Fermentation bubbler fitted to jar. Left, water is poured in to level shown. Right, position of water immediately before a gas bubble passes through.
Fermentation bubbler fitted to jar. Left, water is poured in to level shown. Right, position of water immediately before a gas bubble passes through.
Store the wine for several weeks at a temperature of around 60° F. Suspended matter in the wine will begin to settle, and at this temperature certain desirable reactions continue to take place in the wine itself.
At the end of this period, siphon the wine from its sediment, with a plastic or rubber tube, into clean containers. At the same time dissolve and add a bit of the meta already referred to at the rate of ¼ level teaspoon per 5 gallons of wine. This will protect against off odors and spoilage but does not otherwise affect the wine.
Next, transfer the containers to a place where the wine will be thoroughly chilled, even down to freezing. This precipitates more suspended matter and unwanted ingredients, and encourages clarification.
Assuming that the wine was made in early fall, hold it in cool storage until after the first of the year. By then it should have “fallen bright” and be stable. To test its clarity, hold a lighted match behind the bottle.
The wine is then siphoned once again from its sediment, and anotherdose of meta added at the same rate of ¼ teaspoon per 5 gallons.
If the wine is brilliantly clear, one container of it may then be siphoned into wine bottles, corked or capped, and is ready for immediate use. Despite the common impression, most wine does not gain greatly by aging once it is stable. It continues to evolve, but not necessarily for the better.
The rest of the wine is held until after the return of warm weather to make sure there will be no resumption of fermentation, which would blow corks if the wine was bottled. By mid-May that hazard will have passed, and the wine is ready for its final siphoning, its final dose of the same quantity of meta, and bottling.
Fining.If in January the wine is not brilliantly clear, it should be “fined”. This consists of dissolving in a small amount of hot water and mixing in, at the time of siphoning, ordinary household gelatin at the rate of ¼ ounce (2 teaspoonsful) per 5 gallons. This will turn the wine milky when mixed in and will slowly settle, dragging all impurities and suspended matter with it. In two weeks to a month the process of “fining” will be complete. The wine is then ready to be siphoned from the fining sediment and treated as above.
As we have seen, red wine is fermented “on the skins” in order to extract the coloring matter and other ingredients lodged in the skins. In making white wine, the grapes are crushed and the fresh juice immediately separated by pressing so that it may ferment apart from the skins.
This fresh juice is checked for its sugar content and acidity, as in preparing to ferment red wine, and the proper corrections are made immediately after pressing. Likewise, a yeast “starter” is added.
The fermentation takes place in the same 5-gallon glass containers that are later used for storage. But as fermenters they are filled only two-thirds full as a precaution against any overflow or unmanageable formation of bubbles.
When the primary fermentation has run its course, the several partly-filled bottles are simply consolidated—filled full and equipped with bubblers. Subsequent siphoning from sediment, chilling, and dosing with meta are carried out as with red wine.
If fining is necessary, it differs in one respect: before mixing in the gelatin, mix in an equal amount of dissolved tannic acid to remove the impurities. Tannic acid is obtainable at drug stores or winemakers’ shops as a powder. This provides better settling out of suspended matter.
Dry table wine is a food beverage, to be used with meals.Sweet winesare more like cordials.
The making of sweet wines takes advantage of a characteristic of the yeast organism, namely, that its activity dies down and it usually ceases to ferment sugar into alcohol after a fermenting liquid reaches an alcoholic content of around 13%. The secret, then, is to add an excess of sugar when correcting the juice of crushed grapes before fermentation. When fermentation ceases, there is still some residual sugar in the juice. From then on the still-sweet new wine is treated much as other wine.
The three important differences are: (1) the wine is siphoned from its sediment immediately after fermentation, without the waiting period at 60° F; (2) the chilling begins as soon as possible; and (3) the dose of meta added then and at each subsequent siphoning is doubled (½ teaspoon per 5 gallons instead of ¼ teaspoon) to guard against spoilage and against any accidental resumption of fermentation.
