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Kamis, 04 Februari 2010

Preserving Food: Using Boiling Water Canners

Most boiling water canners are made of aluminum or porcelain-covered steel. They
have fitted lids and removable racks that are either perforated or shaped wire racks.
The canner must be deep enough so that at least one inch of briskly boiling water will be over the tops of jars during processing. Some boiling water canners do not have completely flat bottoms. A flat bottom must be used on an electric range. Either a flat or ridged bottom may be used on a gas burner. To ensure uniform processing of all jars with an electric range, the canner should be no more than 4 inches wider in diameter than the element on which it is heated. (When centered on the burner or element, the canner should not extend over the edge of the burner or element by more than 2 inches on any side.)

Follow these steps for successful boiling water canning: (Read through all the instructions before beginning.)
1. Before you start preparing your food, fill the canner half full with clean warm water for a canner load of pint jars. For other sizes and numbers of jars, you will need to adjust the amount of water so it will be 1 to 2 inches over the top of the filled jars.
2. Center the canner over the burner and preheat the water to 140 degrees F. for rawpacked foods and to 180 degrees F. for hot-packed foods. You can begin
preparing food for your jars while this water is preheating.
3. Load filled jars, fitted with lids, into the canner one at a time, using a jar lifter. When moving jars with a jar lifter, make sure the jar lifter is securely positioned below the neck of the jar (below the screw band of the lid). Keep the jar upright at all times. Tilting the jar could cause food to spill into the sealing area of the lid. If you have a shaped wire rack that has handles to hold it on the canner sides, above the water in the canner, you can load jars onto the rack in the raised position and then use the handles to lower the rack with jars into the water.
4. Add more boiling water, if needed, so the water level is at least one inch above the jar tops. For process times over 30 minutes, the water level should be 2 inches above the jars.
5. Turn the heat setting to its highest position, cover the canner with its lid and heat until the water boils vigorously.
6. Set a timer (after the water is boiling) for the total minutes required for processing the food.
7. Keep the canner covered for the process time. The heat setting may be lowered as
long as a gentle but complete boil is maintained for the entire process time.
8. Add more boiling water during the process, if needed, to keep the water level above the jar tops.
9. If the water stops boiling at any time during the process, turn the heat on its highest setting, bring the water back to a vigorous boil, and begin the timing of the process over, from the beginning (using the total original process time).
10. When the jars have been processed in boiling water for the recommended time,
turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars.
11. Using a jar lifter, remove the jars one at a time, being careful not to tilt the jars. Carefully place them directly onto a towel or cake cooling rack, leaving at least one inch of space between the jars during cooling. Avoid placing the jars on a cold surface or in a cold draft.
12. Let the jars sit undisturbed while they cool, from 12 to 24 hours. Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until the jar is completely cooled.
13. Remove ring bands from sealed jars. Put any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and
use first.
14. Wash jars and lids to remove all residues.
15. Label jars and store in a cool, dry place out of direct light.

Reference :
Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist.
The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without
regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.
An equal opportunity employer/affirmative action organization committed to a diverse workforce. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Josef M. Broder, Interim Dean and Director

Rabu, 03 Februari 2010

Easy Ways to Keep Food Fresh

There are countless benefits to eating fresh, unprocessed foods, not the least of which is to help maintain a healthy diet, but the down side is that these foods are basically free of preservatives, leading to faster food spoilage. Luckily, there are many natural ways to keep food fresh, especially fish, fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, cheese, bread, eggs and milk. While some of these methods are simply a matter of common sense, others may be surprising; these useful tips should help you to enjoy food at its freshest:

Pay close attention to expiration dates when shopping; buy food packages with the latest date printed on it.

Keeping your refrigerator between 38 and 40 degrees F will keep foods the freshest.

There is more temperature fluctuation in the refrigerator door, don’t store highly perishable foods there, especially milk.

Dry vegetables and fruits before storing, and do not store them in plastic bags, which trap the ethylene gas that causes produce to ripen faster.

Meats

In order to remain at the peak of freshness, meat products require plenty of air circulation around them in the refrigerator.

Meat should be kept in its original wrapping in the refrigerator if you will be using it within two days.

Smoked meats like bacon or ham should be wrapped in a vinegar-soaked cloth.

Meat should be wrapped in foil or freezer paper before being placed in the freezer.

Dairy Products

Make sure to put milk back in refrigerator immediately after using.

Always store milk in its original container.

Never store milk in the door; it is where the temperature fluctuates the most.

Before storing ice cream place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface, this will keep it fresher longer.

Store ice cream in the main part of the freezer, not in the freezer door.

Always wrap cheese in plastic or waxed paper before storing it in the deli drawer.

The best way to store eggs is with the pointed side down.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Produce releases ethylene gas as it ripens, while this is perfectly natural it does cause other fruits and vegetables to ripen faster. Some produce is more sensitive to ethylene than others, conversely some fruits and vegetables produce more ethylene than others.

Among the more sensitive are green beans, lettuce, watermelon, carrots, apples, eggplant, broccoli, cucumbers and potatoes.

The high-ethylene producers include pears, cantaloupe, apricots, tomatoes, bananas, plums, avocados, peaches, kiwis, mangoes, papayas and nectarines.

Avoid storing any of the high producers with the more sensitive fruits and vegetables.

Always store bananas on the counter, do not refrigerate them.

Make sure you wash and dry all produce before storing.

Never store produce in plastic bags.

Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries should be stored in the plastic container they came in, keep them in the rear of the refrigerator.

Baked Products

If you will not use bread within a week, first slice it and then freeze it, from there you can remove slices as you need them.

Fresh bread should be stored in a dark, cool and dry pantry.

To keep pound cake and banana bread fresher always cut slices from the middle, after you take a slice push the two ends together so that you still have a loaf, this way there are no cut ends to go stale!

Store cake with half an apple in the container, it will stay moist substantially longer.

Store cookies in an airtight container or jar with a slice of bread, this will help keep them softer.

A scientifically proven breakthrough in food preservation that increases the shelf life of almost all foods, both in the refrigerator and in the pantry is called eggstrafresh®. Not only will it keep food fresh, eggstrafresh® will also improve the natural color, flavor, taste, and texture of all of your fresh foods. For more information on the proven way to keep food fresh,

Reference : http://www.eggstrafresh.com.

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