CANNING, FREEZING, STORING GARDEN PRODUCE TEXT

overripe produce because some foods lose acidity as they mature, and the recommended processing time may not be adequate. Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly, but gently, to remove dirt which contains bacteria. Wash small quantities at a time under running water or through several changes of water. Lift fruits and vegetables out of the water so the dirt will not resettle on the food. Do not let fruits or vegetables soak, as they may lose flavor and food value. Peel and cut or slice produce as indicated in instructions for each specific fruit or vegetable. Fruits and vegetables may be packed raw into jars, or preheated and packed hot. Raw or cold pack means that raw, unheated food is placed in jars and covered with boiling hot sirup, juice, or water. When foods are hot packed they are heated in sirup, water or steam, or juice for a specified length of time and then packed hot into jars. Most raw fruits and vegetables can be packed fairly tightly into containers because they cook down during processing. However, raw corn, lima beans, and peas should be packed loosely because they expand during processing. Hot food should be packed fairly loosely. It should be at or near the boiling temperature when packed. There should be enough sirup, water, or juice to fill in around the solid food in the container and to cover the food. Food at the top of the container may darken if not covered with liquid. Do not overpack containers as this may result in underprocessing. It is necessary to leave headspace between the lid and the top of the food or liquid in the jar because there will be some expansion of food during processing. The amount of headspace varies with the product, style of pack, and method of heat sterilization, so follow directions for each fruit or vegetable. When using the flat metal lid with sealing compound, put the lid on a clean jar rim, with sealing compound next to the glass. Then screw the metal band down firmly. The lid will still have enough "give" to let steam escape during processing. Do not tighten the band further after removing the jar from the canner. When using the porcelain-lined zinc cap, fit the wet rubber ring down on the jar shoulder. Fill the jar and wipe clean the rubber ring and jar rim. Screw the cap down firmly and turn back ¼ inch. When the jar is removed from the canner, tighten the cap to complete the seal. Processing Fruits Sugar or sugar-water sirup is often added to fruits to help them hold their shape, color, and flavor. Sugar can be added in the dry form to very juicy fruits. To make sugar sirup--mix sugar with water or juice extracted from the fruit. Proportions for 3 types of sirup are as follows: Type of Sirup Sugar (cups) Liquid (cups) Thin 2 4 Medium 3 4 Heavy 4¾ 4 Heat sugar and water or juice together until sugar is dissolved. Fruit may be canned without sweetening--in its own juice or in water--for special diets. Processing time is the same for unsweetened fruit as for sweetened because sugar is not needed to prevent spoilage. Process fruits by the boiling-water-bath method. Work only with the quantity of food needed for one canner load at one time. As each jar is filled, adjust the lid, and place the jar on the rack in the water-bath canner about one-half full of hot or boiling water for raw or hot pack, respectively. Be sure the water is 1 to 2 inches over the tops of the jars, and there is an additional 1- to 2-inch space to allow the water to boil freely. Cover the canner and when the water comes to a rolling boil, start to count the processing time. Boil gently and steadily for the recommended time for the fruit you are canning. A definite length of time is recommended for processing each kind of fruit. When the processing time is completed, immediately remove the jars from the canner with a pair of jar tongs. Adjust the jar lids if necessary. Cool the jars on a rack or folded towel away from drafts. [Illustration: Hot packing peaches.] [Illustration: Covering peaches with a boiling sirup solution.] Processing Vegetables A steam-pressure canner must be used for processing all vegetables except tomatoes and pickled vegetables. Work only with the quantity of vegetable needed for one canner load at a time. As each jar is filled, adjust the lid, and place the jar in the pressure canner containing 2 to 3 inches of hot or boiling water for raw or hot pack, respectively, to keep food hot. The manufacturer's directions for general operation of the canner you are using should be followed. A few pointers on the use of any canner follow: --Use 2 to 3 inches of boiling water in the bottom of the canner. --Set filled containers on rack in