Preserving Times
Master Food Preservers, serving the Central Sierra counties
September 2013
Inside this issue:
Faux Pineapple-Zucchini
Faux PineappleZucchini
1
I recently told a couple of people about a USDA recipe that makes a faux pineapple out of zucchini. It’s a great way to use the giant zucchinis that hide beneath
the leaves and then appear – much too large and tough for eating.
The Curious Canner
3
“Would you like some of my giant zucs?” I made the mistake of saying yes, thinking they’d give me a couple of giants.
The Magic Number
5
Extend Shelf Life of
Dried Goods
6
Christmas in July
Surprises
7
Crystals in Home
Canned Grape Juice
9
MFP Events
10
Sue Mosbacher, UCCE Master Food Preserver Program Representative
I got two boxes.
That turned out to be a blessing in disguise
because it gave me the opportunity to
make several batches of cubed and shredded faux pineapple. It’s amazing how the
pineapple juice permeates the zucchini,
making it taste very similar to pineapple.
Online Cherry Survey 11
Zucchini-Pineapple
Yield: About 8 to 9 pints
4 qts cubed or shredded zucchini
46 oz canned unsweetened pineapple juice
Grandpa’s Cinnamon 4
Apple Rings
1½ cups bottled lemon juice
3 cups sugar
Peel zucchini and either cut into ½-inch cubes or shred. Mix zucchini with other
ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes. Fill jars
with hot mixture and cooking liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace. Adjust lids and
process in a boiling waterbath canner for 15 minutes in pint or half pint jars, adjusting for altitude.
Source: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning
Pressure Canner
Testing
11
MFP Services
11
Got a Food
Preservation
Question?
Amador/Calaveras County
209-223-6857
[email protected]
El Dorado County
530-621-5506
[email protected]
Sacramento County
916-875-6913
UCCE Central Sierra MFP
Website:
http://ucanr.org/mfpcs
Shredded zucchini
Adding the pineapple juice
Final product
(Continued on page 2)
Preserving Times
Faux Pineapple-Zucchini
September 2013
(Continued from page 1)
Tips:
 Cut giant zucchinis into chunks to peel, otherwise they get slippery and keep falling on the counter. I
quartered each chunk and then scooped out the seeds and membrane. I used only the outer edges for the
canned product. With the first batch I tried to pick out the seeds to use as much of the zucchini as possible. There were a lot of tiny seeds that I couldn’t see until they floated, very white, in the canner. Oops.
The first batch won’t be going to anyone for presents! I composted and fed the dog the rest of the zucchini centers.
 Use a slotted spoon to fill the jars, then add the liquid, debubble, and add more liquid, if necessary. You’ll
get a few less pints, but they’ll be fuller, with less fruit float. I canned a couple of jars of just juice when I
ran out of zuchini.
I’m planning on using the faux pineapple in the two recipes below, and anything else that calls for crushed or
cubed pineapple. It’s a great way to sneak extra vegetables into your meals. Give this chili recipe a try – it
has unusual ingredients but it is delicious! My friend Bill made it when he hosted large rafting trips. My husband gave it a great compliment—“Better than my mom’s chili!”
Cranberry and Pineapple Pie
Bill’s Rafting Chili
1 cup whole cranberry sauce (or ½ cup dehydrated cranberries, rehydrated) (I use my homemade cranberry sauce)
1 8-oz can crushed unsweetened pineapple, drained (faux pineapple!)
1 3-oz pkg raspberry-flavor gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 9" graham cracker crust
2 cups miniature marshmallows
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup of whipped heavy-whipping cream
23 oz can ranch beans (I use a
little more)
Directions
1. Dissolve the raspberry gelatin in a cup of boiling water in a glass
bowl.
2. Stir in the cranberry sauce (or rehydrated cranberries) and pineapple.
3. Put this mixture in the fridge to set. When firm, add to pie crust.
4. In a heavy pan, combine the condensed milk, mini marshmallows
and stir over a low-to-medium heat until the marshmallows melt.
