Suzanne Smith, a resident of Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood who works in computer applications and website design, has been preserving food since the 1970s, following in the footsteps of her ancestors.
She uses processes necessary in the distant past to ensure survival through the winter, but for Smith and others, it’s a tradition passed down through her family.
“As a child, I perched on a stool and watched my grandmother and mother can food. Now my daughter also cans. Last year I canned so much I don’t have to do any canning this year. I have my own grocery store in my cellar,” said Smith, whose historic home includes an original root cellar where she stores her jars of bread-and-butter pickles, sweet pickle relish, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, wax beans, asparagus, pepperoncini, ketchup, vegetable juice, blueberries, peaches, pears, cranberry sauce, soups, meat sauce, and her signature pepper jelly.
With harvest season nigh, it’s time to consider what to do with that bounty of ripening produce.
“You want to preserve at peak ripeness, so using what is available locally will be best for flavor and quality,” said Kristin Bogdonas, a nutrition educator with the University of Illinois Extension.
What you preserve comes down to what you like to eat, she said.
“For instance, if you like soups, prepare and preserve what you can use in soups in the wintertime, including chicken or vegetable broth. If you like fruit, you may consider freezing blueberries for smoothies as well as making jam or jelly,” she said.
The process and equipment to use depends upon the nature of the food item and its expected use. Sufficient storage space for the finished products should also be considered.
“You might want to borrow equipment and try out the method first to see if this is really something you want to get into before you spend money buying your own equipment,” suggested Smith.
Canning involves the most equipment, work, and expense, and involve either a boiling water bath canner or a pressure canner.
“The biggest mistake people make is not using the proper equipment and methods for the type of foods they want to preserve,” Bogdonas said. “Vegetables have to be canned using a pressure canner to prevent botulism. Techniques that should not be used include heating the filled jars in the dishwasher, oven, or microwave, and open kettle and solar canning.”
The primary concern for proper canning is avoiding contamination with the bacteria that produce the deadly botulism toxin. Fortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, botulism from home canning is rare in the U.S., but the severity of the illness means it should be taken seriously.
If offered home-canned items, to be on the safe side, Bogdonas said it is appropriate to conversationally ask what method was used in preparation. If the method is questionable, it might be wise to avoid the item.
Besides canning, other popular methods for preserving foods include pickling and fermenting, similar processes that often are confused. Pickling requires an acidic brine, usually made with vinegar and salt, and can be one of the simplest processes to use. Many foods in addition to cucumbers, including other vegetables, peeled hard-boiled eggs and fruit, can be pickled.
Fermentation prevents spoilage with microorganisms such as yeast which create ethanol alcohol, like in beer, or bacteria which create lactic acid, like in sauerkraut. Fermentation encourages probiotics to thrive and is considered to have health benefits.
Another method of preservation — dating back to 12,000 B.C. — is to dry or dehydrate food. Some jobs can be done in a regular oven, but foods that require a long time, such as tomatoes which take up to forty-eight hours to dry, should be done in a dehydrator.
Smith, who has tried most of the food preservation techniques, dehydrates thinly sliced potatoes, which she then adds to recipes throughout the year. She said they are also good seasoned as a snack, like fat-free potato chips.
Freezing delays spoilage, is fast and convenient, and preserves nutrients. It is the preferred method used by certified master gardener Pam Holt and her husband, Jim Greene, who have had a farm in Wisconsin for over forty years and have an urban garden at their home in Morgan Park.
“We are not very exotic in our preservation methods,” said Holt. “We are obsessed with the freshest taste that preservation can give us and although it is not the best method ecologically, freezing captures that freshness for us.”
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Bogdonas said she gets calls every fall about the best way to preserve pumpkin purée and butter. Unfortunately, there are no approved recipes for the home canning of pumpkin, but it can be frozen or dehydrated.
Smith and Bogdonas agreed that the best advice for the novice food preservationist is no matter what process was being used for what food, “follow the directions and stick to tried and true recipes.” Holt added that “experience will be the best teacher.”
Bogdonas recommended the website of the National Center for Home Food Preservation (nchfp.uga.edu/) as a good resource. Extension webinars can be found at extension.illinois.edu/global/recorded-webinars.
All three agreed that growing and preserving food instills self-reliance and a sense of accomplishment.
“Our one claim is that a fair amount of our harvest sauces, dishes, and soups come from our own crops — tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, onions, peppers, parsley, oregano, basil, and the like. It’s a good taste and a great feeling,” said Holt.
Said Smith, “I really enjoy canning. It’s actually quite fun and satisfying. I am proud of what I can do. In addition to giving us a ready supply of food, it is a rewarding experience.”
For Bogdonas, it is very satisfying to preserve her own food and have it available during the year.
“There’s nothing like opening up a jar of jam or salsa in midwinter and getting that summer flavor,” said Bogdonas. “That’s the best.”
Carol Flynn is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.