Food Preserving Category

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  1. Contents of Food Preserving

Food Preserving

A treasury of information on canning, freezing, and dehydrating foods.

ALL AMERICAN APPLE PIE

This is the best Apple Pie Recipe I have ever found. Use tart apples such as Jonathan, Granny Smith, Gala, Macintosh or a combination of apples for fabulous flavor. The spices used in this apple pie version are the best. Serve with real whipped cream or French Vanilla ice cream.

 

1 Double Crust Pie Recipe (use your favorite pie crust recipe)
8-9 Large tart cooking apples, pared, cored and sliced thin. (An Apple Peeler saves LOTS of time)
1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice
6 TB flour, whole wheat pastry flour is good
3/4 Cup sugar or Sucanat, more if desired
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg (key ingredient)
2 TB butter (not margarine)

Place prepared bottom crust in a 9-inch pie pan. Put sliced, cored, peeled apples into a large mixing bowl and toss with lemon juice. Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle 1/4 Cup of the sugar mixture on the bottom pie crust and add the rest of the sugar mixture to the apples and stir to coat the apples. Fill the pie crust heaping full with the apple mixture. Dot with the butter.

Place the top crust over the filling. Press edges together and flute. Bake about 50 minutes, until the crust is golden browned. Serve with favorite topping. Makes one pie.

Urban Homemaker

Basic Food Preserving Equipment - Checklist

Most of the following items needed for freezing and canning will already be found in your kitchen.

Basic Equipment Checklist:
Most of the needed equipment will already be on hand

__ *scrub brush
__ fine sieves, colanders, strainers
__ paring and chopping knives
__ *food-processing equipment - grinder, slicer,
blender, food processor
__ measuring cups and spoons
__ *wide mouth funnel
__ timer
__ hot pads, mitts, heavy potholders
__ heavy bath towels
__ large bowls
__ *large roaster or kettle
__ tea kettle soup ladle
__ non-metallic spatula or wooden spoons

Freezing Equipment
__ freezer
__ *cookie sheets and,or jelly roll pans for tray-freezing
__ freezer containers and bags

Dehydrating Equipment
__ *dehydrator or oven w/low temperature capability

Canning Checklist
__ *Water Bath canner or Pressure Canner
__ *jar lifter, funnel, or tongs
__ canning jars, lids, rings

* Equipment available through The Urban Homemaker
Most non-starred items can be obtained through us on a special order basis.

Remember, if you have any questions about cooking, baking, or other products we are here to help. Call us at 1-800-552-7323 Monday-Friday 9:00-5:00 MT.

Email me with any question at marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com
The Urban Homemaker

For recipes, inspiration, baking tips, and information in the Spirit of
Titus Two join our bi-monthly newsletter at this link.

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Be Prepared to Preserve

Be Prepared to Preserve
by Lisa Vitello
www.newharvesthomestead.com

     It's mid-summer!  God's good earth is bursting with fresh, wholesome fruits, grains and vegetables.  Whether you grow a garden of your own or not, you can take advantage of all the fresh, seasonal produce available right now.  Be prepared to preserve!

     Now is the time to get your kitchen organized and equipped to handle all the abundant bounty that will be ready in just a couple of months. You don't want to be scrambling for supplies with fruits and vegetables dead ripe on the vine outside.  If you have never preserved food, this will be a very general overview of the equipment needed to "put by" fruits and vegetables.  For complete instructions on how to preserve all kinds of food, I would highly recommend Stocking Up III by Carol Hupping, et al, or Putting Food By by Janet C. Greene et al.  Both are classics in the area of food preservation and I learned most of what I know from books like these.

     The three most common forms of preserving foods are canning, freezing and drying.  Some foods, like spinach, should only be frozen, since the canning process would all but destroy it.  Foods that can be dried include most fruits, herbs and some veggies like zucchini and onion.  Canning is obviously the choice for putting up jams and jellies, plus I like it best for tomato sauce and apple pie filling.  It has taken me 20 years to figure a lot of this out, so please don't be overwhelmed.  Start by trying a couple of simple items you know your family will eat and build from there.

     There is some basic equipment involved in each of these processes.  For canning, you will need a water bath canner. I frequently see these at my local grocery and hardware stores.  They are not hard to find and are fairly inexpensive.  This is just a large pot, usually enamel over steel, with a lid and a rack inside for keeping the jars up off the bottom of the kettle while heating.  There are other accessories like a funnel for getting the food in the jar without spilling and tongs for taking the hot jars out of the canner, which I prefer over trying to lift up the rack.  Most of these items will be sold alongside the canning kettle.