canner. --Fasten canner cover securely. --Allow steam to escape from open petcock or weighted gage opening for at least 10 minutes to drive all air from canner. Then close petcock or put on weighted gage. --When pressure reaches 10 pounds (240° F), start counting processing time. Keep pressure constant by regulating heat under the canner. --When processing time is completed, remove the canner from heat immediately. Cool undisturbed at room temperature until the pressure registers zero. After a minute or two, slowly open the petcock or remove the weighted gage. Unfasten the cover and tilt the far side up so steam escapes away from you. --Remove containers from canner with jar tongs. --Adjust lids if necessary. --Cool jars on a rack or folded towel away from drafts. [Illustration: Cooling snap beans on a rack. Leave space between jars so air can circulate.] Day-After Check Jars should be examined after they have cooled, but within 24 hours after processing, to be sure a seal has been obtained. To test a jar that has a flat metal lid, press the center of the lid; if the lid is down and will not move, it is sealed. Turn jars with porcelain-lined zinc caps partly over in your hands; if they do not leak, they are sealed. When jars are thoroughly cooled, metal screw bands should be carefully removed. Wipe outside of jars clean, and label jars to show date and contents. Store in cool dry place. If you find a jar that did not seal, use food right away or re-can the food immediately; empty the jar, pack and process the food as if it were fresh. Look for Spoilage Check dates on jar labels to be sure you first use food that has the earliest processing date. Before opening any jar for use, look at it carefully for spoilage signs. If it leaks, has a bulging lid, spurts liquid when opened, or has an off-odor or mold, then do not use it. _Do not even taste it._ Destroy it out of the reach of children and pets. Canned vegetables may contain the toxin that causes botulism without showing any visible signs of spoilage. Therefore, boil all home-canned vegetables covered for at least 10 minutes before tasting or serving. Heating generally makes any odor of spoilage more evident. If the food appears to be spoiled, foams, or has an off-odor during heating, destroy it. How to Can Cut Green Beans[8] 1. Select green beans: Choose young, tender beans Allow 1½ to 2½ pounds of fresh beans for each quart to be canned 2. Prepare green beans: Wash beans Trim ends Cut into 1-inch pieces 3. Pack into jars: To pack raw-- Pack raw beans tightly into jar Leave ½-inch space at top of jar Add ½ teaspoon salt to pints; 1 teaspoon to quarts Cover with boiling water to ½ inch from top of jar Wipe jar rim clean Adjust jar lid Process in pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F) Pints--20 minutes Quarts--25 minutes (At altitudes above sea level, increase pressure according to instructions in early part of chapter) To pack hot-- Cover cut beans with boiling water; boil 5 minutes Pack hot beans loosely into jar to ½ inch of top Leave ½-inch space at top of jar Add ½ teaspoon salt to pints; 1 teaspoon to quarts Cover with boiling water to ½ inch from top of jar Wipe jar rim clean Adjust jar lid Process in pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F) Pints--20 minutes Quarts--25 minutes (At altitudes above sea level, increase pressure according to instructions given earlier) 4. Allow pressure to return to 0 5. Remove jars from canner 6. Complete seals, if necessary How to Can Peaches[9] 1. Select peaches: Choose fresh, firm, ripe fruit, with no soft spots or bruises Allow 2 to 3 pounds of fresh peaches for each quart to be canned 2. Prepare peaches: Wash peaches Dip in boiling water; then in cold water Slip off skins Cut in halves and remove pits. Slice if desired 3. Prevent darkening: Drop peeled peaches into solution of 2 tablespoons each of salt and vinegar per gallon of water Drain just before heating or packing raw 4. Pack into jars: To pack raw-- Pack raw peaches in jar to ½ inch of top Cover with boiling sirup (See sirup table) Leave ½-inch space at top of jar Wipe jar rim clean Adjust jar lid Process in boiling-water bath-- Pints--25 minutes Quarts--30 minutes (At altitudes above sea level, increase processing time according to table near start of chapter) To pack hot-- Heat peaches through in hot sirup (See sirup table). If fruit is very juicy, heat it with sugar, adding no liquid Pack hot fruit in jar to ½ inch of top Cover with boiling sirup Leave ½-inch space at top of jar Wipe jar rim clean Adjust jar lid Process in boiling-water bath-- Pints--20 minutes Quarts--25 minutes (At altitudes above sea level, increase processing time according to table near