How to properly preserve vegetables and fruits. Secrets of Proper Canning
You can pickle cucumbers by soaking them in an expensive mineral water, or you can use the old-fashioned way in a tub. You can fill them with hot brine, or cold, but after a few days it must be boiled.
There are many ways to prepare a product for preservation. But how to observe all precautions during canning and how to store these blanks later, they do not always write in recipes. And they don’t write about botulism and mold, which can settle in any, even the most reliable-looking bank.
We decided to protect ourselves and you and talked to people who, like no one else, understand canned food and poisoning: Olesya Bakumenko, professor at the Department of High-Tech Food Production at the Moscow University of Food Production, and Alexei Vodovozov, therapist and toxicologist.
How to choose a jar and lid
Olesya Bakumenko:
“The conservation rules for all products are the same. If you pickle cucumbers, pickle mushrooms, are going to pack marrow caviar, jam or compote in jars - in any case, you will have to go through several mandatory steps, no matter what recipe you are cooking.
Before you start canning something, you need to choose the right packaging material. At home, as a rule, canned food is closed in glass jars. The lids of these jars are different.
It is important to know that the plastic lid always allows air to pass through, so in this case, the jars will have to be carefully monitored at all times. To be honest, I would not recommend using these covers at all.
Screw-on lids with thread fit snugly to the jar, and they are much more reliable than plastic ones.
But the most reliable are those flat covers that are closed with a special machine, where air does not enter at all. They are not as convenient as twisting ones, because you have to look for a typewriter, but there are more chances to save the product and not get poisoned.
How to handle the jar and lid
Olesya Bakumenko:
“First of all, I recommend treating glass jars and lids with a light solution of soda - about a spoonful of soda per liter of water: soda removes microorganisms from the surface of the jar. It is necessary to treat with soda not only the inner surface of the can, but also the outer one. There is nothing complicated here - you just need to carefully wipe the glass. Some people use hydrogen peroxide instead of baking soda.
Then the jars and lids must be heat treated, that is, they must be sterilized. In boiling water, jars and lids should spend a few minutes. Some believe that jars can simply be scalded with boiling water - this is a big mistake, you can’t do this.
After sterilization, jars and lids must be dried naturally - that is, let them dry themselves, you do not need to wipe them. In no case should food be placed in wet jars, water is the soil for the development of microorganisms.
How to put the product in a jar
Olesya Bakumenko:
“If this is a finished product - vegetable caviar, stew, compotes and jam - you just need to put it in a jar almost to the very edge of the jar and quickly close the lid to prevent air from entering.
If these are pickles or marinades - that is, what else will be cooked in a jar - these products are placed in a jar, then poured with brine or marinade, and then also quickly closed with a sterilized lid. But in the case of pickles, there are nuances, I will talk about them later.
How to close cans
Olesya Bakumenko:
“After the product is placed in a jar and closed with a lid, this jar must be turned upside down without fail. This is necessary in order to sterilize the inner surface of the lid and the upper empty space of the jar. Banks should stand upside down for at least 20 minutes, some leave them in this state for a day.
How to store canned food
Olesya Bakumenko:
“After the jars have cooled, they need to be stored in a dark, cool room. Humidity should be 75% and temperature around 15 degrees. You can also store it in the refrigerator, but this is not necessary. But it is important to ensure that there is no light: plant materials contain vitamins, for example, ascorbic acid, which are oxidized when exposed to light. And if there is an oxidation process, then the process of development of microorganisms can begin.
If you do not forget all these rules, if the jars are hermetically sealed and the whole canning technology is followed correctly, then it is assumed that the shelf life of canned products will be at least one year, or even more, and that under such conditions, microorganisms will not breed for at least a year.
How is pasteurization different from sterilization?
Olesya Bakumenko:
“The words sterilization and pasteurization often appear in recipes. These are different things.
Sterilization allows you to destroy the pathogenic microflora contained in the products that we want to keep for a long time, it occurs at temperatures above 100 degrees. Usually, the duration of sterilization is set experimentally and is written in the recipe.
Pasteurization is a method of processing a product at a temperature below: in the range from 80 to 100 degrees. With this method, the microflora is also destroyed, but biologically active substances, for example, the same vitamins, are preserved. But the shelf life is also reduced.
Pickles
Olesya Bakumenko:
“Salt is a natural preservative, and it will be the very barrier that will protect the product from the development of microorganisms, bacteria and mold in it. As a rule, no more preservatives are added to pickles at home. Unless there are some spices that, in addition to taste, have preservative properties - dill, horseradish, and so on.
