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Hi! New here; food preservation

9 years ago

Just thought I'd introduce myself. Can't garden much anymore due to a disability, although I hope that gets better. Have a small bit of soil here at my city apartment, which I worked organically for nearly 20 years, taking it from horrible to beautiful. Now using farmers' markets for produce. I'm a Master Food Preserver and hope I can be of some use on the formal stuff, although I've noticed some of you use...ahem...what I'd call less-than-safe methods, if I've been reading correctly.

I ate some canned items throughout my youth that I'm shocked we all lived through! But while I worshiped my gram, I don't use her methods, lol.

So--how are you guys doing for strawberries? They're horribly expensive this season, as are blueberries, even on sale, in stores. It could make me cry.

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Comments (3)

digdirt2
9 years ago
Hi chata and welcome! Nice to have another MFP here as we have several MFP regulars.

Yeah we work hard here to discourage less than safe methods but ultimately each defines their own level of risk so sometimes pointing out the risk is all any of us can do. Unfortunately some folks will never be convinced. :)

But all in all this forum is much more canning safety oriented than most of the other canning forums on the web.

Strawberries and blueberries are just starting to come in here and given the food prices on everything any more it is a true blessing to have a big garden to work with. Any pick-your-own options in your area? Any chances of bulk discounts from your farmer's market?

Dave
dgkritch
9 years ago
Welcome!!
I am also an MFP, as are a few others here. We have all levels of expertise here and welcome questions! The intent is to sort out the tested, reliable methods from the fly-by-night postings. However, there are no "police". Ultimately, each one has to decide what level of risk they're willing to accept. Some of us aren't feeding at-risk groups. Some are selling are markets to total strangers. In general, we are not here to judge, sometimes folks want to argue when they don't get the answer they wanted, but there's really no point. The science is what it is. Recipes have been tested...or not. What each person chooses to do with that information is completely up the them!

You don't say where you're located, but here in Western Oregon, the strawberries are just coming on and they're beautiful.

I pick at a local farm where I can get an approx. 4-5 lb. bucket (depends on your talent for heaping/stacking it) for $8.50. Gorgeous berries, nice fields, good people. LOCAL!!

I grow my own blueberries, but there is a U-pick farm nearby that sells for $1.25/lb. Picked ones are $2.50.

How do our prices compare with yours? Where?

Deanna
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We seem to push the less healthy and less safe methods of vinegar flavoring pickles instead of fermenting them. WOW! Quite an accusation there! I can only hope you didn't intend it to sound so critical. We don't "push" anything here except safety. And we try to answer the questions posted. If they are about vinegar pickles then that is what gets discussed. If they are about fermenting then that is discussed. And there are many discussions here and in the past on fermenting. But there is no conspiracy on this forum to intentionally deprive others of the information. Many folks simply don't care for either the taste of or the work involved in fermenting and I would strongly dispute the claim that it is easier for beginners to do as it is a more complex process. And despite the claims made above, safety is of a much greater concern when it comes to fermentation than it is with vinegar simply because it is easy to do incorrectly; it isn't done "properly" as the author. He may not be aware of any current "documented cases of food-borne illness" from fermented foods but history is full of them. He might want to review some of the historical documents published on NCHFP about the historical practices of fermenting. Pressurized canning creates an anaerobic environment that increases the risk of deadly botulism, particularly with low-acid foods. Not if it too is done "properly". Don't get me wrong, I enjoy fermenting some things as do many others here but I sure would not go so far as to claim it is the "BEST" way to preserve food. This article, this author, has an agenda to push, one he has apparently devoted his life too studying. So much of what he says needs to be taken with at least a tsp. of salt. JMO Dave
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Is there one website that is the arbiter of all things in safe food preservation? That would be NCHFP linked below. All approved resources are based on their testing, recommendations, and recipes. Otherwise, on the web, there are far more places to avoid than places to go and you'll find many discussions here about which are safe to use and which should be avoided. But you will need a copy of at least the Ball Blue Book - the beginners bible for canning. It is for sale anywhere canning supplies are sold. As to what you will need for canning it depends on if you plan to only do acidic foods like pickles and jams which only require BWB canning or vegetables other than tomatoes which require pressure canning. NCHFP covers all the equipment need and basic instructions on how to do both. Dave PS: welcome to the forum! :) Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP
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lyndapaz
9 years ago
We went strawberry picking yesterday at a local organic farm. They charge $5.50 a quart for pick-your-own and give you a quart for free for every 7 you pay for. In the end we got about 15 pounds for $38.50. And they are the juiciest, sweetest, loveliest berries I have had since my childhood days on the farm.

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