The pressure gage works the same way except not as dramatically. The gage is made of a partially flattened metal tube. When pressure is applied, the tube becomes more round and straightens slightly. The needle [pointer] moves as the tube straightens. The gage is calibrated to indicate pressure. Pressure is controlled by adjusting burner heat to maintain the desired pressure. This type of gage should be checked yearly or after suspected damage, such as dropping, to be sure it functions properly.
A pressure control consists of a precision weight that rests on a specially designed vent pipe. It automatically maintains an even pressure and temperature inside the canner. Pressure builds inside the canner until the upward force (steam pressure times seat area) is greater than the downward force of the weight on the seat area. At this point, the control weight is lifted, releasing steam and reducing pressure, until the upward force equals the weight. The pressure inside again increases slightly, lifts the weight, and releases the pressure.
The repeated lifting and reseating or jiggling of the control weight indicates that the pressure is being controlled.
The burner is adjusted so the control jiggles at least several times a minute. Excessive jiggling will deplete the supply of water in the canner.
There are two types of pressure controls. One type is a single weight with 3 holes which fit on the vent pipe. The diameter at the base of the hole (seat area) is different for each of the 3 pressures—largest for 5 pounds pressure, and smallest for 15 pounds pressure.
The second type has 1 seat area and a 3-piece weight. For 5 pounds pressure, the small center weight is used. One additional ring or weight is added for 10 pounds pressure, and a second ring or weight is added for 15 pounds pressure.
With care, the pressure control remains accurate throughout the canner’s lifetime. Be sure that seat areas where the weight and the vent pipe make contact are not damaged or excessively worn; this could affect the canner’s performance.
The combination gage is not as common as the other two types. It has a sliding piston which pushes up on a spring. As pressure inside the canner increases, the piston is pushed up. Rings on the piston indicate pressure. If the heat is not regulated correctly, pressure builds up to beyond 15 pounds, at which point the weight is lifted to release the excess pressure. It will jiggle audibly, indicating to the user that the pressure is too high. This system serves as a gage as well as a safety device.
The combination gage should be kept clean and dry when not in use, to prevent corrosion. It also must be checked yearly to be sure the piston slides easily and indicates the correct pressure.
Atmospheric pressure is like the thickness of frosting on a cake. Where it is thickest it weighs more per square inch than where it is thin. At sea level, where the atmosphere is the thickest, it is heavier than atop a mountain.
As altitude increases, atmospheric pressure or its weight per square inch decreases. Altitude affects the boiling point of water. Where altitude is least, at sea level, water boils at 212° F. As altitude increases the boiling point of water decreases.
The same is true in a pressure canner. Under 10 pounds pressure at sea level, water boils at 240° F. As altitude increases, the temperature in a pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure is less than 240°. This difference is enough to affect the safety of canned products at altitudes above 2,000 feet.
Fred FaroutProcessing times and pressures should be adjusted for altitude change.
Fred FaroutProcessing times and pressures should be adjusted for altitude change.
Processing time for a particular vegetable is the time it takes to heat the coldest part of the jar to a temperature of 240° F, and maintain it long enough to kill anyC. botulinumspores present. At an altitude of 2,000 feet, it takes 11 pounds of gage pressure for water to boil at 240°. For each additional 2,000 feet increase in altitude, 1 pound of pressure should be added.
For pressure canners that have the pressure control, the 15 pounds pressure weight should be used at altitudes above 2,000 feet for canning low-acid food.
At the end of processing, pressure inside the jars as well as inside the canner is 10 pounds. The pressure inside the canner should be allowed to drop slowly. If pressure inside the canner is released too rapidly, pressure inside the jars will be great enough to force the contents, especially liquid, out of the jars. This may prevent a jar from sealing if a piece of food lodges on the top of the sealing rim. It may even break the jar.
