Salmonella Outbreak - Eggs

With the really, really big outbreak and recall linked to eggs, I thought you may be in search of current, research based information regarding the issue.

There are 260+ illnesses in California, another 7 confirmed illnesses in Minnesota with more info trickling in from other states. An estimated 228 million eggs recalled from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa (they sell under lots of brand names including Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps). It is not clear, as of now, whether the eggs have been distributed in North Carolina or not but it is always nice to stay informed just incase.

Below is a link to our County Extension website where you will find an infosheet on the outbreak, Benjamin Chapman, Ph.D., Food Safety Specialist NC Cooperative Extension, pulled together. http://clay.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=FOOD+1

Food Preservation: Overview

With the resurgence of home gardening and preserving food at home, more and more novice are trying their hand at putting the bounty away for the winter. Food preservation can be easy but in order to be done safely, specific guidelines must be followed to ensure the food you “put up” is safe and wholesome. Be sure to learn these guidelines before trying to preserve food without the skills and knowledge necessary. Following unscientifically tested recipes and methods can be dangerous plus wastes lots of nutritious and expensive ingredients, supplies and time.

This is the first in a series of news articles designed to introduce you to the basics of the food preservation methods of: Pressure Canning, Boiling-Water Bath Canning, Freezing, Jelly and Jams, Pickles and Relishes, and Drying. The different methods will be highlighted, giving you the basics of that method and directing the readers as to where to get more information.

Below is a chart, providing the pros and cons of each food preservation method to be discussed in the coming weeks.

PRESERVING BY VARIOUS METHODS
Method - Ease of Method - Cost - Nutrient Retention - Shelf Life
Canning - Intermediate - Best - Intermediate - Best
Freezing - Best - Worst - Best - Intermediate
Drying - Worst - Intermediate - Worst - Worst
Jellies/Jams - Generally, very high in sugar, but there are some recipes available with little or no added sugar.
Pickles/Relishes - Generally, high in sodium content. Some are also high in sugar content. Revisions can be made with limited success.

Most Extension Offices in Western North Carolina are offering Food Preservation workshop this summer. To find out the details on workshops offered in your county, call your County Extension Office. Contacts in the far western NC counties are:

-Cherokee County, NC - Teresa Wiley - teresa_wiley@ncsu.edu - 828-837-2210
-Cherokee Reservation, NC - Kathy Dugan - KATHDUGA@nc-cherokee.com - 828-554-6930
-Clay County, NC - Pam Staton - pam_staton@ncsu.edu - 828-389-6305
-Graham County, NC - Eve Rogers = eve_rogers@ncsu.edu - 828-479-7992
-Jackson County, NC - Cheryl Beck - cheryl_beck@ncsu.edu - 828-586-4009
-Macon County, NC - Sherrie Peeler - sherrie_peeler@ncsu.edu - 828-349-2048
-Swain County, NC - Renee Cassidy - renee_cassidy@ncsu.edu - 828-488-3848

In Clay and Cherokee Counties we are offering a Food Preservation Series.
Session 1 - Hot Water Bath Canning - including Jams, Jellies & Pickles
May 3 - Cherokee 2-4 pm or 6-8 pm
May 4 - Clay 2-4 pm or 6-8 pm
Session 2 - Pressure Canning, Freezing and Drying
May 20 - Cherokee 2-4 pm or 6-8 pm
May 24 - Clay 2-4 pm or 6-8 pm
Session 3 - Hands-on Workshop - Each participant will leave with 4 pints of food! (Low-Acid, High Acid, Pickle, & Jelly)
June 28 - Cherokee 6-9:30 pm
June 29 - Clay 1-4:30 pm

Cost for session 1 & 2 are $5.00 each. Session 3 is $20. If paid in advance - All 3 session are only $25. Locations of workshop will be announced upon pre-registration. Call Cherokee County Extension at 837-2210 or Clay County Extension at 389-6305 to pre-register.

Enjoy the news article series, feel free to call/email for more information or with questions and/or to pre-register for Workshops.
_____________________________________________________________
NC State commits itself to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age or disability. In addition, NC State welcomes all persons without regard to sexual orientation.

