Rec.food.preserving Official FAQ

Version 5.0.0, Last Updated: 2-12-11

Part 9 of 9

© Copyright 2003, 2011 by Jack Eddington on behalf of all the authors. All rights reserved. You may use and copy this file as long as the contributors' names and this copyright and *all* disclaimers remain intact. You may not sell, trade or in any other way profit from all or any part(s) of this document or make any portion of this document part of anything sold, traded, etc. unless you are the author of the part(s) used. Plagiarism is naughty, even on the Internet.

Disclaimer: No author represented in this FAQ is qualified to establish scheduled processes nor is any author a competent processing authority in the sense of 21 CFR 113.83 et alia. What this means is that you use this FAQ at your own risk. (The lawyers made me say that)

Note that 'NOSPAM' has been added before "@" in all e-mail addresses. This is to stop robot/programatic harvesting of e-mail addresses. Always remove 'NOSPAM' when using any e-mail address.

Latest Changes - All Parts
See the differences file for a complete, chronologically ordered sequence of changes.

V. Recipe Caveats and Troubleshooting (Part 9)

1. General Questions

A.1.1 I just got a recipe from rec.food.preserving that I'd like to try. Is it safe to make?
To any food preserver, all preservation recipes are interesting. That said, not all recipes are safe, or even good to make. Being on USENET for a little while, we all know that an unmoderated group (r.f.p is unmoderated) can and will generate irresponsible posts and undesirable recipes. Mostly out of ignorance or simply passing on a 'treasured family recipe from the early 1900s'. It could be a "botulism in a jar" recipe with an innocent sounding name this section.

Posters should be responsible for recipes posted, and if you are trying out a preserving recipe for the first time, extreme caution should be taken. Your best source of information on a posted recipe is the poster's E-mail address. If the recipe poster doesn't answer your questions, that's a bad sign. I've included the email addresses for your convenience.

1. Recipes, if they came from a publication (book, pamphlet, magazine), that publication should be stated, preferably at the beginning. It would be very wise to note the copyright date, too. If the recipe is an old family recipe, it should also be posted, too. Of course, plenty of bad recipes get into cookbooks, so....
2. If you altered the recipe, you should post that. The best thing to post would be the original recipe, and your changes made to it.
3. Processing times for recipes are assumed to be for sea level. You should know your elevation, and you must remember to increase the processing time the higher the altitude that you can at. If you are posting an old family recipe, you really should post your altitude, too.
4. And remember, you can always make a refrigerator batch, by not sealing and processing, just refrigerating the results.

You can check any recipe for safety by following the instructions in Section A2, below.

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BTW, this is as good a place as any to explain the disclaimer that you should see at the start of each piece in the FAQ. In layman's terms, it means that contributors here are not food scientists or professional food processors. The advice given and compiled here is an amalgam of the expertise of talented and generally careful amateurs, and should be treated as such.
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A.1.2 Most of the recipe measurements posted here are not metric. Can you help me?
Some basic conversions. Check the rec.food.cooking FAQ for more of them. Note that most are approximations, but will work fine in recipes.

*Temperature*.
F to C = temp-32 X (5/9)           C to F =temp X (9/5)+32
Examples:
-20 F = -29 C         0 F = -18 C       32 F = 0 C     70 F = 21 C
165 F =  74 C       180 F =  82 C      212 F = 100 C   220 F = 105 C
240 F = 116 C
*Volume Measure*.
1 qt = 1 liter (L)
1 cup (C) = 250 mL ; 1/2 pt = 250 mL
1 pt = 500 mL
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) = 15 mL
1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 mL
1 fluid oz = 30 mL
*Weight Measure*.
1 lb = 454 grams or .454 kg
1 oz = 28.4 grams
*Length (elevation)*.           *Length (headspace measurement)
1000 ft = 305 meters            1 inch = 2.5 centimeter

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A.1.3 Finding your elevation so you can alter your canning recipes.
Yep, you've got to alter your processing times if you are above sea-level. The question is, what is your elevation? If you live in the US, and have Web access, check out the URL http://www.topozone.com/findplace.asp Type in your town, state (and county, if you know it) and you should see a geographic summary, including your elevation in feet. I've typed in very small towns and have gotten an answer.

Just one cavaet, from Susan Wood :
I just read your post of the URL for finding out geographic data. When you include this in the FAQ I think it is important that people understand they must adjust for their specific location. I just checked my town, Woodbury, Vermont. The data was OK except I live on a hillside which puts me about 1000 feet above the elevation listed in the data. Anyone in a hilly terrain owes it to themselves and their families to check a topographic map for their area and confirm the elevation.

If you find another geographic nameserver that works for Canada or worldwide, please let me know at jacke6835NOSPAM@yahoo.com.

A.1.4 Help! What's a peck? Uncommon English measurements.
From: Barb Schaller :


3 tsp = 1 Tbsp
2 Tbsp liquid = 1 fluid ounce (fl oz) = 1/8 cup
16 fl oz = 2 cups = 1 pint (look on a carton of whipping cream)
(From Nathan Justus :
I burned many things that I cooked from my British cookbooks until I realized that Imperial
pints are 20 ounces, and not 16.)
32 fl oz = 4 cups = 1 quart (look on a carton of milk)
64 fl oz = 8 cups = 1/2 gallon (look on a bigger carton of milk)
128 fl oz = 16 cups =  one gallon (look on a bleach bottle)
And a couple of measurements especially useful for rec.food.preservers:
Dry measures  (1 1/6 dry = 1 wet), this taken from _Joy of Cooking_
1 peck = 2 gallons = 8 quarts
1 bushel = 4 pecks = 32 quarts
These are really only useful for large quantities of whole fruits and vegetables.

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2. I got some recipes from my grandparents. Are they safe? How can I make them safe?

Evaluating Home Canning Recipes For Safety

What do you do when someone gives you "Aunt Tillie's Special" old favorite jam recipe? Or Uncle Willie's barbecue sauce? Or Cousin Millie's dill pickle recipe? In today's heightened awareness of food safety, how do you tell which are safe and which are not? There are no hard and fast rules, or secret formulas, to help you decide. But there are some priorities you can use to help you balance the pros and cons. They depend on the factors that allow molds, yeasts and bacteria to grow, and on the relative hazards that molds, yeast and bacteria present in foods.

Factors Influencing Safety
In food preservation, the factors that are important to inhibiting growth are:


1. Sugar - enough sugar will stop the growth of most organisms
2. Salt - enough salt will stop the growth of most organisms
3. Acid - enough acid will stop the growth of most organisms
4. ** Too little sugar, salt or acid will permit spoilage
5. Air - most organisms must have air to grow, BUT the most dangerous bacteria in home food preservation, Clostridium botulinum, will only grow without air (see Part 8, Section IV, C).
6. Temperature - most dangerous microorganisms grow best at room temperature or a little above. But in preserving food, we are interested in killing the organisms and their spores, not just in slowing their growth.

The death rate of microorganisms depends on:


1. The microorganism - they die at different rates
2. The number of cells or spores present initially in the food - the more there are, the longer it will take to kill them all
3. The medium (food) that they are in - most die faster in acidic food than low acid food, and in wet food than dry food.
4. The temperature - in canning the important temperature is the temperature at the coldest spot in the jar.
5. The length of time at that temperature - when we heat food, not all the organisms will die at the same time, they die gradually, and the full process time is necessary to be sure that all, even the most heat-resistant ones, have died.

These last two factors, temperature and time, depend on how much solid vs. liquid is in the jar, and on how tightly the food is packed. Heat from the steam or water in the canner penetrates into different foods at different rates. Liquids circulate in the jar and carry the heat into the center of the jar. Solids must heat slowly from the outside in. A process time for randomly packed green beans, which have spaces for water to circulate, will not be adequate for "tin soldier" green beans, when the tightly packed, vertically aligned beans leave no room for water to circulate.

The most important microorganism in home canning is Clostridium botulinum. The toxins it produces damage the nervous system, producing paralysis and possible death. The damage to nerve cells is permanent. Minute amounts of contaminated food can carry enough toxin to cause death. This bacteria produces spores which are very resistant to heat. It is also very sensitive to acid, and will not grow in acid foods. Other pathogenic bacteria are usually killed by much less heat and in a shorter period of time than Cl. botulinum. Most require air, so will not grow in a sealed jar. They are of less concern in home canning.

