Many people grow tomatoes in their traditional or container gardens. With a good year, you may want to preserve some tomatoes to enjoy during the winter. The recommendations in this publication take into account numerous tomato varieties, including those described as meaty, solid, firm and with few seeds, and the recommendations also allow for various growing conditions. If you do not want to follow these instructions, freezing is a safe alternative
Learn about growing, storing and preserving basil, and view cooking tips and recipes using basil.
Learn about growing, storing and preserving cilantro, and view cooking tips and recipes.
Learn about growing, storing and preserving dill, and view cooking tips and recipes using dill.
Learn about growing, storing and preserving mint, and view cooking tips and recipes using mint.
Learn about growing, storing and preserving rosemary, and view cooking tips and recipes using rosemary.
Freezing is one of the easiest, quickest, most versatile and most convenient methods of preserving foods. Properly frozen foods maintain more of their original color, flavor and texture and generally more of their nutrients than foods preserved by other methods.
Food preservation guidelines have changed through time. Test your knowledge of current food preservation recommendations by deciding if these statements are facts or myths. See the answers and explanations on the back.
Sweet spreads are foods with many textures, flavors and colors. They are thickened or jellied to varying degrees. The traditional jellies and jams are preserved primarily by sugar.
Salsa continues to grow in popularity. While most people think of salsa as a spicy tomato-based sauce, it also can be made from various fruits.
Pickling is one of the oldest known methods of food preservation. Pickled foods add a special touch to many snacks and meals.
Freezing is one of the easiest methods of preserving foods. Following the guidelines in this circular will help ensure that your frozen fruits remain nutritious and high in quality.
While many excellent types of salsa are available in supermarkets, you can tailor homemade fresh salsa to suit your own taste buds. By following guidelines in this publication, you can safely process salsa in a water bath canner for later enjoyment.
Processing is essential to ensure safety when canning fruits. Fruits, being acidic foods, can be processed safely in a boiling-water bath. However, some people prefer to pressure-process fruits.
The method used for canning a product is determined primarily by the acidity of the food or mixture of foods being canned. Low-acid foods must be processed in a pressure canner to be free of botulism risks.
Poultry, red meats, game and seafoods are low-acid foods and must be processed in a pressure canner to assure their safety. This publications provides general tips for high-quality products, general procedures and recipes.
Many types of fruit and juices can be used to make jams and jellies. This guide provides recipes for several wild fruits, including buffalo berries, chokecherries, gooseberries, ground cherries, pin cherries, rose hips and sand cherries. You may need to experiment a bit to get an acceptable product because of variations in the growing conditions and varieties of wild fruits.
You’ve probably heard the expression “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Research continues to show that the fiber and natural antioxidants and other phytochemicals (plant chemicals) in apples may help prevent chronic diseases.
Corn, or maize, has been consumed for thousands of years. This handout provides tips and recipes for preparing and preserving corn.
This handout provides tips and recipes for preparing and preserving potatoes.
Zucchini is a type of summer squash that can be used in a variety of ways. Whether you make it sweet, spicy or savory, it provides a nourishing amount of vitamins A, C and K, plus potassium and other minerals. This handout provides tips and recipes for preparing and preserving zucchini.
Peaches are a delicious fruit that are “in season,” at their best quality and, often, best price in late summer. This publication provides step-by-step instructions for preserving them.
How about some chips and salsa? While many excellent types of salsa are available in supermarkets, you can tailor homemade fresh salsa with fresh vegetables or fruits to suit your own taste buds. By following research-tested recipes, you can process salsa safely in a water-bath canner for later enjoyment. If your recipe has not been tested to determine its acidity and safety for canning, you can freeze the salsa
Learn best practices for using metal two-piece closures for home-based canning and ensuring a safe seal on canning jars.
Water-bath canning is a method of preserving high-acid foods. Fresh foods contain a high percentage of water, which makes them very perishable. High-acid foods can be preserved safely when they reach temperatures provided by a boiling water-bath canner. To kill harmful molds, yeasts and some bacteria, processing using the boiling water-bath method ensures the safety of preserved produce. However, this method does not provide high enough temperatures to destroy botulinum spores in low-acid foods such as vegetables.
A food safety study was conducted with 58 international students from 30 different countries at North Dakota State University. Participants indicated the kind of food safety information they would like to get to help them safely handle new and unfamiliar foods they encountered in the U.S. many of the participants asked for information about food storage, preserving leftovers, proper handling of salads and fresh vegetables, and the safety of processed and frozen foods.
