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Can itTips on how to can, freeze, dry fresh food By Amy Beth Graves Looking to have more control over the amount of sugar or salt in your food? Or do you have an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables? Consider preserving your food through a variety of methods such as canning, freezing or drying. “During food processing, salt and fat are often added. By preserving your own food, you can cut down on the sodium and fat content,” said Jaime Foster, an Ohio State University Extension associate. Freezing To blanch, boil or steam a vegetable for a short amount of time and then put it in ice water to stop it from cooking more. Blanching also helps destroy microorganisms on vegetables, according to an OSU Extension tip sheet. Make sure you follow the recommended times for blanching vegetables because overblanching can result in the vegetable losing its flavor, color and nutrients. For fruits, don’t blanch them but use ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to help stop browning and loss of vitamin C. You can buy commercial mixtures of ascorbic acid in stores or try using citric acid or lemon juice, but note that these aren’t as effective. For more tips on freezing, check out these OSU Extension tip sheets, Freezing Fruits Drying For the most part, the nutritional content of food isn’t changed by drying. For foods that contain vitamin A such as carrots, sweet potatoes and peppers, make sure that they are stored in dark places because vitamin A is light sensitive, according to OSU Extension. For drying foods, a dehydrator is recommended because foods that are not completely dried can become moldy. In preparing your food to be dried, you may have to blanch, steam or pretreat it. A nonmetal bowl is best for pretreating fruits and vegetables to prevent discoloring, according to OSU Extension. For more about drying food and preparation tips, click here, http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/pdf/5347.pdf Canning For specific guidelines on canning, read the lengthy OSU Extension tip sheet. “Don’t use any old recipe when preserving food,” Foster said. “Contact your local Extension if you have any questions about preserving food. “Make sure you follow all recommended procedures carefully to keep your food and yourself healthy.” Amy Beth Graves is a freelance writer from Franklin County. You must be logged in to leave a comment. Click here to login or register. |
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