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Why worry about molds and yeast?


1. Molds and yeast can reduce the amount of acid present in the food.
2. Too low of an acid environment is conducive to growth of 'bad' bacteria (e.g. C. botulinum)
3. Some molds, particularly those that grow on fruits and fruit prducts are known to produce toxins that cause damage to the nervous system and kidneys, or cancer in research animals. The likelihood is that they will cause some damage in humans if consumed often enough. (Toxin-producing molds grow well on grains and peanuts, but these products are not home-canned.)
4. Molds and yeasts will also spoil the taste, texture, color and overall appearance of the food, making it unfit for consumption.

Jams, Jellies, Sweet Spreads
In a jam or jelly recipe made with regular pectin, not the low or no-sugar variety:
If the jam or jelly sets properly (stiffens into jam or jelly) it has enough sugar to inhibit the growth of bacteria and all but a few sugar-tolerant molds and yeasts. This will also be true for marmalades and preserves, and for jellies made the long-boil method without added pectin. The fruit blend used is not crucial.

However, mold growing on a fruit spread is a problem. It should not be scooped off, rather the entire product should be discarded. To avoid mold problems, all jellies, jams and sweet preserves should be packed in pre-sterilized jars and processed 10 minutes or more in a boiling water bath canner. The exceptions are some of the sugar-free types which explicitly state on the package of jelling agent that they should not be processed. These contain preservatives to prevent mold growth, and the heat of processing would cause soft jelly. In addition, heat will cause the sweetener to break down and lose its sweet taste.

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Pickles and Relishes

The pickle recipe is more complicated. The proportion of acid (vinegar) to the amount vegetable is crucial. Enough vinegar must be added to change the low-acid cucumber into a high-acid pickle to be safe. There is no formula or set proportion to decide if the recipe provides for adequate vinegar. The best thing to do is to find a recipe with similar procedures in the USDA Guide to Home Canning and compare the amounts. This is especially true of pickle relishes or vegetable relishes where several vegetables are ground together.

Similarities to look for include:


1. Similar recipes will use the same presoak - soak in ice water, or in salt water, or no soak.
2. They will call for the same size cucumbers - 4", or 6", or 8", or specify small or large.
3. The maturity of the cucumber influences how much acid it will take to pickle it. Smaller, less mature cucumbers have the capacity to neutralize more acid per unit of weight than do larger, more mature ones.
4. Similar recipes will also specify similar procedures with the brine: Are the slices or spears packed in the jar raw and the brine poured over, are they merely heated in the brine, or are they simmered before packing? Is the simmering or boiling time the same? Each of these will influence how rapidly the acid penetrates the cucumber and how much the cucumber juice will dilute the acid.
5. Similar recipes will call for similar proportions of onion or other vegetables.
6. Quantities of salt are critical in fermented pickled products; proportion of salt to vegetable to vinegar should be very similar to USDA recipe to be sure that it will be safe. Proportions of spices are not crucial and may be adjusted to suit tastes without danger.
7. If too little salt is used the cucumbers will spoil, get slimy, float, smell foul, and the fermenting mixture may support the growth of hazardous microorganisms. If too much salt is used, there will be no fermentation, just shriveled cucumbers sitting in salt water. Either case is obvious: the recipe is not good.
8. In quick-pack pickles the amount of salt is not critical. Salt may be omitted, or a reduced sodium salt-type product used. The flavor and texture may be noticeably different, and probably less acceptable but, the product will be safe.
9. All pickle products should be processed in a boiling water bath to reduce the likelihood of mold or yeast spoilage. Old recipes for whole or sliced pickles that have been used for generations without processing and without spoilage should at least be given a 10 minute process.
10. Pickle relish products must also adhere to the USDA proportions and process times. Quantities of vegetable and vinegar, heating prior to packing, and process time must be similar to a USDA recipe. An old, tested and trusted recipe may be used if the 10 minute process time is used. Other recipes may be changed, or the product refrigerated.

For comparison of quantities, note the following equivalencies in Table A.2 1, below:

Table A.2 1

Lbs of Veg.	Count	Volume
1 lb 5" cucumbers	about 5 cucumbers
1 lb mushrooms		about 6 cups chopped, 1 1/2 cups sauteed
1 lb onions	about 4 medium	about 3 cups chopped
1 lb green peppers	8-9 peppers	about 3 cups chopped
1 lb sweet red peppers	6-7 peppers	about 3 cups chopped
1 lb celery		about 4 cups chopped
1 lb tomatoes	about 3 medium	about 1 1/2 cups chopped
22-23 lb tomatoes		about 7 quart or 28 cups cooked juice

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Other Ingredients:

The use of alum is unnecessary. The slight increase in crispness that it provides is lost after about 2 months of storage. Few pickles are consumed within 2 months of processing. However, since alum is usually used in very small amounts, its use does not constitute a safety problem.

The use of grape leaves might contribute slightly to flavor. They have no significant effect on safety.

Lime does cause a significant increase in the crispness of pickles. If it is used, all excess lime must be rinsed away before the vinegar is added since it will neutralize the vinegar. After the soak in lime water, the cucumber slices should be soaked in fresh water then drained, re-soaked and drained two more times (3 rinses in fresh water).

Honey may be used safely, but quantities will need to be adjusted for taste, and color may be darker. One cup of sugar is equivalent to 3/4 C + 1 T honey (or 1 C less 3 T).

Tomato Products

Tomatoes and tomato products are very hard to categorize. Tomatoes are borderline acidic. Lemon juice or other acid (vinegar, citric or ascorbic acid) must be added to all tomato products to insure adequate acidity. Added acid is necessary whether the product will be pressure canned or boiling water bath processed. Bacteria and spores die faster in an acidic environment, and the recommended process times for pressure canning assume that the tomatoes are acidic. The times would not be reliably adequate to insure safety if the tomatoes were low-acid.

Green tomatoes are more acidic, and may be used safely in any recipe calling for red tomatoes. Overripe and frosted tomatoes are less acidic and can not be safely home canned. They can be frozen.

Addition of salt, while optional, does give an extra margin of safety. For dietary information, one teaspoon of salt added to 1 quart of juice or sauce adds about 526 mg sodium per cup.

Addition of low-acid vegetables to tomatoes decreases the acidity. The amount by which the acidity is lowered depends on which vegetables, how much, how finely they are chopped, if they are boiled in the tomatoes or not, if seeds and skins remain in or are removed, and if the chunks of vegetable and tomato remain, if they are ground together or sieved out. The initial acidity of the vegetables and tomatoes depends on maturity, growing conditions, post-harvest holding conditions, and soil/location of growth.

It is impossible to test every recipe. It has so far been impossible to develop a set of proportions or an equation that would take into account all the variables and give a reliable assessment of the acidity or the necessary process times. The only safe recommendations can be made by comparing the recipe in question with the USDA guide recipes. If more vegetable or less acid (vinegar or lemon juice) is added than the USDA recipe, the recipe in question can be changed or the product should be processed according to the process times for the vegetables. Alternatively the product may be frozen or refrigerated.

Table A.2 2, below, shows the proportions of vegetables have processing times in the USDA Home Canning Guide:

Table A.2 2

Recipe	Ratio of Tomato to Vegetables
Tomato-vegetable juice	22 lb tomato : 3 C chopped vegetable
Spaghetti sauce	30 lb tomato : 8 C vegetable : no acid
Ketchup #1	24 lb tomato : 3 C onion : 3 C vinegar
Ketchup #2	24 lb tomato : 1 C peppers : 2.6 C vinegar
Ketchup #3	24 lb tomato : 9 C vegetables : 9 C vinegar

Use the equivalencies in Table A.2 1 to convert the amount of vegetables to cups before a recipe is evaluated for safety.

The tomato-vegetable juice recipe specifies "chopped vegetables". Up to but no more than 3 cups of mixed vegetables may be safely added to tomatoes to make 7 qts of juice. Which vegetables are used is not important, the margin of safety is large enough to tolerate the variations in this recipe. BUT, after boiling, this recipe is pressed or sieved, so the chunks are removed, and a smooth juice is canned. These proportions can not be used for a chunky sauce.

The spaghetti sauce is pressure processed, so the proportions can be different. The tomato acid and the long boiling prior to canning are sufficient. These proportions and procedures can be used with different spices to make a taco or barbecue sauce type product.

