August 14, 2003

Prairie Fare: Lifting the Lid on Food Preservation

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

When most of us “baby boomers” came home from the hospital as infants, our mothers probably held us, because infant car seats weren’t required then. We probably rode in cars filled with leaded fuel. 

Most likely we came home to houses with asbestos insulation and lead-containing paint. Most of us slept in cribs with fairly wide slats, and our pajamas probably weren’t flame-retardant. We might have been fed solid foods at two weeks of age. 

Maybe it’s a wonder we survived. 

The moral of the story: Health and safety recommendations change based on knowledge gained through research and practice.   

Food preservation recommendations have changed over time, too. Grandma’s famous pickled beet recipe and the canning recipes published in the 1970 church cookbook probably don’t stand up to current recommendations.  

During and after World War II, canning formulations were tested for safety.  Research-tested recipes and procedures were provided across the United States through the Extension Service network of the land-grant university system. Since then, canning recommendations continually have been revamped as new knowledge is gained.

How much do you know about canning recommendations? Even if you have never seen a pressure canner, you could be offered home-canned food. You might want to gauge your risk. 

Test your knowledge with this true/false quiz.

1. True/False: Vegetables, meats and most mixtures of foods must be canned in a pressure canner, not a boiling water bath canner.
2. True/False: Paraffin wax is not recommended as a way to seal jams and jellies.
3. True/False: When canning salsa or tomatoes to be processed in a water bath canner, lemon juice or another acidic ingredient must be added to ensure proper acidity.
4. True/False: Botulism, a potentially fatal type of foodborne illness, could result from eating low-acid foods (like vegetables) that have been improperly canned.
5. True/False: For best quality, use home-canned foods within a year.

How did you do? All the answers are “true.” For more information about food preservation, contact your local extension office or visit the NDSU Extension Service Web site:  www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/food (click on publications section for research-tested recipes).

Here’s a spaghetti sauce recipe for canning in a pressure canner. Meat should not be added before canning and the proportions of ingredients should not be changed, because these modifications could change the acidity and safety of the final product.  Thickeners should not be added. If you have created a special sauce, which hasn’t been tested for safety, it may be safely frozen in meal-size portions. 

Meatless Spaghetti Sauce (for canning)

30 lb. peeled and chopped tomatoes (about 10 quarts)
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. green pepper, chopped
1 lb. fresh mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried oregano

Wash ripe tomatoes. Dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skin splits. Dip in cold water and slip off skins, core and quarter. Place in a large saucepan and boil 20 minutes, uncovered, to thicken. Saute onions, garlic, peppers and mushrooms in oil until tender. Combine sautéed vegetables with tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until thickened, about 1 ½ hours. Stir often to prevent sticking. Ladle into clean, hot canning jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe jar rims and cap with pretreated lids. 

Do NOT process in a water bath canner. In a weighted gauge canner, process for 20 minutes at 15 lb. pressure for pints or 25 minutes at 15 lb. pressure for quarts. Process at 11 lb. pressure in a dial gauge canner for the same times indicated for pints and quarts.

Makes about 9 pints or 36 servings. Each half-cup serving contains 55 calories, 1.1 grams fat, 11.4 grams carbohydrate and 2.5 grams fiber.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu

[Editors: We’ve updated the illustrated column identifier for Julie Garden-Robinson’s Prairie Fare column. If you’re using an older version or if you would like to use the identifier, please download this printable EPS file. Prairie Fare (142 Kb eps file)]