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January 29, 2004
I field quite a few consumer calls in an average week. The other day someone called and asked what she might do with a “lot” of fresh vegetables she had received from a friend. I usually only receive these calls in the summer or fall, not the dead of winter. I was imagining she had about 10 pounds. She said she had over 50 pounds of vegetables, and she wanted to can them because they were starting to “go bad.” Of course my next question was, “Do you have a pressure canner?” She said, “No, but I thought I’d use a boiling water-bath canner.” We talked about all the reasons why using a water-bath canner is not a safe plan for canning vegetables. “Do you have a dehydrator or a freezer?” I asked. “No, I just have the freezer above my refrigerator.” I could almost see the light bulb above her head. “We do have a giant freezer – outside.” She had me there. It has certainly been lower than zero degrees lately, which is the recommendation for freezer temperatures. In fact, lately outdoors it’s been as cold as an ice factory. So, we talked about blanching and packing vegetables with a little headspace to allow the food to expand during freezing. Granted, storing food outside is not my usual recommendation but she had her heart set on saving these vegetables and there was no neighbor with freezer space nearby. I’m hoping she’ll spring for a freezer soon. Here are a couple other questions and answers about cold food storage I’ve received in the past: “What causes freezer burn? Is it safe to eat freezer-burned food?” “Freezer burn” is a form of dehydration usually caused by improper packaging. The surface moisture has evaporated, and the food may appear lighter in color and “dried out.” While the food is safe to eat, the quality is lower. It often has an “off-flavor.” To avoid freezer burn, package foods carefully in moisture or vapor-resistant packaging before freezing. Mark the packages with the date you placed them in the freezer, and “rotate your stock.” Use the “oldest” food first. “I left a package of frozen ground beef on my counter overnight. It was pretty cool in the house. Is it safe to eat if I cook it really well?” Even if it’s cool in your house, it’s not safe to “counter thaw” meat. Bacteria could grow to levels that could cause foodborne illness or produce toxins that cannot be inactivated by any amount of cooking. Meat and other high-protein foods should be thawed in the refrigerator at 40 degrees or lower, microwave oven (followed by immediate cooking) or under cool running water. To access an on-line “Food Storage Guide” with time recommendations for storing a wide variety of foods, visit this Web site: http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/foodsafe.htm Here’s a tasty beverage mix that stays safe in your cupboard and will warm a wintry day.
### Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
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North Dakota State University |
