Use New Recipes to Ensure Safety

As the spring and summer canning season approaches, those new to canning and seasoned food preservationists can benefit from a few safety tips from University of Tennessee canning expert Dr. Janie Burney.

Burney is a professor and food preservation specialist with the UT Extension department of Family and Consumer Sciences, and in this column she reviews why using new recipes and guidelines can be essential to ensuring the safety of home-canned products.

Question: Why do I need to follow up-to-date recipes for canning?”

Burney: As the science of home food preservation has developed, new foods have become popular, and new kinds of equipment have entered the marketplace.  Recipes are continually updated by USDA to be sure they are safe and to ensure that the quality of the food is maintained for as long as possible.

Question: What are some examples?

Burney: Summer squash is a good example.  It is no longer recommended for home canning.  Recipes for canning summer squashes, including zucchini, are not found in recent USDA and university canning guides.  The old recipes have been withdrawn due to uncertainty about the processing times.  Squashes are low-acid vegetables and require pressure canning to destroy the bacteria that cause botulism, but documentation for the previous processing times cannot be found.  Reports that are available do not support the old process.  The reason is that slices or cubes of cooked summer squash will get quite soft and pack tightly into the jars, but the amount of squash filled into a jar will affect the heating pattern in that jar.  This makes processing time too variable.  I tis best to freeze or pickle summer squashes, but they may also be dried.

Processing pumpkin butter or pureed pumpkin is also no longer considered safe.  Home canning is not recommended for pumpkin butter or any mashed or pureed pumpkin or winter squash.  According to the latest USDA publication, Complete Guide to Home Canning, published in 2009, the only directions for canning pumpkin and winter squash are for cubed pulp.  In fact, the directions for preparing the product include the statement, “Caution: Do not mash or puree.”

In addition to pumpkin and winter squashes, there are no home canning recommendations available for purees of figs, tomatoes, cantaloupe and other melons, papaya, ripe mango or coconut.  No processing times have been established to ensure that purees made from these foods can be safely stored at room temperature without concern for growth of bacteria that cause botulism.

Question: Can I use the recipes for squash and pureed foods I find on the internet?

Burney: If you use recipes from the internet, or old family recipes, USDA and UT Extension cannot assure you that they are safe.  A major concern is the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria that produce a deadly toxin that causes botulism.  If foods are not processed at a high enough temperature for a long enough time, these bacteria can grow when food is stored at room temperature.  Contact your Family and Consumer sciences agent at your local Extension Office for current recipes.  You also can visit http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_home.html to print current recipes including USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning.  More recipes may be available on the national extension website: http//www.extension.org. Just search the term “canning.”  Remember, recipes on web sites that end in “.com” may not be safe.

Question: I am interested in canning Asian pears.  Are they processed like other pears?

Burney: New processing times have recently been established for Asian pears.  This kind of pear is not as acidic as other pears.  To prevent botulism, you will need to acidify them by adding 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice per pint jar or 2 tablespoons per quart jar before filling jars with fruit.  The only recommendation for processing at this time is the hot pack.  Boil drained pears 5 minutes in syrup, juice or water then fill jars with hot fruit.  Process them in a boiling-water canner for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts.  If you live in an altitude from 1,001 to 3,000 feet, process them 5 minutes longer for pints or quarts.

UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture.  With an office in every Tennessee County, UT Extension delivers educational programs and research-based information to citizens throughout the state.  In cooperation with Tennessee state University, UT Extension works with farmers, families, youth and communities to improve lives by addressing problems and issues at the local, state and national levels.

For more information on Food Preservation contact the Extension office at 423-949-2611 or visit our website at http://sequatchie.tennessee.edu or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/UTExtension.Sequatchie. 

So, you want to can your own food…

Now is a great time to learn how to preserve your food at home because canning is making a comeback, says Dr. Janie Burney, a professor and food preservation specialist with the University of Tennessee Extension Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

“If you need some way to preserve food that you have grown yourself or purchased at a grocery or farmers market, canning may be the thing to do,” said Burney.  She adds that home canning equipment has never been safer or easier to use.

“The best way to start is by using the right equipment, proper techniques and up-to-date home canning recipes from your local University of Tennessee Extension Office,” Burney recommended.  The food preservation expert explained that extension agents trained in the field of family and consumer sciences, formerly called home economics, offer a variety of educational programs in home food preservation in counties across the state.

“ Don’t hesitate to call your local county extension office for detailed information,’ she said.  “Extension agents have a long history of providing ad ice on how to preserve foods safely at home.  Extension agents are part of the national Cooperative Extension System, which is a partnership between the USDA, the University of Tennessee or Tennessee State University, and your county.  USDA published instructions for canning as early as 1909 in pamphlets known as farmer’s bulletins.”

