Escarpment Magazine Summer 2013
62
Preserving the
fresh tastes of
Summer
is an easy,
rewarding
and worthwhile
project, and...
you’ll love the
savings.
keeping
the
bounty
Fruits and vegetables
just taste better when you purchase them in season and within
days after they’ve been picked! Home canning can be less expensive than buying fresh or frozen
foods from the grocery store. If you’ve had a successful garden this year, home canning is a great
way to preserve all the fruits and vegetables from your garden that you couldn’t eat or give away.
If you’re not a grower, try shopping at our road-side markets, where the produce is abundant, well
priced and grown locally. Eating locally grown foods is far better for the environment and supports
our neighbourhood farmers. Because the food has less distance to travel from the farm to your
home, you are also more likely to have foods that are still at their best quality to use for your canning.
Canning is a method of preserving food that prevents spoiling. It uses heat and acid
to help preserve food and keep it safe for us to eat. Spoiling can result from exposure to air,
microorganisms and moisture losses. Microorganisms or “germs” include bacteria, yeasts and
molds. These can produce a sour smell or cause food poisoning.
Proper home canning will create a tight seal on the jars to keep air and
microorganisms out, and moisture and freshness locked inside.
You can preserve all types of foods.
Popular choices include tomatoes, jams, jellies, sauces,
fruits, chutneys, relishes, pickles, and vegetables.
Home canning is very safe when done properly —
following proper canning technique that uses acid,
high temperatures and oxygen removal is very
important to prevent the growth or kill any bacteria.
BY DE EN A DO L AN F I NDL AY