     If you plan on trying your hand at canning vegetables, you will need a pressure canner.  Water bath canning works fine for high acid food like fruit, but won't destroy all the harmful bacteria in low acid foods like vegetables and meats.  I would not take any chances here - a pressure canner is essential to preserve vegetables and meats.

     These are not cheap.  A high quality 15 quart pressure canner will cost around $200.00 new.  Sometimes, if you keep an eye on the local classifieds you might find one for sale.  Just be careful to examine anything used very carefully, making sure it is in very good condition.  Also, I wouldn't use a pressure canner that is very old, as the technology has come a long way since our grandmothers' days.  The pressure can fluctuate and be hard to gauge with the old models.

     Pressure canners also require some extra attention and care before being put to use each season.  Some have rubber gaskets around the rim; others have overpressure plugs which must be inspected each year.  Simply following the instructions that come with your pressure canner will insure that your equipment stays in top condition.  This is a good reason to go ahead and buy new - good instructions and probably some customer support to go with it.  It is a one-time investment that will pay off for decades if you maintain it well.

     Of course, for canning you need canning jars.  The sizes most frequently used are half-pint, pint and quart jars.  The jars also come with either a regular or wide-mouth.  Regular works well for sauces and jams and wide-mouth is best for chunky things like whole tomatoes or peaches.  Jars are fine to buy used, as long as you run a finger around the rim of each one to check for tiny nicks, which will prevent a good seal.  I recommend you use jars specifically made for canning, since they are stronger and the lids and rims are made to fit perfectly on them.

     Speaking of lids and rims, it is a good idea to stock up on these as well.  The lids are the round disc with a sealant around the edge that will cover the top of the jar.  The rim is the part that screws down the lids.  Rims can be used over and over, but lids can only be used once, so have plenty on hand - in both regular and wide-mouth size.

     Another favorite method of preserving is freezing.  Freezing is nice because it is less labor intensive and time consuming than canning.  Many types of berries can be picked and thrown right into a Ziploc freezer bag for future use.  Most vegetables, when prepared correctly, will last 8 to 10 months in the freezer, fruits a full year.  It is always such a blessing to pull out a bag of frozen blackberries in the dead of winter and whip up some delicious jam.  That wonderful aroma makes the whole house smell like summer.

     If you have a stand alone freezer unit, you will be able to make good use of it throughout the growing season.  I like to freeze spinach, strawberries, blackberries, grated zucchini, peas, carrots and green beans, among other things.  Most vegetables will need to be blanched (steamed or boiled for a certain amount of time and then plunged into cold water) before freezing.  Again, refer to the books I have recommended for full instructions.

     Even if you only have the freezer unit on top of your refrigerator, you can still select a few items for freezing, preferably foods that will freeze flat rather than chunky, like tomato sauce or pureed pumpkin.  That way, they won't take up too much room.

     Finally, there is drying or dehydrating.  While it is really nice to have a dehydrator, it is not absolutely necessary.  Most produce that is suitable for drying can be dried in the oven.  However, this means that your oven will be unavailable for other uses throughout the drying period.  For some items, like fruit, this can be quite a while.

     One of the things I have done is to use my oven for drying herbs, like basil.  First, make sure the herb is clean; it may need a quick rinse.  Then, spread the herbs out on a cookie sheet.  Have the oven warming on a very low temperature, around 200∞ or so.  Turn the oven off and then put in the herbs.  I usually do this right before bedtime and let them stay in the oven overnight.  By morning, they ought to be fairly dried out.

     If you live in an area with very hot, dry summers, drying outside would be perfect for you.  My grandmother used to tell me how her family would head out to the nearby u-pick farms in June to pick cherries.  When they brought all those cherries home, her mother would set up screens outdoors held up by sawhorses.  She would wash and pit the cherries and then lay them out on a screen.  She would then place another screen on top to keep the bugs off.  Since they lived in Missouri, the hot weather would dry out those cherries in a matter of days.

     A dehydrator is a nice thing to have, though.  You can put your food in and let it go all day and night if need be.  I have the American Harvest dehydrator, which works by blowing hot air through the unit.  Other units work by using a heating element.  These are actually quite common to see at garage sales or in classifieds, and there isn't too much worry in buying a used one as long as it is in good working condition.  A new one will cost anywhere from $50.00 - 200.00, depending on how fancy you want to get.

     Try preserving at least one thing a week throughout the summer months - whether it is a little bunch of herbs or 20 pints of peaches.  You will have the satisfaction of knowing you are providing the very freshest food to your family with no added preservatives or chemicals.  You will save money over store bought goods and you will be blessed as you revel in the work of your own hands.