5. Take the pan off the heat and add the vanilla to the marshmallow
mixture.
6. Put into a large bowl, cover and let stand until cooled to room temperature.
7. Whisk in a third of the whipped cream until smooth. Fold in the remaining whipped cream and spread over the cranberry-pineappleraspberry gelatin mix already in the pie crust.
8. Refrigerate the pie until it sets.
8 oz sweet pickle relish
Central Sierra Master Food Preservers
2 cans kidney beans
2 chopped onions
Steak (Get what’s on sale and cut
it into small pieces)
2 Polish Sausages, sliced (I usually use one turkey and one hot link)
Some garlic
¼ cup brown sugar
Large can of crushed pineapple
(faux pineapple!)
Large jar of mild picante sauce
Directions
Sauté onions, steak and sausage.
Add everything else and let it simmer.
I usually let it simmer about an
hour then start tasting. It’s done
when I say “Yum!”
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Preserving Times
September 2013
The Curious Canner
Question: I use my waterbath canner to sanitize my jars while I’m making my product, so the water is already boiling when I’m ready to add my filled jars. Does it really matter what temperature the water is when I
add my jars?
Answer: Yes, it does matter. The total required heat the jars receive
in the canner can be too short if you add them directly to boiling water
and immediately start the processing time. According to the National
Center for Home Food Preservation, preheat the water to 140°F for raw
-packed foods and to 180°F for hot-packed foods.
Note: If you are going to process canned food for more than 10
minutes, you do not need to pre-sterilize the jars, just have them clean
and hot. If you process for 10 minutes or less, you must sterilize them.
________________________________________________________
Question: Help! My recipe made too many jars to fit in my canner. What can I do?
Answer: If you have a large, deep pot, you can use it as a canner. Make sure your pot is deep enough to
hold a rack, your jars, and enough boiling water to cover the jars by at least an
inch. Use a large pot; if it is small it starts boiling faster than expected and your
overall processing time may be too short. If you don’t have an extra canner rack
that fits your pot, look around your kitchen for a substitute. Do you have a round
cake rack that fits? Or a small pizza pan with holes in it? If not, make a temporary
rack out of extra canning rings. Tie them together with either zip ties or twisty
ties.
Tip: Don’t use a towel to separate the jars from the bottom of the canner – it
tends to float around as the water boils and unless your jars are very heavy, they
float with the towel, turning sideways, and bumping into each other!
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Question: I just noticed that the liquid pectin packages say to put the open
package in an empty cup. Why?
Answer: When you read recipes that use liquid pectin, you’ll notice that as
soon as the product reaches a rolling boil, you are supposed to add the pectin
immediately and boil for a specific amount of time, usually one or two minutes,
and then remove the pot from the heat and promptly fill the jars.
If you spend time opening the box, finding the scissors, cutting open the package, and THEN adding it to the product, you’ve stopped stirring and the product has boiled longer than it should. (It’ll probably burn, too.)
By putting the open liquid pectin package in a cup, it is ready to use with one
hand. As soon as you start to add it, the boiling usually stops momentarily,
allowing you to use your second hand to squeeze out the last bit of pectin.
Central Sierra Master Food Preservers
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Preserving Times
September 2013
Grandpa’s Cinnamon Apple Rings
Tami Reece, San Joaquin County Master Food Preserver
Every Christmas my Grandpa would write and make sure I was sending my Cinnamon Apple Rings. I usually sent Christmas cookies but
my Grandpa loved those Apple Rings. Even though Grandpa has
been gone for several years I still make Cinnamon Apple Rings every
Christmas, as it now has become a tradition for all my friends and
family.
The best time to make these treats is when the apples are fresh off
the tree. It is a great way to save your harvest and have great tasting
apples all year.
First core your apples. I like to also peel mine but you can leave the
peel on if you prefer. I use a hand crank apple corer and peeler. It also
slices the apples evenly, which is crucial when you are dehydrating.
