3.1 Concept Review Canning

Consumers have called the Answer Line for help with food preservation techniques. Can you help?

  1. A homemaker from LeMars asks: When I canned tomatoes, some of the jars did not seal. What can I do to make sure all the jars seal when I can again?

 

  1. A gardener from Story City asks: I have saved all our old mayonnaise jars for canning this summer. Do you know where I can get more?

 

  1. The liquid in my home-canned green beans is cloudy. Are these safe to eat? How can I tell? Asks a person from Storm Lake.

 

  1. My grandmother died last year and, when my mom cleaned out her basement, she found lots of canned fruits and vegetables. My mom gave them all to me since I am a poor college student. Can I eat this stuff? asks an ISU student.

 

  1. Joyce from Minnesota asks if it is ok to can tomatoes (crushed, pint jars) in the boiling water bath canner at 35 minutes if she adds green peppers and onions.

 

  1. Paul, an avid fisherman, packages the fish he catches in sandwich bags and bread wrappers, then freezes them. The fish are dried out and tough when cooked. Can you tell him why?

 

  1. A women from Davenport says that her apples and pears have pinkish purple spots in them after they are canned. Why are they so colorful? Is it harmful?

 

  1. Food in the top of the jar of canned fruit darkens. Why? Asks a man from Waterloo.

 

  1. I do everything the way my mother taught me when preserving food at home, says a woman from Sioux City. She was the best cook! However, the lids come off the jars a few days after I’ve canned. I know I didn’t do anything wrong. It must be the lids. What do you think?

 

  1. My neighbor told me about a quick and easy way to freeze sweet com. You just clean the ears of com, wrap them in plastic wrap and foil, and put them in the freezer. I can hardly wait to try this method because it is so hot in the summer to use other methods of preservation. Do you think this will work, asks a farmer from Garwin.

 

  1. Jenni’s grape jelly tastes great, but is rubbery. What’s the problem?

 

12.  There was an ice storm and the electricity was off for 2 days in Nashville, TN. What would you advise all those people with freezers full of food?

 

  1. Fresh peas in a creamed white sauce is John’s favorite food. He plans to make a big batch and freeze it. What would you recommend?

 

  1. Mom received a candy thermometer, a meat thermometer, a refrigerator/freezer thermometer and a general food safety (40-140°F) thermometer for a Christmas gift. She has been cooking up a storm. She also checked the temperatures in the refrigerator and freezer which are 45°F and 5°F, respectively. Is this ok?

 

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Basic Scientific Food Preparation Lab Manual Copyright © 2023 by Iowa State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.