Steam-Pressure Canner Method

The Steam-Pressure canner is used to process foods under pressure. The temperature most often used is 240° (12 pounds pressure at altitudes above 2,000 ft). A pressure canner is the ONLY safe method for processing low-acid foods such as, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish. The high temperature achieved with pressure destroys spores of bacteria that cause botulism, as well as, other types of spoilage. Failure to use a pressure canner when process low- acid foods can result in botulism which is often fatal.

In order to steam-pressure can at home, you must have a pressure canner. Pressure canners come in many brands, sizes and styles. Most hold 7 quart jars but some are tall enough to double stack pints and process 14 pints at a time.

Some have dial gauges, which look similar to a clock with hands and must be watched closely during processing to make sure pressure is held steady, at the recommended level. The gauge on dial gauge canners should be checked annually for accuracy. We provide this free service at the Clay County Extension Center. Other style pressure canners have weighted gauges. This type gauge is semi-self-regulating. It jiggles or rocks a certain number of times per minute, to regulate the pressure. Be sure to follow your manufacturer’s instructions.

The style you choose is up to your personal preference. There are more weighted gauge canners available on the market today, than dial gauge canners. Most pressure canners have a gasket (rubber ring) in the lid to ensure a firm seal. With proper care the gasket should last many years, but should be replaced if stretched, cracked, or otherwise damaged. Most hardware stores have replacement gauges and gaskets.

Some people are fearful of pressure canners. You do need to follow the manufacturers recommendations, but by doing so, a pressure canner is a very safe piece of equipment. Never leave a pressurized canner unattended. Before each use, be sure the vent pipe is free of debris. Make sure your gasket, gauge, safety value, and weight are present and in good repair. When processing, make sure pressure never exceeds 20 pounds. When finished processing, turn off heat and allow canner to cool slowly and naturally. Do not jiggle weight. Do not run under cool water. After canner has cooled enough for the pressure to have dropped to zero, remove weight (open vent). NEVER open canner lid before removing weight. Allow steam to escape several minutes, before opening canner lid. Carefully tilt lid away from you, to avoid steam rushing in your face.

Some people are afraid pressure canners will explode. Pressure canners have a safety value. If proper procedures are not followed and pressure gets too high in the canner, the value will pop out. This will release the pressure in the canner, eliminating the possibility of the canner exploding.

Preparing the food and packing the jars is the same for boiling-water and pressure canning methods. Remember to remove air bubbles, using a plastic utensil, refill with liquid if necessary, before placing lid and ring on jars.

Pressure canners vary, so you must be familiar with your manufacturer’s instructions. The following are instructions for using pressure canners in general.

1. Place rack inside of pressure canner.
2. Add 2 - 3 inches of water. Heat to simmer.
3. Place jars on rack immediately after filling. Lock canner lid securely in place. Increase heat to medium-high setting until steam flows steadily from the petcock (air vent).
4. Exhaust steam from the canner for 10 minutes. This step is often forgotten or omitted. This step is necessary to drive all excess air from the canner.
5. Place weight on petcock. It will take approximately 5 minutes for canner to pressurize. After the gauge indicates recommended pressure is reached, gradually adjust heat to maintain pressure for the entire processing period. Begin timing processing at this point. Set timer for the recommended processing time.
NOTE: Altitude affects processing time, both in boiling-water and pressure canning. For altitudes of 2,000 feet, which most of Clay County is, increase the processing time 5 minutes for boiling-water methods. For pressure canning increase pressure to 12 pounds with a dial gauge and 15 pounds with a weighted gauge. If you would like a complete Altitude Chart with recommended adjustments, call the Clay County Extension Center.
6. After processing period is complete, turn off heat. Allow the canner to cool naturally. DO NOT remove the weighted gauge or open petcock until the canner has depressurized and returned to zero pressure. Remove gauge or open petcock. Let sit a few minutes, allowing steam to escape Carefully unlock lid and lift it off, being sure to tilt away from face, so steam will escape away from you. Let canner cool 10 minutes before removing jars.
7. Using a jar lifter, remove jars from canner. Set jars upright on a dry towel or cutting board, away from drafts, leaving 1 - 2 inches of space between jars. Allow to cool for 12 to 24 hours before checking seals.
8. When jars are completely cool, press the center of the lids. If it is concave and does not give to the touch, then remove the bands. Wash jars, rims and lids to remove any residue. Label as to contents and date. If a lid is not sealed, the product can be immediately reprocessed by reheating the contents, replacing the lid and reprocessing the full length of the recommended processing time. Reprocessing often causes an overcooked, mushy product. I recommend considering an alternative storage method for jars that did not seal, such as refrigerating or freezing.
9. Store sealed jars in cool, dry, dark place, for up to one year for optimum quality. Ideal storage temperature is 50 – 70°.

