Preserving Foods

 

Unless you have a greenhouse that produces food all year round, preserving food is very important. When foods are ready to harvest, they appear in abundance – more than most families can consume.

There are several ways to preserve foods:

Canning fruits and some tomatoes. This requires a large water canner (pot), a rack for the inside and a lid. 


Most fruits have enough natural acid, they can be cut, put in glass bottles, add water and sugar and then topped with a canning lid and screw on ring.  There are many websites that tell details of this process.  Heirloom tomatoes have enough acid to also can safely.  Low acid tomatoes require added lemon juice or vinegar.  Canning jams, jellies, pickles, salsas, relishes etc can be done using the water canner.

Some principles of home canning:

Selecting, Preparing and Canning Fruit Products:      https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE01_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf

Selecting, Preparing and Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products.  https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE02_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf

Preparing and Canning Jams and Jellies  https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE07_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf

When canning vegetables, meats and fish, a pressure cooker is required. There are many excellent ones on the market today. This type of canning raises the temperature and pressure around the food filled jars to kill unwanted pathogens etc.


Selecting, preparing and canning vegetables and vegetable products
https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE03_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf

Preparing and Canning Poultry, Red Meats, and Seafoods  https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE05_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf

Preparing and Canning Fermented Foods and Pickled Vegetables  https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE06_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf

Freezing fruits, vegetables, meats and fish is a great alternative but does not keep the food preserved as long as canning. This is an excellent site that tells you ‘how to’ and lists the many foods that freeze well along with information about freezing each food.:  https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze.html



Drying foods requires a food dryer, oven or plenty of sunshine.  A website with comprehensive information is:  https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry.html

You can freeze dry foods at home using a special freeze dryer. The advantages are foods last around 25 years but the drawback if many freeze driers are very expensive. If you have a garden or access to a lot of food, this might be a great investment for you. This website gives good information:    https://commonsensehome.com/home-freeze-drying/


Smoking and curing foods


Fermenting foods is an ancient and modern practice and produces delicious food.  The sour flavor is a result of a chemical reaction between a food's sugars and naturally present bacteria. 


Pickling:  Involves soaking foods in an acidic liquid to achieve a sour flavor.

All home processed foods do better when stored in a cool, dark place.   https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/store.html


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