Remove the lid from the canner as soon as the pressure drops. Jars should then be taken out and allowed to cool to room temperature quickly. A type of non-toxic spoilage called flat sour can occur if the jars are allowed to stand in the canner for long periods.
When using the steam-pressure canner, the pressure given is for altitudes less than 2,000 feet above sea level. If you live in an area with a higher altitude, it is necessary to make an adjustment in pressure. See the next chapter for details.
by Carole Davis[7]
Canning in the home is increasing in popularity as a method of food preservation. Economic considerations are causing consumers to look for ways to stretch their food dollars. By having their own gardens and canning the harvested produce, they often can save money. Eating quality of home-canned products encourages some individuals to can. The activity of growing or obtaining produce and preserving it in the home sometimes gives people a sense of personal achievement and satisfaction.
In canning, food is preserved by applying heat to prepared food in containers so that micro-organisms that cause spoilage or food poisoning are destroyed and enzymes that cause undesirable quality changes in the flavor, color, and texture of food are inactivated. Preservation of food by canning also depends on sealing the food in sterile, airtight containers to prevent it from coming in contact with micro-organisms in the environment.
Canning is not a difficult technique, but it must be done properly to avoid spoilage and food poisoning, such as the often fatal botulism. It is extremely important that only tested reliable instructions are used, such as those found in U.S. Department of Agriculture publications. Based on scientific research, specific instructions have been developed for preparing, packing, and processing each food. Instructions should be followed exactly from beginning to end—without taking any shortcuts or altering any recipes.
Acidity of the food is the chief factor in influencing the time and temperatures necessary for processing. The more acid the products, the easier spoilage organisms are destroyed by heat. Acid foods—such as tomatoes, fruits, and pickled vegetables—can be safely processed at the temperature of boiling water in a boiling-water-bath canner. If spoilage organisms are not killed by adequate processing, they will continue to grow and could reduce the acid in the canned product, thus encouraging the growth of more dangerous organisms, such asClostridium botulinum.
Low-acid foods—all vegetables, except for tomatoes—require a more severe heat treatment than acid foods to kill the organisms. The only safe way to can these foods is with a steam-pressure canner, one with a weighted or dial gage, to obtain temperatures above boiling.Clostridium botulinumis extremely dangerous in these low-acid foods because if it is present, and the heat treatment has been insufficient, it can grow and produce a deadly toxin in the sealed containers.
Processing times are based on sea level conditions where water boils at 212° F or, when under 10 pounds of pressure, at 240°. As the altitude increases, the temperature at which water boils decreases. Therefore, at altitudes above sea level you need to make adjustments in canning instructions to insure that foods are adequately processed.
When using a boiling-water-bath canner you must add more time in processing, as given in the table.
At altitudes above sea level it takes more than 10 pounds of pressure for the temperature of boiling water to reach 240° F.
When using the steam-pressure canner, the pressure must be increasedalthough the time remains the same as that recommended for sea level. At altitudes above 2,000 feet, process as follows:
Use jars made especially for home canning so the jars will be the right size for the processing time and temperature used, properly heat tempered, and resistant to mechanical shock. Always check jars before using to be sure they do not have nicks or cracks. Wash jars in hot, soapy water and rinse well.
It is important to use standard jar closures. They are designed to fit home canning jars correctly, and are made from suitable materials to provide a proper seal. One of the most popular types is the two-piece lid with a metal ring or band and a flat metal disk with a sealing compound. Flat metal disks can be used only once since they may not seal properly if reused. Metal bands may be used repeatedly if they are not rusted or dented.
Screw ring band and disk.
Screw ring band and disk.
Wash and rinse lids and bands. Metal lids with sealing compound may need boiling or holding in boiling water for a few minutes; follow the manufacturer’s directions. Porcelain-lined zinc caps with rubber shoulder rings can also be used to seal jars. Rubber rings should be used only once.