Ketchups 1 and 2 are pressed or sieved so skins and seeds are removed. The proportions are similar, #2 with less added vegetable has a little less added vinegar. Ketchup #3 is a blender ketchup, skins are not removed prior to canning. The amount of added vegetable and of added acid is much greater relative to the amount of tomato.

If these proportions are maintained, the amounts of sugar and spices may be varied to suit one's taste without endangering the safety of the product, and processing times given in the USDA Guide can be used. If other proportions are used, if the product is canned chunky instead of sieved smooth, or blended raw (uncooked) or any other variation, the processing times are not valid: the recipe must be changed, or the product must be frozen or held refrigerated.

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Fruits and Vegetables
These products may be safely canned only according to USDA guidelines. Piece size, packing density and process times must be followed. Grated carrots can not be safely processed according to times for carrot chunks. Pumpkin puree can not be safely canned. The density varies too much, according to variety and preparation method, to give safe recommendations. Only pumpkin chunks may be canned. Addition of aspirin, salt, or "canning powders" will not increase the safety or allow for reduced process times. Deviations from the specified procedures might not be safe. The only safe recommendations that can be given for other procedures is to freeze or refrigerate the product. [There you have it. Don't bother asking for a pumpkin-butter recipe. LEB]

Fruits and vegetables may be pickled. In this case the guidelines for pickled products should be used.

Jar Sizes
For all products, if the USDA Home Canning guide only offers processing times for pint jars, then the product should not be canned in quarts. Usually this occurs for dense or tightly packed products such as cream style corn, or for heat-sensitive products such as jelly, mushrooms or pickle relishes. In all cases, the extra processing time that would be required to insure an adequate temperature for an adequate time in the coldest part of the jar would be so long that the quality of the product would be lost. Relishes would be soft and mushy, corn would be tough, jelly would be syrupy.

Packing food for canning in irregularly-shaped jars such as ketchup bottles or honey bears is not acceptable. The irregular shape and size might not allow for normal circulation and heat penetration, and cold spots might exist that would allow for the survival of bacteria.

If the product has all ready been packed and processed within the last 24 hrs, it may be repacked and reprocessed in smaller jars, or refrigerated. If it has been longer than 24 hrs since the processing, the product should be discarded to ensure safety.

Food may be packed and processed in smaller jars, half pint instead of pint if desired, but the processing time to be used should be that specified for pints. There is no formula to determine how much less processing would still be adequate. Mayonnaise or other straight sided, regularly shaped, commercial packer jars may be used for boiling water bath canning only. They should not be used for pressure canning, due to the danger of breakage, particularly when the canner is opened. Flying glass is dangerous.

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SUMMARY


1.  SWEET FRUIT SPREADS
If it was made with regular pectin, high sugar recipe:
Did it jell?  If it jelled, it has enough sugar, so is safe. Was it processed?
If not processed, it should be refrigerated for added safety. Is there visible
mold?  If so, discard the entire contents of the container.
If it was made with a low sugar or no sugar pectin product:
Were the directions on the box, particularly the processing or refrigeration,
followed exactly? If the directions were not followed, but there is no visible
spoilage, the product may be refrigerated, or possible frozen. If there is mold,
if there are bubbles rising, or other signs of spoilage, the product must be
discarded.
2.  PICKLED VEGETABLE OR FRUIT:
Find a recipe that has similar ingredients and procedures (i.e. pre-soak, size of
pieces, maturity and size of vegetables, treatment in brine).
If there is no similar recipe, you can make no judgement on the recipe. If it is an
old recipe that has been used successfully for generations without spoilage, a 10
minute processing should be added.
If there is a similar recipe, compare the amount of acid to vegetable between the two.
If the recipe in question has less acid, either the acid can be increased or vegetable
decreased to fit the USDA recipe. If acid is increased, sugar may be increased to
adjust the flavor.
If the product is all ready made and the recipe is unsafe:
If it was made less than 24 hrs previously, it may be refrigerated. If it was made more
than 24 hrs previously, it should be disposed of in a safe manner.
If the recipe is safe but the product was not processed:
If it was made less than 24 hrs previously, it may be processed, with new lids. If it
is cold, either empty the jars, heat product, repack, and put into hot water, or put
cold, filled jars in cold water, heat together; process for full time. It may be
refrigerated, or frozen if feasible. If it was made more than 24 hr previously, and
has not been refrigerated, it should be disposed of in a safe manner.
3. TOMATO-VEGETABLE BLEND:
Find a similar recipe in the USDA Guide. Check ingredients, proportions, and procedures.
If there is no similar recipe, no processing times can be estimated. To err on the
side of safety, do not use the recipe, or freeze the product.
If there is a similar recipe, check proportions of tomato to vegetable, and be sure
there is added lemon juice or vinegar. Minor adjustments to quantities of ingredients
may be made to fit the USDA recipe.
USDA recipes for juice can not be used to judge chunky sauce recipes, or vice versa.
Spices and seasonings are not crucial to the safety of a recipe and can be adjusted.
4.  FRUIT OR VEGETABLE:
Only USDA procedures and processing times may be considered safe.
Products improperly processed less than 24 hours previously may be re-processed, with
new lids, or refrigerated or frozen.
Products improperly processed more than 24 hrs previously should be discarded as
potentially unsafe.
5.  Wrong JAR OR JAR SIZE:
If a larger jar or an irregularly shaped jar was used, and the food was processed less
than 24 hours previously, it may be reprocessed, with new lids, in smaller jars.
If more than 24 hours have passed, the food should be discarded.
Prepared by Mary A. Keith, Foods and Nutrition, September, 1991
Revised by M. Susan Brewer, Foods and Nutrition, June, 1992
EHE-705
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How To Evaluate Recipes - Procedures

Here are five sample recipes taken from two home canning cookbooks on the market. Use the questions and procedures from Fact Sheet EHE-705, Evaluating Home Canning Recipes For Safety, to evaluate them [the section above--LEB]. You will also need the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. [In all that follows, page references are to the online version of the guide. If you have a paper version, just look up the recipe referred to. --JTE]

Please remember that these are sample recipes, each with or without an important flaw. Do not use them until you read the ANALYSIS for each one. The background color gives an indication of the safety of the original recipe: Green for Ok, Yellow for bad but fixable and Red for bad and unfixable.

I. Pepper relish


Ingredients
2 C chopped sweet red peppers	4 C cider vinegar
2 C chopped sweet green peppers	4 C sugar
4 C shredded cabbage	4 T mustard seeds
2 C chopped onions	1 T celery seeds
3 small hot red peppers, chopped	4 T salt
Process Mix all the ingredients and let stand in a cool place overnight. In the morning pack in sterilized jars and seal.

II. Picnic Relish


Ingredients
12 sweet green peppers, seeded	6 C sugar
12 onions, peeled	2 t dry mustard
12 green tomatoes	1 t allspice
1/2 C salt	1/4 T red pepper
4 C cider vinegar
Process Put all the vegetables through the medium blade of a food chopper, sprinkle with the salt, and let stand 4 hr. drain, rinse in clear water, and drain again. In a kettle combine the vinegar and sugar. Bring the liquid to a boil, add vegetables and spices. Boil for 10 min. and seal in hot jars.

III. Chili Sauce I


Ingredients
24 large ripe tomatoes	2 C cider vinegar
1 small bunch celery, chopped	2 T salt
6 onions, chopped	1 t pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced	1 t dry mustard
3 sweet red peppers, seeded and chopped	2 T whole allspice, tied in a bag
1 1/2 C light brown sugar
Process Scald, peel, core, and quarter the tomatoes. Squeeze out the seeds and excess juice and chop the pulp finely. Put the pulp in a large kettle, bring to a boil, and boil rapidly until the tomatoes are soft. Ladle off the clear liquid that comes to the top of the tomatoes while they are cooking. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 30 min. Discard the spice bag and continue to cook for about 1 hour longer, or until thick, stirring occasionally. Seal in hot sterilized jars.

IV. Chili Sauce II


Ingredients
4 qt ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped	1 C chopped onions
1 1/2 C chopped red peppers	2 C vinegar
1 1/2 C chopped green peppers	1 C sugar
1 1/2 t whole allspice	3 T salt
1 1/2 t whole cloves	2 sticks cinnamon
Process In a large preserving kettle, combine the tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Add the spices, tied in a bag, bring the mixture to a boil and cook until it is reduced to half its volume, stirring frequently. Add the vinegar, sugar, and salt and boil rapidly for 5 min., stirring constantly. Discard the spice bag. Pour into hot jars and seal.