Dry table wines made from other fruits are rarely successful, but agreeable sweet wines may be made fromthem. The point to remember is that most fruits are lower in sugar than grapes and higher in acid. Corrections for both are almost always necessary, plus sufficient excess sugar to leave residual sweetness after fermentation.
These fruits, with the exception of apple juice, are fermented in a crushed mass in order to obtain a maximum extraction of characteristic odors and flavors. Once fermentation is concluded, they are treated like sweet grape wine. The table will serve as a rough guide to their relative sugar content and total acidity.
[C]To maintain proper sugar level when the acidity is reduced by adding water, it is easier to make up a sugar solution by dissolving 3 pounds of sugar in enough water to fill a 1-gallon jug.[B]Addition of some acid (citric or tartaric) may help. This can be done “to taste” after the active fermentation is over.
[C]To maintain proper sugar level when the acidity is reduced by adding water, it is easier to make up a sugar solution by dissolving 3 pounds of sugar in enough water to fill a 1-gallon jug.
[B]Addition of some acid (citric or tartaric) may help. This can be done “to taste” after the active fermentation is over.
If a cork happens to pop out unnoticed and air reaches the wine for several weeks, there is a good chance that bacterial action will begin to convert the alcohol in the wine into acetic acid. Once the presence of acetic acid can be detected (a vinegar-like odor) the wine will lose its appeal as wine. A usable vinegar can be retrieved by encouraging the process to go to completion.
Vinegar produced from an undiluted wine will be overly strong, so an equal volume of water should be added. The container should be less than three-quarters full and closed with a loose cotton plug or covered with a piece of light cloth to keep out fruit flies.
If wine vinegar is your desired goal and no wine has started to sour, use a vinegar starter. A selected strain of vinegar starter can be purchased from some winemakers’ shops, or a wild starter may be used. Frequently the water in an air-bubbler will have a vinegar-like smell. This can be used to start a batch of vinegar. The wine is diluted with an equal volume of water and the container partly filled and covered as above.
A warm, but not hot, location will speed the process. In a month or two the vinegar should be ready. The clear portion of the vinegar can be poured or siphoned off for use. If another batch is wanted, more of the wine-water mixture can be added to the old culture.
by Dale E. Kirk and Carolyn A. Raab[16]
Tasty ready-to-eat snacks and confections are some of the versatile products you can create by drying fruits and vegetables at home. After soaking in water, the rehydrated food can be used in favorite recipes for casseroles, soups, stews and salads. Rehydrated fruits and berries can also make excellent compotes or sauces.
Drying is appealing because the procedure is relatively simple and requires little equipment. Only minimal storage space is needed. Food can be dried in the sun, in the oven, or in a dehydrator.
Drying requires a method of heating the food to evaporate the moisture present, and some means of removing the water vapor formed.
Sun drying utilizes both radiant heat energy and heat transferred to the product from warm air. Natural air currents are usually adequate to carry away the water vapor.
Trays of wood slats, plastic mesh, or aluminum screen may be placed in the sun on support blocks or strips to allow air movement around and through the trays. Galvanized wire is not recommended as a tray material because high-acid foods will react with the zinc coating on the steel wire.
If insects or birds are a problem, a wooden frame can be constructed over the trays to support a plastic mesh or cheesecloth cover. Further protection can be provided by using a totally enclosed frame and a transparent panel to form a solar drying oven.
To dry in the kitchen oven, the thermostat should be set to its lowest temperature (generally about 150° F). Since oven vents provided for removing moisture from roasting and baking are adequate for drying only small quantities of food at one time, the oven door should be left partially opened. For larger loads, the air circulation rate can be increased by placing a household fan outside the oven, directed at one edge of the partially opened oven door.
Dehydrator cabinets may be purchased in many sizes and types. Or they may be built using plans available from State universities or U.S. Department of Agriculture plan services (ask your county Extension office about plans). All cabinets are provided with a heat source and vents for carrying off moist air.
