Eating fresh fruits and vegetables picked from your garden is one of the best things about summer. But, what do you do with the extra produce? Do you preserve it, share it with family and friends or donate to the food pantry?
Preserving your harvest (or extra produce at the farmers market) is a great way to enjoy the summer bounty all year long. There are different ways to preserve produce by canning, freezing, pickling or drying.
The two canning methods are water bath and pressure canning. Water bath is used for high acid foods or recipes with added acid by using a large canning pot with a lid and a wire rack for the jars to sit on. The filled jars are placed in the canner with water heated to 140 to 180 degrees and the water is 1 to 2 inches above the jars. The water is brought to a boil and then boiled for a determined amount of time, referring to canning recipes for processing times. Use this method for fruit, jams and jelly, salsa, tomatoes with added acid, pickles, relishes and condiments. Pressure canning preserves food using a higher temperature than water bath canning. Pressure canners can have a dial gauge or a weighted gauge. Dial gauge canners need to be checked for accuracy, this can be done at University of Wisconsin-Extension offices. The Green County office is in the Justice Center in Monroe. Call 608-328-9440 to make an appointment.
Pressure can meats, vegetables and tomatoes, if not adding acid. If onions or peppers are added to tomatoes, then it must be pressure canned. There are varied canning times and methods for canning produce. Use only tested recipes when canning. To ensure a safe product, use one of the following tested recipe sources. Canned foods should be used within a year for best flavor. The quality of the preserved produce declines after one year, as long as the lid of the jar is sealed. Canned food may be used beyond one year of being canned. Canned meat should be used within one year.
UW-Extension Publications, https://foodsafety.wisc.edu/preservation.html
So Easy To Preserve by the University of Georgia, https://setp.ugs.edu/
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning by the National Center for Home Food Preservation, https://nchfp.uga.edu/
Fresh Preserving by TMs Ball Corporation, https://www.freshpreserving.com/
Freezing is a great alternative to canning, especially if you have a smaller amount of produce to preserve. Vegetables need to be blanched before freezing. Vegetables can be blanched in water, steam or a microwave oven and then cool the produce in ice water. This blanching needs to be done to stops the enzyme actions to preserve color, texture and flavor. Consult preserving publications for instructions for blanching time. Under-blanching produce could cause enzymes to become active or over-blanched produce loses flavor, color and vitamins. Frozen foods should be used within 6 to 12 months for best flavor.
Pickling, salsa and relishes use vinegar to preserve the produce, allowing foods to be canned in a water bath canner. Freezing is not the best option for pickled products other than salsas.
Dehydrating produce is the process of removing moisture from the food. Produce can be dehydrated in a dehydrator, oven, air drying or in the sun. Herbs can be bundled and hung up to air dry. If drying produce in the sun on a screen, cover the produce with a cheese cloth to keep insects damage at a minimum. Using a dehydrator dries produce on stackable tray allowing more produce to be dried at one time. Fruits and fruit leather are popular produce to dry. Vegetables can be dried, to easily add to soups and stews. Dried meat and jerky can be made in a dehydrator. Store dried foods in an air tight container, in a cool, dark place.
Some important things to keep in mind when preserving produce. Never open kettle can, oven can, steam can or can in a microwave oven. Only use jars and lids that are made for home canning. Do not reuse the flat metal lids, rings can be reused. Tattler canning lids are designed to be reused. Process produce at their peak of freshness, never use over-ripe or produce showing signs of spoilage. Do not can tomatoes the are damaged by frost.
When you have extra produce you will be able to can, freeze, pickle or dry them to use later.
It is very satisfying to go down to my canning room, after my summer of preserving, and select from a rainbow of canned products to prepare for family meals. I also enjoy giving some of my produce to friends and family as gifts. Along with being a Master Gardener I have also taken the University Extension’s Master Food Preserver training.
If anyone has any questions about canning or preserving contact me, I am happy to share my experience with others.
— Tamara Schulte is a master gardener with the University of Wisconsin-Extension. She can be reached at schulte1@tds.net.