V. Shirley's Sweet-Sour Sauce


Ingredients
10 C chopped, ripe tomatoes	2 C sugar
2/3 C chopped green peppers	2 C 5% acid cider vinegar
2 C chopped onions	2 T canning/pickling salt
Process Dip tomatoes into boiling water 1/2 min. to loosen skins. Cool in cold water. Remove skins and cores. Blend or put through food chopper. Place in 8-qt. kettle. Remove stems, membranes and seeds from peppers and peel onions before chopping. Add to tomatoes; stir in sugar, vinegar and salt. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 2 hours or until thick and sauce begins to round up on spoon. Laddle into 3 hot pint jars, filling to within 1/8" of jar top. Wipe jar rims: adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath 15 minutes. Start to count processing time when water in canner returns to boiling. Remove jars and complete seals unless closures are self-sealing type. Makes 3 pints.

ANALYSIS OF THE RECIPES
I.   Pepper Relish
A.   First, as it stands, there is neither cooking nor processing. The recipe can not be
used as is. Can it be made useable? Here's how to try.
B.   What are the vegetable:acid proportions?
Add the cups of vegetable. There are 10 C vegetables. The 3 small hot peppers are
negligible so they do not need to be counted. There are 4 C vinegar. Notice that the
recipe did not specify 5% acidity.
C.   What is the most similar USDA recipe?
Using the online Guide 06, the Piccalilli recipe (p.13/14) might look similar because
they both have shredded cabbage, it really is not, because it has green tomatoes, an
acid product, and the questionable recipe has no acid foods. So, the USDA recipe to use
is the Pickled Pepper-Onion Relish (p.13/14).
D.   What are the USDA proportions?
Twelve cups of vegetables to 6 C vinegar.
recipe    10 C veg : 4 C acid = 2.4 C veg : 1 C acid
USDA      12 C veg : 6 C acid = 2.0 C veg : 1 C acid
Therefore, this trial recipe does not have enough acid to be safe.
E.   What recommendations can be made?
If the vinegar were increased to five cups, the ratio would then be 2 C veg : 1 C acid
(10:5). So, to use this recipe:
a. increase the vinegar to 5 C
b. use 5% acidity vinegar
c. boil the mixture for 30 min. to use USDA procedures
d. presterilize jars
e. process the filled jars for 5 min. in boiling water
OR:     f. make the recipe as directed, do not seal it, refrigerate.
Note that the recipe already has much more sugar (4C) than the USDA recipe, so the
increased vinegar should still be acceptable. However, the sugar could be increased still
further to counteract the vinegar increase if desired.
If the recipe is made in its original form, the jars should be covered but the lids should
not be sealed. There should be no vacuum in the jars.  Since nothing has been done to kill
or inactivate any Cl. botulinum spores or cells, air should be left in the jar. The air
will prevent its growth.
II.  Picnic relish
A.   What is the most similar USDA recipe?
In this case, the Piccalilli (p.13/14) is the reference recipe to use. Both the
ingredients and the procedures are similar. It does have green tomatoes, it does call
for soaking the vegetables in salt water and draining them, and it does call for
simmering them before packing. So, while the times are not quite the same, the next
step is to look at proportions.
B.   What are the vegetable:acid proportions?
With this recipe it is not as simple as adding the quantities, because this one only
specifies numbers of peppers, etc., and not cups. Use the equivalencies table in fact
sheet (705) (replicated above as Table A.2 1) to estimate how many cups of produce it
uses.
12 peppers; 9 peppers = about 3 C,       so 12 = about 4 C
12 onions;  4 onions = about 3 C,        so 12 = about 9 C
12 tomatoes; 3 tomatoes = about 1.5 C,   so 12 = about 6 C
TOTAL VEGETABLES =            19 C
TOTAL ACID=                    4 C (4 C vinegar)
In the USDA recipe there are a total of almost 19 C of vegetables, but the vinegar amount is
4.5 C.
Recipe:   19 C vegetables :    4 C   acid
USDA:     18.75 C vegetables : 4.5 C acid
C.   So, to correct the proportions, the acid must be increased at least to 4.5 C, or
better yet, to 4.75 C of vinegar. This recipe also has much more sugar than the USDA
recipe, so the increased vinegar might not be noticeable. If it is the sugar may be
increased as desired.
D.   What recommendations can be made?
a. use 5% acidity vinegar
b. increase the vinegar from 4 C to 4.75 cups
c. mix the salt in, do not just sprinkle it on top
d. increase the time of soaking from 4 hrs to 12 hrs
e. increase the simmering time from 10 min to 30 min
f. use pre-sterilized jars
g. process the filled jars for 5 min in boiling water
OR:  h. use the recipe as is, do not seal, refrigerate the product
III. Chili Sauce I
A.   The procedures in this recipe are so different that there are no USDA recipes to use
for reference. It thus can not be considered safe.
B.   Explanation and analysis:
When the juice is removed from tomatoes by mechanical means (squeezing, ladling off
the clear liquid) the acid balance is changed. With the juice removed, it will take
less time for the sauce to become thick when it is cooked. But, that means that there
is less cooking time to kill bacteria and mold spores. Also, because it is thicker the
heat will penetrate and kill the spores more slowly. So, the product going into the
jar has a greater likelihood of still having live spores present. And, if it were
processed, because it is thick, it would need more than the usual process time to
kill them.
C.   The only recommendation that can be made with a recipe of this type is to refrigerate
the product without sealing, or freeze it. It can not be canned safely.
IV.  Chili Sauce II
A.   First look at the procedures in this recipe. The tomatoes and vegetables are boiled
together until it is thick. But, the mixture is not sieved or put through a food mill.
All the skins and seeds are left in. Therefore, this has to be considered in looking
for a similar USDA recipe. There are several possibilities; the Spaghetti Sauce
without Meat (Online guide 03, p.10), or any of the Ketchup recipes (p. 13-15).
B.   So, go to proportions and see which matches best.
Chili Sauce       Spaghetti           Ketchups
?              Sauce     Regular  Western   Blender
tomatoes      16 C             30lb=45 C 24lb=36C   36C       36C
onions         1 C              1 C       3C        --      (2 lb = 6C)
red pepper   1.5 C              --        --       5chili   (1 lb = 3C)
grn pepper   1.5 C              1 C       --        --      (1 lb = 3C)
mushrooms  1 lb=6 C             --        --        --        --
TOTAL VEG:               4 C               8 C       3 C       0 C       12 C
TOTAL TOMATO:           16 C              45 C      36 C      36 C       36 C
TOTAL ACID:              2 C               --        3 C     2.6 C        9 C
C.   Spaghetti sauce: the proportions do look the closest. Half of each quantity is 4 C
vegetables to 22.5 C tomatoes. However, looking at the directions, it specifically
states: "Caution-do not increase the proportion of vegetables." So, for an exact
match, the amount of tomatoes in the chili sauce recipe would have to be increased to
22.5 C. You might say "Yes, but the chili sauce has vinegar added." That is true, but
there is no way of knowing if the added vinegar is enough to compensate for the fewer
tomatoes. (Both are acid.) If you adapt to the spaghetti sauce recipe, the vinegar
becomes optional.
Next, notice that the tomatoes in the spaghetti sauce are sieved to remove the seeds
and thick pulp. This would have to be done for the chili sauce too. The skins have
been removed in both recipes. Also, notice that the spaghetti sauce recipe only has
directions for pressure processing. Many consumers do not have or do not want to use
a pressure canner for their tomato products. The other vegetables remain, so the sauce
is chunky.
D.   So, if the spaghetti sauce recipe were used the recommendations would be:
a. increase the tomatoes to 22.5 C
b. sieve to remove the seeds of the tomatoes.
c. process in a pressure canner, 10 psig for 20/25 min.
d. the vinegar is optional, use it for flavor
All the chili sauce spices would remain the same, so the flavor should be quite
similar to the original.
E.   Now, look at the proportions of the ketchup recipes compared to the chili sauce in
question.
chili     1 C veg.  :    4 C tomato     :    0.5 C acid
Regular   1 C veg.  :    12 C tomato    :    1 C acid
Western   - C veg.  :    14 C tomato    :    1 C acid
Blender   1 C veg.  :    3 C tomato     :    0.75 C acid
Of the ketchups, we can eliminate the Western, because it has no added vegetables at all.
It is essentially spicy tomato sauce. The regular ketchup has a much higher proportion
of tomato to vegetable, and more acid as well. This is what happens when the solids are
removed (sieved out).
F.   What can be done with the blender ketchup recipe?
The amount of vinegar would have to be increased from 2 C to 3 C. There are more
tomatoes than needed, but that only increases the safety margin. So, they do not have
to be changed. The spices and cooking procedure could be left the same, with the
exception of blending the tomatoes and vegetables together. This would insure that all
the pieces are small enough to coincide with the USDA recipe. It becomes a smooth
rather than chunky product but all the original solids are still present. And finally,
the product would have to be processed.
G.   The recommended changes in the recipe would be:
a. specify 5% acidity vinegar
b. increase the vinegar from 2 C to 3 C
c. blend the tomatoes and vegetables together before cooking
d. process the product for 15 min in boiling water
OR   e. use as is, do not seal, refrigerate or freeze the product
V.   Shirley's Sweet-Sour Sauce
A.   Begin with the procedures. The tomato skins are removed, the rest of the tomato is
blended, the onions and peppers are chopped, added to the tomatoes, and the mixture
is simmered until thick. It is not sieved. Of the USDA tomato recipes used in the
previous section, the Blender ketchup is again the most similar in procedures.
B.   Look at the proportions.
sweet-sour  2.6 C veg :    10 C tom  :    2 C acid
or to reduce it to lowest common denominator (divide all by 2.6):
sweet-sour  1 C veg   :    4  C tom  :    0.75 C acid
Blender     1 C veg   :    3  C tom  :    0.75 C acid
So, this is an almost perfect match. The sweet-sour sauce has more tomatoes than necessary
for minimum safety, the acid and vegetable are balanced correctly. The long boiling
times match, the final processing times match.
C.   What recommendations are necessary?
The only thing that could be said would be "Be sure the vegetables are chopped finely,
to approximate the blending used in the Blender ketchup." Most people wouldn't mind
using a blender to chop the vegetables, so it is a minor change.
Remember, if there is no similar USDA recipe, the only recommendation can be to freeze or
refrigerate the product.
Prepared by Mary A. Keith, Foods and Nutrition, September, 1991
Revised by M. Susan Brewer, Foods and Nutrition, June, 1992
EHE-705 Supplement
----