Simpler units may rely on natural convection to carry moist air away, and the heating unit may be limited in output so that the cabinet never exceeds safe drying temperatures near the end of the drying period. This type will be slow in achieving drying temperature if sizable amounts of food are processed at one time.
Trays must be rotated during the processing period to insure even drying. Trays nearest the bottom, exposed to the hottest, driest air, will dry most rapidly.
If the natural convection type cabinet is equipped with a thermostat, it may be fitted with a larger heater. This will provide higher drying temperatures during the early stages but will not give even drying across all trays.
By using a fan to force air across the trays more rapidly, even drying can be obtained across each tray as well as between trays. The forced air system may be used with or without a thermostat.
Most food products release moisture rapidly during early stages of drying. This means they can absorb large amounts of heat and give off large quantities of water vapor while remaining at a temperature well below that of the drying air. Maximum drying rates can be achieved by providing a larger, thermostatically-controlled heat source and a fan for circulating air.
Enclosed frame solar drying oven with provision for air movement.
Enclosed frame solar drying oven with provision for air movement.
Dehydrator with built-in heater relies on air movement to carry off moist air.
Dehydrator with built-in heater relies on air movement to carry off moist air.
This forced draft dryer can recirculate much of the drying air to conserve energy.
This forced draft dryer can recirculate much of the drying air to conserve energy.
To conserve energy and still obtain rapid, even drying across all trays, much of the drying air may be reheated and recirculated. This is particularly effective during the last 70% to 90% of the drying period, when relatively small amounts of water are absorbed by the air as it passes over the partially dried food.
The recirculating system requires either a thermostat or separate switch controls on part of the heating unit to adjust heat output to match the drying load. The amount of air recirculated is determined by the size of the permanent inlet and outlet openings in the box. It can be further controlled by adjusting the door to a partially opened position.
Detailed plans for constructing the recirculation-type drier can be obtained by sending 25¢ to the Western Regional Agricultural Engineering Service (WRAES), Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oreg. 97331 and requesting WRAES Fact Sheet No. 18.
Drying is a relatively simple process, but there are a number of recommended techniques. You may need to use a “trial and error” approach to find the drying procedure which works best in a particular situation.
Fruits and vegetables can be dried in pieces or pureed and dried in a thin sheet as a “leather.”
The following information summarizes major steps in drying. Detailed instructions are available at county Extension offices. Also, various books on the market give instructions for drying and recipes for using dried food.
Fruits and vegetables selected for drying should be the highest qualityobtainable—fresh and fully ripened. Wilted or inferior produce will not make a satisfactory dried product. Immature produce lacks flavor and color. Overmature produce may be tough and fibrous or soft and mushy.
Prepare produce immediately after gathering, and begin drying at once. Wash or clean all fresh food thoroughly to remove any dirt or spray. Sort and discard defective food; decay, bruises, or mold on any piece may affect an entire batch.
For greater convenience when you finally use the food, and to speed drying, it is advisable to peel, pit, or core some fruits and vegetables. Smaller pieces dry more quickly and uniformly.
Enzymes in fruits and vegetables are responsible for color and flavor changes during ripening. These changes will continue during drying and storage unless the produce is pretreated to slow down enzyme activity.
Blanching is the recommended pretreatment for vegetables. It helps save some of the vitamin content, sets color, and hastens drying by relaxing tissues. Blanching may also prevent undesirable changes in flavor during storage, and improve reconstitution during cooking.
Steam blanching is preferred because it retains more water-soluble nutrients than water blanching. Blanching times differ, depending on the type of vegetable being dried. Overblanching leads to excessive leaching of vitamins and minerals. Inadequate blanching will not destroy enzymes that cause vitamin loss during drying and storage.
Many light-colored fruits (especially apples, apricots, peaches, nectarines, and pears) tend to darken during drying and storage. To prevent this darkening, the fruit may be pretreated by blanching or by a suitable dip, but effectiveness of pretreatment methods varies.
Fruit may be dipped in one of the following:
—A solution of table salt—A solution of ascorbic acid. Commercial antioxidant mixtures containing ascorbic acid may also be used, but often are not as effective as pure ascorbic acid.
