While many people know and understand basic freezing and dehydrating methods for preserving foods, it becomes a different story when they contemplate bottling. 

          Food preservation is a science- and research-based practice. It is not the same as creative cooking. When preserving food with water-bath or pressure canning, a kitchen must be turned into a laboratory by following instructions exactly and using proper procedures. That is why many home canners are disappointed to learn that their favorite fresh salsa or grandma’s stew is not recommended for home canning, nor are things like butter, bacon, or pureed squash.

          Here are 12 tips to help guide both the novice and the seasoned home preservation enthusiast:

1. Follow canning directions exactly.
2. Always use up-to-date, scientifically tested recipes, and only use approved canning methods (boiling water-bath or pressure).
3. Make altitude adjustments by adding more time to water bath canning or increasing pressure for pressure-canned products.
4. Be certain that canned products have a proper lid seal.
5. Don’t add extra starch, flour, or other thickeners to a recipe.
6. Don’t add extra onions, chilies, bell peppers, or other vegetables to salsas.
7. Be sure to properly vent the pressure canner.
8. Get your dial-type pressure canner gauges tested annually.
9. Don’t use an oven instead of a water bath for processing.
10. Be sure to properly acidify canned tomatoes.
11. Do not cool the pressure canner under running water.
12. Do not let food prepared for “hot pack” processing cool in jars before placing them in the canner for processing. 

            If you have questions, the best option for finding safe, scientifically based answers for proper food preservation is to contact your local USU Extension office. For location and contact information, visit https://extension.usu.edu/locations. Additional canning information can be found at canning.usu.edu. Or check out our Preserve the Harvest online course here. Use code PRESERVE22 for 30% off.

            The satisfaction that comes from preserving food is well worth the time and effort it takes. With instruction from approved resources along with a dash of common sense, this season may be the best ever for adding to your food storage shelves!

By: Kathy Riggs, Utah State University Extension family and consumer sciences professor, kathleen.riggs@usu.edu, 435-586-8132

What gives people a feeling of power? An anonymous author wrote, from least to most important: money, status and growing a tomato.

For those who grow their own produce, there is a personal sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from planting, nurturing, harvesting and preserving. For those who don’t or can’t garden, Utah is home to an abundance of local producers, and supporting them and purchasing from farmers markets and community-supported agriculture programs brings about the same result of having delicious, healthy, fresh food. It also fosters a sense of community by supporting local producers.

Now more than ever, people are interested in obtaining or growing their own food supply and preserving it for the future.

Gardening 

For those who need tips on gardening, whether at the beginning of the season or the end, Utah State University Extension’s website, garden.usu.edu, is full of resources to help you have your best yard and garden yet – even if you’ve struggled in the past. The website includes links to the Gardener’s Almanac with a checklist of month-by-month gardening tasks, a listing of online gardening courses developed by USU faculty, who, collectively have thousands of hours of research, the Utah’s Gardening Experts Facebook group, the Gardening Tips Podcast, a video library and information on the Master Gardener Program. You will also find information on water-efficient landscaping, pest management, apps, advice and more. Nearly any question you might have about gardening will be addressed in this large bank of research-based information. In addition is Extension’s new drought website at drought.usu.edu with resources and tips for water conservation.

Farmers Markets

For those who prefer to support and enjoy the fruits of others’ labors, farmers markets are a wonderful place to visit and shop. Supporting local producers by buying local food and products helps strengthen the local economy, creates local jobs and increases food security. It also helps preserve farms, ranches, small businesses and farmland, ensuring that Utah has farms and ranches for generations to come.  

Visit Utah’s Own for a general listing of farmers markets around the state. The website will also help you find and support local producers, learn more about the farm-to-fork process and understand the rigorous food safety protocols for the local food supply. Also included are FAQs and tips to help support local producers.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Since many areas in Utah do not have access to local farmers markets, community supported agriculture is a way for citizens to directly support farmers in their communities. Members purchase a share of a farm’s produce for the growing season. Shareholders pay their money upfront, then typically receive a weekly delivery of what is in season and available at that farm. Benefits include reduced transportation costs, a varied diet from a local source and a direct, positive impact on communities. Click here for more information on community supported agriculture.

