CANNING, FREEZING, STORING GARDEN PRODUCE TEXT

Onions stand slight freezing, but do not handle or move them until they thaw. You can store onions in a dry, well ventilated attic or unheated room. Maintain as near 32° F as you can and keep as dry as possible. You can hang open-mesh bags, about half full, from overhead hooks or nails. Slatted half full crates of onions may be stacked on cross bars. Apples, Pears Chemical changes take place in the ripening process of apples and pears. This activity is called respiration. Starch changes to sugar, acids and insoluble pectins decrease, and volatile gases are given off. This continues until the fruit becomes overripe and mealy. During this ripening process oxygen is consumed from the air, and water and carbon dioxide are produced and heat is generated. You may slow respiration by cooling fruit as rapidly as possible after picking. The sooner this is done the longer the fruit will keep. Research indicates that when apples are stored at 30° F, about 25 percent more time is required for them to ripen than at 32°. Stored at 40°, the rate of ripening is about double that at 32°. At 60° the rate is close to three times that at 40°, and at 85° the softening and respiration rates have been found to be about double those at 60°. This emphasizes the importance of cooling quickly and keeping cold. The average freezing point of apples is about 28° or 29°. Most apple varieties keep best at a temperature of 30° to 32° F and a relative humidity of 85 to 88 percent. However, McIntosh, Yellow Newton, and Rhode Island Greening apples do best at 35° to 38°. This prevents internal browning and brown core. Pears can be stored ideally at 30° to 31° F. The highest freezing point for pears is about 29°. Since pears are likely to shrivel, keep the humidity at 90 percent. Most pears won't ripen satisfactorily for eating at the above temperatures. They should be taken out of storage and ripened between 65° and 70°. This is ideal for Bartletts. Bartlett pears ripen faster than apples. If you store pears too long they will not ripen properly. Don't store Bartletts after 3 months or Anjou longer than 6 months. Maintaining desired temperatures for home storage of apples and pears may be difficult. If you must settle for 40° F or even higher, you won't get the good results you would if you refrigerate at the optimum temperatures. Sometimes cold storage facilities are available where you may store your fruit for a set price per container. Don't mix windfalls (fruits that have dropped to the ground) with fruit you pick from the tree. Windfalls are overripe and give off ethylene gas which speeds ripening of picked fruit. Desirable temperatures may be possible in refrigerator hydrator drawers for small quantities. An extra refrigerator can be used to store fruit, but do not take the shelves out. When it is empty, for safety reasons take off the doors. Home Storage Chart Storage conditions Where to store Temperature Humidity Storage (F) period _Vegetables:_ Beans and peas, Any cool, dry 32-40 Dry Many Years dried place Beets Storage cellar 32-40 Moist Fall-winter or pit Cabbage Storage cellar 32-35 Moist Fall-winter or pit Carrots Storage cellar 32-40 Moist Fall-winter or pit Celery Roots in soil 32-40 Moist Fall-winter in storage cellar Onions Any cool, dry As near 32 Dry Fall-winter place as possible Parsnips Leave in 32-40 Moist Fall-winter ground or put in storage cellar Potatoes Storage cellar 45-48 Moist Fall-winter or pit Pumpkin, winter Unheated room 55-60 Dry Fall-winter squash or basement Rutabagas Storage cellar 32-40 Moist Fall-winter or pit Sweet Potatoes Unheated room 55-60 Dry Fall-winter or basement Tomatoes (green Unheated room 55-60 Dry 1-6 weeks or white) or basement Turnips Storage cellar 32-40 Moist Fall-winter or pit _Fruits:_ Most apples Fruit storage 30-32 Moist Fall-winter cellar McIntosh, Yellow Fruit storage 35-38 Moist Fall-winter Newton & Rhode cellar Island Greening Grapes Fruit storage 31-32 Moist 4-6 weeks cellar Pears Fruit storage 30-31 Moist Fall-winter cellar Peaches Fruit storage 32 Moist 2 weeks cellar Apricots Fruit storage 32 Moist 2 weeks cellar Other Fruit Storing fresh cherries, peaches, and apricots very long is difficult. Refrigerate as close to 32° F as possible. Peaches ripen well at 65° to 85° and refrigerate well in hydrators for as long as 4 weeks. Peaches may be stored in walk-in refrigerators in larger quantities. Grapes are generally not adapted to long storage. Concord grapes may be stored 4 to 6 weeks at 31° to 32° F. Catawba and Delaware varieties can be held 8 weeks. Vinifera table grapes such as Emperor and Ribier will keep 3 to 6 months at 30° to 31°. Since apples, pears, grapes, and other fruit absorb odors from potatoes, onions, and other vegetables, store them separately. Some kitchen garden herbs, such as chives and parsley, may be potted and cared for as house plants. These plants will supply flavoring and garnishing to enhance wintertime meals. Trying to predict exactly how long your fruits and vegetables can be stored is next to impossible. Much depends on condition of the product and how successful you are in maintaining correct temperatures and humidity. Generally, you can keep parsnips and carrots all winter, late potatoes 6 to 8 months, cabbage 3 months, onions 6 to 10 months, and pumpkins, squash, root crops, and tomatoes 3 to 6 months. _Cleanliness._ One last precaution: Keep the storage areas clean and free of decaying fruit and vegetables; otherwise, molds and bacteria will spread to your sound produce. If you store nuts (especially peanuts), soybeans, other dry beans or peas, make every effort to prevent growth of molds. Moisture, temperature, and time are necessary to promote their growth. A harmful toxin may be produced if mold growth is allowed to progress. It is important that storage areas be regularly checked so as to avoid this type of contamination. Discard all produce that shows any sign of decay. Insects, rats, and other pests can spread disease and are unwanted guests in any food storage area. To escape these undesirables: --Build them out. Close all cracks and use adequate screening over all openings --Prevent trash piles from accumulating --Keep the storage area clean --Control rats inside and outside. (Seek the advice of your county Extension office or a sanitarian) --Destroy any infested food --Remove all containers at least once a year. Wash them and air dry in the sun --Remember that good housekeeping practices apply to all places where food is stored For Further Reading: U.S. Department of Agriculture, _Storing Vegetables and Fruits in Basements, Cellars, Outbuildings, and Pits_, H&G Bul. No. 119, on sale by Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. 