Below are answers to some common home canning questions.

Q – Why did the liquid in my jars drop?
A – Hot packing helps; Food packed too tightly; Air bubbles not removed; Fluctuation in temperature and pressure; Cooling too quickly

Q – Why did several jars fail to seal?
A – Not preparing lids correctly; Tightening rings too tightly; Not cleaning food particles and/or salt from rim of jars; Under or not processing food; Chips on rim of jars.

Q - Why does fruit /tomatoes float in jar?
A – Hot packing fruits helps; Food is lighter than the liquid it is packed in.

In summary, home canning is one of the most rewarding tasks you can do for you and your family. Making sure you follow recommended procedures and recipes is so very important.

Always use a pressure canner for low-acid foods. If you are afraid of pressure canners or do not own one but still want to put up low-acid foods, please freeze or dehydrate instead. At the Clay County Extension Center, we have a pressure canner available for loan, free of charge. This is a good way to use one, see if you like it, and hopefully in the future purchase one for yourself. Pickles, relishes, jams, jellies, preserves, fruits, salsas and tomatoes can be safely canned using the boiling-water method, but not low-acid foods.

The best place to find safe, tested recipes for jams and jellies is in the commercial fruit pectin boxes. Most people use commercial fruit pectin for jams and jellies to better ensure their product gels. The most popular brands are Sure•Jell (powdered pectin) and Certo (liquid pectin) but other companies also sell fruit pectin. Look in the food preservation aisle of your grocery, hardware, and discount stores. There are also fruit pectins formulated for low and no sugar preserves. These CAN NOT be used interchangeably with regular pection, but using the recipes in the box, you can successfully make low and no sugar jams and jellies. Recipes for cooked and uncooked (freezer jams) can be found in all commercial fruit pectin boxes.

We have free handouts on all methods of food preservation, available at the Clay County Extension Center. If you plan to go into canning and preserving, in a big way, I would suggest purchasing a thorough food preservation book like Ball Blue Book of Preserving or So Easy to Preserve.

Food Preservation Myths & Recipes

Here you will find some food preservation myths plus a few recipes that you may want to try.

Myth – I put the “HOT” or “HOT, COMPLETELY COOKED” food in the jar and the lid seals, without processing it. Since It sealed, it must be safe.
Fact – Foods prepared in this manner present a serious health risk – particularly low-acid foods (vegetables and meats). First, you aren’t sterilizing the headspace. Second, the temperatures obtained in open kettle canning are not high enough to destroy all spoilage and food poisoning organisms that may be in the food. Third, microorganisms can enter the food when it is transferred from the kettle to jars and cause spoilage. Fourth, you haven’t forced excess air from the jars, ensuring a good vacuum seal. To minimize the risk of food spoilage, all high-acid foods (pickles, jams & jellies, fruits, salsas, and tomatoes) should be processed in a boiling water canner or pressure canner and all low-acid foods in a pressure canner.

Myth – Tomatoes are high acid and do not require additional acid to safely can in a boiling water canner.
Fact – Modern tomatoes are lower in acid then older varieties. Since the acidity of tomatoes are borderline, so you must take some precautions to can them safely. To assure the safety of tomatoes they must be acidified, whether processed in a boiling water bath or pressure canner. To acidify tomatoes, add 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint of tomatoes, double this amount for quarts.