—A solution of table salt
—A solution of ascorbic acid. Commercial antioxidant mixtures containing ascorbic acid may also be used, but often are not as effective as pure ascorbic acid.
Fruits may be steam-blanched. However, blanched fruits may turn soft and become difficult to handle.
Sirup blanching may help retain the color of apples, apricots, figs, nectarines, peaches, pears and plums. A sweetened candied product will result.
Fruits with tough skins (grapes, prunes and small dark plums, cherries, figs, and some berries) may be water-blanched to crack the skins. This will allow moisture inside to surface more readily during drying.
Before drying pretreated food, remove any excess moisture by placing the food on paper towels or clean cloths. Drying trays should be loaded with a thin layer of food as directed. If needed, clean cheesecloth can be spread on the trays to prevent food pieces from sticking or falling through.
The amount of food being dried atone time should not exceed that recommended by instructions.
A temperature of 135° to 140° F is desirable for dehydrator and oven drying. Moisture must be removed from the food as fast as possible at a temperature that does not seriously affect the food’s flavor, texture, color, and nutritive value.
If the initial temperature is too low or air circulation insufficient, the food may undergo undesirable microbiological changes before it dries adequately.
If the temperature is too high and the humidity too low, as when drying small loads in the oven, the food surface may harden. This makes it difficult for moisture to escape during drying.
Oven or dehydrator drying should continue without interruption to prevent microbial growth.
To promote even drying, rotate trays occasionally and stir food if necessary.
Drying time varies according to fruit or vegetable type, size of pieces, and tray load. Dehydrator drying generally takes less time than oven drying. Sun drying takes considerably more time.
Before testing foods for desired dryness, remove a handful and cool for a few moments. Foods that are warm or hot seem softer, more moist, and more pliable than they will when cooled.
Foods should be dry enough to prevent microbial growth and subsequent spoilage. Dried vegetables should be hard and brittle. Dried fruits should be leathery and pliable. For long term storage, home dried fruits will need to be drier than commercially dried fruits sold in grocery stores.
Fruits cut into a wide range of sizes should be allowed to “sweat” or condition for a week after drying to equalize the moisture among the pieces before placing in long term storage. To condition, place fruit in a non-aluminum, non-plastic container and put in a dry, well-ventilated and protected area. Stir the food gently each day.
Dehydrated foods are free of insect infestation when removed from the dehydrator or oven. However, sun-dried foods can be contaminated and should be treated before storage. Insects or their eggs can be killed by heating dried food at 150° F for 30 minutes in the oven. An alternative is to package the food and place it in the home freezer for 48 hours.
Dried foods should be thoroughly cooled before packaging. Package in small amounts so that food can be used soon after containers have been opened.
Pack food as tightly as possible without crushing into clean, dry, insect-proof containers. Glass jars or moisture-vapor proof freezer cartons or bags (heavy gage plastic type) make good containers. Metal cans with fitted lids can be used if the dried food is first placed in a plastic bag.
Label packaged foods with the packaging date and the type of food.
Store containers of dried foods in a cool, dry, dark place. Check food occasionally to insure that it has not reabsorbed moisture. If there is any sign of spoilage (off-color or mold growth), discard the food. Food affected by moisture, but not moldly, should be used immediately or re-heated and repackaged.
All dried foods deteriorate to some extent during storage, losing vitamins, flavor, color, and aroma. However, low storage temperatures prolong storage life, and dried foods may be frozen for long term storage.
Dried foods can be reconstituted by soaking, cooking, or a combinationof both, and will resemble their fresh counterparts after reconstitution. However, dried foods are unique and should not be expected to resemble a fresh product in every respect.
Drying does not render the food free of bacteria, yeasts, and molds. Thus, spoilage could occur if soaking is prolonged at room temperature. Refrigerate if soaking for longer than 1 to 2 hours.
To conserve nutritive value, use the liquid remaining after soaking and cooking as part of the water needed in recipes.