Preserving the Harvest

Once you have your produce in hand, you will likely have more than you can eat before it spoils. This is where food preservation comes in – enabling you to enjoy the harvest year-round. Fruits and vegetables, jams and jellies, pie filling, jerky, salsa and other produce items can be preserved through freezing, dehydration and pressure canning.

When canning and using other methods of food preservation, safely preserving it with scientifically tested recipes should be the top priority. No one wants to waste their time and effort preserving food that will spoil before consumption, not seal properly or create an accidental food-borne illness or toxin in the product. Also, be aware that recipes passed down through families and neighbors or found on Google searches may not be safe.

Trusted food preservation resources include:

* USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning, which provides a free e-book download. The information is based on research conducted by the National Center for Home Food Preservation in cooperation with USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

* The Ball Canning Company website provides recipes, tips on canning and information about products, services and support.

* The Extension canning resources website includes research-backed information on preserving the harvest, food preservation fact sheets and the master food preserver program. Visit canning.usu.edu

Though the harvest only lasts for a season, the need to eat does not. The more we learn about and become connected to our food supply, the greater our ability to provide for, strengthen and nourish our families and communities.

Writer: Julene Reese, 435-757-6418, Julene.Reese@usu.edu

While many people know and understand basic freezing and dehydrating methods for preserving foods, it becomes a different story when they contemplate bottling.

Food preservation is a science- and research-based practice. It is not the same as creative cooking. When preserving food with water-bath or pressure canning, a kitchen must be turned into a laboratory by following instructions exactly and using proper procedures. That is why many home canners are disappointed to learn that their favorite fresh salsa or grandma’s stew is not recommended for home canning, nor are things like butter, bacon or pureed squash.

Here are 12 tips to help guide both the novice and the seasoned home preservation enthusiast:

1. Follow canning directions exactly.
2. Always use up-to-date, scientifically tested recipes, and only use approved canning methods (boiling water-bath or pressure).
3. Make altitude adjustments by adding more time to water bath canning or increasing pressure for pressure-canned products.
4. Be certain that canned products have a proper lid seal.
5. Don’t add extra starch, flour or other thickeners to a recipe.
6. Don’t add extra onions, chilies, bell peppers or other vegetables to salsas.
7. Be sure to properly vent the pressure canner.
8. Get your dial-type pressure canner gauges tested annually.
9. Don’t use an oven instead of a water bath for processing.
10. Be sure to properly acidify canned tomatoes.
11. Do not cool the pressure canner under running water.
12. Do not let food prepared for “hot pack” processing cool in the jars before placing them in the canner for processing.

If you have questions, the best option for finding safe, scientifically based answers for proper food preservation is to contact your local USU Extension office. For location and contact information, visit https://extension.usu.edu/locations. Additional canning information can be found at canning.usu.edu.

The satisfaction that comes from preserving food is well worth the time and effort it takes. With instruction from approved resources along    with a dash of common sense, this season may be the best ever for adding to your food storage shelves!

By: Kathy Riggs, Utah State University Extension family and consumer sciences professor, kathleen.riggs@usu.edu, 435-586-8132

Carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns is an art form that comes in all shapes, sizes and levels of difficulty. The final product (usually) makes the pumpkin carvers proud and anxious to display their work. However, often just a few days later, the pumpkin creation may start to wither and rot, and eventually, mold will take over. Why does this happen?

When you carve a pumpkin, it exposes the insides, making it more susceptible to infection through air flow. The environment (temperature, sunlight, etc.) can also be a factor in the pumpkin’s quality.

Molds are a fungal micro-organism that have the potential to live everywhere. These fungi release tiny, lightweight spores that allow them to travel through the air. They can then infect and cause carved pumpkins to shrivel, soften and start to grow fuzzy, grey mold. Some common interior molds include Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus and Alternaria.

Consider these methods to help preserve your carved pumpkin:

          1. Thoroughly wash your pumpkin before cutting into it.

          2.  Sterilize spoons, knives or other carving tools before use, especially between pumpkin carving.

          3. Remove all of the pumpkin’s insides to reduce the surface area where potential fungi can grow.

          4. Dip, wash or spray your finished carving with a 10 percent bleach solution. This will kill any microorganisms on your pumpkin. 

