The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

With the cool weather that blew through recently and with fall and winter approaching its time to start focusing on preserving our garden’s goods. Humans have been preserving foods since ancient times. In order to survive periods when hunting was light and crops failed, hunters and gathers learned to preserve their food. There are many ways to preserve fruits, vegetables and meats to store them for longer periods of time.

Freezing

When the temperature began to drop, ancient people used those temperatures to extend their foods storage life. Cellars, caves and cool streams were used to keep food cold and to reduce waste. When the mechanical refrigeration and quick-freezing process was perfected in the 1800s by Clarence Birdseye, the preservation method of freezing was changed.

When freezing foods, you can use plastic or glass containers, freezer bags and wrappings like plastic freezer wrap, freezer paper or aluminum foil. Do not add to much unfrozen foods to your freezer. This can cause the food to freeze slower and lose quality. Leave space in between the packages. This allows for air flow and will speed up the freezing process. For more information about freezing, go to The National Center for Home Food Preservation’s website. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze.html

Drying

The earliest evidence of drying food was found in the Middle east around 12,000 B.C. Drying (dehydrating) foods removes the water from the foods. This reduces the water content, which prevents the decaying of the food. There are many ways to dry foods. Vine drying, sun drying, oven drying and using a dehydrator. For more information on drying methods and recipes check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s website. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry.html

Fermenting and Pickling

Both very useful methods of preservation. Fermenting was discovered when grains were left out in the rain. It’s believed that ancient people became farmers to grow barley and make beer around 10,000 B.C. Fermentation is used to produce more healthy and tasty foods from less preferred foods.

Pickling was most likely discovered when wine and beer went bad and the remaining liquid took on a flavor of the food preserved inside it. Pickling was popular in the 16th century when the spice route brought new foods to Europe and America. Soon spices were added to make new recipes and sauces.

If you are interested in fermenting or pickling, check out the information on the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s website. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can6a_ferment.html or https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can6b_pickle.html

Canning —

Water Bath and Pressure

Canning is the newest form of preservation. Nicolas Appert, a French candy maker, saw that heating food in a sealed glass container would preserve the food and keep it from going bad. The French Navy soon tried this new method of preservation on a variety of foods to feed their men. After Louis Pasteur learned that microorganisms were the cause of food decay, it was revealed that the removal of air from the food was not what preserved the food, but the heating process which killed the bacteria and stopped the enzymes from continuing the ripening process.

When canning it’s important to know your elevation (altitude). Both water bath and pressure canning change based on elevation. You can find your elevation here: https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/theme/elevation/##bottom. Click the location bubble on the left side of the screen, type in your location, and then click “Get Elevation”. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/selecting_correct_process_time.html) and Colorado State University Extension (https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/canning-fruits-9-347/ or https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/canning-vegetables-9-348/) both have resources available for elevation changes.

If you have any questions about food preservation contact your local Extension Office.