Myth – Old timey recipes are “tested” recipes because they have been used for years, and no one has died yet.
Fact – “Grandma’s” canning recipes could be hazardous to your health. Many illnesses (example: stomach viruses) and even deaths in the past may have been due to food poisoning and the family may have never realized it. Food poisoning can affect the very young, the very old and those with weakened immune systems differently then strong, healthy individuals. Now that we have research-based recipes for most foods, it is wise to use those recipes to assure the food you home can is safe.

Tested recipes should be from companies and organizations that use research to assure their safety. These include USDA, any State Cooperative Extension Service literature, So Easy To Preserve- 5th Edition, Putting Food By, and the Ball Blue Book. Be sure to get the current edition/issue, so they will have the most up-to-date, accurate recommendations.

Here are some home canning recipes to try and enjoy!!!
*Remember for boiling-water canning, at elevations between 1001 and 3000 ft, increase processing time 5 minutes. For pressure canning increase pressure to 11-12 pounds for dial gauges and 15 pounds for weighted gauges.

Fall Garden Relish – Yield: about 4 pints
Taken from: So Easy To Preserve, 5th edition
1 qt. cabbage, chopped (about 1 small head)
3 c. cauliflower (about 1 medium head)
2 c. green tomatoes ( about 4 medium)
2 c. onions, chopped
2 c. sweet green peppers, chopped (about 4 medium)
1 c sweet red peppers (about 2 medium)
3 3/4 c. vinegar (5%)
3 Tbsp. salt (pickling/canning salt)
2 3/4 c. sugar
3 tsp. celery seed
3 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
Combine chopped vegetables; sprinkle with the salt. Let stand 4-6 hours in a cool place. Drain well. Combine vinegar, sugar and spices; simmer 10 minutes. Add vegetables; simmer 10 minutes. Bring to a boil.

Pack boiling hot relish into hat jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids. *Process 10 minutes in a Boiling Water Bath.

Pear Preserves – Yield: about 5 half-pints
Taken from: Ball Blue Book of Preserving (current edition)
3 c. sugar, divided
3 c. water
6 medium halved or quartered, peeled, cored pears (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup thinly sliced and seeded lemon (about 1 medium)

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and water in large saucepot. Cook rapidly 2 minutes. Add pears; boil gently 15 minutes. Add remaining sugar and sliced lemon, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly until fruit is transparent. Cover and let stand 12-24 hours in a cool place. Remove pears from syrup, set aside. Cook syrup 5 minutes or longer, to thicken. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Pack pears into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Ladle hot syrup over pears, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust lids. *Process 20 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
Note: If Seckel pears are used, preserve whole with stem intact. Kiefers should be stored in a cool, dry place 3-5 weeks before using. A piece of candied ginger may be added to each jar.

Sauerkraut – Yield: about 12 pints or 6 quarts
Taken from: Ball Blue Book of Preserving (current issue)
20 pounds of cabbage 3/4 c. canning salt

To Ferment: Remove outer leaves and any undesirable portions from firm, mature heads of cabbage; wash and drain well. Cut into halves or quarters; remove core. Use a food processor or sharp knife to cut cabbage into thin shreds about 1/16-inch thick. Combine 3 tablespoons salt and 5 pounds shredded cabbage in a large bowl; mixing thoroughly. Let salted cabbage stand for several minutes to wilt slightly; this allows packing without excessive breaking or bruising of the shreds. Pack salted cabbage firmly and evenly into a large, clean pickling container (food grade plastic, glass, stainless steel). Use a wooden spoon, tamper or hands to press down firmly until the juice comes to the surface. Repeat shredding, salting and packing of cabbage until the container is filled to within 3-4 inches of top. If juice does not cover cabbage, add brine. Make brine using 1 1/2 tablespoons salt to 1 quart water; bring brine to a boil; cool. Cover cabbage with muslin or cheesecloth and tuck edges down against the inside of the container. Weight cabbage under brine. Do not seal, gas bubbles need to be able to escape. Formation of gas bubbles indicates fermentation is taking place. Remove and discard scum formation each day. Store container in a cool place, about 70°F. Fermentation is usually complete in 3-6 weeks. . When gas bubbles cease, fermentation is complete.
To Can: Bring sauerkraut to a simmer (180°F) in a large saucepot. Do not boil. Pack hot sauerkraut into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Ladle hot liquid over kraut leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust lids. *Process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes, in boiling-water canner.