start of chapter) 5. Remove jars from canner 6. Complete seals, if necessary Freezing Your Garden's Harvest _by Annetta Cook_[10] The growing season brings an abundance of fruits and vegetables freshly harvested from your garden. The unmatchable sweetness of peas cooked fresh from the pods, the tender-crisp texture of fresh broccoli, the delectable flavor of sweet juicy strawberries are irresistible. It is always a disappointment when the growing season is over. You may have more produce than you were able to use within a short time, so why not savor its just-picked freshness during the autumn and winter months--freeze it! Of all the methods of home food preservation, freezing is one of the simplest and least time-consuming. The natural colors, fresh flavors, and nutritive value of most fruits and vegetables are maintained well by freezing. However, to freeze foods successfully--that is, to preserve their quality--produce must be carefully selected, prepared and packaged, and properly frozen. Be sure to use reliable home-freezing directions such as those found in U.S. Department of Agriculture publications. Unless recommended practices and procedures are observed, the food's eating quality will be a disappointment. The first consideration before deciding whether to freeze the garden's harvest is whether your freezer can maintain temperatures low enough to preserve quality of the food during freezer storage. Storage temperatures must be 0° F (-18° C) or below to help prevent unfavorable changes in the food, including growth of bacteria. The temperature control of your freezer should be adjusted so the warmest spot in the freezer will always be at 0° F or lower. Freezers and most two-door refrigerator-freezer combinations are best suited for long storage of home-frozen fruits and vegetables since they can be set to maintain this temperature. Proper preparation of produce is also important to insure high eating quality of frozen vegetables and fruits. Vegetables, except green peppers and mature onions, maintain better quality during freezer storage if blanched, or heated briefly, before freezing. 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. Sugar, either alone or as part of the sirup, plus the acidity of fruit retards enzyme activity in fruit stored at 0° F or below. Packaging Material Material selected for packaging fruits and vegetables for freezing must be moisture-vapor-proof or moisture-vapor-resistant to keep the food from drying out and from absorbing odors from other foods in the freezer. Loss of moisture from the food causes small white areas called "freezer burn" to develop. These areas are not harmful, but if extensive they can cause the food to become tough and lose flavor. Suitable packaging materials include rigid plastic food containers, plastic freezer bags, heavy aluminum foil, freezer paper or plastic film, glass freezer jars, and waxed freezer cartons. Collapsible, cardboard freezer boxes are frequently used as an outer covering for plastic bags to protect them against tearing. Select packaging materials suiting the shape, size, and consistency of the food. Rigid containers are suited for freezing all foods, but are especially good for fruit packed in liquid. Non-rigid containers are best for fruits and vegetables packed without liquid. Paper, plastic, or foil wraps are ideal for freezing bulky vegetables such as broccoli, corn on the cob, and asparagus. Rigid containers with straight sides and flat bottoms and tops stack well in the freezer. They take up less freezer space than rounded containers, containers with flared sides, and bulky, wrapped packages or plastic bags without protective outer cartons. Containers with straight sides or those that are flared, having wider tops than bottoms, are preferred for easy removal of the food before thawing. If the opening is narrower than the body of the container, the food will have to be partially thawed so you can get it out of the container. Freezer containers and bags are available in a variety of sizes. Do not use those with more than ½-gallon capacity for freezing fruits and vegetables since the food will freeze too slowly, causing poor quality food. Choose a container that will hold enough food for one meal for your family. You may wish to put up a few smaller packages for use when some family members are not home or to go with your family-size packages when guests are present for meals. Pack foods tightly into containers. Since most foods expand during freezing, leave headspace between the packed food and closure. For fruits that are in liquid, pureed, or crushed and packed in containers with wide openings, leave ½-inch headspace for pints, 1-inch headspace for