As the spring and summer canning season approaches, Burney is often asked to review some of the basics of canning.  Here’s a set of answers to many questions that beginners and those experienced in food preservation often ask.

Question: How do I need to prepare for prepare for canning season?

Burney: It’s never too early to start thinking about what supplies and materials you will need.  Don’t wait until the food is ready to be harvested.  Start by checking your equipment and supplies.  Proper equipment in good condition is required for sage, high-quality, home canned food.

A pressure canner is a must for canning low-acid vegetables, meats, fish and poultry.  Two basic types are available.  One has a dial gauge to indicate the pressure inside the canner; the other has a metal weighted gauge.  Dial gauges must be tested for accuracy before each canning season.  For information on testing a dial gauge, call your county extension agent.  Check the rubber gasket if your canner has one.  It should be flexible and soft, not brittle, sticky or cracked.  Also make sure any small pipes or vent ports with openings are clean and open all the way through.

A boiling water canner is needed for canning fruits, pickles, jellies and jams.  The canner should be deep enough to allow at least one to two inches of water to boil over the tops of the jars.  Both pressure and boiling water canners should have a rack in the bottom to keep jars off the bottom of the canner.

If you have canned before, inspect old jars for nicks, cracks or chips, especially around the top sealing edge.  Nicks can prevent lids from sealing.  Very old jars can weaken with age and repeated use.  They break under pressure and heat.  Consider investing in new jars and watch for specials in stores.  New jars are a better investment over time than buying used jars at yard sales or flea markets.

Mason-type jars specifically designed for home canning are best.  Jars that use two-piece self-sealing metal lids are recommended by USDA.  These have been tested in many canning processes and form good seals.  Used lids should be thrown away.  The screw bands are reusable if they are not bent, dented or rusted.

Question: Where can I find instructions for canning specific foods?

Burney: Your local Extension Office is one source for instructions.  You also can find safe recipes from USDA and from other Extension offices across the country.  If you use the internet, bookmark the site for the National Center for Home Food Preservation (http://nchfp.uga.edu/).  Look for instructions on web sites that end in “edu” or “gov.” Recipes on web sites that end in “com” may not be safe.  One exception is the national extension website: http://www.extension.org.  Just search the term “canning.”

Question: Why can’t I use my grandmother’s old canning recipes? I can’t recall anyone getting sick.

Burney: Through the years, home canning methods and techniques are constantly tested and improved to assure the safest, most effective way of processing food due to the changes in variety of foods, soil conditions and bacteria living in soil and water.  The food you grow today may be very different from the food your grandmother grew.  Tomatoes are a good example.  Your tomatoes may be less acidic than those in your grandmother’s garden, which makes a difference in how they are canned.

Question: How can I determine how much food to preserve for my family:

Burney: Preserve enough for your family for about a year.  It may be tempting to can all those green beans you grow.  However, the longer they are stored, the more quality they will lose.  There may also be changes in texture, changes in color and loss of flavor.  Call the Extension office for information on yields for canned or frozen fruits and vegetables.

Burney’s bottom line is that even if you have never tried home canning, you can be successful with proper equipment and proper instructions, and the best source for those instructions is your local extension office.  You may reach your local Extension Office at 423-949-2611 or visit our website at http://sequatchie.tennessee.edu or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/UTExtension.Sequatchie. 

“No matter what reason you have for preserving food at home, do it safely,” she advises.  “Successful home canning requires only that you observe simple guidelines.”

UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture.  With an office in every Tennessee county, UT Extension delivers educational programs and research-based information to citizens throughout the state.  In cooperation with Tennessee State University, UT Extension works with farmers, families, youth and communities to improve lives by addressing problems and issues at the local, state and national levels.

How often should producers test their soils?

The UT Soil, Plant and Pest Center offers soil tests and recommendations for improving fertility

It's no secret on the farm that soil fertility is key to a good crop yield. It's also no secret that you can't tell a soil's components solely by evaluating the color of the samples. Thorough, reliable chemical tests are required. But how often do you need them?
"The frequency of soil testing can vary depending on cropping intensities, soil types, fertilization rates, tillage methods, weather conditions and new research findings," said Debbie Joines, manager of the University of Tennessee Soil, Plant and Pest Center. The center performs basic soil tests that include soil pH, buffer value, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium for the modest fee of $7.00 per sample. More extensive tests are also available.
Joines offers these general schedules to producers and homeowners who wonder how often they should invest in soil tests:

1. Continuous Row Crops (conventional) — every two to three years.
2. Double-cropping Systems — every two years.
3. Continuous No-till Soybeans (only) — every three to five years.
4. Continuous No-till Corn or Cotton — every two years.
5. Hay Systems — every two years.
6. High-value Cash Crops (tobacco, vegetables) — annually.
7. Lawns, Gardens and Pasture Crops — every three to five years.
8. Any time a nutrient problem is suspected.
9. At the beginning of a different cropping rotation.