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VI. Full recipe listing

Here are the recipes mentioned in this FAQ. They are grouped into categories for easy finding. Note that there are recipes in this part (Part 9) that are NOT included here. The recipes are in the previous section (Section V) but were analyzed for potential errors and fixed when possible. I didn't want to confuse anyone as to which recipe was correct and which wasn't. If you are interested, check that section, but read the analysis also to see what changes are needed.

Finally, there are also recipes available online. Do your own Google search or check some of the Internet references in Section VII.

Dairy Products
Devonshire Clotted Cream: Part 6, Section I, I.2.2
Stirred-Curd Cheddar: Part 6, Section I, I.2.3
Many other recipes are available online. Do a Google search!

Dried Foods
Fruit Leathers: Part 3, Section I, C.1.3.d
Beef Sticks (Slim Jims): Part 3, Section I, C.1.3.e.ii
Dehydrator Tomato Paste: Part 3, Section I, C.1.3.f
Jerky: Part 3, Section I, C.1.3.e.i
Sundried Tomato: Part 3, Section I, C.1.3.b

Jams/Jellies/Conserves/Marmelades
Apple Butter: Part 2, Section I, A.2.3
Basic Flower Jelly: Part 2, Section I, A.2.8
Citrus Mamelade: Part 2, Section I, A.2.6
Kitchen Sink Conserve: Part 2, Section I, A.2.4
Pear Preserves: Part 2, Section I, A.2.5
Tea Jelly: Part 2, Section I, A.2.7
 
Low sugar recipes (strawberry, rspberry, cherry, blueberry, peach, etc.): Part 2, Section I, A.2.2

Liqueurs
Brandied Fruit: Part 6, Section I, G.6
Dandelion Wine: Part 6, Section I, G.8
Fruit Cordial: Part 6, Section I, G.5.2

Pickled Foods
3-Day Lime Pickle: Part 4, Section I, D.4.4
A Real New York Deli Pickle: Part 4, Section I, D.4.5
Dill Tomolives: Part 4, Section I, D.4.9
Green Tomatoes Ravia: Part 4, Section I, D.4.10
Kimchee: Part 4, Section I, D.4.6
Middle Eastern Mixed Pickles: Part 4, Section I, D.4.2
Pickled Bread-and-Butter Zucchini: Part 4, Section I, D.4.8
Pickled Garlic: Part 4, Section I, D.4.11
Pickled Ginger Slices: Part 4, Section I, D.4.7
Polish Brine-Cured Dill Pickles: Part 4, Section I, D.4.3
Transylvanian Salt-Pickle Vegies: Part 4, Section I, D.4.1
Zucchini Relish: Part 4, Section I, D.4.8

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VII. Other Sources (besides this FAQ)

   A. This FAQ does not tell me what I need to know! Where can I find more info?
1. USENET

Please put the question to the group rec.food.preserving. Rec.food.cooking, rec.food.historic, misc.consumers.frugal-living, misc.rural and misc.survivalism all have also dealt with some food preservation traffic. Sci.bio.foodscience has been helpful for more pointed scientific questions about food preservation.
2. Internet Sites

When you click on one of these sites, it will open in a new browser window so you can meander around the site selected and follow any urls found there. When you're done, just close that window and you will return here.

These urls are in general order of importance. However, the Nth item and the N+1 item could easily be equal. But the 22nd item is definitely less important the the 2nd item (unless it is more specific to a single topic you're interested in, of course).

All sites (unless otherwise stated) have been verified as of mid-July, 2003. If you find a broken link or another link you feel is worth sharing, please let the FAQ maintainer know.

Finally, Google is your friend. If you don't know, Google is a search engine. It's not the only one, but it is a good one. Go to http://www.google.com. Type in a keyword (or a few keywords) and check out the sites. Not all will be on topic, but you should find at least some.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html
The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. There is an introduction plus 7 'guides', all pdf files.

The above site is part of the National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia) http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/
The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your source for current research-based recommendations for most methods of home food preservation. The Center was established with funding from the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (CSREES-USDA) to address food safety concerns for those who practice and teach home food preservation and processing methods.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Canning_Food
Another good site, from the University of Florida Extension. This site covers the principles of home canning as well as selecting, preparing and canning of fruits, tomatoes, vegetables and meats. There is also a link to food safety and handling which also covers drying and freezing.

There are several sub-sites at the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service of interest to us (some are still being developed). These include:


General info on Drying foods: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Drying_Food
General info on Freezing foods: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Freezing_Food
Specific info on Freezing fruit: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Freezing_Fruit
Specific info on Freezing meat, Nuts & Dairy: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Freezing_Meat_Nuts_and_Dairy_Products


http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/pubfood.html
Colorado Extension on-line "Food & Nutrition Online Fact Sheets". These cover food safety, health and preserving.

In addition, if you're totally new to food preservation and want a cheap introductory course covering food safety, freezing, canning, making jams & jellies, pickles & relishes and drying fruits, vegetables & meats, the Colorado State University has a correspondence course available for $12 (mid 2003 cost). Details are available at http://www.colostate.edu/Orgs/safefood/safetyworks/foodpres.pdf

http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/network.html
The National Food Safety Information Network, one of the initiatives in the May 1997 National Food Safety Initiative Report to the President, brings together the Federal Government's primary mechanisms for providing food safety information to the public. The "Network's" goal is to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the government's food safety information dissemination activities.

http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/presqueryform.cfm
Home Food Preservation Database at Penn State University. Keyword searchable by method as applied to categories of food. There is also an elevation finder at this site.

http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/yf/foods/he172w.htm
"Jellies, Jams, Spreads" from North Dakota State University. Covers general proceedures (including making jams & jellies without added pectin), remaking soft jelly and recipes (including a section with reduced sugar amounts).