40¢. Resurgence of Community Canneries _by F. Aline Coffey and Roger Sternberg_[19] A community cannery is a self-help facility equipped for preparing and heat processing food. People bring in produce from their gardens and through their own efforts preserve it for future use. Community canneries began during the late 1800's in response to the desire of families to work together to preserve their food for the off-season. At the end of World War II there were over 3,800 community canneries in the United States. Most of these wartime canneries were subsidized, but after the war the monies ceased. Growth of the food industry, development of freezing techniques, and the lack of subsidy led to a decline of the canneries. Today there is a resurgence of interest in establishing community canning centers. This has been influenced by the cost of food, a marked increase in the concern for nutrition, and gardening activities. A community cannery promotes the preservation of seasonal garden surpluses for consumption during the nonproductive season. It encourages small farmers and nonfarm individuals to produce more food, thereby promoting self-sufficiency for families. It enables families who do not own recommended food preservation equipment to use safe and reliable equipment and techniques. Availability of nonseasonal foods on a year-round basis can result in a better diet for families, especially if the center incorporates nutrition education classes as part of its program. People who grow their own food may make substantial savings in their food budget. The community cannery creates a social atmosphere of friendly, cooperative work leading to tangible results, and promotes a feeling of self-reliance. Most of the community canneries in the country have been organized by Community Action Agencies or similar community organizing groups. Individuals, food co-ops, and other groups have successfully set up canneries, but it is recommended that people wanting to establish a canning center contact a community organizing agency. Normally, these agencies have professional people who will work on such a project. They have experience in writing proposals and are aware of potential funding sources. Support for the canning center can be enhanced by making a special effort to include a diverse membership on a board of directors for the center. Farmers, low-income people, business people, contractors, Extension personnel, community organizers, local officials, and members of the clergy are all potential supporters and advisors for the cannery. Although organizing a community cannery requires a lot of work, this need not be a roadblock to initiating the project. It takes many hours to plan the canning operation, draft proposals, develop community support, locate a site, and to select, purchase and install equipment. Because this can easily be a full-time job for one person, efforts should be made to hire a coordinator. In many instances, paid community organizers, Vista volunteers, and home economists have provided valuable assistance in completing the work. Preparation for and organization of the cannery are the foundation of the project. At least six months should be set aside for organizing. [Illustration: William E. Carnahan Tomatoes in the canning process, at a community cannery.] [Illustration: William E. Carnahan Sweet corn ready to have kernels removed for canning.] [Illustration: At later stage, liquid is poured over hot-packed corn. Note one advantage of a community cannery is that quantities of food can be processed in a few hours.] Points to Consider Here are some questions to consider before starting a community center: How many people will commit themselves to organizing a center? How much time will they give? How much support can be expected from the community, town officials, local growers? How many community and family gardens are in the area? How near are the community gardens to the cannery site? Is the site near a well-travelled route? Is parking available? Can the canning center exist merely to provide a service to the community, or will the cannery have to become involved in a commercial venture? If some food processed at the cannery is to be sold, are local farmers willing to contract with the cannery to supply it with produce? How close are these farmers to the cannery? Is a building available for canning purposes (for example, some old creamery)? If so, what is the size of the building? What is its condition? Are there cement floors and walls constructed so they can be washed down daily? Is there room for storage, a walk-in cooler? Is the sewage system adequate? Does the building have existing equipment that could be put to use? Is a dependable supply of potable water available? What is the minimum water pressure and is it constant? Is the water "hard?" If so, what is the analysis? What type of electricity is available? What is the cost of electricity per KWH and demand rate for 240 volt, 3 phase, 60 cycle? What is the availability and cost of gas (natural or LP) or of fuel oil? What is the number of families expected to participate? How many are low-income families? What are the principal foods to be canned? If it is anticipated that some products will be processed for sale, what will those products be? Is there a market for the "for-sale" items? Will canning supplies such as jars, lids, screw bands, tin cans be available? Can they be purchased at wholesale prices? Is at least one person who is knowledgeable in food preservation methods available to supervise the cannery? What