quarts. If containers with narrow openings are used, leave ¾-inch headspace for pints, 1½-inch headspace for quarts. For fruits and vegetables packed without liquid, leave ½-inch headspace for all types of containers. Vegetables that pack loosely, such as asparagus and broccoli, require no headspace. Any container for freezer use must be capable of a tight seal. Rigid containers should have an airtight-fitting lid. Press out all air from the unfilled parts of plastic bags. Immediately twist the top of each bag and securely tie it with a paper- or plastic-covered wire twist strip, rubber band, or string to prevent return of air to the bag. Some bags may be heat-sealed with special equipment available on the market. Follow the manufacturer's directions. Edges and ends of paper, foil, or plastic wraps should be folded over several times so the wrap lies directly on top of the food and all air has been pressed out of the package. Seal the ends with freezer tape to hold them securely in place. Selecting and Preparing Grow varieties of fruits and vegetables that freeze well. Your county Extension office can provide information on suitable varieties that grow well in your locality. Produce selected for freezing should be of optimum eating quality. Freezing only preserves the quality of produce as it is at the time of freezing. It never improves quality. Fruits to be frozen should be firm and ripe. Underripe fruit may have a bitter or off-flavor after freezing. Pick berries when ripe and freeze them as soon after picking as you can. Some fruits--apples, peaches, pears--may need to ripen further after harvesting. But take care they don't get too ripe. Frozen fruit prepared from overripe fruit will lack flavor and have a mushy texture. Choose young, tender vegetables for freezing. Since vegetables lose quality quickly after harvest, freeze them as soon as possible for maximum quality. The sugar in corn, peas, and lima beans is rapidly lost when held too long before freezing. If you must hold vegetables and ripe fruits for a short while, refrigeration will help retain the just-picked freshness better than leaving produce at room temperature. Wash small quantities of fruit gently in cold water. Do not permit fruit to stand in water for any length of time since it will become water-soaked and lose flavor and food value. Drain fruit thoroughly. Peel fruit and remove pits or seeds. Halve, slice, chop, crush, or puree fruit as indicated in the instructions for each specific fruit. Some fruit, especially berries, may be left whole, but remove stems or hulls. Work with small quantities of fruit at a time, particularly if it is fruit that darkens rapidly. Two to three quarts is an adequate amount to handle at one time. Pack fruit by sirup pack, sugar pack, or unsweetened pack. Most fruit has better texture and flavor with a sweetened pack. Apples, avocados, berries, grapes, peaches, persimmons, and plums can all be frozen satisfactorily without sweetening, but the quality is not quite as good as freezing in sirup or sugar. An unsweetened pack will give as good a quality product for gooseberries, currants, cranberries, rhubarb, and figs as a sweetened pack. _Sirup pack._ Make a sugar sirup by dissolving sugar in water. A 40% sirup (3 cups of sugar to 4 cups of water) is recommended for freezing most fruits. Sirups containing less sugar are sometimes used for mild-flavored fruits; those with more sugar for very sour fruits. The type of sirup to use is specified in the directions for freezing each fruit. Allow ½ to 2/3 cup of sirup for each pint of fruit. Cut fruit directly into the freezer container, leaving the recommended headspace. Add sirup to cover fruit. [Illustration: Slicing strawberries before freezing in a sugar pack.] _Sugar pack._ Cut fruit into a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. The amount of sugar to use is specified in freezing directions for each fruit. Mix gently until juice is drawn from the fruit and all the sugar is dissolved. Pack fruit and juice into freezer containers. _Unsweetened pack._ Some fruit may be packed dry, without added liquid or sugar. Other fruit, particularly if it darkens rapidly, can be covered with water to which ascorbic acid has been added. Crushed fruit or sliced fruit that is very juicy can be packed in its own juice without added liquid. For all packs except the dry, unsweetened pack, liquid--either sirup, juice, or water--should completely cover the fruit. This prevents the top pieces from changing color or losing flavor due to exposure to air in the headspace. A small crumpled piece of waxed or parchment paper placed on top of the fruit helps keep it pressed down in the liquid once the container has