Lisa Vitello is the editor/publisher of New Harvest Homestead, a bi-monthly newsletter devoted to sharing inspiration and instruction for Christian women who desire a simpler, home-centered life.  Kitchen gardening, canning and preserving food, homekeeping, cooking & baking from scratch, crafting and more is shared, along with lots of Titus 2 encouragement! 

Visit her website at www.newharvesthomestead.com to request a free introductory issue.  She has been married 25 years to her great love, Guy, has six children and lives on two acres in the beautiful Pacific Northwest where she keeps a large garden, tends her 20 chickens and enjoys all the blessings of God's creation.

The July/August 2007 issue of New Harvest Homestead,is now available, and it is full of great information on preserving!  Learn about readers' favorite dehydrators, how to use them and their favorite recipes for drying.  Lisa shares the hows and whys of pressure canning along with lots of readers' recipes for everything from home canned salsa to pickles to peach pie filling.  You will also learn to process and freeze corn straight from a Kansas corn grower!  All of this, along with inspiration to help you keep a quiet soul, tips for saving money at the grocery store, crafting with nature, favorite sandwiches & salads, homestead dogs and so much more!
 
Urban Homemaker

CLEAR JEL™ FREEZER JAM and other uses

Clear Jel is a specially processed starch and will swell or thicken instantly without cooking, makes clearer sauces and offers the advantages of:
* It reduces the amount of sugar needed in certain recipes.
*It reduces the amount of time spent in food preparation.
*It saves you money.
*It thickens foods instantly, yet it can be used in cooking as well.

Clear Jel can be used inJelly, Jam,Preserve, Conserve, Marmalade and Fruit butter. Instead of using pectin use Clear Gel, it requires less and it sets faster and has a clearer consistency

Use 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons Clear Gel to 4 cups of fruit. You do not need to add as much sugar when using Clear Gel. Prepare as usual.

Freezer Jam: heat your fruit to dissolve your sugar then add Clear Gel, let it set 5 minutes, then pour into your jars. Freeze. It is that easy!!!!

General Directions:
Replace cornstarch, flour, and tapioca as thickener with Clear Jel by:
Adding Clear Gel slowly to hot or cold liquid using a wire whisk. Stir until smooth. Allow 10 minutes for cold liquids to reach maximum thickness. Refrigerate or freeze finished produces for future use if desired.

Conversion ratio:

1 tbsp. cornstarch=1 1/2 tbsp. Instant Clear Jel
2 tbsp. flour or tapioca= 1 tbsp. Instant Clear Jel


Urban Homemaker

Food Preparation For Dehydrating

Food Preparation For Dehydrating:

1. The smaller a piece of food the faster it will dry. Ideally, slices or pieces should be about 1/4" thick.
2. Remove all pits from fruits before drying.
3. Before drying whole prunes, figs, and grapes, they should be placed in boiling water or steam blanched for 1-2 minutes, or pricked with a fork. These processes allow moisture to escape during drying.
4. Vegetables should be blanched or steamed before being dried. This hastens the drying process, enhances the flavor, and preserves vitamin content.
5. Some fruits darken during the drying process. If you find this color change objectionable, food pieces may be dipped in solutions of lemon juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, ascorbic acid, or sodium bisulfite prior to drying.
6. Food should be dried at its peak of freshness and ripeness. If foods cannot be dried immediately, they should be temporarily stored in a dark, cool location.

Urban Homemaker

Pizza Sauce and Basic Tomato Sauce

From SIMPLY IN SEASON. Copyright 2005 by Herald Press, Scottdale, PA 15683. Used by permission.

PIZZA SAUCE
Very good on spaghetti, too.

Yields 12-14 pints

12 pounds tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium onion, halved
2-4 chili peppers
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 TB fresh oregano
1 TB fresh marjoram
2 tsp. fresh thyme
2 tsp. fennel seeds
6 cloves garlic (or 2 tsp. garlic powder)

Puree in blender or food processor with tomatoes. If fresh herbs aren't available, use half or less of dried.) Put puree in large stainless steel soup pot.

1/3 cup sugar
3 TB salt
30 oundes tomato paste
1/3 cup olive oil

Add to puree. Cook for 1 1/2-2 hours until very thick, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Ladle into hot sterilized pint jars to within 1/2 inch of top, seal with sterilized lids, and process full jars in boiling water bath for 35 minutes.

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

"I use this for spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, or any time I need a marinara-type sauce," says contributor Mary beth Lind. "I really like the added nutrition of the carrot."

Yields 3 pints

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves, garlic, minced

Saute until soft in 2 TB olive oil

2 carrots, shredded
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tb fresh basil (chopped; or 2 tsp dried)
1 TB fresh oregano (chopped; or 1 tsp dried)

Add. Stir well.