Soups
Taken from: So Easy To Preserve (5th Edition)
Hot Pack – Choose your favorite soup ingredients of vegetables, meat or poultry. Prepare each vegetable as you would for a hot pack in canning. Cooked meat or poultry with the fat removed can also be added, if desired. If dried beans or peas are used, they must be rehydrated first. Combine ingredients with enough hot water or broth from cooking meat, poultry or tomatoes to cover. Boil 5 minutes. CAUTION: Do not thicken or add milk, cream, flour, rice, noodles or pasta.
Add salt to taste, if desired. Fill hot jars halfway with solid mixture. Continue filling with hot liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids.
Process in a Dial Gauge Pressure Canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a Weighted Gauge Pressure Canner at 10 pounds pressure:
Pints.................................60 minutes
Quarts..............................75 minutes
NOTE: Cooked seafood can also be added as part of the solid mixture, but the jars must be processed as follow:
Pints or Quarts.................100 minutes

If you have questions or want other free, research-based recipes and or direction on food preservation, call your County Extension Center.

Preserve Produce by Pickling

When people think of pickles cucumber usually come to mind. But cucumbers are just one of many fruits and vegetables that can be preserved by pickling. Some other favorites are pickled green tomatoes, okra, peppers, squash, onions, watermelon rind, beets, sauerkraut, relishes, and peaches.

There are basically two categories of pickles.
*Brined or fermented pickles are submerged in a salt brine solution to ferment for up to 6 weeks.
*Fresh pack pickles are canned in a spicy vinegar solution without brining, or brining for only a few hours. After canning, all fresh pack pickles should stand 4-6 weeks to cure and develop the desire flavor. Fruit pickles, relishes, chutneys and sauces are all considered fresh pack pickles.

If you are planning pickling produce this summer, keep in mind the following tips.

For best quality, choose fruits and vegetables that are firm but ripe and in good condition. Pickle your produce within 24 hours of harvest, the sooner the better.

Remove the blossom end of cucumbers. The blossom end contains enzymes that cause excessive softening of the final product.

The vinegar used can be white or cider, of at least 5% acidity. Never decrease or dilute the amount of vinegar in a recipe because the preservative affect will be altered.

Canning or pickling salt are best for pickling, because they do not contain iodine. Iodine causes darkening. If you use reduced-sodium salt, use only for fresh-pack pickles – never for fermented or brined pickles. Fresh-pack pickles are acidified with vinegar, so they can be prepared with less or no salt. However, their flavor and texture will be affected.

Spices used in pickles should be the fresh, whole spices. Powdered spices cause darkening and a cloudy brine. If good quality ingredients and up-to-date methods are followed, lime and alum are not needed for crispy pickles.

Pickling solutions should be heated in unchipped enamelware, stainless steel, aluminum or glass. Never use copper, brass, galvanized, or iron cookware or utensils. These metals can react with acids or salts and cause color changes in the pickles or form undesired compounds.

Pickled products need to be processed in a boiling water bath canner to sterilize the head space and to insure a tight seal but special precautions need to be taken, so the pickles don’t cook and become mushy.

Preserving Food By Drying

Drying is perhaps the oldest – methods of food preservation. The drying process is simply increasing the temperature of food to make the moisture evaporate. Air moving over food carries the moisture away, but the moisture carrying capacity is dependent on temperature. If sufficient moisture is removed from food, microorganisms cannot multiply thus the food is preserved.

