This increases the danger of seal failure due to food particles that may be trapped at the interface of the sealing surface. With too much headspace, air remaining in the jar can cause darkening of the food, oxidized flavor, and lower vitamin retention, especially in food at the top of the jar. ”

“ Direct acidification, that is, adding vinegar which contains 4 to 5 percent acetic acid, is the most common method of making cucumber pickles in the United States. It is easier, quicker, and foolproof. Often the natural fermentation will go astray. Other undesirable microbes may grow, bringing unwanted changes in the food: spoiling rather than preserving. Other foods made by fermentation include wine.
Regardless of the method used to control the pH of food, to successfully preserve food by this method it is absolutely essential to heat-process or freeze to prevent spoilage by yeasts and molds. ”

“ To understand food preservation, first consider the sources. Home garden food comes from plants: sources of raw food are living, biological entities, continuing to metabolize after they are harvested. Plants also provide a source of food for micro-organisms which can grow on or in them, spoiling food before it can be eaten. The primary objective of food preservation is to prevent food spoilage by preserving food until it can be used by people. ”

“ Washing removes dirt and some of the bacteria from vegetables. Freezing inhibits the growth of bacteria, but does not kill them. Thus it’s important that the food, as well as all surfaces it touches, be kept clean so that the number of bacteria on the food is held to a minimum. Bacteria can grow on food if the temperature rises during freezer storage, and when food is thawed. ”

“ Since few bacteria thrive in acids, their destruction is less difficult in fruits than in vegetables (with the exception of tomatoes) .
Botulism is a deadly poison caused by a toxin from the growth of spores (seeds) of the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum. These spores will produce a deadly toxin in low-acid foods in the absence of air (oxygen) inside a sealed jar. Therefore, the spores must be destroyed by processing under pressure at 240° F. The length of time has been determined by scientists for each individual food. ”

“ Therefore, overall nutrient content of a specific fruit or vegetable, whether fresh or preserved, may be about the same.
Top quality, garden fresh foods, served in season, provide the greatest satisfaction when served fresh as table-ready food. Individual preferences for market fresh, frozen canned, or dried food will differ. Since nutrient content is nearly the same, the choice is up to the consumer. Even more important is the choice of vegetables and fruits for a good diet. ”

“ Because of color, texture and especially flavor qualities, some varieties are more suited for canning; others are more suitable for freezing. Few varieties possess the all-purpose criteria needed to preserve them as either high-quality canned or frozen products.
There is no single, ideal maturity for harvesting or preserving fruits and vegetables. Obviously, the quality of canned or frozen products made from any maturity other than ideal for that specific commodity lacks the ultimate potential of satisfaction for eating. ”

“ Increasing the temperature of food to achieve preservation also results in destruction of the micro-organisms that produce spoilage and disease. Time and temperature regulate this preservation. Theoretically, since food will be stored at temperatures which will allow most microbes to grow, the ideal heat treatment needed to preserve the food would be one that completely sterilizes the food, that is, kills all attendant micro-organisms. ”

“ Just about every kind of food you or I will freeze contains moisture or water, and the process of freezing food involves the freezing point of water. As temperature of the surrounding air goes below the freezing point of water, the water progressively crystallizes out in the form of pure ice. ”

“ Blanching is necessary to prevent development of off-flavors, discoloration, and toughness in frozen vegetables. Besides stopping or slowing down the action of enzymes responsible for these undesirable changes, blanching also softens the vegetable, making it easier to pack into containers for freezing.
Fruit does not need to be blanched before freezing. However, most fruits require packing in sugar or sirup to prevent undesirable flavor and texture changes in the frozen product. ”

“ Historically, food preservation and processing assured a food supply and prevented starvation. This is probably the major reason why food is processed today in many developing countries. In the United States, however, affluence and a plentiful food supply now influence the reasons for food preservation. Today, Americans live many miles from rural areas where food is produced. Consequently, food must be preserved to assure the nonfarm population an adequate supply. ”

“ You will need a container to hold ice water for quick chilling of vegetables to stop cooking action. Drain thoroughly in a colander and turn out on absorbent towels.
It is false economy to skimp on wrappings and containers. They should protect the food from cold air, which is dry, so as to retain the moisture in foods and prevent freeze burn and dehydration. Select them according to the use they will be put to.
Most freezer containers on the market today are easy to seal, waterproof, and give satisfactory results. Rigid plastic containers, bags, and jars with wide tops are favorites. ”

“ All dried foods deteriorate to some extent during storage, losing vitamins, flavor, color, and aroma. However, low storage temperatures prolong storage life, and dried foods may be frozen for long term storage.
Dried foods can be reconstituted by soaking, cooking, or a combination 360 of both, and will resemble their fresh counterparts after reconstitution. However, dried foods are unique and should not be expected to resemble a fresh product in every respect.
Drying does not render the food free of bacteria, yeasts, and molds. ”

“ The record for home canning is much worse—450 deaths in a fraction of the number of cans. Unsafe practices were probably used in preserving the deadly home-canned food.
Methods like open kettle, oven, and boiling water bath canning for low-acid foods are not sufficient to kill Clostridium botulinum spores. Educators talk to many people even today who still use unsafe practices because “that’s the way my mother always did it”, or because they are unfamiliar with pressure canners. ”

“ A pressure canner is a kettle made from a material, usually aluminum, that is strong enough to safely withstand the pressures used in home canning. The lid is built so it can be locked to the base of the canner. On one type, metal in the sealing edge is ground smooth so little or no leakage occurs between the lid and the base. Care should be taken to avoid damage to the sealing surfaces which could ruin the canner.
Other canners have a gasket made of a rubber-like substance that prevents leakage of steam. ”

“ The odor in good jars of food should be pleasant and characteristic of the product. Do not use food which looks or smells bad, or if there is any doubt as to its safety.
All low-acid, home-canned food should be boiled 10 to 20 minutes to insure destruction of botulism-causing toxin for added safety. Heating denatures the toxin so that it does not react with the body. Never taste home canned food before cooking it. ”

“ Micro-organisms grow on food, causing it to spoil. The common growths are simple yeasts, molds, and bacteria. Because these micro-organisms are everywhere—in the air, water, soil and on all surfaces they contact—they naturally occur on all foods. Storing and preserving foods properly controls or inhibits the growth of micro-organisms, thus maintaining both quality and safety of the food. ”