One cup of dried vegetables reconstitutes to about 2 cups. To replace the moisture removed from most vegetables, barely cover them with cold water and soak 20 minutes to 2 hours. Cover greens with boiling water. To cook, bring vegetables to a boil and simmer until done.
One cup of dried fruit reconstitutes to about 1½ cups. Add water just to cover the fruit; more can be added later if needed. One to eight hours are required to reconstitute most fruits, depending on fruit type, size of pieces, and water temperature. (Hot water takes less time). Over-soaking will produce a loss of flavor. To cook reconstituted fruit, cover and simmer in the soak water.
Dried or reconstituted fruits and vegetables can be used in a variety of ways.
Use dried fruit for snacks at home, on the trail, or on the ski slopes. Use pieces in cookies or confections.
Serve reconstituted fruit as compotes or as sauces. It can also be incorporated into favorite recipes for breads, gelatin salads, omelets, pies, stuffing, milkshakes, homemade ice cream and cooked cereals.
Add dried vegetables to soups and stews or vegetable dishes. Use as dry snacks or dip chips.
Include reconstituted vegetables in favorite recipes for meat pies and other main dishes, as well as gelatin and vegetable salads.
Powdered vegetables in the dried form make a tasty addition to broths, raw soups, and dressings.
Some vitamin breakdown occurs during drying and storage of dried fruits and vegetables. Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is the vitamin most likely to be lost.
Nutritive losses can be kept to a minimum by:
—Blanching the correct length of time—Packaging dried foods properly and storing containers in a cool, dry, dark place—Checking dried foods periodically during storage to insure that moisture has not been reabsorbed—Eating dried foods as soon as possible—Using liquid remaining after reconstitution in recipes
—Blanching the correct length of time
—Packaging dried foods properly and storing containers in a cool, dry, dark place
—Checking dried foods periodically during storage to insure that moisture has not been reabsorbed
—Eating dried foods as soon as possible
—Using liquid remaining after reconstitution in recipes
by Ralph W. Johnston[17]
Proper storage of home-preserved foods, especially of home-canned products, and close scrutiny before serving are essential. If proper storage requirements are not met, home-preserved foods may lose their quality or spoil.
Homemakers should observe some simple techniques for checking home-canned foods before serving them. This will help prevent consumption of food that could cause the rare but extremely dangerous food poisoning called botulism.
Most canned foods are highly perishable yet do not require refrigeration until opened. Unlike frozen foods, they are unaffected by power interruptions or mechanical failures.
However, the hazard of botulism must always be kept in mind. Although botulism is rare, it results in a high death rate of about 65 percent among its victims. Yet it is an easy problem to avoid. Botulism results when home-canned foods are improperly processed. Under these conditions, the spore (a seed-like structure which is highly heat-resistant) of a soil bacterium calledClostridium botulinummay survive.
If the food product is low in acidity, as with peas, corn, or beans, the spore can germinate (sprout) and grow during storage at room temperatures. AsClostridium botulinumgrows, it produces a powerful poison that when ingested can cause severe illness or death. Most cases of botulism in the United States stem from home-canned foods.
The home canner can avoid botulism primarily by following prescribed, reliable processing instructions such as those given in USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 8,Home Canning of Fruits and Vegetables. If you don’t have reliable processing instructions, don’t attempt home canning. If you have these instructions, read them before and during home canning and do not take short cuts or modify the instructions.
Do not use processing instructions of neighbors or relatives; although frequently given with the best of intentions, they may contain modifications that are inadequate and dangerous. Remember that past safe history of a relative’s processing procedure is no guarantee of future safety. Botulism doesn’t always occur even in inadequately processed home-canned foods.
After home-canned foods have cooled they are ready to be stored until needed. At this point, the home canner should make his first quality control and safety check, just as commercial canners do.
Jar lids should be examined. If the center of the lid is not depressed or is loose, refrigerate the product immediately and serve at the next meal. Before serving, boil low acid products for 10 minutes. Check all jars for cracks; if they are found, treat jars the same way as those with loose lids.
