Canning, freezing and drying have long been used as safe methods
for food preservation. Using correct techniques ensures the
quality and safety of the food. Approximately 10 years ago,
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised the
processing times for home-canned foods using altitude as one
of the factors. Those processing times have changed somewhat
from earlier recommendations. To ensure safety, use only sources
of information published after 1988. Below are recommended times
for areas of the country with an altitude of 0 to 2000 feet.
National Center for Home Food Preservation
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp
CANNING TIME REFERENCE FOR STEAM PRESSURE
CANNER
Phoenix Area 0 - 2000 feet Altitude)
| Low-Acid Vegetables |
Type of Pack |
1/2 Pints & Pints
- 11 pounds pressure with dial gauge
- 10 pounds pressure with weighted gauge
|
1 1/2 Pints & Quarts
- 11 pounds pressure with dial gauge
- 10 pounds pressure with weighted gauge
|
| Asparagus |
Raw or Hot |
30 |
40 |
| Beans,
Green |
Raw or Hot |
20 |
25 |
| Beans,
Lima |
Raw or Hot |
40 |
50 |
| Beets |
Hot |
30 |
35 |
| Carrots |
Raw or Hot |
25 |
30 |
Corn,
Whole-kernel |
Raw or Hot |
55 |
85 |
| Corn,
Cream-style |
Hot |
85 |
95 |
| Greens
(all kinds) |
Hot |
70 |
90 |
| Hominy |
Hot |
60 |
70 |
| Okra |
Hot |
25 |
40 |
| Peas,
Black eye |
Raw or Hot |
35 |
40 |
| Peas,
Green |
Raw or Hot |
40 |
40 |
| Peppers,
Green |
Hot |
35 |
Not
recommended |
| Potatoes,
White |
Hot |
35 |
40 |
| Potatoes,
Sweet |
Hot & Wet |
65 |
90 |
| Pumpkin,
Winter Squash, Cubed |
Hot |
55 |
90 |
| Rutabagas |
Hot |
30 |
35 |
| Spinach |
Hot (see greens) |
70 |
90 |
| Squash,
Summer |
Not
Recommended |
Not
Recommended |
Not
Recommended |
| Tomatoes,
Stewed |
Hot |
15 |
20 |
| Turnips |
Hot |
30 |
35 |
| Vegetables,
Mixed |
Hot |
30 |
35 |
CANNING TIME REFERENCE FOR BOILING WATER-BATH
CANNER
| Fruits |
Pack |
Pints |
Quarts |
| Apples |
Hot |
20 |
20 |
| Applesauce |
Hot |
20 |
20 |
| Apricots |
Raw |
25 |
30 |
| Apricots |
Hot |
20 |
25 |
| Berries |
Raw |
15 |
20 |
| Berries |
Hot |
15 |
15 |
| Cherries |
Raw |
25 |
25 |
| Cherries |
Hot |
15 |
20 |
| Grapes |
Raw |
15 |
20 |
| Grapefruit |
Raw |
10 |
10 |
| Mixed
Fruit |
Raw |
20 |
20 |
| Nectarines |
Raw |
25 |
30 |
| Peaches |
Raw |
25 |
30 |
| Peaches |
Hot |
20 |
25 |
| Pears |
Hot |
20 |
25 |
| Pineapple |
Hot |
15 |
20 |
| Plums |
Hot |
20 |
25 |
| Acid
Vegetables |
|
|
|
| Rhubarb |
Hot |
15 |
15 |
| Sauerkraut |
Hot |
15 |
20 |
| Tomatoes,
Whole * |
Hot |
40 |
45 |
| Tomato
Juice* |
Hot |
40 |
45 |
*Add 1 T bottled lemon juice or 1/4 tsp citric acid per pint
of tomato product.
Drying
Call the Master Consumer Advisors at (602) 827-8200 Ext. 341 for
more information
Freezing
Question:
Does freezing destroy bacteria?
Answer:
Freezing to 0 degrees F inactivates any microbes - yeasts, bacteria
and mold that may be present in food. It does not kill bacteria.
Once thawed, however, these microbes can again become active,
multiplying under the right conditions. If "once frozen foods"
are kept at room temperatures for more than 2 hours, the microorganisms
will grow to levels that can lead to food borne illness at about
the same rate as fresh foods. Thorough cooking to a high enough
internal temperature will destroy bacteria. Trichina and other
parasites can be destroyed by sub-zero freezing temperature.
Insect and insect eggs can be killed by freezing flour or grain
products for 5-7 days.
Question:
I have lots of homegrown tomatoes. How would I preserve them?
Answer:
Tomotoes do not freeze well because they become very watery
and mushy. If you want to freeze tomatoes, peel and crush them
to take up less space or cook in a sauce to freeze. Plan on
only using frozen tomatoes in cooked foods.High quality tomatoes
are usually canned whole, crushed, or as sauces or salsa.Since
varieties of tomatoes have changed over the years, all whole
or crushed tomatoes should have extra acid added when canning.
Look for current or recent canning recipes for tomatoes. US
Department of Agriculture reasearches changes in safety requirements
for home canned foods. Changes made in the 1990's recommend
adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid
per quart of tomatoes. The method of canning needed for a safe
salsa or other tomato mixtures depends on how acid the mixture
is. As soon as you add onions, peppers, garlic or herbs to the
tomatoes the mixture becomes low acid and must be canned in
a pressure canner to be safe. If the mixture has lemon or vinegar
added to it, the salsa might be high enough acid to canning
an a boiling water bath. You need to compare your recipes to
a tested, existing recipes to match the proportion of vegetables
to tomatoes to vinegar or lemon
Additional
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