You want the slices to be between 1/8” and 1/4” thick.
Next, place half a cup
of white sugar and 1
Tablespoon of cinnamon in a bowl. Mix with a spoon until blended well. After
slicing the apples, dip them into the sugar and place on a
dehydrator tray. I like to dip only one side but my grandpa
liked both sides dipped!
You do not need to use a solution to keep the apples from
turning brown as they will be brown due to the cinnamon
mixture. Dry the apples in a dehydrator at 150°F for two-tothree hours. Then turn the temperature down to 130°F until
dried.
I pack loosely in plastic bags or canning jars. Store in a cool dry place. Enjoy!
Central Sierra Master Food Preservers
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Preserving Times
September 2013
The Magic Number
Noreen Goff, Amador County Master Food Preserver, Master Gardener
As representatives of the UC Cooperative Extension, Master Food Preservers are interested in safety and
research-based methods of food preservation. As gardeners we grow our fruits and vegetables with taste
and appearance in mind. It’s no surprise that mild controversy exists when we write the words hybrid, heirloom, and acidity in the same sentence. Can we make all tomatoes safe for boiling waterbath canning? The
simple answer is yes; we’ll add bottled lemon juice to each pint or quart of tomatoes. The not-so-simple answer is acidity plus other factors influence the quality and safety of our final product.
The pH scale measures acidity. The magic pH number is 4.6; we want the acidic level below 4.6 for boiling
water bath canning. Regrettably, there are a number of
elements that can influence the pH number in tomatoes.
Once you accept these variables, the acid additive becomes imperative and understandable. For instance,
bruises, cracks, blossom end rot, insects, and over ripening influence acid levels in tomatoes. Also, tomatoes
grown in the shade may have lower acid levels (higher
pH). If you pull your tomatoes off the vine when they’re
still green and allow them to ripen, they may be less acidic (again, higher pH). On the other hand, green tomatoes
are more acidic (lower pH) than ripened tomatoes. Canning damaged tomatoes from frost-killed or dead vines
should NOT ever be attempted by the home canner.
So we know climate and weather can influence the acidity
of a tomato. We haven’t even got to the part about hybrid
versus heirloom. Is there cause for concern? Not with
the recommended acid addition. Here’s what we know: A University of Illinois study of 55 heirloom tomato
cultivars showed pH levels ranging from 4.18 to 4.92. Fifteen of the varieties had mature fruit pH higher than
4.6. These included Brandywine, Ace, Big Early Hybrid, Big Girl, Large Polish Paste, and Rio Grande. This
tomato testing growing season was described as having an early warm period followed by cool temperatures
and frequent periods of rain.
In a more detailed study conducted by Utah State University
Extension in 2007 (published in Journal of Extension), five
tomato varieties were grown and tested with and without the
addition of lemon juice. The pH of the five varieties
(Celebrity, Columbian, Jet Star, Mountain Fresh, and Row
Pack) was lowered an average of .35 with the addition of the
lemon juice. The following year (2008) these researchers
took their study one step further and grew ten tomato varieties. In this study they divided the tomatoes into the categories of under ripe, ripe, and over ripe based on detailed descriptors. In each case pH increased as the tomato ripened.
In other words, the riper the tomato became, the less acidic it
(Continued on page 6)
Central Sierra Master Food Preservers
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Preserving Times
September 2013
The Magic Number
(Continued from page 5)
became. A sidebar to this study was that all three heirloom varieties grown (Box Car Willie, Ace, and Rutgers) had higher pH levels than the hybrid tomatoes.
So now we return to 4.6, the magic number. How much does it really matter? None
as long as you add acid to all canned tomato products. Add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use 1
tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid and always process
your product for the time indicated in a research-based publication. Now your product is safe, no matter what the weather or variety is.