Observe cans for any evidence of leakage around seams; again if leakage is observed, refrigerate the cans immediately, serve at the next meal, and boil for 10 minutes before serving.
During this first integrity check on home-canned foods, it is unlikely that swelling of the cans or foaming in the jars will be noticeable, because of the short lapse of time since processing. But the first check can easily detectloose lids, cracked jars and leaking seams on cans.
The next step is to store home-canned products. Proper storage will protect the products from loss of quality and in some cases from spoilage. Store canned foods in a clean, cool, dry area away from bright light—particularly sunlight—and in an area where the foods will not freeze or be exposed to high temperatures. Under these conditions, the products will remain at high quality for at least a year.
Excessive dampness will rust cans or metal lids. If this condition becomes severe, leakage will occur and the product will spoil. Freezing causes expansion of the product and the jar lid may loosen, the jar may crack, or can seams may be stressed. This can lead to leakage and food spoilage.
When foods are preserved by heating, as in home canning or commercial canning, the heating process is designed to destroy all normal spoilage bacteria that can grow under usual storage conditions, and all bacteria capable of causing human harm. The products are called “commercially sterile” but are not always truly sterile.
A group of bacteria produce extremely heat-resistant spores that can only germinate and grow at high storage temperatures such as those above 103° F. These bacteria often survive both the home and commercial canning process. Even though present, they normally are of little concern from the viewpoint of spoilage and no concern at all from the standpoint of human health. However, if canned foods are stored in attics or near hot water pipes or in any other area where the temperature will exceed 102° F at any time, these heat-loving bacteria (called thermophilic) can grow and spoil the product.
Fred FaroutBoil home-canned low-acid foods 10 minutes before tasting or serving.
Fred FaroutBoil home-canned low-acid foods 10 minutes before tasting or serving.
As a rule of thumb, home-canned foods will remain high in quality for one year if properly stored. After a year, loss of quality may occur.
Containers for home-preserved foods are designed to resist any chemical reactions between the product and the containers. However, some products—particularly high acid ones like tomatoes—will slowly react with the metal in the can or the jar lid. Corrosion and container failure may follow during subsequent storage. This action occurs from the inside out and can take place even under good storage conditions.
Jars should be dated when stored, and used within a year from the processing date. Always rotate stock on the shelves so as to use the oldest container first, and can no more units of any single product than you can use in a year.
The last and perhaps most important quality control steps are the final inspection and serving procedures.
After removing the product from storage, carefully inspect the container, and in the case of jars thevisible contents. This should be done before opening.
If a can or jar lid shows any sign of swelling (bulging) or leakage of product, do not open the container. If a jar lid is loose or the contents of a jar are foamy or otherwise visibly abnormal, do not open. When any of these defects are noted, place the whole container in a heavy plastic bag and tie the top securely. Place this in doubled paper bags with heavy packing of newspapers. Tape or tie the top securely, place in a lidded garbage can, then wash your hands thoroughly.
Not all spoiled or leaking home-canned foods contain the deadly botulism toxin but some do, so extreme caution in disposal is necessary.
If a defective product is found, all of that product prepared at the same time should be removed from storage and similarly inspected.
Never taste the contents of a suspect product. Under certain circumstances, a spoonful of “off” unheated, suspect product has been known to kill.
Finally, bring all home-canned vegetables to a rolling boil after opening and before tasting. Heating makes any odor of spoilage more noticeable. Again, if an odor of spoilage is noted, destroy the product with caution. If the product is normal, cover the pan and continue to boil at least 10 minutes before serving. Only after these precautions are taken are home-canned vegetables safe to taste and serve.
A plus for home freezing is that slight variations in following directions do not result in a botulism hazard. The bacterium that causes botulism cannot grow in the freezer. Proper freezing prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause spoilage and those that can cause illness.
Besides the initial cost of the freezer itself, energy costs are significant. Utilize the freezer fully to keep the energy costs per unit as low as possible. Fill the freezer when foods are least expensive, use the products as needed, and be careful to use the oldest products first.