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/cfs/food/jamjelly.html
"Unusual Jams and Jellies" from the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension. Not well navigatable, but has lots of recipes for such things as Chokecherry Jelly & Jam, Dandelion Jelly, Peach Pit Jelly, Mexicalli Jelly, Cactus-Date concerve, etc. About 40 recipes in all.

http://www.home-canning.com/
This is the Alltrista/Bernardin Web site. A pretty site, good for beginners. The recipe search is good for common ingredients like strawberries and peaches, hit and miss for rarer ingredients like figs. Files are also written in French, ingredients are noted in English and metric.--LEB.

http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_e/e-323.html
Salasa recipes and processes for canning, New Mexico State University.

http://www.cheesemaking.com
This a terrific site to visit if you are thinking of trying to make cheeses and yogurts. While it is run by New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, the webmaster has the good taste to give a surfer a mini-FAQ about cheese and yogurt making before trying to sell you something. Also has good links to other cheese/dairy sites. (Thank you Daniel Nachbar).

http://www.northwestsmoking.com/
Sausage making info.

http://www.dfst.csiro.au/handling.htm
http://www.dfst.csiro.au/consumer.htm
Files from the Commonwealth Science Industrial Research Organization Department of Food Sciences (Australia). Excellent files on handling frozen, refrigerated, and thawed food, including little known facts about the average refrigerator. Thank you to John Laidler (johnlNOSPAM@zeta.org.au).

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/intro.html
The Bad Bug Book homepage. If we haven't scared you about spoilers, maybe they can. From Ron Meisenheimer .

http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/
Henriette Kresses' herb FAQ which consists of a medicinal and a culinary herb FAQ. She also crossposts it on rec.food.preserving monthly, around the 20th of each month. The culinary herb faq has ideas and recipes for preserving herbs--check out the recipes for herbal jellies, herbal syrups, scented and flavored sugars and candied and sugared rose petals. Also contains info on drying herbs, making herb vinegars, oils, mustards, etc.

http://www.cdc.gov/
The Center for Disiease Control. From this site one can get to lots of data, expecially the MMWR (Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report), available at http://www2.cdc.gov/mmwr/.

Pick a noun, there's probably a home page for it. If you get stuck for a recipe, try a search for the item in question, like this "+item +recipe". You just might find it. Similarly, pick a topic, say pickling. When I did it on July 15, 2003, the 3rd site was http://www.picklenet.com/. An interesting site (British?) with info on the baisics of pickling, recipes, a searchable database of recipes, etc. You never know what you might find.

---

The following sites have not been verified as yet. Please let me know if they are still valid.

Email to chile-heads-request@chile.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu Write a one line message containing the command SUBSCRIBE to this listserve address. This is the chile heads mailing list, which has info on preserving chile peppers.

---

Return to TOC

3. General Reference Books

N.B. I've attached a little code to describe the main contents of the books I have or know about.
{c = canning/ f = freezing/ dr = dehydration/ s = smoking/ p = pickling/ cr = curing/ pt = potting/
d = distilling/ rc = root cellaring}
Putting Food By (1991). Janet Greene, Ruth Hertzberg, Beatrice Vaughan.
ISBN 0-452-26899-0.  If you only can afford one book on this subject, this is the one to get.
{c,f,dr,s,cr,p,rc}
Stocking Up (1990).  Carol Hupping.  ISBN 0-671-69395.  This is the book compiled by the Rodale
Institute. Check for copyright dates, especially if you are curing meats. Early editions have meat
curing protocols and recipes, the latest edition does not. {c,f,dr,p,rc,d}
The Ball Blue Book: The Guide to Home Canning and Freezing (various).
Ball Corporation.  So important, it is its own question in the FAQ. You may order your copy using
the coupon on the top of your next case of Ball jars. Note the latest version came out mid-2003.
{c,f,p}
Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving (various).  Bernardin of Canada.
Consumer Services/ Bernardin of Canada Ltd/ 120 The East Mall/ Etobicobe Ontario M8Z 5V5.
ISBN 0-9694719-0-4.  The coupon contained on side of the box of lids, also on top of the next
case of Mason jars.  Also printed in French. [Look for both its phone number and Web site below.--LEB]
Complete Guide to Home Canning, Preserving, and Freezing (various).
USDA.
Dover Publication  ISBN 0-486-27888-3. Tip from Susan Hattie Steinsapir (hattieNOSPAM@netcom.com).
Another tip for the cheap--The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning is online. Look for the address
under Internet Sources.
Sunset Home Canning Guide (1993).  ISBN 0-376-02433.  This book can be hard to find in the
eastern United States. {c,f,p}
The Beeton Homebooks (various), edited by Irene Hirst.  Publisher Ward Lock and Co. Limited, London, Melbourne and Cape Town.
From Ellen Wickberg (egwNOSPAM@vcn.bc.ca)