          5. Rub the cut areas with petroleum jelly, which helps lock in the moisture and slow the drying process.

          6. Consider using an electric light or glow stick instead of a candle. This will prevent the gourd from “cooking” and spoiling faster.

          Click here to see a gallery of the fungi that can infect your carved pumpkin: https://dkphoto.photoshelter.com/…/Molds-…/G0000GOne6NTk5fs/.

          Click here to learn more about mold and mildews: https://utahpests.usu.edu/…/p…/pdf/mold-mildew_pestpress.pdf.

By: Nick Volesky, Utah State University Extension vegetable integrated pest management associate, Nick.volesky@usu.edu

Due to COVID-19 and a higher demand for canning supplies this season, many people have found it difficult to find new boxed lids for canning. Here are some answers to our most frequently asked questions regarding the lid shortage.

Can I re-use old or previously used canning lids?

While it might be possible to get a previously used lid to seal again, it is highly unlikely. We have had consumers tell us they tried and most, if not all, their jars did not seal. The sealing compound on the rubber part of the lids are manufactured and only guaranteed to seal once. If you choose to use an old lid, be sure to test that it sealed before storing and also test for the seal later before opening the jar.

I only have a few lids. How do I make sure they seal since I can’t get additional lids?

Process jars correctly according to recommendations from the National Center for Home Food Preservation at https://nchfp.uga.edu/. Steps to ensure a higher likelihood of sealing include:

1. Fill jars to the appropriate headspace (the space between the food/liquid and the top of the jar).
2. Remove air bubbles from the jar by stirring the contents slightly. Refill to headspace if needed.
3. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean, damp paper towel to remove any food particles that could interfere with the lid sealing.
4. Screw the ring band on so it is finger-tip tight. If it is screwed on too tightly, it can interfere with the vacuum seal where the air bubbles escape before suctioning the lid down. Without a good vacuum seal, it could come unsealed later.
5. For high-acid foods, process appropriately in a boiling water bath, submerging the jars completely, 2-3 inches above the top of the jar. Bring to a boil, but keep the heat at a nice rolling boil and avoid boiling that would spill over the top. That hard of a boil could create siphoning where the food is boiled out of the jar and interferes with the lid sealing. When the timer is done, turn off the heat source. Leave in the canner for 5 more minutes before removing to a surface to cool. Studies have shown this can prevent siphoning that can happen when removing the jar from a hot environment to a cooler, room-temperature environment.
6. For low-acid foods, process in a stove-top pressure canner following the canner’s manufacturing instructions (or instructions found here: https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/principles-of-pressure-canning). Upon depressurizing the canner, leave jars in for another 10 minutes and allow to slightly cool to prevent siphoning before removing the pressure canner lid.
7. Do NOT tip the jars when removing from the canners and do NOT touch the top of the lid until the jars have cooled on the counter for 12-24 hours after processing. If you touch it too soon, you could force a non-vacuum seal, which could come unsealed later.
8. After 12-24 hours, check for a seal by pressing with your finger on the center of the lid. If it clicks, it is NOT sealed.
   1. If you have a jar that is sealed, remove the ring band, wash the jar of food or hard water particles, label and store without the ring band. Without the ring band, you won’t have something holding a false seal in place.
   2. If a jar did not seal, you can reprocess in the canner (if you happen to have more lids), or empty contents into a freezer container and freeze, or place in the refrigerator to consume within a week.
9. Always check lids of sealed jars before eating. If you can lift the jar up by the lid and tug on the lid with your fingertips and the lid doesn’t come off, it is sealed. If it comes off easily, it came unsealed sometime after processing and should be thrown out. It seems wasteful, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

What about off-brand lids found in stores or online?

There is a possibility that these lids will create a vacuum seal. Studies and anecdotal stories from our callers tell us these have higher rates of failures to seal. You must weigh the risk you want to take to do all the work, then have some or many jars not seal. If you do choose to use them, consult the manufacturer’s directions and follow them for the greatest chances of success.