Take care not to overload the freezer. If you pack it too tightly with containers of warm food, the freezer will be unable to remove the heat fast enough and spoilage from bacterial growth can result.
To avoid this, freeze foods soon after they have been packed; put no more unfrozen food into a home freezer than will freeze within 24 hours. Usually, this will be about 2 or 3 pounds of food to each cubic foot of capacity.
For quickest freezing, place packages against freezing plates or coils and leave a little space between packages so air can circulate.
Small excesses of product destined for freezing can be held in the refrigerator until the first load is frozen. If a large excess of product exists, chill and carry it in an insulated box or bag as soon as possible to a locker plant.
After freezing, packages may be stored close together. Store them at 0° F or below in order to retain the highest quality for the longest time.
Prolonged storage of frozen foods results in slow loss of quality. The rate of this loss differs with various foods. To maintain high quality, obtain information on recommended storage periods for the foods you freeze. This may be obtained from your county Extension office or from USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 10,Home Freezing of Fruits and Vegetables.
Storage periods are recommended to guarantee food quality only. If these periods are exceeded, taste may be affected but as long as the product has been kept at 0° F or below there is no question of safety.
The homemaker’s greatest concern with a home freezer is mechanical or power failure, which can result in food losses. Some but not all of these can be avoided. Freezers are very dependable mechanical devices yet they do fail. Most failures develop after 5 or more years of use.
The homeowner should clean dust from coils of the freezer once or twice each year in strict accordance with the instruction manual for the unit. At this time watch for any changes that have occurred. Have a dealer or repairman check unusual noises or excessive running.
Air circulation around the coils should not be covered or blocked in any way. Check the plug itself for a firm fit. If the plug is loose in the receptacle, it may fall or be easily bumped out without notice. Replace loose plugs. Better yet, some hardware stores sell clips that clamp the plug in by means of the screw that holds the receptacle plate onto the outlet.
Freezer owners should know where the closest commercial freezer is, in case of an extensive failure. Check your home freezer after thunderstorms or power failures, since freezers have been known to be damaged occasionally when power falls or surges.
A well packed freezer will hold the product for many hours even if the unit is not operating. Normally, power failures are short in duration and no food thawing results. If the power is off, do not open the freezer as this will hasten thawing. Telephone or otherwise determine when the power will be turned on again.
Sometimes freezer failure is discovered only when a homemaker goes to the freezer to get something. If this occurs, condition of the food should be determined immediately. Discard all foods that are thawed and warm, since extensive bacterial growth may have taken place.
Foods may be saved if they remain frozen; or if they are thawed but very cold, about 40° F, and have been held no longer than 1 or 2 days at refrigerator temperatures after thawing. Bacteria grow only slowly in thawed but cold foods. Prompt refreezing of thawed cold foods will lower the quality but not result in spoilage or danger. If you have doubt as to whether the foods are cold or warm, throw them out as the safest course.
Once condition of the foods is determined, plan fast for the next step. If the freezer cannot be repaired quickly, make arrangements to move the food to a commercial locker plant or another freezer. To do so, package the products closely together in paper bags. Place these in cardboard cartons lined and covered with newspapers for insulation, and transfer them immediately.
Another way to save the freezer load is to use dry ice in the freezer itself. Dry ice must be handled with gloves to prevent burns. Also keep in mind that carbon dioxide gas evolves as dry ice evaporates, and can cause unconsciousness if allowed to concentrate.
When transporting dry ice, leave a car window open at least several inches. If you use dry ice in the freezing compartment, make sure a nearby window is cracked open. When packing dry ice into a freezer, figure on 25 to 50 pounds to do the job. Don’t break up the ice any more than necessary.
To summarize, frozen foods are seldom involved in food spoilage or food poisoning. Even so, mechanical devices occasionally fail, and freezer owners should have prearranged plans for such an emergency. Preventive maintenance will help reduce the likelihood of failure. If a failure results in food becoming thawed and warm, discard it for safety.
by Anton S. Horn and Esther H. Wilson[18]
Many fruits and vegetables can be stored fresh. But the home gardener must gather them at proper maturity and observe correct temperature, humidity, ventilation, and cleanliness rules.