Water-bath canners are readily available on the market. However, any large metal container may be used for a water-bath canner if it is deep enough so the water is well over the tops of the jars and has space to boil freely. Allow 2 to 4 inches above jar tops for brisk boiling. The container or canner must have a tight fitting cover and a rack to allow water to circulate under the jars.
The steam-pressure canner is made of heavy metal and has a cover which fastens to make the pan steam-tight. The cover is fitted with a safetyvalve, a petcock or vent, and a gage—either weighted or dial. All parts of the canner must be clean and in good working order. Check the gage before the canning season, and also during the season if canner is used often. The weighted ones need only be checked to determine if they are thoroughly clean. A dial gage can be tested for accuracy by a county Extension agent or an equipment manufacturer.
A pressure saucepan may be used for canning pint jars of food. However, 20 minutes must be added to the processing time recommended for a particular food canned with the pressure canner. This is because pressure saucepans heat and cool more rapidly than pressure canners do. Thus additional time is needed to compensate for the otherwise reduced exposure of the food to heat.
Home-canned foods will be no better than the raw products with which you begin. Fruits and vegetables should be of good quality with no bruises or soft spots. Be sure to choose fresh, firm, ripe fruits and young tender vegetables. Use them before they lose their freshness. Do not use overripe produce because some foods lose acidity as they mature, and the recommended processing time may not be adequate.
Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly, but gently, to remove dirt which contains bacteria. Wash small quantities at a time under running water or through several changes of water. Lift fruits and vegetables out of the water so the dirt will not resettle on the food. Do not let fruits or vegetables soak, as they may lose flavor and food value. Peel and cut or slice produce as indicated in instructions for each specific fruit or vegetable.
Fruits and vegetables may be packed raw into jars, or preheated and packed hot. Raw or cold pack means that raw, unheated food is placed in jars and covered with boiling hot sirup, juice, or water. When foods are hot packed they are heated in sirup, water or steam, or juice for a specified length of time and then packed hot into jars.
Most raw fruits and vegetables can be packed fairly tightly into containers because they cook down during processing. However, raw corn, lima beans, and peas should be packed loosely because they expand during processing.
Hot food should be packed fairly loosely. It should be at or near the boiling temperature when packed. There should be enough sirup, water, or juice to fill in around the solid food in the container and to cover the food. Food at the top of the container may darken if not covered with liquid.
Do not overpack containers as this may result in underprocessing. It is necessary to leave headspace between the lid and the top of the food or liquid in the jar because there will be some expansion of food during processing. The amount of headspace varies with the product, style of pack, and method of heat sterilization, so follow directions for each fruit or vegetable.
When using the flat metal lid with sealing compound, put the lid on a clean jar rim, with sealing compound next to the glass. Then screw the metal band down firmly. The lid will still have enough “give” to let steam escape during processing. Do not tighten the band further after removing the jar from the canner.
When using the porcelain-lined zinc cap, fit the wet rubber ring down on the jar shoulder. Fill the jar and wipe clean the rubber ring and jar rim. Screw the cap down firmly and turn back ¼ inch. When the jar is removed from the canner, tighten the cap to complete the seal.
Sugar or sugar-water sirup is often added to fruits to help them hold their shape, color, and flavor. Sugar can be added in the dry form to very juicy fruits.
To make sugar sirup—mix sugar with water or juice extracted from the fruit. Proportions for 3 types of sirup are as follows:
Heat sugar and water or juice together until sugar is dissolved.
Fruit may be canned without sweetening—in its own juice or in water—for special diets. Processing time is the same for unsweetened fruit as for sweetened because sugar is not needed to prevent spoilage.
Process fruits by the boiling-water-bath method. Work only with the quantity of food needed for one canner load at one time.
As each jar is filled, adjust the lid, and place the jar on the rack in the water-bath canner about one-half full of hot or boiling water for raw or hot pack, respectively. Be sure the water is 1 to 2 inches over the tops of the jars, and there is an additional 1- to 2-inch space to allow the water to boil freely.