Joines said soil test results are used to formulate research-based, cost-effective lime and fertilizer recommendations specific to the type of crop or plant and yield desired. "Following our recommendations and good cultural practices will enhance yields and therefore help your bottomline," she added. "For some production practices you will get the best results if you submit your samples in the fall and follow up with recommend fertilization and soil amendments," she said. "But many folks prefer to submit spring samples, and following any recommended procedures should enhance field performance."
Procedures for accurately sampling soils from large tracts of land differ from those used for a home lawn or garden. Visit the center's website: https://ag.tennessee.edu/spp to learn more about collecting and submitting samples. Click on the link for soil testing. For more information, you may also contact the your local county UT Extension agent.

UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the UT Institute of Agriculture. With an office in every Tennessee county, UT Extension delivers educational programs and research-based information to citizens throughout the state. In cooperation with Tennessee State University, UT Extension works with farmers, families, youth and communities to improve lives by addressing problems and issues at the local, state and national levels.

Groovy Grandmas and Gregarious Grandpas

Part II

Do you know what to call a groovy grandma that goes BANANAS over her grandkids? A Banana Nana of course!! Can anyone relate with that definition?  I know I can.  When that first grandchild is born we turn into a whole new creature complete with a new name.  We may be called grandma, granny, gigi, papa, pops or a myriad of other names, but rest assured our lives are forever changed. 

There is no denying that a special bond takes place between grandparents and their grandchildren.  There is a mutual love and respect that is not easily broken.  This bond sets grandparents up to be great leaders and influencers for their grandchildren.  Today I want to challenge you to consider using your influence in six ways that can strengthen the entire family.

Mentor your grandchildren to become little entrepreneurs.  Ideas might include selling vegetables at a Farmer’s Market; pet sitting for the neighbors, lawn care or organizing a family yard sale.  It’s a great way to spend time with your grandchildren while allowing parents a little kid-free time. Helping children develop their own business also teaches them about work, money and how to get along with the public. 

Teach your grandchildren about finances.  According to Nathan Dungan, only about 10 percent of American parents make a formal effort to teach their kids about managing money and personal finance.  Grandparents can help fill that void by taking the time to teach their grandchildren the concept of “Share, Save, Spend”.  Grandparents can be a voice of experience and reason on a wide range of financial matters such as understanding banking basics and how to save for major purchases. Allow Extension to assist you with this task.  We offer a free financial literacy course on line for our rising young adults. Visit loveyourmoney.org to sign up today.

Grandparents can be the coolest dorm in town (or at least the cheapest).  If you have a college in your area offer your grandchildren free room and board at your place if they want to attend the local school.  According to the College Board, the average cost of room and board at a public university is now nearly $30,000 for a four year degree.  Allowing grandchildren to board at Nana’s house will make a significant impact on their educational expenses.  This could be a win-win situation if your grandchild is willing to assist with chores or repairs around the house as well.

Donate a set of wheels or other treasures to the cause.  My grandparents surprised me by donating their old 69 Chevy Impala to me during my senior year of high school.  It was an ugly gold color and the size of Sherman’s tank, but I grew to love that car.  Thirty years later, I still reminisce about that car and all the fond memories it held.  Don’t assume that your would-be throwaways – from furniture and clothing to cars and housewares – won’t be appreciated by your grandkids.  Hand-me-downs will save them money when they’re starting lives of their own and need it most.

Make your checks count.  I know we all want to provide the very best for our grandchildren and we find joy in writing that check for a birthday, Christmas or other special accomplishments.  However, look for opportunities to teach something along the way.  For example, you might be willing to match funds to buy their first car or to go on that class trip.  This teaches them about accepting responsibility for their own wants and allows them to experience the struggles and joys of saving up for something major.

A special warning to new grandparents: Be sure what you plan to do with the first grandchild can be repeated with multiple grandchildren down the line.  This can cause resentment from your own children who have kids later in life.  Remember that whatever you do for your first grandchild will set a precedent that you’ll need to repeat for every other grandchild.

For more information on Grandparenting contact the Extension office at 423-949-2611 or visit our website at http://sequatchie.tennessee.edu or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/UTExtension.Sequatchie.