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Managing Your Garden’s Bounty

Learn about different methods of preserving your garden produce, including freezing, drying, and canning. Discover the supplies and equipment needed, proper techniques, and up-to-date, research-tested recipes for safe and high-quality food. Don't compromise on the freshness and nutritional value of your homegrown fruits and vegetables!

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Managing Your Garden’s Bounty

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  1. Managing Your Garden’s Bounty Barbara Ingham Extension Food Scientist www.foodsafety.wisc.edu

  2. Freezing, Drying, and Canning ……Which method will you choose? Our aim: safe, high quality food.

  3. Getting Started…Supplies • Inspect jars and rims, purchase new 2-piece lids • Purchase freezer containers • Clean your dehydrator

  4. Getting Started…Canners Boiling Water Canners • High acid or acidified foods (pickles, salsa, fruits) • Fitted with a rack • Use with a tight-fitting lid

  5. Getting Started…Canners Pressure Canners • Low acid foods (meat, vegetables) • Dial gauge – checked every year for accuracy, inspect gasket and vent • Weighted gauge – inspect gasket and vent port • Fitted with a rack

  6. Getting Started…Produce • Start with tested varieties • Harvest at the proper maturity • slightly under-ripe or peak of ripeness • never rotten produce or produce from dead plants • Discard diseased produce

  7. Getting Started…Recipes • Use ONLY up-to-date, research-tested recipes! Current canning instructions date from 1994 (or more recent) • Don’t (necessarily) do what Mom told you!

  8. Cold Preservation of Fresh Produce • Rapidly chill leafy greens, peas and corn • Avoid refrigerating cold-sensitive produce: tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes • Storing Fruits and Vegetables from the Home Garden, 2006 (A3823)

  9. Freezing • Set home freezers to 0°F or below • Rapid freezing is best (smaller ice crystals & less damage) • Blanching for quality, not safety! Blanching time = cooling time • Proper packaging is critical for quality • Freezing Fruits & Vegetables (B3278)

  10. Drying Foods • Air drying for herbs; Sun drying for fruits (ONLY!) • Controlled drying using an oven or dehydrator is best • Select a dehydrator with temperature control and a large fan • Resource: www.uga.edu/nchfp/

  11. Two Types of Canning • Boiling Water Canning (212°F) – fruits and acid-added foods • Pressure Canning (240°F or above) – meats and vegetables (dial gauge or weighted gauge canners) • Remember…adjust for elevation!

  12. How do we know which canning method to use? What is the pH (acidity) of the food? below pH 4.6 above Boiling Water Fruits, Pickles, Salsa Pressure Meat, Vegetables

  13. Don’t harm your family with these canning methods! • Boiling water canning of meats and vegetables • Eliminating the canning step • Dishwasher or oven canning • Steam canning of meat & veggies

  14. Tips for Successful Canning • Properly pre-treat jars and lids • Fill jars with hot liquid (never cold!) • Leave the proper headspace • Jars covered with 1-2 inches of boiling water in Boiling Water Canning • Vent Pressure Canner for 10 minutes • Adjust for elevation

  15. NEW in Canning • Always add acid to tomato products to ensure safety • Check pickle recipes for safety • Use approved recipes for salsa • If jars fail to seal, reprocess within 24 hours

  16. Home Canning Resources • Using & Caring for a Pressure Canner(B2593) • Wisconsin Safe Food Preservation Series (2008): canning fruits, salsa, vegetables, meat, tomatoes, pickles & jam (www.foodsafety.wisc.edu) • Ball Blue Book www.freshpreserving.com/ • National Center for Home Food Preservation (www.uga.edu/nchfp/) *Resources from 1994 or later!

  17. Don’t Forget • Process at the correct temperature (boiling water or pressure canner) • Follow an up-to-date, research tested recipe • Adjust for elevation *Note: darker areas on the state map have an elevation above 1,000 feet. Increase time when boiling water canning; increase pressure when pressure canning.

  18. The RULE of Canning A sealed jar ≠ A safe jar

  19. 5 Tips for a Successful Season • Start with research-tested recipes. Just because it’s in print, doesn’t mean it’s safe! • Use recipes that are up-to-date, from sources no older than 1994. • Start with equipment in good working order. • Leave your creativity behind. • Contact your local Extension office for help with food preservation questions.

  20. Happy Preserving!

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