Cover the canner and when the water comes to a rolling boil, start to count the processing time. Boil gently and steadily for the recommended time for the fruit you are canning. A definite length of time is recommended for processing each kind of fruit.
When the processing time is completed, immediately remove the jars from the canner with a pair of jar tongs. Adjust the jar lids if necessary. Cool the jars on a rack or folded towel away from drafts.
Hot packing peaches.
Hot packing peaches.
Covering peaches with a boiling sirup solution.
Covering peaches with a boiling sirup solution.
A steam-pressure canner must be used for processing all vegetables except tomatoes and pickled vegetables. Work only with the quantity of vegetable needed for one canner load at a time. As each jar is filled, adjust the lid, and place the jar in the pressure canner containing 2 to 3 inches of hot or boiling water for raw or hot pack, respectively, to keep food hot.
The manufacturer’s directions for general operation of the canner you are using should be followed. A few pointers on the use of any canner follow:
—Use 2 to 3 inches of boiling water in the bottom of the canner.
—Set filled containers on rack in canner.
—Fasten canner cover securely.
—Allow steam to escape from open petcock or weighted gage opening for at least 10 minutes to drive all air from canner. Then close petcock or put on weighted gage.
—When pressure reaches 10 pounds (240° F), start counting processing time. Keep pressure constant by regulating heat under the canner.
—When processing time is completed, remove the canner from heat immediately. Cool undisturbed at room temperature until the pressure registers zero. After a minute or two, slowly open the petcock or remove the weighted gage. Unfasten the cover and tilt the far side up so steam escapes away from you.
—Remove containers from canner with jar tongs.
—Adjust lids if necessary.
—Cool jars on a rack or folded towel away from drafts.
Cooling snap beans on a rack. Leave space between jars so air can circulate.
Cooling snap beans on a rack. Leave space between jars so air can circulate.
Jars should be examined after they have cooled, but within 24 hours after processing, to be sure a seal has been obtained. To test a jar that has a flat metal lid, press the center of the lid; if the lid is down and will not move, it is sealed. Turn jars with porcelain-lined zinc caps partly over in your hands; if they do not leak, they are sealed.
When jars are thoroughly cooled, metal screw bands should be carefully removed. Wipe outside of jars clean, and label jars to show date and contents. Store in cool dry place. If you find a jar that did not seal, use food right away or re-can the food immediately; empty the jar, pack and process the food as if it were fresh.
Check dates on jar labels to be sure you first use food that has the earliest processing date. Before opening any jar for use, look at it carefully for spoilage signs. If it leaks, has a bulging lid, spurts liquid when opened, or has an off-odor or mold, then do not use it.Do not even taste it.Destroy it out of the reach of children and pets.
Canned vegetables may contain the toxin that causes botulism without showing any visible signs of spoilage. Therefore, boil all home-canned vegetables covered for at least 10 minutes before tasting or serving. Heating generally makes any odor of spoilage more evident.
If the food appears to be spoiled, foams, or has an off-odor during heating, destroy it.
by Annetta Cook[10]
The growing season brings an abundance of fruits and vegetables freshly harvested from your garden. The unmatchable sweetness of peas cooked fresh from the pods, the tender-crisp texture of fresh broccoli, the delectable flavor of sweet juicy strawberries are irresistible. It is always a disappointment when the growing season is over. You may have more produce than you were able to use within a short time, so why not savor its just-picked freshness during the autumn and winter months—freeze it!
Of all the methods of home food preservation, freezing is one of the simplest and least time-consuming. The natural colors, fresh flavors, and nutritive value of most fruits and vegetables are maintained well by freezing. However, to freeze foods successfully—that is, to preserve their quality—produce must be carefully selected, prepared and packaged, and properly frozen. Be sure to use reliable home-freezing directions such as those found in U.S. Department of Agriculture publications. Unless recommended practices and procedures are observed, the food’s eating quality will be a disappointment.