6 cups plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 ounces tomato paste
1 TB honey (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Add and season to taste. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve or freeze. To can, ladle into hot sterilized pint jars to within 1/2 inch of top, add 1 TB lemon juice or vinegar per pint to assure acidity, seal with sterilized lids, and process full jars in boiling water bath for 35 minutes.

Urban Homemaker

Quick Tomato Sauce

QUICK TOMATO SAUCE
This simple sauce has all the concentrated flavor of a long, slow simmered sauce in a fraction of the time.

2 TB olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 TB omato paste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
3 lbs. plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded and coarsely chopped enough to equal 2 quarts
1 Cup lightly packed fresh basil
3 TB freshly choppped parsely

Heat oil in a 5-liter or larger DUROMATIC pressure cooker. Add garlic and onion and saute until softeneed about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomate paste, pepper, salt, vinegar and basil. Stir until mixture begins to come to a boil.

Close the lid and bring pressure to the econf red ring (15 lbs) over medium high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to stabilize pressure at the second red ring and cook for 7 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool until the pressure comes down naturally. Remove the lid. Sauce may have some excess liquid depending on your tomatoes. Place the cooker over medium-high heat stirring frequently to prevent burning until the sauce begins to thicken. Add parsely in the last few minutes of cooking. Serves 6-10

Our free e-book, FAST AND HEALTHY RECIPES FOR BUSY WOMEN -Reliable Recipes for Busy Families includes my best and most requested bread recipes. My earnest desire is that you will find the my tips, information, and recipes to be a reliable resource of healthy, family-favorite recipes, as well as streamlined preparation methods which fit in with busy lifestyles.

For recipes, inspiration, baking tips, and information in the Spirit of Titus Two join our bi-monthly newsletter at this link.

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SALSA (Naturally Fermented- no Canning Needed)

LACTO-FERMENTED SALSA
Makes one quart, double, or quadruple if you have lots of tomatoes and peppers

4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
2 small onions, finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped chile pepper, hot or mild
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (optional)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
juice of 2 lemons
1 TB sea salt
4 TB whey, if not available, use an additional 1 TB salt
1/4 cup filtered water.

Peel tomatoes, cut along the "equator" of the tomato, sqeeze out the seeds. Dice up tomatoes, and combine with all the other ingredients, and place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar. Press down lightly with a wooden pounder or large spoon, adding more water if necessary to cover the vegetables. The top of the salsa mixture should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days before transferring to cold storage. Make several jars if you have plenty of tomatoes, as this salsa is wonderful. The same Salsa can be made using canned tomatoes in the winter time.

Adapted from Nourishing Traditions

Urban Homemaker

TIMESAVING TIPS FOR HOME PRESERVERS

ALWAYS MAKE SURE ALL EQUIPMENT IS ON HAND BEFORE STARTING. There is nothing worse than coming up short on lids or sugar, spices or some other needed ingredient once you get started in canning.

STORE HARVESTED VEGETABLES in plastic bags and chill quickly if you are not going to get to them right away.

P>Download our free ebook called FAST AND HEALTHY RECIPES FOR BUSY WOMEN -Reliable Recipes for Busy Families.

Urban Homemaker

USING FRUIT PULP FOR BUTTER, SYRUPS, LEATHER BABY FOODS ETC

Don't discard the pulp! The NUTRI-STEAMER lets you use all parts of the fruit. Enjoy using leftover pulp for baby food, applesauce, fruit leather, apricot butter, fruit syrups and sauces. Be sure the pulp is free of stems, seeds, pits, and cores before preparing any of the following foods. The VILLA WARE FOOD STRAINER is a fast and easy way to effectively strain out skins, seeds, and pits.

BABY FOOD:
Blend leftover pulp into a smooth puree. Make sure stems and sees are removed. Freeze the pulp in ice cube trays. Pop frozen "cubes" of fruit out of trays and pack in freezer bags. Vegetables can be steamed, pureed in the blender and frozen as well.

APPLESAUCE
Place the hot apple pulp into a food strainer to separate the cores and skins from the pulp and create the sauce. Sweeten the sauce with honey if desired and add some cinnamon. Spoon into canning jars and freeze or water bath can. One large batch of steamed apples makes several quarts of thick applesauce.

APPLE BUTTER
16 cups of thick apple pulp (the juice collected in the Nutri-Steamer results in thick pulp)
1 Cup vinegar
8 Cups sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon
Mix well to be sure the cinnamon is well distributed. Pack in jars and water bath process for 15-20 minutes.