References:
“Add Acid to Tomatoes When Canning: Here’s Why!” (University of Wisconsin)
“The Influence of Different Tomato Varieties on Acidity as It Relates to Home Canning” (Journal of Extension)
“Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products” (Colorado State University)
Article written by Sandra Brown, food safety and nutrition expert for Washington
State University
Extend Shelf Life of Dried Goods Using Oxygen Absorbers
Penny Clark, Sacramento County Master Food Preserver
If you are looking for an easy, safe way to extend the shelf life of your dehydrated goods, try using oxygen
absorbers. Here's how they work. The tiny blue and white packets are filled with powdered iron, which act to
absorb the available air in the jar and moisture in the food. This action reduces the presence of oxygen and
replaces it with nitrogen, helping to prevent the growth of yeast, fungi and bacteria on food. As an added bonus, oxygen absorbers deter insect infestation because of the reduced moisture and air in the food packaging, according to the University of Utah's Cooperative Extension.
Oxygen absorbers cost around 10 to 25 cents per pack and can be bought
on Amazon.com, Winco Grocery Stores, the LDS Home Storage Center and
many other vendors. You can use them with metal cans, foil pouches, sealed
plastic bags, and glass canning jars. Oxygen absorbers typically last about
six months to a year if still sealed in their container. Although they can prolong the shelf life of dried goods by several months or years, their own shelf
life is very short - about 15 minutes, so remember to promptly seal their container after opening. A "spent" absorber's material resembles a brown lump,
compared to the pink, grayish fillings of a new absorber.
The University of Utah's Co-op Extension recommends use of oxygen absorbers with only products of low moisture, such as wheat, rice, and dehydrated goods. Use with foods that contain higher than 10 percent moisture
content in a reduced oxygen environment may result in botulism poisoning.
Source: University of Utah Co-op Extension
Central Sierra Master Food Preservers
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Preserving Times
September 2013
Christmas in July Surprises
Sue Mosbacher, UCCE Master Food Preserver Program Representative
If you had a chance to attend the El Dorado County
Master Food Preservers Christmas in July class, I
hope you enjoyed the 25 examples of edible gifts you
can make in your kitchen. The Master Food Preservers did a wonderful job decorating the Marshall Building at the fairgrounds, assembling and distributing
raffle prizes, and providing a Kids’ Table where little
ones could decorate cookies.
Did any of the samples
take you by surprise?
How about the pickled
Frog Balls? Being one of
those strange lovers of
Brussels sprouts, I went
back for seconds at the
end of the class. They
were delicious!
The two recipes that were the biggest surprise for me were
Spiced Tomato Jam and Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping
Sauce. I’ve never thought of using a tomato as the
fruit it really is in a jam, but it was delicious! I’ve made a batch since then but will have to make more because the jars won’t last until Christmas. The Thai dipping sauce was great with bread bites; I can’t wait to
try it on more things. Recipes are on the next page; both are easy to make.
(Continued on page 8)
Central Sierra Master Food Preservers
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Preserving Times
September 2013
Christmas in July Surprises (Continued from page 7)
Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce
Yield: About 9 half pints
Half Recipe: Makes about 4 half pints
½ cup finely chopped garlic (about 36 cloves)
1 Tablespoon salt
6 cups cider vinegar
6 cups sugar
½ cup hot pepper flakes
Combine garlic and salt in a small mixing bowl and
set aside. Heat vinegar to a boil in a large saucepan.
Add sugar, stirring to fully dissolve. Reduce heat and
simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add garlic
mixture and hot pepper flakes, stirring well. Ladle hot
sauce into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rims; place lids and rings.
Tighten rings only finger tight. Process in a boiling
water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude if
necessary. Remove jars and cool completely.
Tip: If you prefer less heat, adjust the amount of hot
pepper flakes to suit your taste.
Source: Ball Canning and Preserving Recipes
This dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment for
cold Thai rice
paper rolls, and
is also delicious
with any deepfried Asian appetizer, such as
spring rolls,
chicken balls, or
wontons. It's also
good with grilled
chicken, and the
addition of a tablespoon or two
perks up classic
oil and vinegar
salad dressings.