The first consideration before deciding whether to freeze the garden’s harvest is whether your freezer can maintain temperatures low enough to preserve quality of the food during freezer storage. Storage temperatures must be 0° F (-18° C) or below to help prevent unfavorable changes in the food, including growth of bacteria. The temperature control of your freezer should be adjusted so the warmest spot in the freezer will always be at 0° F or lower. Freezers and most two-door refrigerator-freezer combinations are best suited for long storage of home-frozen fruits and vegetables since they can be set to maintain this temperature.
Proper preparation of produce is also important to insure high eating quality of frozen vegetables and fruits. Vegetables, except green peppers and mature onions, maintain better quality during freezer storage if blanched, or heated briefly, before freezing.
Blanching is necessary to prevent development of off-flavors, discoloration, and toughness in frozen vegetables. Besides stopping or slowing down the action of enzymes responsible for these undesirable changes, blanching also softens the vegetable, making it easier to pack into containers for freezing.
Fruit does not need to be blanched before freezing. However, most fruits require packing in sugar or sirup to prevent undesirable flavor and texture changes in the frozen product. Sugar, either alone or as part of the sirup, plus the acidity of fruit retards enzyme activity in fruit stored at 0° F or below.
Material selected for packaging fruits and vegetables for freezing must be moisture-vapor-proof or moisture-vapor-resistant to keep the food from drying out and from absorbing odors from other foods in the freezer. Loss of moisture from the food causes small white areas called “freezer burn” to develop. These areas are not harmful, but if extensive they can cause the food to become tough and lose flavor.
Suitable packaging materials include rigid plastic food containers,plastic freezer bags, heavy aluminum foil, freezer paper or plastic film, glass freezer jars, and waxed freezer cartons. Collapsible, cardboard freezer boxes are frequently used as an outer covering for plastic bags to protect them against tearing.
Select packaging materials suiting the shape, size, and consistency of the food. Rigid containers are suited for freezing all foods, but are especially good for fruit packed in liquid. Non-rigid containers are best for fruits and vegetables packed without liquid. Paper, plastic, or foil wraps are ideal for freezing bulky vegetables such as broccoli, corn on the cob, and asparagus.
Rigid containers with straight sides and flat bottoms and tops stack well in the freezer. They take up less freezer space than rounded containers, containers with flared sides, and bulky, wrapped packages or plastic bags without protective outer cartons. Containers with straight sides or those that are flared, having wider tops than bottoms, are preferred for easy removal of the food before thawing. If the opening is narrower than the body of the container, the food will have to be partially thawed so you can get it out of the container.
Freezer containers and bags are available in a variety of sizes. Do not use those with more than ½-gallon capacity for freezing fruits and vegetables since the food will freeze too slowly, causing poor quality food.
Choose a container that will hold enough food for one meal for your family. You may wish to put up a few smaller packages for use when some family members are not home or to go with your family-size packages when guests are present for meals.
Pack foods tightly into containers. Since most foods expand during freezing, leave headspace between the packed food and closure.
Forfruits that are in liquid, pureed, or crushed and packed in containers with wide openings, leave ½-inch headspace for pints, 1-inch headspace for quarts. If containers with narrow openings are used, leave ¾-inch headspace for pints, 1½-inch headspace for quarts.
For fruits and vegetables packed without liquid, leave ½-inch headspace for all types of containers. Vegetables that pack loosely, such as asparagus and broccoli, require no headspace.
Any container for freezer use must be capable of a tight seal. Rigid containers should have an airtight-fitting lid.
Press out all air from the unfilled parts of plastic bags. Immediately twist the top of each bag and securely tie it with a paper- or plastic-covered wire twist strip, rubber band, or string to prevent return of air to the bag.
Some bags may be heat-sealed with special equipment available on the market. Follow the manufacturer’s directions.