What about reusable three-piece lids?

These are similar to off-brand lids. Sometimes they will seal and work, and other times they come unsealed. Follow procedures carefully for preparing jars and checking for vacuum seals. The bottom line with three-piece and off-brand lids is “buyer beware.”

What else can I do if I can’t find any lids or I am not comfortable using lids known to have higher seal failure rates?

Freezing is a great method of preserving food, and most canned recipes will freeze great, including pie filling, tomatoes, salsas and more. You can also prepare your recipe as if you were going to can it, then package into freezer containers and freeze until you can acquire lids to can. Dehydrating or freeze drying are other great methods. Check out our food preservation website for how-to guides for freezing and dehydrating at http://canning.usu.edu.

By: Melanie Jewkes, Utah State University Extension associate professor, melanie.jewkes@usu.edu

The recent wind storms have left many people without power. The potential loss of food in refrigerators and freezers is a cause for concern. Consider these tips:

1. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Open them briefly only if necessary.

2. Watch for notifications from the power company about when power might be restored. Knowing a time estimation will help you make plans. If full, most freezers will keep food frozen for 48-60 hours, depending on the type of food and the beginning freezer temperature.

3. Place a thermometer in the front of the fridge or freezer to check temperatures after 24 hours without power.

4. Know the highest temperature food has reached, which is the most important factor in determining whether or not it is safe. If power is not back on after 48-60 hours, watch for temperatures holding food between 40 to 44 F.

5. If you do not have a generator and your freezer is not likely to be operating within a day, you may need to move your frozen foods to a working freezer. Consider asking a friend or neighbor if they have freezer space. You might also check into moving your freezer’s contents to a local freezing plant, church freezer, school freezer or even a meat locker. To move your food, put it in insulated boxes or between thick layers of newspapers and blankets, depending on how far you have to go.

6. Another option to help keep foods frozen is to place dry ice in your freezer. To locate a source, do a search for “dry ice” or “carbonic gas.” Some grocery stores carry dry ice. Handle it quickly, and always wear heavy gloves to prevent it from burning your hands. When purchasing dry ice, have it cut into small, usable sizes. Do not try to cut or chip it yourself. A 50-pound block of dry ice is enough to protect solidly frozen food in a 20-cubic foot freezer for three to four days. A 25-pound block should hold the temperature of a half-full, 10-cubic foot freezer below freezing for two to three days.

7. Place heavy cardboard on top of packages of frozen food in each compartment of your freezer and place dry ice on top of the cardboard. Close the freezer and do not open it again until you need to replace the dry ice or the power comes back on.

8. Provide extra insulation for your freezer by covering it with blankets or quilts. Placing packing material or crumpled newspapers between the cabinet and the blankets will also help.  Be sure coverings are away from air vents on the outside of the freezer. The power may come on unexpectedly, and ventilation will be needed. The harmless gas given off by dry ice needs to escape. Dry ice is carbon dioxide in its solid form. It evaporates rather than melts and leaves no liquid. You may notice an off odor caused by carbonic acid, which is formed by the dry ice and moisture in the freezer. It is harmless. Simply leave the freezer door open for a few minutes to let it escape.

Some thawed foods can be re-frozen. However, the texture will not be as good. Other foods may

need to be discarded. Here are some guidelines:

Meat and Poultry: Re-freeze if the freezer temperature stays at 40 F or below. Check each package, and discard if there are signs of spoilage such as an off color or off odor. Discard any packages that are above 40 F (or at room temperature).

Vegetables: Re-freeze only if ice crystals are still present or if the freezer temperature is 40 F or

below. Discard packages that show signs of spoilage or that have reached room temperature.

Fruits: Re-freeze if they show no signs of spoilage. Thawed fruits may be used in cooking or making jellies, jams or preserves. Fruits survive thawing with the least damage to quality.

Shellfish and Cooked Foods: Re-freeze only if ice crystals are still present or the freezer is 40 F or below. If the temperature is above 40 F, throw these foods out.

Ice Cream: If partially thawed, throw it out. The texture of ice cream is off after thawing. If the temperature rises above 40 F, it could be unsafe.

