How Much Damage Acceptable on Produce ?

[Nyboy]

Don't even want a worm in my Tequila !!

 

[Beekissed]

 

[Jared77]

You need to learn to can. That way when you pop the lid all you have is great flavor and nothing to get grossed out or concerned over.

Seriously start out with butters/jam and you'll be hooked. I know any number of us would give you a standing invitation for canning at our homes.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep, yep...canning corn now and also hot pepper butter tomorrow.

 

[Smart Red]

Is @Nyboy ready to preserve his garden produce? It seems rather futile to me for someone to plant a garden and orchard without plans to get full use of them. Canning, dehydrating, freezing, and root cellar storage are four common ways to keep the success of summer all year long.

Someone who has his party meals catered doesn't sound like someone who plans to preserve the bounty, however, everyone had to start sometime and this just might be Nyboy's time.

The easiest is simple storage in a root cellar. I don't wash produce. Just be sure only ripe, unmarred produce is considered for storage. Stick the produce in between your wine bottles and check occasionally for damage when you stop by for some produce or wine. Root cellars won't keep all types of produce so other options are needed.

I think dehydrating is the next easiest way to preserve. Wash, put pieces of (relatively) even size into dehydrator, set temperature, and either set timer or keep time yourself. When dried, remove to jars or bags and store until needed.

Freezing is nearly that easy. The only difference in beginning preparation is that most foods need a short heating period called blanching. Cool (usually in ice water to stop heating), put in freezer bags/boxes and freeze until needed. The biggest caveat to freezing produce is the occasional power outage or freezer unit failure. That's where pressure canning has freezing beat.

Pressure canning has the most expensive up-front costs. Canner, jars, lids, tools, timer, etc. But food lasts longer and needs no special care for storage. I won't begin telling you how to can as each food can be much different. The Bell Blue Book for canning is THE BIBLE where pressure canning in concerned. Get the book, follow the directions, follow the directions exactly each time, and enjoy. *Be aware that a pressure cooker IS NOT a pressure canner and shouldn't be used for canning!

Personally, I love pressure canning for most foods although since getting my Excaliber I have been doing more dehydrating. My pressure canner and I have never poisoned family or friend . . .
.
.
.
.yet.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Red you missed one, water bath canning, though I can consider that a subset of pressure canning. I guess you're off the hook after all on a technicality. It's basically the same equipment, just a different procedure. This from someone who water bath canned blueberry pie filling, chutney, and apple jelly in the past three days.

Most of the people that said just cut out the bad stuff would be embarrassed at the apples I used. Man, were they bad, but I had a lot of them. And that jelly is really good.

 

[Smart Red]

Ridgerunner, I have never water bath canned in my life. No special reason, I know my MIL did and I think my mother did as well. I bought the canners and decided that pressure canning would be the safest for everything even though I know acidic foods have been done that way for ages and are perfectly(?) safe after being done that way.

I guess I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to putting up foods. No chances at all + Follow the directions to the tee + And error on the side of caution = Live long and prosper!

 

[Nyboy]

@Jared77 I accidentally gave a friend food poisoning she had heavy duty vomiting , No one in their right mind would eat something I canned, I know I willn't.

 

[Nyboy]

You guys left out one of the oldest ways of preserving fruit, make it into wine!! I think @Kassaundra has a thread on all different wines she made from fruit. wine can last 100 years .

 

[Smart Red]

Hey, that's right, Nyboy! AND I don't think home-made wine can be poisonous. .
. . at least, you'd die happy if it were.

What a terrible thought -- poisoning a distant relative some 100 years into the future!

I bet you wish you had never brought up that topic.
I know what I want to do with all those who keep reminding everyone of my foible.

Red