Edges and ends of paper, foil, or plastic wraps should be folded over several times so the wrap lies directly on top of the food and all air has been pressed out of the package. Seal the ends with freezer tape to hold them securely in place.
Grow varieties of fruits and vegetables that freeze well. Your county Extension office can provide information on suitable varieties that grow well in your locality.
Produce selected for freezing should be of optimum eating quality. Freezing only preserves the quality of produce as it is at the time of freezing. It never improves quality.
Fruits to be frozen should be firm and ripe. Underripe fruit may have a bitter or off-flavor after freezing. Pick berries when ripe and freeze them as soon after picking as youcan. Some fruits—apples, peaches, pears—may need to ripen further after harvesting. But take care they don’t get too ripe. Frozen fruit prepared from overripe fruit will lack flavor and have a mushy texture.
Choose young, tender vegetables for freezing. Since vegetables lose quality quickly after harvest, freeze them as soon as possible for maximum quality. The sugar in corn, peas, and lima beans is rapidly lost when held too long before freezing. If you must hold vegetables and ripe fruits for a short while, refrigeration will help retain the just-picked freshness better than leaving produce at room temperature.
Wash small quantities of fruit gently in cold water. Do not permit fruit to stand in water for any length of time since it will become water-soaked and lose flavor and food value. Drain fruit thoroughly.
Peel fruit and remove pits or seeds. Halve, slice, chop, crush, or puree fruit as indicated in the instructions for each specific fruit. Some fruit, especially berries, may be left whole, but remove stems or hulls. Work with small quantities of fruit at a time, particularly if it is fruit that darkens rapidly. Two to three quarts is an adequate amount to handle at one time.
Pack fruit by sirup pack, sugar pack, or unsweetened pack. Most fruit has better texture and flavor with a sweetened pack. Apples, avocados, berries, grapes, peaches, persimmons, and plums can all be frozen satisfactorily without sweetening, but the quality is not quite as good as freezing in sirup or sugar. An unsweetened pack will give as good a quality product for gooseberries, currants, cranberries, rhubarb, and figs as a sweetened pack.
Sirup pack.Make a sugar sirup by dissolving sugar in water. A 40% sirup (3 cups of sugar to 4 cups of water) is recommended for freezing most fruits. Sirups containing less sugar are sometimes used for mild-flavored fruits; those with more sugar for very sour fruits. The type of sirup to use is specified in the directions for freezing each fruit. Allow ½ to ⅔ cup of sirup for each pint of fruit. Cut fruit directly into the freezer container, leaving the recommended headspace. Add sirup to cover fruit.
Slicing strawberries before freezing in a sugar pack.
Slicing strawberries before freezing in a sugar pack.
Sugar pack.Cut fruit into a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. The amount of sugar to use is specified in freezing directions for each fruit. Mix gently until juice is drawn from the fruit and all the sugar is dissolved. Pack fruit and juice into freezer containers.
Unsweetened pack.Some fruit may be packed dry, without added liquid or sugar. Other fruit, particularly if it darkens rapidly, can be covered with water to which ascorbic acid has been added. Crushed fruit or sliced fruit that is very juicy can be packed in its own juice without added liquid.
For all packs except the dry, unsweetened pack, liquid—either sirup, juice, or water—should completely cover the fruit. This prevents the top pieces from changing color or losing flavor due to exposure to air in the headspace.
A small crumpled piece of waxed or parchment paper placed on top of the fruit helps keep it pressed downin the liquid once the container has been sealed. The paper should loosely fill the headspace area. Do not use aluminum foil since acid in the fruit can cause the foil to pit (form holes), and tiny pieces of foil may drop into the food.
Anti-darkening.Many fruits darken during freezing, particularly if not kept under liquid. Darkening occurs when the fruit is exposed to air. Since a small amount of air is in the liquid as well as the tissues of fruit, some darkening can occur even when the fruit is submerged in liquid. To help retard darkening during freezer storage, add ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to the fruit during preparation.