Spiced Tomato Jam
Yield: About 5 half-pints
3 cups prepared tomatoes (prepare about 2¼
pounds tomatoes)
1½ teaspoons grated lemon rind
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ cup lemon juice
4½ cups sugar
1 box powdered pectin
1. Sterilize jars.
2. Wash firm ripe tomatoes. Scald, peel, and chop
tomatoes. Place chopped tomatoes in saucepan
and heat slowly to simmering, stirring constantly
to prevent sticking and burning. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Measure 3 cups of the cooked tomatoes into a
large saucepan. Add lemon rind, allspice, cinnamon and cloves, and lemon juice.
4. Measure sugar and set aside.
5. Stir powdered pectin into prepared tomatoes.
Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
6. At once, stir in sugar. Stir and bring to a full rolling
boil that cannot be stirred down. Then boil hard
for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
7. Remove from heat. Skim off foam. Pour hot jam
into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove
air bubbles. Wipe
rims; place lids
and rings. Tighten
rings only finger
tight. Process in a
boiling water canner for 5 minutes,
adjusting for altitude if necessary.
Source: "So Easy
to Preserve", 5th
ed. 2006
Central Sierra Master Food Preservers
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Preserving Times
September 2013
Crystals in Home Canned Grape Juice
Grape season is here! Many home canners have friends with vineyards who let them glean the grape vines
after the harvest, and then the authentic homemade grape jelly frenzy begins! But making grape jelly using
fresh grape juice is different than using store-bought grape juice. After you extract the juice from the grapes,
you must let the juice sit in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
Why? The sediment in the juice needs to settle to the bottom of the container so you can filter it out. If you
don’t, you may be surprised to find small sharp crystals inside the jar of grape jelly. These crystals are tartrate crystals formed by the naturally occurring tartaric acid in the grape
juice. The crystals are perfectly harmless and in no way affect the safety of
the food product.
Making Fresh Grape Juice
According to the PennState Extension, you need about 24½ pounds of
grapes for 7 quarts of juice; about 16 pounds for 9 pints of juice.
There are several ways to juice grapes. You can use a food mill to crush the
grapes, using either a crank-handled food mill or the old fashioned cone
shaped mill with a wooden pestle. You can also use a steamer.
Another method is to place the grapes in a large stainless steel saucepan and add just enough boiling water to cover the grapes. Heat and
simmer slowly until grape skins are soft; about 30 minutes. Strain
through a damp jelly bag or double layers of cheesecloth. For clearer
juice, strain multiple times.
Put the juice in the refrigerator in a sealed container and leave it alone
for 24-48 hours. Carefully remove the container, and without mixing,
pour off the top of the grape juice, being careful not to disturb the sediment at the bottom of the container. There are several methods to do
this step: ladle it out, use a gravy separator, siphon it out, or just carefully pour. You may want to strain it
one more time to get the clearest possible juice. A coffee filter is a good, simple strainer.
Above: crank food
mill, Right: pestle
food mill
At this point you can start making grape jelly. Or if you want to can the juice, simply
reheat the strained grape juice until the juice begins to boil before pouring into hot sterilized jars. Allow ¼-inch headspace. Process pints and quarts for 5 minutes and halfgallons for 10 minutes. Grape juice and apple juice are the only products approved for
canning in half-gallon jars. Note: jars need to be sterilized anytime a product is processed for less than 10 minutes. To sterilize jars, cover jars with
water and boil them for 10 minutes. If you live at an altitude
above 1000 feet, boil the jars an additional minute for each 1000
feet of additional altitude.
Sweeten the juice to taste before the final heating. Sugar is not
needed to preserve the grape juice but may be added for flavor.
Zinfandel grape juice
Central Sierra Master Food Preservers
Zinfandel grape jelly
Page 9
Preserving Times
September 2013
Upcoming Master Food Preserver Classes & Events
In the Central Sierra, Sacramento, and San Joaquin counties
Where listed, click on the class link to schedule an email reminder for the class.