Creamed Foods, Puddings and Cream Pies: Re-freeze only if freezer temperature is 40 F or below. Discard if the temperature is above 40 F.

Breads, Nuts, Doughnuts, Cookies and Cakes: These foods re-freeze better than most. They can be safely re-frozen if they show no signs of mold growth.

To be prepared for a power emergency, find out where the nearest commercial or

institutional freezers are. Locate a source of dry ice. During the seasons when power failures are

common or if you know the power will be off, it is good insurance to run the freezer between -10 F and -20 F. The colder food freezes, the more slowly it thaws.

By: Teresa Hunsaker, Utah State University Extension family and consumer science educator, Teresa.hunsaker@usu.edu, 801-399-8200

It’s food preservation season – that much-anticipated time when home gardeners and farmers market enthusiasts get to preserve the harvest. While many people know and understand basic freezing and dehydrating methods for preserving foods, it becomes a different story when they contemplate bottling.

          The best option for finding safe, scientifically based answers for proper food preservation is to call your local USU Extension office. For contact information for county offices across Utah, visit https://extension.usu.edu/locations.

          Food preservation is a science- and research-based practice. It is not the same as creative cooking. When preserving food with water-bath or pressure canning, a kitchen must be turned into a laboratory by following instructions exactly and using proper procedures. That is why many home canners are disappointed to learn that their favorite fresh salsa or grandma’s stew is not recommended for home canning, nor are things like butter, bacon or pureed squash.

          Here are rules to help guide both the novice and the seasoned home preservation enthusiast:

1. Follow canning directions exactly.
2. Always use up-to-date, scientifically tested recipes, and only use approved canning methods (boiling water-bath or pressure).
3. Make altitude adjustments by adding more time to water bath canning or increasing pressure for pressure-canned products.
4. Be certain that canned products have a proper lid seal.
5. Don’t add extra starch, flour or other thickeners to a recipe.
6. Don’t add extra onions, chilies, bell peppers or other vegetables to salsas.
7. Be sure to properly vent the pressure canner.
8. Get your dial-type pressure canner gauges tested annually.
9. Don’t use an oven instead of a water bath for processing.
10. Be sure to properly acidify canned tomatoes.
11. Do not cool the pressure canner under running water.
12. Do not let food prepared for “hot pack” processing cool in the jars before placing them in the canner for processing.

Additional canning tips, as well as information on things to avoid, can be found at:

https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/avoiding-common-canning-mistakes.

          For canning enthusiasts, the satisfaction that comes from preserving food is well worth the time and effort. With instruction from approved resources along with a dash of common sense, this season may be the best ever for adding to your food storage shelves!

By: Kathy Riggs, Utah State University Extension family and consumer sciences professor, kathleen.riggs@usu.edu, 435-586-8132

Preliminary research conducted by Utah State University Extension professors shows that using electric pressure cookers for small batch, low acid canning may not destroy the bacteria that is responsible for botulism poisoning.

 Electric pressure cookers such as the Instant Pot and the Power Pressure Cooker XL have become increasingly popular in recent years. These devices are hailed for their versatility, with some users and manufacturers claiming they can even be used for pressure canning. However, USU Extension has conducted canning experiments in Utah and determined that electric pressure cookers do not always reach or sustain the temperatures necessary for canning low-acid food safely at Utah altitudes. Low acid foods include vegetables, beans, meats, poultry, fish and soups.

“We knew from previous USU Extension research that altitude affects temperatures in electric pressure cookers, and we’ve heard rumors of community groups having classes about pressure canning in ‘smart cookers,’ so we knew it was time to do some research,” said Cathy Merrill, USU Extension faculty in Utah County and project lead for the research. “The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recommended against electric pressure cookers being used for canning, and now we have our own data showing that they just don’t hit the high temperature needed for canning safely at our altitudes.”

If the correct temperatures are not met while canning low-acid food, an odorless, tasteless poison called botulism toxin can form. According to the Mayo Clinic website, symptoms of foodborne botulism poisoning include difficulty in breathing or swallowing, blurred or double vision, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and paralysis. Ultimately, botulism poisoning can cause nerve damage and even death.