All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes that cause deterioration. Some fruits tend to oxide, which causes browning, vitamin and flavor loss. The action of enzymes can be stopped and oxidation minimized by pretreating with heat or sulfur dioxide. Pretreatment is a matter of person choice, but generally improves quality and shelf life of dehydrated foods.

There are multiple methods of drying but due to humidity and sanitation concerns (sun and room drying) and expense (oven drying), most prefer using a commercial dehydrator with a fan. Home dried food is often still edible after years in storage, but likely is not nutritious or tasty. Storage life depends on residual moisture, storage temperature, and packaging.

Does the idea of drying fruits and vegetables, fruit leathers, jerky, fish, and/or herbs/spices appeal to you? If so and you would like more details on how to properly dehydrate foods at home, call or come by your County Extension Center.

Food Preservation - Freezing

Freezing has many advantages over other methods of food preservation. Frozen foods are often more like fresh, because they often retain their color, flavor and nutritive value. Freezing is also one of the easiest, less labor-intensive food preservation methods.

Foods naturally contain enzymes which cause chemical changes which lead to deterioration. In most cases, vegetables are blanched and fruits are treated to retard enzyme activity, prior to freezing.

When freezing most vegetables, you general want to heat-treat them for a short period of time to reduce the enzyme activity. This process is called blanching. Blanching is placing the vegetables into rapidly boiling water, or sometimes steam, for a short period of time. This step stops or slows down the enzymes that cause undesirable changes.. Refer to a reliable freezing reference for recommended blanching times for particular vegetable.

After blanching, it is recommended to immediately immerse the vegetables in ice water to stop the cooking process. Blanching is not intended to cook the vegetables, simply to inactivate the enzyme activity. You generally chill the foods for the same amount of time as is recommended for blanching. Now drain and I prefer to dry the foods before packing. Draining/drying reduces the formation of ice crystals which will affect the quality of the product. Finally, place the cooled, dried vegetable in an air-tight, vapor resistant container, designed for freezing. Remove as much air as possible, from the container. Label and store in a freezer, that is 0 degrees or colder.

Some prefer to completely cook certain vegetables before freezing, which is also acceptable. A couple of vegetables that are often prepared this way are, cream-style corn and greens. After cooking the food to the desired doneness, they also need to be cooled before freezing. These foods are generally placed in a large bowl or pot that is set in ice water and stirred until the food is cool.

Blanching softens the texture of fruits, so controlling enzyme activity in fruits is best accomplished by adding sugar and antioxidents. Darkening of fruit is caused by oxidation, when the fruit is exposed to air. Ascorbic acid, vitamin C, citric acid, or sugar syrup helps to prevent discoloration. Steaming fruit just until hot before packing will also control darkening. Steaming works best for fruit that will be cooked before use.

Three methods are generally used to pack fruit for freezing: syrup pack, sugar pack, and unsweetened pack. The syrup or sugar pack, help the fruit retain better texture, color and flavor. But, for those watching their weight or needing to limit their sugar consumption, dry pack is acceptable.

Some foods such as berries, and chopped onions an peppers are especially easy to freeze. After rinsing and drying, spread on a cookie sheet and freeze. Then quickly place in a freezer container, remove as much air from the container as possible and return to the freezer. By freezing this way, the desired portion is easily removed, and the rest can remain frozen for future use.

Freezer bags, rigid plastic containers and freezer jars are all suitable for freezing. Freezer bags are better suited for dry packed foods, while rigid containers and glass are especially recommended for liquid packs but also suitable for dry packs. If you use glass containers, make sure the jars are designed for freezing.

Keep these following tips, in mind, when freezing:
1. For optimal quality and storage life, your freezer should be keep at 0 degrees F. or lower.
2. Do not overload your freezer with unfrozen food – no more than 2-3 lbs. of unfrozen food per cubic foot of freezer space.
3. Leave space between unfrozen packages to allow air circulation. After the food is frozen, packages can then be stacked.
4. Be sure to label each package with the name of the product and the packaging date. Use freezer tape or pens and labels that are especially made for freezer use.