Basements or outdoor cellars can serve as temporary storage for some produce. A cellar mostly below ground is best for root vegetables. It can be run into a bank and covered with 2½ feet or more of soil. Sometimes outdoor root cellars are made with a door at each end. Combining the outdoor storage cellar with a storm shelter in the event of tornadoes or other needs may be a satisfactory solution.
Modern basements are generally too dry and warm for cool moist storage. However, a suitable storage room may be built by insulating walls and ceiling and ventilating through a basement window. You may ventilate by extending a ventilating flue from half of the window down almost to the floor. Cover the other half of the window with wood and the outside openings of the ventilator with a wire screen for protection against animals and insects.
Keep the room cool by opening the ventilators on cool nights and closing them on warm days. If properly cooled, the room temperature can be controlled between 32° and 40° F during winter. To maintain the humidity, sprinkle water on the floor when produce begins to wilt. A slatted floor and slatted shelves will provide floor drainage and ventilation. A reliable thermometer is needed for operation of any home storage room.
A cool corner in the basement, a back room of a small house with no basement, or a trailer may be suitable. One lady we know uses part of a closet built into the outside corner of a bedroom. It is also possible to adapt storage sheds in carports by insulating and proceeding as outlined earlier.
Pits and trenches or mounds may be used for storage if a root cellar is not available or basement storage is impractical. Also, you may bury a barrel, drainage tile, or galvanized garbage can upright, with four inches of the top protruding above ground level. This will keep potatoes, beets, carrots, turnips, and apples through winter. For convenience, place the produce in sacks or perforated polyethylene bags of a size to hold enough for a few days. Then you can easily take out fruits and vegetables as needed.
Place the barrel on a well drained site, and make a ditch so surface water will be diverted and not run into the container. A garbage can has a good lid, but for a drainage tile or barrel a wooden lid may have to be built. The lid should be covered with straw, and a waterproof cover of canvas or plastic placed over the straw.
Requirements of fruits and vegetables differ. Controlled cold storage or refrigerated storage are best.
Good references areStoring Vegetables and Fruits in Basements, Cellars, Outbuildings, and Pits, USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 119, and bulletins on this subject prepared by your State Extension service. Your county Extension office may have the bulletins. This office may also be able to tell you how to obtain plans for a fruit and vegetable storage room, or a storm and storage cellar.
Brief notes on specific storage problems follow:
With proper care, hard-rind varieties of winter pumpkins and squash will keep for several months. Harvest before frost, and leave on a piece of stem when you cut them from the plants.
Store only well-matured fruits that are free of insect damage and mechanical injuries.
Pumpkins and squash for long-term storage keep better when cured for 10 days at 80° to 85° F. If these temperatures are impractical, put the pumpkins and squash near your furnace to cure them. Curing hardens the rinds and heals surface cuts. Bruised areas and pickleworm injuries, however, cannot be healed.
After curing pumpkins and squash, store them in a dry place at 55° to 60° F. If stored at 50° or below, pumpkins and squash are subject to damage by chilling. At temperatures above 60°, they gradually lose moisture and become stringy.
Acorn squash keep well in a dry place at 45° to 50° F for 35 to 40 days. Do not cure acorn squash before storing them. They turn orange, lose moisture, and become stringy if cured for 10 days at 80° to 85° or if stored at 55° or above for more than 6 to 8 weeks.
A dark green rind at harvest indicates succulence and good quality.
Do not store pumpkins and squash in outdoor cellars or pits.
Parsnips,Salsify,Horseradishcan be left undug (stored) in the ground.
These vegetables withstand freezing, but alternate freezing and thawing damages them. If you store them in the ground, mulch lightly at the end of the growing season. Keep them covered until outdoor temperatures are consistently low. Then remove the mulch to permit thorough freezing. After they have frozen, mulch deep enough to keep them frozen.