will be the charge for processing a pint or a quart of food? Will low-income people be able to pay this amount? Are funds available to subsidize the canning of food for low-income people? It is important to obtain a site easily accessible to the public. Selectmen, property owners, realtors should be approached for potential sites. Usually the center has limited funds, and it is difficult and takes time to locate an appropriate building with low-cost rent. In times of a strained economy and high cost of property maintenance, the business community may be hesitant to provide low-cost housing for the site. Establishing the facility in a publicly owned building, such as a school, is a solution in many communities. These canneries are a part of the public school's physical plant and have traditionally been operated under supervision of the vocational agriculture and home economics teachers, using school funds. In recent years, some schools have wanted to close canneries for several reasons: Lack of operating capital, limited use, lack of interest or know-how on the part of participants and teachers. With the resurgence of interest in canning, many new cannery ventures are located in schools but are now funded separately from school budgets. If the cannery is the result of a community endeavor, adjoining small towns could appropriate funds sufficient to set up and man a center. Such a proposal would have to be presented to the town governing bodies. This points up the need for ample planning time. Devising means to allow the cannery to remain open year-round would favor obtaining a site other than in a public building. Major Costs Cost of organizing a community cannery is influenced by its size and scope of operation. Expenses can be broken down into these major areas: --Purchase and installation of equipment --Building renovation --Rent --Labor --Utilities --Jars or cans --Produce --Miscellaneous costs (office supplies, freight, postage, insurance, cleaning supplies, maintenance) At least two companies manufacture community canning equipment (Ball Corp. and Dixie Canner Equipment Co.). Prices start at $4,300 for a single-unit operation, and go up to $20,000 for a large center. This does not include the price of a steam boiler, which costs between $3,000 and $5,000. By fabricating some of its own equipment, and by buying used equipment from canning and restaurant equipment suppliers, the cannery can reduce some of its purchase costs substantially. Installation of the canning equipment and the steam boiler needs to be done by a licensed plumber or steam fitter, or be closely supervised by such a person. Renovation of a building and installation of the canning equipment can cost between $4,000 and $8,000, including labor costs. Cost can be reduced by soliciting volunteer labor from local craftsmen. The organizers can handle much of the renovation, such as painting, carpentry and cement work. Teams of vocational students may be willing to take on the site renovations as part of their school training. Salaries for employees can be paid from the cannery's operating budget. Labor costs can be reduced if the workers are already salaried employees provided by other food-related agencies. The cannery can also be an ideal training site for participants in the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and can be staffed successfully in this way. Regulations Food and Drug Administration regulations regarding food processing do not apply to community canning centers if they are not involved in interstate commerce. In June, 1976, FDA issued "Suggested Minimum Guidelines for Community Canning Operations" to protect the safety of the consumer. Environmental regulations that apply to the centers must be carefully followed. Although these regulations are usually not hard to follow, they often mean a possibly unplanned-for expense to the cannery. It may be necessary to apply for a variance to zoning regulations. Cannery supervisory boards should have a working knowledge of all requirements of State and Federal agencies that regulate health, environment, fire, safety, plumbing, electricity, and public building codes. Sites for the centers should have sewage and draining systems that meet demands of the centers. This would mean a septic system and leach fields, or a municipal sewage system, the latter being the easiest and least expensive method of disposal. Solid waste produced by the center is termed "clean," and effluent from the processing could be put through a strainer, piped out of the center, and then deposited into a leach field. To maintain high standards of cleanliness and safety, at least one supervisor should be on duty whenever the cannery is in operation. The person in charge must have a thorough knowledge of every aspect of food processing. The Food and Drug Administration requires that a "certified registered canner" be in attendance only when low-acid foods are processed to be sold. An FDA-approved course is offered by the National Canners Association for commercial cannery personnel in various sections of the country. The cost would involve a registration fee of approximately $125 plus expenses. At present, the course content is geared chiefly toward industry. A shift to a more practical approach would be of greater help to community cannery personnel. Cannery supervisors and attendants can participate in food preservation classes and demonstrations provided by the Extension Service. When canneries are equipped with commercial food preservation centers, representatives of the manufacturing companies are available for technical information to the cannery staff. Manufacturers may also provide the cannery with a complete operations manual, processing charts, and recipes. Skills Needed Cannery supervisors will benefit by employing people to work at the cannery who can provide or learn such skills as: _Bookkeeping/accounting_--to keep records of input and outflow of goods and money; to pay bills. _Management_--to oversee the flow of food through the center in an efficient manner for smooth operation of the plant. _Maintenance and repair_--to maintain equipment and housing in