4. Specific Techniques and Interests

Arranged in alphabetical order. If your favorite book isn't here, talk about it in r.f.p, and I'll
put it on the list...
The Art of Accompaniment (1988).  Jeffree Sapp-Brooks. ISBN 0-86547-346-3. {c,p,d}.
Some of the most unusual jam/chutney/sauce recipes I've seen. Love the dried fig jam recipe,
still thinking of trying out the carrot/date marmalade. Lots of quick pickle recipes, a kimchee
recipe, even a recipe for pickling grape leaves for dolmathes..
Better Than Store Bought: Authoritative Recipes for the Foods that Most People Never Knew They
Could Make at Home  (1979).  Helen Witty, Elizabeth Schneider Colchie.  ISBN 0-06-014693-1.
Recipes in this book include those for crystallized violets, tomato ketchup, German-style mustard,
pickled okra, chutneys, mustards, jellies and jams, gravlax, three recipes for corned beef, and
smoked meats and fish.  While you're waiting for the fish to smoke, you can whip up some pudding
mix, or make marshmallows or fig newtons. Recipes do not appear to be excessively difficult--some,
like those for mustards and flavored liqueurs, are simple--and descriptions of ingredients and
finished products are clear and understandable. Thanks to kvjNOSPAM@mcs.net (Kevin Johnson)
Canning (1983, also various).  Bill and Sue Demming.  HP Books.  ISBN 0-89586-185-2. {c}.
Canning and Preserving Without Sugar (1993).  Norma M. MacRae.  ISBN 1-56440-163-4. (1982).
ISBN 0-914718-71-1, Published by Pacific Search Press in 1982. from Ellen Wickberg (egwNOSPAM@vcn.bc.ca)
{c}
Clearly Delicious (1994).  Elizabeth Lambert-Ortiz, Judy Ridgway. ISBN 1-56458-513-1.
The Country Kitchen (1979).  Jocasta Innes.  Frances Lincoln Publishers LTD, London.
ISBN 0-906459-01-X
This book also contains recipes for scones and blackcurrant jam, besides many others, many of
which touch on preservation topics, including curing hams and bacon, salting and smoking fish,
making pickles, chutneys, preserves, butter, cheeses, etc.  Review from James Harvey
(harveyNOSPAM@indyvax.iupui.edu).
Don Holm's Book of Food Drying, Pickling, and Smoke Curing (1992). Don and Myrtle Holm. ISBN 0-870004-250-5.
{dr,p,s,cr}
Dry It - You'll Like It (1974).  Gen MacManiman. Published by MacManiman, Inc., P.O. Box 546,
Fall City, WA 98024. from (pataNOSPAM@aa.net). {dr}
European Peasant Cookery: The Rich Tradition (1986). Elizabeth Luard.
Corgi Publishing.  ISBN 0-552-12870-8.
The Fancy Pantry (1986).  Helen Witty.  ISBN 0-89480-094-9.
{c,p,d,pt}. The first food preserving book I ever bought.  I still use a lot of the recipes in it.
The pear honey recipe is sinful, so is the green tomato mincemeat. Cornichon, sundried tomato,
pepper flavored vodka, pepper jam, herb jellies. Excuse me while I go get my waterbath canner..
Farm Journal's Homemade Pickles and Relishes (1976).  Betsy McCracken.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 76-14048. {p}
Feast of the Olive (1993).  Maggie Beth-Klein.  ISBN 0-8118-0523-9.
Several olive curing techniques listed here, also everything you've wanted to know about different
olive oils
Fruits of the Desert (1986).  Sandal English.  ISBN 0-9607-758-0-3.
Preserving fairly exotic fruits, such as kumquats, loquats, fresh figs, cactus fruits, olives.
{c,p,cr,d,dr}
The Glass Pantry: Preserving Seasonal Flavors (1994).  Georgeanne Brenner. ISBN 0-8118-0393-7.
{c,p,dr,d,pt}
Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing (1984).  Rytek Kutas.  Self published.
Can be obtained from the author at The Sausage Maker Inc./ 26 Military Road/ Buffalo NY 14207. (716)-876-5521.
{s,cr}.  If you want to learn how to cure and smoke meats, and make sausage, this is the place.
You can also order equipment and supplies pertaining to meat preservation here.
The Herbal Pantry (1992).  Chris Mead, Emelie Tolley.  ISBN 0-517-58331-3.
{c,p,d}
Herbal Vinegar (1994).  Maggie Oster.  ISBN 0-88266-843-9. {d}
Home Book of Smoke Cooking Meat, Fish & Game.  Jack Sleight and Raymond Hull. ISBN 0-8117-2195-7.
Stackpole Books, Cameron and Kelker Sts., Harrisburg, PA 17105.
I'm very happy to say that I found a book about smoking foods that I can recommend. Covers all the
essentials from building a low temperature home smoker to large-scale production. It provides some
recipes, but mainly is concerned with techniques and methods. From Paul Hinrichs (paulhinrNOSPAM@nando.net>.
{cr,s}
How to Dry Foods (various).  Deanna DeLong.  HP books.  This book is highly recommended by Anna
Louise Gockel, and several other folks in r.f.p.
{dr}
Keeping Food Fresh (1989).  Janet Bailey.  ISBN 0-06-272503.  This book will also give you tips
on how to select produce from either the supermarket or garden. {f,rc}
Keeping the Harvest (1990).  Nancy Chioffi and Gretchen Mead.  ISBN 0-88266-650-9.
Little Chief Smoker Recipes (?). Is available at:  Luhr Jensen and Sons, Inc./Post Office Box 296/
Hood River, OR 97031. from Hank Nolle (HNolleNOSPAM@airnet.net).
Making and Using Dried Foods (1994).  Phyllis Hobson.  ISBN 0-88266-615-0. {dr}
Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook (1994).  Mary Bell. ISBN 0-688-13372-X.  {dr}
from Paul Opitz (rpo3352NOSPAM@omega)
Mary Norwak's The Book of Preserves (Jams, Chutneys, Pickles, jellies).
Mary Norwak. ISBN 0-89586-507-6, HPBooks.  A tip o' the hat from Barb Schaller
(Schaller_BarbNOSPAM@htc.honeywell.com)
Native Harvest (1979).  Barrie Kavasch.  Vintage Books.  Native American preserving recipes,
including pemmican. {dr}
Out of the Sugar Rut (1978).  HAH Publications/ Box 2589/ Colorado Springs, CO 80906.
Low sugar canning recipes, from Jean Sumption (sumptionNOSPAM@HInet.Medlib.Arizona.edu) {c}
Preserving Today (1992).  Jeanne Lesem.  ISBN 0-364-58653-0. {c,dr,p}
The Rocky Mountain Berry Book (1991).  Bob Krumm.  ISBN 1-56044-040-6, Falcon Press Publishing Co.,
Inc.  A book to fill a need--how to identify edible wild berries, then recipes for their use.
Preserving recipes are pretty much jam/jelly/ketchup, with 2 pemmican recipes thrown in. I would
note that the processing times do not mention altering them based on your elevation, so be sure
you remember, especially if you are able to harvest them locally.--LEB.
{c}.
Root Cellaring (1994).  Mike and Nancy Bubel.  ISBN 0-88266-703-3.
{rc}
Smoking Salmon and Trout ().  Jack Whelan. ISBN 0-919807-00-3.  Aerie Publishing, Deep Bay,
Vancouver Island R.R.1, Bowser, B.C. V0R 1G0.
This is probably the best resource for smoking fish that I've ever seen. It is where I learned
the art of cold smoking using a forced draft smoker. Plans on how to build various smokers are in
the book. Also has the best description on the whys and therefors of marinades and brining that
I've ever read. review from Kai (qx01820NOSPAM@inet.d48.lilly.com) {s}
Summer in a Jar: Making Pickles, Jams, and More (1985).  Andrea Chessman. ISBN 0-913589-14-4.
This book has basic canning instructions but also some inventive recipes. It has a section on
single jar recipes (although why anyone would go to the trouble to can one jar is beyond me).
The single jar recipes are, however, successfully increased to make a reasonable batch. The jam
recipes are easy and unusual - they don't require that you use pectin or make your own apple
pectin. My favorite is peach maple jam - low sugar and very tasty. It also has lots of recipes for
vegetable pickles. (from Rachel Beckford (beckfordNOSPAM@scsn.net) {c}
--N.B. Many standard cookbooks, such as Joy of Cooking, will give you information on preserving
food and recipes. Check for the most recent edition and the copyright dates. Ethnic cookbooks
often have food preserving or condiment recipes that can be preserved (refrigerate or freeze if
in doubt about canning them).

Return to TOC

5. Books and Guides to Equipment

"Red Book No. 6 The Collector's Guide to Old Fruit Jars" by Alice M. Creswick.
This is one of two by Creswick on fruit jars. A purchase address is Alice Creswick,
0-8525 Kenowa Sw., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504. Thanks from: Emily Dashiell (antemNOSPAM@PEAK.ORG)
"1000 Fruit Jars Priced and Illustrated" by Bill Schroeder.  1996 is the fifth edition. An
ordering address is: Collector Books/ P.O. Box3009/Paducah KY 42002-3009. 1996 price is $5.95 + $2.00
handling. The dedication lists William A. Dudley as a dealer in rare jars. His address is:
393 Franklin Ave./Xenia OH 45385.  From Leslie Basel (lebaselNOSPAM@ntwrks.com)
The Embarcadero Home Cannery (Division of Quaternion Industries)/ 2026 Livingston Street/
Oakland CA 94606.  Proprietor: Louis "Butch" Nagel.
This catalog is also a mini-pamphet of home canning, especially tin canning. Got a need for an
unusual piece of canning equipment?  Need a stitch pump, a portable pressure canning unit, cans,
can sealers, chucks, tin lids, lifters?  Here they are. Also are "outfitters of community and
commercial canneries".
Home Canning Supply & Specialties (Hugh and Myra Arrendale) have a selection of books, bulletins,
and pamphlets (not to mention canning jars and supplies). They are in San Diego CA area,
1-800-354-4070 (orders); 619-788-0520; fax 619-789-4745.
They have the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Preserving and Freezing (240 pages, $7.95,
2/1/95) and many more.  Give Myra a call for her current catalog/pricelist.  Info from Barb
Schaller (Schaller_BarbNOSPAM@htc.honeywell.com).

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6. Food Preserving Books of Historic Interest

The Domostroi: Rules for Russian Households in the Time of Ivan the Terrible (original 1550's,
current English translation 1994).  Edited and translated by Carolyn Johnston Pouncy. ISBN 0-8014-2410-0.
If you think preserving food is a lot of work nowadays, imagine being a Russian house steward in
1550...
Michel de Nostradame (Nostradamus) apparently published a collection of jelly recipes.
From: Tim (timmNOSPAM@powerup.com.au) in rec.food.historic:
The recipes I have of Nostrodamus are contained in the book 'The Elixirs of Nostradamus' edited by
Knut Boeser. Published by Bloomsbury U.K. 1995. I have tried searching on the net for similar
items, but all that 'Nostrodamus' turns up are predictions. [There's a real foodie for you!--LEB].
The book is divided into two sections. The first is a collection of beauty potions and elixirs,
the second is a collection of jellies and preserves. These include:  How to preserve lemon peel.
How to preserve pumpkins. Preserving bitter oranges in sugar or honey. How to preserve bitter
cherries. How to preserve limes. How to make a superb quince jelly.
The Foxfire series (especially Foxfire 1) has some information on food preserving techniques as
they are (and were) practiced in the southeastern US.
From zoeholbrNOSPAM@rs6a.wln.com (M Zoe Holbrooks) in rec.food.historic:
I've just gotten word that Louis & Clark Booksellers (P.O. Box 5093, Madison, WI 53705) has a
complete set of the Mallinckrodt Collection of Food Classics for sale. The set of 6 volumes
includes: Nicholas Appert (The Art of Preserving All Kinds of Animal Frederick Accum (A Treatise
on Adulterations of Food, and Culinary Poisons; 1820); Denys Papin (A New Digester or Engine for
Softening Bones; 1681); H. Jackson (An Essay on Bread; 1758); Platina (De honesta voluptate; 1475);
and Kenelme Digbie (The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digbie Kt. Opened; 1669).
Most of these works are difficult to find. If interested, please contact them directly
(tel# 608-231-6850). They are not yet online (maybe later this year [1995.--LEB]). My personal
experience with them has been pleasant and rewarding. They put out a catalog at least once a year
and it never fails to include something I "can't live without"!
If you are looking for older canning recipes, ones that contain unusual combinations of fruits,
or perhaps are trying to track down your grandmother's secret conserve recipe, check out the
selection of used/collectible cookbooks from the Book Garden Gallery. The BGG is online, at email
address bggNOSPAM@magpage.com. I've ordered books in cyberspace from them, they are polite, speedy,
and accurate about the condition of their used books.