Amador/Calaveras County
Saturday, September 7: Tomatoes 4 Ways
10:00 am—Noon
Location: Amador County GSA Building,
12200-B Airport Road, Jackson
Saturday, October 5: Jams & Jellies
10:00 am—Noon
Location: Calaveras Senior Center, 956 Mountain
Ranch Road, San Andreas
Both classes are free and no reservations are required. Call 209-223-6857 for more information.
Sacramento County
Location: Sacramento UCCE office at 4145 Branch
Center Road, Sacramento
Saturday, September 14: Step by Step
10 am—Noon, Free
Basic introduction to safe water bath canning techniques
Wednesday, September 18: Apples and Preserving the Late Summer Garden
6:30—8:30 pm, Cost: $3
Click here for
more information.
El Dorado County
San Joaquin County
Location: El Dorado County Fairgrounds (Board
Room), 100 Placerville Drive, Placerville
10 am—Noon
September 12—15: Lodi Grape Festival
Meat Preserving:
For more information, call 209-525-6825.
http://www.grapefestival.com
Location: 413 East Lockeford St, Lodi
Saturday, Sep 7 & Tuesday, Sep 10
Vinegars, Condiments & Chutneys:
Saturday, Sep 14 & Tuesday, Sep 17
Jerky:
Saturday, Sep 21 & Tuesday, Sep 24
Conserves, Butters & Marmalade:
Saturday, Sep 28 & Tuesday, Oct 1
No MFP Classes Nearby?
The National Center for Home Food Preservation has
a free, self-paced, online home canning and preservation course for those who do not live near a county with the UCCE Master Food Preserver program.
Sign up for this online class at
http://nchfp.uga.edu.
Download the class schedule.
Central Sierra Master Food Preservers
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Preserving Times
September 2013
Online Cherry Survey
As part of a multi-state USDA Specialty Crop Research
Initiative (SCRI) funded project to evaluate the feasibility of producing and marketing stem-free sweet cherries, a consortium of project scientists developed a
short survey to assess consumers’ attitudes and preferences on sweet cherry appearance.
You are invited to participate. If interested, please go
to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LHQWJTH. The
survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Questions? Contact Carolyn Ross at: [email protected].
Master Food Preserver Services
• Free public classes
• Food preservation hotline
• Free pressure canner testing
• Speakers for custom training for
your organization
• Regular articles in local newspapers
To get information about our program, visit our website at
http://cecentralsierra.ucanr.org/Master_Food_Preservers/.
Preserving Times is published by the Central Sierra Master Food
Preservers.
[email protected]
Know someone who would like to receive our newsletters and notifications on classes and events?
Sign up at http://ucanr.org/mfpenews.
Free Pressure Canner Testing
Test your pressure canner gauge for accuracy
once a year. Amador, Calaveras, and El Dorado Master Food Preservers all offer this service. We also can test weighted gauge canners to ensure they reach a minimum internal
temperature of 240°F. Contact the office nearest you to schedule a time to bring in your
pressure canner for a FREE test!
UCCE Amador:
209-223-6482
UCCE El Dorado:
530-621-5502
The University of California Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR) prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any person
participating in any of ANR’s programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (which
includes pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancerrelated or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services (as defined by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994: service in
the uniformed services includes membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation for service
in the uniformed services) or any person in any of its programs or activities. University policy also prohibits retaliation against any employee or
person participating in any of ANR’s programs or activities for bringing a complaint of discrimination or harassment pursuant to this policy. This
policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable State and Federal laws. Inquiries regarding the University’s equal employment
opportunity policies may be directed to Linda Marie Manton, Affirmative Action Contact, University of California, Davis, Agriculture and Natural
Resources, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, (530) 752-0495.
Should you need assistance or require special accommodations for any of our educational programs, please
contact us at 530-621-5502.
The University of California, working in cooperation with County Government and the United States Department of Agriculture.
Central Sierra Master Food Preservers
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