Ascorbic acid is available in several forms from drug stores, some freezer locker plants, and some grocery stores that sell freezing supplies. Crystalline ascorbic acid is easier to dissolve in liquid than powder or tablet forms. The amount of ascorbic acid to use is given in the directions for those fruits where use of ascorbic acid is beneficial. Ascorbic acid mixtures containing sugar, and sometimes citric acid, also are available. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for use of these products.
In preparing vegetables, wash a small quantity of the vegetable gently in several changes of cold water. Lift the vegetable out of the water each time so all dirt will settle to the bottom of the sink or pan.
Shell, husk, or peel and trim. Some vegetables such as lima beans, corn on the cob, and asparagus require sorting for size, since blanching times depend on size of the pieces.
Blanch the vegetable (this is not necessary for green peppers and mature onions). Most vegetables are blanched by heating them in boiling water. A blancher consisting of a tall kettle, basket, and cover is convenient to use and can be purchased at most department or farm supply stores. However, any large pan which can be fitted with a wire or perforated metal basket and covered is suitable.
To insure adequate blanching, immerse a basket containing a small amount of the vegetable (1 pound) into a large amount of boiling water (at least 1 gallon). Start timing once the vegetable has been immersed and the kettle is covered. Blanching time will vary with the vegetable and the size of the pieces, so follow the recommended blanching times for each vegetable.
Cool the vegetable by immersion in a large quantity of cold or iced water. Rapid cooling is necessary to stop the food from cooking. Cool the vegetable for about the same length of time as it was heated. Once cooled, do not leave the vegetable standing in water, as loss of flavor and food value can occur. Drain the cooled vegetable thoroughly before packaging.
Other methods of blanching and cooling are recommended for some vegetables. For example, mushrooms are heated by sauteing, tomatoes by simmering in their own juice. These foods are cooled by setting the pan of food in cold or iced water to speed cooling.
After packing and sealing containers, label them with the name of the food, type of pack (for fruits), and date of freezing. Freeze food soon after packing, placing a few packages at a time in the freezer as you have them ready.
Freeze food at 0°F or below. Do not load the freezer with more food than can be frozen in 24 hours. Usually 2 to 3 pounds of food per cubic foot of freezer capacity can be frozen at a time. Place packages on freezing coils or plates or in fast-freeze section of freezer, leaving a space between each package. Loading the freezer in this manner enables thefood to be frozen quickly. Freezing foods too slowly can result in loss of quality.
Once food has frozen, stack containers. Keep freezer surfaces relatively free from frost to insure maximum operating efficiency of your freezer.
Fruits and vegetables stored at 0° F or below will maintain high quality for 8 to 12 months. Unsweetened fruit loses quality more rapidly than sweetened fruit.
Keeping food longer than the recommended time will not make it unsafe to eat, but some quality loss can occur.
Home-frozen fruits and vegetables are convenient and easy to use since most of their preparation is done before freezing. Thaw frozen fruit in the refrigerator, or at room temperature in a pan of cool water. Leave fruit in the unopened freezer container.
A pint package of fruit frozen in sirup will take about 6 to 8 hours to thaw in the refrigerator, or ½ to 1 hour in a pan of cool water. Fruit in sugar packs takes less time. Unsweetened packs need more time than sirup packs. For best eating quality, serve fruit with a few ice crystals remaining.
Cook most frozen vegetables without thawing first. (Corn on the cob and leafy vegetables require partial thawing to insure even cooking.) Add the vegetable to boiling salted water. Use 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of salt for each quart of vegetable with these exceptions: Use 2 cups of water for lima beans; water-to-cover for corn on the cob. Cover the saucepan during cooking. Cook the vegetable only until tender. Avoid overcooking.
Consult timetable in freezing directions for recommended times for cooking home-frozen vegetables.
Home Freezing of Fruits and Vegetables, U.S. Department of Agriculture H&G Bul. No. 10, on sale by Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. 75¢.