Making Jams, Jellies and Fruit Spreads at Home

By: Teresa Wiley, Family & Consumer Sciences Extension Agent,Cherokee County Center

If you close your eyes and envision fresh baked bread, most of us also see it topped with scrumptious jam or jelly. Making your own jams and jellies is not as complicated as many may think.

So Easy to Preserve makes the following distinctions between the various types of fruit spread:
Jelly- Clear and firm product that holds its shape
Jams – Thick sweet spreads mad by cooking crushed or chopped fruits with sugar
Preserves – Small whole fruit or uniform size pieces in a clear, slightly gelled syrup
Fruit butters - Sweet spreads made by cooking fruit pulp with sugar to a thick consistency. Spices are often added.
Conserves - Jam-like products that may be made with a combination of fruits. They may also contain nuts, raisins, or coconut.
Marmalades - Soft fruit jellies containing small pieces of fruit or peel evenly suspended in the transparent jelly.

Pectin is the substance that makes fruit spreads gell. Fruit contains pectin, but the amount varies depending on the kind of fruit and the degree of ripeness. Most people making jellies at home use commercial pectin because less cooking time is required and the desired gell formation is easier to achieve. There are specifically formulated pectins on the market, that provide recipes using less sugar, artificial sweeteners and/or no added sugar. Freezer jams and jellies are especially good if you have the freezer space and if you prefer a fresh, uncooked flavor. All commercial pectins contain recipes and thorough directions for both cooked and freezer jams and jellies. Commercial pectics can be found in most grocery, hardware and discount stores near the canning jars.

An 8 or 10 - quart saucepot with a broad flat bottom is recommended to prepare the fruit spread before pouring it into clean, sterile canning jars. A boiling water bath is necessary for processing all fruit spreads. This is recommended to sterilize the head space, prevent mold growth, and ensure a tight seal.

When preparing your jellies it is best to prepare small batches. Double batches must be boiled longer and can cause loss of flavor, darkening and toughening of the jelly. For best results, make only one batch at a time.

There should be an abundance of fresh fruits to preserve into jams, jellies, preserves and butters this summer. For more details on making fruit spreads at home, call or stop by your County Extension Center.

Pressure or Boiling Water Bath Canning

Now that many novices have planted gardens and will be preserving the fruits and vegetables for the first time, it is more important then ever to discuss how to safely preserve these foods at home.

A common question we receive at Cooperative Extension is: How long do I process my green beans in a boiling water bath? The answer is: Green beans and any other low acid food cannot safely be canned use the boiling water bath method of canning.

There are only two safe ways of canning, depending on the type of food being canned. The boiling water bath method is safe for high acids foods like fruits, tomatoes, pickles and jellies. Pressure canning is the only safe method of canning vegetables and meats, because they are low acid foods.

Clostridium botulinum bacteria are the main reason low-acid foods must be pressure canned to be safe. Clostridium botulinum is a common soil microorganism that produces a very lethal poison called botulism. Botulinum spores can survive boiling water temperatures (212 degrees F.) and live in the absence of air – (such as, in a sealed canning jar). When this occurs, deadly botulinum toxin can be produced.

The spores of Clostridium botulinum can be destroyed by canning the food at a temperature of 240 degrees F. or above for a specific period of time. This temperature can only be achieved by processing the foods under pressure in a pressure canner.

Acidic foods – most fruits, acidified tomatoes, jellies and jams, and properly pickled vegetables – contain enough acid that the Clostridium botulinum spores cannot grow and produce the deadly poison. So, these foods can be safely canned in a boiling water bath canner. Because tomatoes and figs have less acid than other fruits, acid in the form of lemon juice or citric acid must be added to insure they are acidic enough for boiling water bath canning.

We caution folks, to be sure to use the most up-to-date methods and recommended processing times when canning any foods at home. Why go to all the trouble and expense of preserving foods at home and not follow the proper procedures to make sure the food is safe and wholesome.

You can receive free information and directions on canning fruits and vegetables as well as all other food preservation methods at your County Extension Center. Call or come by today.