FRUIT LEATHER
Fruit leathers make terrific treats for children of all ages. Puree the pulp in the blender, sweeten with honey if needed. Spread the mixture on cookie sheets or fruit leather trays and dry in dehydrator, the sun, or low oven overnight with the door ajar to allow moisture to escape.

APRICOT BUTTER
8 Cups of Apricot pulp, skins included, pureed in a blender with some sugar or honey (2-5 CUPS) to taste, cinnamon and orange pulp or juice, if desired, makes delicious apricot butter perfect for toast, and pancake toppings.

HOMEMADE PANCAKE, WAFFLE SYRUPS
Puree fruit pulp in a blender, and then add sweetener such as honey, stevia, or sugar to taste. Pour into jars and water bath can. Fruit juice can be combined with sweetener and Pomona's Pectin to slightly thicken to make delicious syrup as well.

FREEZER STRAWBERRY JELLY
1 3/4 cups strawberry juice
4 Cups sugar
2 TB strained lemon juice
1/2 bottle Certo Fruit Pectin
Add the sugar to the juice and mix well. Combine lemon juice and pectin in a small bowl. Stir into the juice and continue stirring about three minutes. Pour quickly into jars, seal. When cooled, store in freezer.

FREEZER PEACH JELLY
3 Cups peach juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 bottle liquid fruit pectin.

All jams and jellies can be prepared using POMONA'S PECTIN with much less sugar. It requires about 3/4 teaspoon of POMONA'S PECTIN per cup of fruit and no more than 1/2 the amount of mashed fruit or juice IN ADDED sweetener of choice. Sweeteners that are compatible with POMONA'S are sugar, honey, fruit juice concentrate, stevia and artificial sweetener's.

BEVERAGE RECIPES USING POPULAR STEAM EXTRACTED JUICE

Be creative and combine juices such as apricot, rhubarb, plum, peach, tomato, blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry Juice. Cherry and Apple is a yummy combination.

Combine fruit juices to make your own fruit punches. Canned pineapple juice is delicious in combination with almost any juice along with carbonated beverages if desired. Mixing bland and tart fruit juices mellows tart juice and enhances bland juices. Sweeten to taste with your sweetener of choice.

SUMMER PUNCH
4 Cups apple juice
4 cups grape juice
1 cup sugar
Juice of 3 oranges and 2 lemons.

Mix all juices together. Add a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves to enhance the flavors.

CRABAPPLE SPARKLER
8 cups chilled crabapple juice
1 qt. cold, pure water
1 cup sugar or substitute
2 cups ginger ale
1-2 TB lemon juice
Mix and enjoy!

STRAWBERRY-PHUBARB JUICE
3 Quarts strawberries
3-4 lbs shubarb
2 cups sugar

Cut rhubarb into one-inch pieces. Layer strawberries, rhubarb and sugar into the food basket/colander of the Nutri-Steamer. Steam for 60 minutes. Yum!

FRUIT SLUSH
2 Cups apricot nectar or juice
2 Cups peach nectar or juice
3 cups pineapple juice
1/2 package unsweetened raspberry drink mix or
1/2 package of pre-sweetened raspberry punch powder (6 1/2 oz)
Sweetener of Choice to Taste

Combine the juice and punch powder. Add sweetener of choice if needed. Stir well. Freeze. One hour before serving, remove from the freezer and thaw at room temperature. Combine the slush with ginger ale or lemon-lime beverage.

Urban Homemaker

Why Dehydrate?

Why Dehydrate?

We're hooked on dehydrating! Most foods can easily and successfully be dried with very little preparation time. What's more, they are even easier to use!

Advantages of Dried Foods:

  • Easily Stored - Dried foods take one-tenth or less the storage space of canned foods.
  • Naturally Good and Nutritious - Flavor and nutrition are kept in dried foods without adding preservatives, sugar, or salt. Dried fruits and some vegetables (such as seasoned zucchini chips) are great natural snacks.
  • Economical - Bottles, jars, lids, sugar, etc. are just some of the items you won't have to buy when you dry food. Processing energy will also be lowered considerably. Overripe fruit needn't be thrown away but can be converted into tasty fruit leathers.
  • Completely Safe - Dried foods (even vegetables and meats) are completely safe when dried according to directions. There is no danger of botulism because the moisture that is a breeding ground for organisms has been removed.
  • Versatile - Dried foods are easily reconstituted for use in many recipes; from main dishes to breads and desserts. Leftovers and peelings can be dried for flavoring soup stock.
  • Easily Prepared - For people in a hurry, drying is the ideal way to preserve food. Very little preparation is needed - no hot jars, canners, or boiling water to tend.
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