USU Extension experts suggest traditional stove-top pressure canners be used for USDA-approved, low-acid home pressure canning. For resources, classes and information on safe canning techniques, visit https://extension.usu.edu/canning/ or call your local USU Extension office. 

Do you have a surplus of canned fruit in your pantry? Use it up with this delicious fruit cake recipe! And remember, always practice proper food safety when preserving and using canned goods.

This is an old Extension recipe for using up your bottled fruit.  This cake is more like a pudding cake, rather than a light and fluffy cake.  If old fruit is not available, canned fruit of any age, or fruit cocktail, works well.  Serves 16-20. 

Ingredients:

1- quart fruit, with juice
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins, nuts, or coconut (optional)

Instructions:

Blend fruit with juice in a food processor or blender (or use a potato masher—it need not be a fine puree).  Add sugar and oil to fruit and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix.

Pour batter in a non-stick 9×13 baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cake is rich and can be eaten plain, but if frosting is desired, a butter cream or cream cheese frosting pairs well.

Need a refresher? Click here for canning safety tips!

Canning your produce can make your harvest go a long way. The practice is economically beneficial and preserves your gardening efforts!

Now that gardens are planted and fruit trees are showing signs of small fruit, many people begin planning how they will preserve the harvest – canning, freezing, drying and even freeze-drying. However, even die-hard food preservers may ask at times if the efforts of growing produce and preserving are really worth it. Here are eight things to consider.

            Emergency preparedness – Preparing for potential job loss, earthquakes or other natural disasters serve as incentives for many to participate in food storage and preservation.

            Economically beneficial – Whether food preservation actually saves money depends on several factors: if you are able to grow your own high-quality produce; if you own the correct equipment in very good to excellent condition; the cost of electricity, natural gas or propane; and the cost of added ingredients and supplies such as sugar, pectin, lids, bottles or freezer bags. A first-time food preserver may find it cost prohibitive to purchase a new pressure canner, dehydrator, or water-bath canner along with all the containers, etc., but those can be purchased over time.

            Time saving – When considering this factor, it is important to think beyond the actual time to harvest, prepare and preserve the food. The time savings actually comes into play down the line when the convenience of having a bottle of stewed tomatoes or frozen chopped onions and peppers on hand to make spaghetti sauce alleviates a trip to the grocery store or time spent preparing these items fresh.

            Quality control – Time from harvest to jar or freezer is minimized when you can pick peaches in the morning and have them canned that same afternoon. Sometimes several days go by between harvesting/picking in a commercial orchard to the processing plant. Also, when it’s your hands sorting through the produce to make certain everything is cleaned and unwanted pieces are discarded, you are more confident in the overall quality of what you preserve.

            Flavor – In general, it is difficult to find commercially preserved foods without added salt, sugar, spices and in some cases dyes and firming agents or other additives. To a large degree, home preserved foods can be prepared with reduced salt/sugar and added spices in your preferred amounts.

            Health benefits – Those who have food allergies must always be on the watch for commercially prepared foods that have possible contamination from tree nuts, gluten and other potentially harmful allergens. Besides the freshness factor, when food is preserved at home, you are in control and can ensure that foods are properly prepared for your family. Reduced sugar recipes for diabetics and lowered salt content for family members with high blood pressure can also be used.

           Reduced food waste – Home gardeners often produce more food than can be harvested and used fresh. For example, rather than having many stalks of ripened corn go to waste, cobs can be shucked, then cobs or kernels may be blanched and frozen. Remaining stalks can then be donated to a farmer to be used to feed goats or other livestock.

            Emotional satisfaction – The idea of producing high-quality foods for future use – and from scratch – can be very satisfying. The best way to feel totally confident in what is sitting on the shelf or in the freezer is to simply follow the approved guidelines and steps established by science and research; not necessarily from a blog, Pinterest or a Facebook post.

For more information on home food preservation, contact your local USU Extension office or visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation at www.nchfp.uga.edu.

This article was written by Kathy Riggs, Utah State University Extension professor, kathleen.riggs@usu.edu or 435-586-8132