How To Preserve Produce Without Refrigeration

(Page 9 of 9)

July/August 1971
By Frank Garrett 
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A badly leaking jar or bulging tin of stored canned foods is an almost sure sign of spoilage. An outburst of air or a spurting of liquid when a container is opened also usually indicates spoiled contents. Never taste food from a freshly-opened can or jar in an effort to determine spoilage. It is possible for food to contain botulinum toxin without showing any sign of being tainted and your taste test could be a fatal mistake. Boiling will destroy the odorless and usually tasteless toxin, however, and health authorities strongly recommend that all canned (home or commercially) foods be boiled for ten minutes after opening and before eating. For a guide to canning produce, see Figure 6.

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IN CONCLUSION

It is possible to eat (and eat quite well) year-round without the blessing (or curse) of a refrigerator and/or food freezer. That's a good thing to know, especially if you've been wondering how to solve the victuals problem on a homestead way out there somewhere beyond the power lines.

Furthermore—once you kick the supermarket and frozen food habit and start storing, drying and canning your own naturally-grown produce—you're sure to be both money and health ahead. You may even find it surprising when you taste real food for the first time in your life!

FIGURE 7. proper filling and sealing of jars

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  • Jackie 7/6/2009 10:16:13 PM

    I read the story about preserving food without refrigation
    I wanted to know why nothing was put in about the zodaic signs. I live in western North Carolina and I was raised
    canning by the zodaic signs. I have search the enternet
    over and I cannot find anything about this. I teach a canning class at my church and I am trying to find something more than I know, because I know there is more out there than I have found. If anyone has any information on this please let me know, before this part of my mountain heritage. I would like to pass this down to other people and my children. Believe it or not this does make a differance in your canning and in gardening Thank You and God Bless Jackie jackiecole39@yahoo.com

  • Dave Heath 3/7/2009 10:54:00 AM

    My daughter did her science fair this year on "Preservation without Refrigeration". She compared Rubbermaid plastic containers, Glad Fold Top bags, Ziploc vacuum bags, and Debbie Meyer Green Bags. She cut apples in half and placed one in each. She had one left out at room temperature on a plate and one left in the fridge on a plate. Anyway, she won first place in the science fair and goes to the Arizona State Science Fair in two weeks! She got the idea from this website and we just wanted to say thank you!

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