Small Details in Food Storage Make a Big Difference

Reader Contribution by Mary Moss-Sprague
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Okay, folks, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for summer already! Slogging around in a 20-inch snowfall (in one day!) is a bit much. Unfortunately, since it’s not even February yet, summer’s a long way off — but, hey, attitude is everything, right? 

During these deep-snow times, I am so grateful for our winter stores. Pulling down a jar of home-canned stewed tomatoes to toss into a soup or stew is a stress-reducer. There’s no need to try to navigate out to the market — yay! Ditto with a dish of canned peaches or applesauce; it’s all there, just waiting to be used for breakfast.

One of the best things about having home-preserved food available is its relative safety. I say “relative” because some foods put away for later use are not safe if they’ve been canned and/or stored incorrectly.

Do you enjoy raw garlic, and have you ever tried storing it in vegetable oil? Did you put it in the refrigerator right away and use it up within three weeks? Garlic carries botulinum spores, so it cannot be stored at low temperatures in an anaerobic environment for long periods and still remain safe to consume.

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