7 minute read
PREPARE AND PRESERVE
Proper Preservation
As prices rise, safe food preservation could be the key to healthy eating for less
STORY BY BETSY ILER
As summer’s bounty appears on grocery store shelves around the area, one thing is evident: Food prices have gone up. According to a Nielsen IQ study, the average cost of grocery store purchases nationwide has increased by 5.7 percent year over year. Some factors in the price increase include labor shortages and wage increases, as well as rising gasoline prices, which affect the shipping aspect of the supply chain. Heavy crop damage in the Midwest and foreign demands also have played parts in recent price increases at local grocery stores. And now, the National Integrated Drought Information System estimates that 75 percent of California, which supplies more than 25 percent of the country’s fresh food supply, is in an extreme drought, an indication that prices might go even higher.
It’s a situation that may well prompt gardeners to heave great sighs of relief in that they have a modicum of control over the cost of their fresh food supply.
But don’t despair. Even people who don’t garden could cut food costs and eat well for less with minimal investment of time and money by preserving foods purchased now for consumption later. And Alabama Extension and the USDA National Center for Home Food Preservation are ready partners in helping Alabamians with projects like this and more.
Of the various food preservation methods – canning, dehydrating and freezing – canning is the most prevalent. Its popularity has gone up and down since canning methods were standardized about 100 years ago; however, the origins of canning predate Louis Pasteur’s research of microbes in food spoilage by 50 years.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the process of hermetically sealing and heat-sterilizing containers of food was invented by a French brewer in 1809. Nicolas Appert developed the process in response to the need to preserve food for use by armies, which heretofore had been limited to summer and fall campaigns when fresh food was most plentiful.
Then, in the late 1800s, Samuel C. Prescott and William Underwood of the U.S. gave canning a scientific spin with time and temperature stipulations for canning foods safely. The safety Extend shelf life Can, pickle or freeze fresh foods to combat grocery prices rising. of the food is of utmost importance and is the focus of educational materials
offered by Alabama Extension, said Dani Reams, a regional Extension agent for Tallapoosa and other Alabama counties.
“Only use recipes that have been properly tested,” Reams said. “The big concern with canning and the reason for testing recipes is botulism. When it is in an environment with reduced oxygen, it can be lethal.”
The toxin that causes botulism originates in a germ called Clostridium botulinum, which is found in soil. When canned food is not preserved according to specific time and temperature criteria, it becomes vulnerable to the odorless, tasteless and invisible-to-the-naked-eye toxin.
“Any Extension publication with canning recipes should be an established recipe that is safe to use. Also, the National Center for Home Food Preservation has a cookbook that has safe recipes and instructions for properly preserving foods by canning, freezing, pickling and drying,” Reams said.
Recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation may not be safe, she noted, as genetic changes in the vegetable or fruit may have affected the acid content, a key component in home canning, as acid prevents the C. botulinum bacteria from growing.
“For example, tomatoes are less acidic now. Our grandparents didn’t have to add acid when they canned tomatoes because tomatoes in their generation had a higher acid content. Now, we have to add lemon juice or vinegar to make sure there is enough acid,” Reams said.
Canning today’s tomatoes with a recipe developed for the tomato breeds that were available three generations ago could be an invitation to a devastating situation, Reams explained.
Acid content largely determines which of two canning methods is appropriate for a particular food. Foods that have high concentrations of Shop Small acid – such as most fruits Farmers Markets for jellies and jams – can be are open in Alexander canned with a water bath method; those with lower City and Dadeville this summer. acid content – including beans, meat and most vegetables – must be canned with a pressure canner.
Videos and other publications describing the two methods and explaining the precautions for each can be found on Tallapoosa County’s Alabama Extension website.
Though the volume of information may seem overwhelming, Pennington Park Farmers Market vendor Radene Lett said the process is relatively easy and doesn’t take much time after the first few attempts.
“It saves money in the long run, but once you buy your equipment and your jars, you just might need to buy more lids,” Lett said. “If you buy vegetables in bulk, it’s cheaper, or instead of going to the grocery store, find a farmers market. It’s usually a little cheaper that way, and the food is definitely fresher there.”
Investing in fruit trees now will reap free fruit for canning jams and jellies in the years ahead, she said.
“Also, it makes great Christmas gifts,” she added. “But always follow the recipe explicitly. Whatever the recipe calls for, that’s what it needs. You cannot skimp on the sugar. And it really doesn’t take much time.”
Some recipes are available for using artificial sweeteners for diabetics, she said, but again, follow the recipe.
Angela Treadway with the Extension service has narrated canning videos that review the process and explain equipment settings. In addition, canning recipes
and publications with time/temperature charts and other important information are available in free book pdfs on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.
The initial outlay of money for canning equipment could run between $100 and $650 or more, depending mostly on the quality of the equipment. For about $250 to $300, a person could purchase a pressure canner, lifts, tongs, funnels and everything else needed. These items usually are readily available locally at discount departments and farm supply stores.
But canning is not the only means of preserving the summer’s bounty. Dehydrating is another preservation method on the rise, Reams said.
“I remember my grandmother dehydrating things outside on a screen,” she said. “Humidity here is a factor for doing that, but you can do it in an oven or purchase a dehydrator.
“You can make things like fruit leather. It’s like a fruit roll candy, but it’s a healthier option.”
Dehydration removes the moisture from foods, which are then packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic sheets and can be stored in a cool, dry place for four months to a year.
Dehydrators vary in cost according to their drying direction, capacity and quality but range from $60 and up. Reconstituted vegetables and fruits are suitable for use in soups and pies, and some could be eaten as snacks.
Freezing is another option, though it can take up a lot of space if a large amount of food is preserved with this method. How long it lasts depends on how it’s packaged, Reams said.
Foods should be packed tightly to allow as little air as possible in the packaging and packed in single meal quantities. Label each package with tape or labels that are explicitly made for freezer use, noting each container’s ingredients, date, form – such as slices or whole – and the number of servings.
A good practice for using frozen foods is first-in/firstout, so the oldest items in the freezer are the first ones used. This policy helps to ensure the best food quality.
The type of food could greatly affect its freezer shelf life. Processed meats, for example, should be used within two months of freezing, but many fruits and vegetables will last for up to 12 months.
“None of these food preservation methods is permanent. It’s not indefinite. You’re really looking at 12 to 18 months. The idea is to preserve enough food to get through to the next harvest,” Reams said.
For more information about food preservation methods, visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation at nchfp.uga.edu or Alabama Cooperative Extension System at aces.edu. With a little research, a small investment and a little bit of time, saving grocery money and eating healthy could be an answer to higher grocery prices.
Prepare, be ready
Top Right: Buying in bulk at local farmers markets may yield fresh foods at low prices; Bottom Left: Acid content in fruits and vegetables dictate the appropriate canning method.