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7. Pamphlets

Consumer Information Center, Department EE, Pueblo CO 81009.  Ask for the Consumer Mailing List
Catalog. Can order those nifty USDA pamphlets from this catalog.
The Foodsense series of pamphlets in the UK.  Keeping Food Cool and Safe.
The booklet number is PB 1649 and it can be obtained from...
Foodsense, London, SE 99. 7 TT. Tele 01645 556000.  There are a number of other booklets in this
food series covering such things as additives, labels, pesticides, radioactivity in food, etc.
Citation From Ron Lowe (arloNOSPAM@we118can.demon.co.uk).
The Jam & Jelly Times is a newsletter-type publication from SureJell.
No specific subscription info, but return address says:  Jam & Jelly Times from SureJell,
P. O. Box 945, Kankakee, IL 60901. (A tip from our woman in Gedney, Barb Schaller)
Heinz Successful Pickling Guide, P.O. Box 57, Pittsburgh PA 15230.
[That PO Box is easy to remember, eh?--LEB]
The Pleasures of Pickling (1986).  46 pg. Older editions appeared as the Pampered Pickle, each
are from Sifto Salt Division of Domtar Inc. Write to: Sifto Canada Inc., 5430 Timberlea Blvd.,
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L4W 2T7, 1-800-387-8580
(from Brenda Sharpe, aj471NOSPAM@freenet.carleton.ca)
Home Meat Curing Guide.  Morton Salt. can get at the Cumberland General Store/ Rt 3/ Box 81/
Crossville TN 38555.  32 pg. 15 meat recipes and various techniques for curing hams with Morton
salt products: dry cure, dry/sweet pickle cure combination, aged/non-aged cures.
Kraft General Foods has booklets and info available:  1-800-437-3284 (1-800-43PECTIN  :-)
Their Gifts From the Harvest has a couple of conserve recipes. So, too, does Fruits of the
Harvest. And, surprise, Fruits of the Harvest Beyond the Basics. Not surprisingly, all of their
recipes involve added pectin in one form or another.
From Barb Schaller (Schaller_BarbNOSPAM@htc.honeywell.com).
Storey Communications, Inc., Department 9300, Schoolhouse Road, Pownal, Vermont 05262
(1-800-827-8673 or 802-823-5811) publishes a series of 32-page booklets on a variety of topics
from "Grow the Best Strawberries" to "TACK: Care & Cleaning" to "Making Potpourri."
Bulletin A-129 is Making & Using Mustard. From Barb Schaller.
Also has smokehouse plans, from deadbirdNOSPAM@aol.com.
Check for pamphlets when you purchase new equipment. I recently found a multi-lingual pamphlet
(English, French, German, Spanish) on canning with a new waterbath canner.
Seed Catalogs have ordering information for canning supplies, and food preserving information.
Catalogs to check for this include Johnny's Select Seeds, Gurney's Seed Nursery, Burpee, Henry
Fields. Tip 'o the hat to Joan Lane (jmlNOSPAM@prairienet.org)..
Check your county extension service office for pamphlets, which can usually be bought for a
dollar or so. Especially important for high altitude canning, getting recipes specific for locale,
even information on U-Pick sites and local farmers' markets.
The Church of Latter Day Saints can sell you a copy of "Essentials of Home Production and Storage"
which is _really basic_, but a good start. Another idea is to get catalogs from Emergency
Essentials (Ogden, UT), Out-N-Back (Salt Lake City, UT) and Nitro-Pak Preparedness Ctr (CA).
All have 800 #'s, free catalogs (last I checked) and sell lots of books. Citation from Logan
VanLeigh (loganvNOSPAM@earthlink.net).

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8. Magazines

(These are all hit or miss.  To the best of my knowledge, no magazine specific to food preserving
exists.)
The Herb Companion               Sunset
Mother Earth News                Saveur
Organic Gardening                Martha Stewart's Living
Better Homes and Gardens         Farmer's Almanac (various)

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9. Phone (non-modem)

Bernardin Ltd.                                  1-416-239-7723
Embarcadero Home Cannery                        1-510-535-2311
Kerr Hot Line                                   1-800-654-6249
Ball Hot Line                                   1-800-240-3340
Mrs. Wages                                      1-800-647-8170
Kraft General Foods Corp.        1-800-431-1001/1-800-437-3284
Sifto Canada, Inc.                              1-800-387-8580
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints     1-800-537-5950
(distribution center for food preservation pamphlets)
Also check locally:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints usually has a local Relief Society (womens'
auxiliary) representative to call. (From Logan VanLeigh.)
Master Preservers--similar to Master Gardeners or Master Composters.
Your county extension service--check your local university directory, especially if its a Land
Grant College; look under Government Services, under Dept. of Agriculture.
[ Compliments of Blanche Nonken here is a list of central office numbers for each State's County
Cooperative Extension Office program. There may be variations. If you notice a number as being
invalid - get the correct number and area code and send it to the RFP FAQ Maintainer by email.]
Alabama: 334-821-5108
Alaska: 907-474-7246
Arizona: 520-626-5161
Arkansas: 501-671-2000
California: 510-987-0505
Colorado: 970-491-6281
Conneticutt: 860-484-4125
Delaware: 302-831-2504
District of Columbia: 202-274-6900
Florida: 352-955-2402
Georgia: 706-542-3824
Hawaii: 808-956-7138
Idaho: 208-885-6639
Illinois: 217-333-2660
Indiana: 765-458-5055
Iowa: 515-294-4576
Kansas: 913-532-5820
Kentucky: 606-257-1846
Louisiana: 504-388-6083
Maine: 207-581-3188
Maryland: 301-405-2906
Massachusetts: 413-545-4800
Michigan: 517-355-2308
Minnesota: 800-854-1678
Mississippi: 601-325-3036
Missouri: 573-882-8237
Montana: 406-994-6647
Nebraska: 402-472-2966
Nevada: 702-784-1614
New Hampshire: 603-862-1520
New Jersey: 908-932-9306
New Mexico: 505-646-3015
New York: 607-255-2237
North Carolina: 919-515-2811
North Dakota: 701-231-8944
Ohio: 614-292-4067
Oklahoma: 405-744-5398
Oregon: 541-737-2711
Pennsylvania: 814-863-3438
Rhode Island: 401-884-2671
South Carolina: 864-656-3382
South Dakota: 605-688-4792
Tennessee: 423-522-3148
Texas: 409-845-7808
Utah: 435-797-2200
Vermont: 802-656-2990
Virginia: 804-524-5961
Washington: 509-335-2811
West Virginia: 304-293-5691
Wisconsin: 608-263-5110
Wyoming: 307-766-5124

-----

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One last quote:
"And here, without secrecy anywhere or of any kind, are some recipes which seem to have outlived the nineteenth century, our Golden Age of Pickling. Like most family jewels, they are called Sarah's This and Maggie's That, and in one way or another all of these people were witches, so I have carefully tested their brews, and often, to prove them honest... There are shades of exotic and ethnic backgrounds in them, but basically they are still living proofs of the passionate romance between Midwestern housewives and the Mason jar, which filled shelves with gleaming beautiful vessels of cooked fruits and vegetables, all dirt cheap in season and as rare as toad gems in the long winters fed on potatoes, cabbages, and parsnips..."
--MFK Fisher, With Bold Knife and Fork (1968)

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(end of large faq)

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