Preserving Your Harvest

[wyoDreamer]

The latest upheaval in the land of home preservation.
Iowa state has poo-poo'd the Ball Canning book, stating that it has flaws in testing, or outright lack thereof. The older books follow guidelines that are not safe to modern standards, and the new book was thrown together, while not necessarily unsafe, have not been tested.

Do you have a link to this info. I use the Ball Canning Book and love it.

 

[WthrLady]

https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu...t-answerline-when-it-comes-to-canning-advice/

It's not that they are bad recipes in the book, isu is just saying they are not tested, and therefor cannot stand behind or recommend them like the older recipes that had been test and up to standard at their time. However the old recipies/methods are no longer the approved standard.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I followed the link and read the page and the Ball book of canning was recommended IN THE ARTICLE TEXT.

From the Iowa state University, UW-Extension AnswerLine dated August 2015:

"Times have changed since Great Grandma was canning for her family. We now have recipes that have been scientifically tested to ensure a safe product. They are available through several resources. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has the Preserve the Taste of Summer series of recipes, The National Center for Home Food Preservation through the University of Georgia has both a website and a cookbook “So Easy to Preserve”, the USDA has a Home Canning Guide, and the Ball company has the Ball Blue Book (new expanded edition this year) as well as their Complete Book of Home Preserving.

The recipes and procedures in these books have been scientifically tested in a laboratory to ensure the coldest part of a canning jar gets hot enough long enough to kill the botulism bacteria if present ..."

But then in the comments section below, dated July 2021, they say they don't recommend it: (from comment number 4 )" Several land grant universities, including Iowa State, have decided to not recommend the Ball Blue Book at the present time. There are numerous reasons for the new recommendation."

But we don't get to know the reasons. Instead they recommend that you go to the other listed sites to use their recipes and recommendations.
I wonder what changed and why they don't use the Ball Books anymore.

 

[Sally PB]

Complete Book of Home Preserving.

That's the book I use. Hmmmmm...

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I canned 5 half pints of Blueberry Syrup for the first time! I think I'd do some more...

 

[WthrLady]

I got a good deal on boneless beef rib meat today, so I canned that up. It's cooling on the counter.
I also got a deal on the GOOD chicken (boneless skinless), and will vacuum seal those and freeze until I run out of bags then cook some for supper and can the rest.

I'm waiting for a sale on lemons to dehydrate, but not at 80 cents a lemon!

 

[BReeder!]

I got a good deal on boneless beef rib meat today, so I canned that up. It's cooling on the counter.
I also got a deal on the GOOD chicken (boneless skinless), and will vacuum seal those and freeze until I run out of bags then cook some for supper and can the rest.

I'm waiting for a sale on lemons to dehydrate, but not at 80 cents a lemon!

What do you use dehydrated lemons for?

 

[Isadora]

How do you guys preserve cherry tomatoes? Seems like using them to make sauce or salsa would be too time-consuming, since all the skins need to be taken off. But we have too many to just eat raw.

 

[WthrLady]

What do you use dehydrated lemons for?

I put whole slices in my fanned chicken soups (or lime) for zing and I pulverize a lot for baking and cooking. Then there holiday wreaths.

Cherry tomatoes can be pickled for cocktails, but I put mine I the electric mill and it removes the skins and seeds for me. I just put them in the puree with all the other tomatoes.

Or I freeze in quart bags whole for hens in winter.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I am hoping to halve and dehydrate a lot of my cherry tomatoes. Never done it, hope it works. I hope to use them on my salads.
I like to have tomato powder on hand for "thickening" stews and sauces with great home-grown tomato flavor. They don't really thicken per se, but they do soak up moisture.