Pickles are poured more often with hot, but sometimes with cold brine. If the brine was hot, then in principle, after the jar was closed, it can be turned over and cooled naturally. And if the brine was cold, then after you closed the jar with all the contents and turned it over, it must be sterilized again - already with the product. But in general, if you sterilize jars filled with hot brine just in case, then it will not be worse. True, vitamins are destroyed from prolonged sterilization.
Marinades
Olesya Bakumenko:
“There are various preservatives used in marinades, but for home use, the most popular and traditional preservative is acetic acid. The proportions of this acid are contained in the recipes, do not take them out of your head or ask your neighbors, it is risky. You need to understand that when you canning food, the recipe must be proven and reliable. Marinades should be rolled up and stored according to the same general rules that I described above.
It is important to understand that pickled foods last longer than salted ones. Therefore, grandmothers often have pickles with vinegar on the market. I categorically do not advise buying such canned food from strangers, no matter how cute these grandmothers may be: it is not known how they closed them and how they stored them.
vegetable caviar
Olesya Bakumenko:
“Zucchini, eggplant or any other vegetable caviar can be preserved only after it has undergone heat treatment. At the same time, you don’t need to specially prepare it for canning - just cook this caviar as if you were going to eat it right now, add all kinds of spices, spices and salt there. And then do everything in the same way as I described above. The main thing is that the caviar is thermally processed. But in a good way, for safety, jars with vegetable caviar need to be sterilized already together with the product.
Stew
Olesya Bakumenko:
“In this case, the conditions for preservation and storage should be tougher, because meat has a higher acidity than vegetables and fruits: the higher the acidity, the more actively microorganisms develop.
When preparing canned meat, long hours of sterilization and the obligatory use of a seaming machine are required. Recipes always describe these harsh conditions, and they cannot be neglected.
pickled products
Olesya Bakumenko:
“Ferured products can be preserved under normal conditions, even in a bucket - you will not sterilize it. These products contain powerful preservatives - salt and sugar. If the cabbage is fermented in large volumes, acetic acid is added to it. It is stored in a cool place at temperatures up to 10 degrees. You can even not in the refrigerator, but in a special closet or cellar. The main thing is to make sure that it is always covered with brine.
Jam
Olesya Bakumenko:
“Methods of storing jam depend on the recipe and on the acidity of the fruit. There are people who simply grind berries with sugar - it's not even jam - and such a product is stored in the refrigerator for a very short time. Our grandmothers, who did not have refrigerators, cooked berries and fruits for hours, and such jars easily stood on the shelves at room temperature.”
Compote
Olesya Bakumenko:
“The rules for preserving and storing compote are the same as for pickles, marinades and vegetable caviar.”
Cured and dried foods
Olesya Bakumenko:
“Drying of meat, fish or fruit takes place at high temperatures and very quickly. And dried foods are obtained by slow gradual dehydration.
Dried and dried products should not be stored next to strong-smelling foods, such as onions and garlic: all these extra flavors are absorbed very quickly and strongly. This should be stored in a separate package - in dark paper, in a plastic or vacuum bag and in a dark room with good air circulation. Ventilation of the room is necessary to maintain uniform air humidity - while the products themselves must be protected from moisture, light and air. If moisture gets into dried or cured foods, they will begin to mold. Store dried and dried products in small portions and regularly inspect these products.
The storage temperature of dried and dried fish and meat should not exceed 10 degrees. Dried fruits can be stored at 17 degrees. The kitchen is not suitable for this, so it is better to store in pantries or cabinets with ventilation.
What is botulism and how to avoid it
Alexey Vodovozov:
“Botulism is an intoxication, an unfortunate collision with the waste products of several types of soil bacteria Clostridium. No matter how strange it may sound, the closest relative of botulism is tetanus, clostridia are also to blame there, and it is also associated with the soil. Both wound botulism and inhalation botulism are well described, when a powder developed as a biological weapon is inhaled. Therefore, for example, all military personnel are vaccinated against botulism.
These bacteria are taken from everything that has somehow come into contact with the soil - directly naturally from everything: there are fish, and meat, and cucumbers, and spinach, and peanuts, and honey. No one will leave deprived - neither vegans nor meat eaters. This is such a food version of Russian roulette. And there is one important feature: clostridia are anaerobes, that is, oxygen is not needed for their life. Even so: oxygen is harmful to them. So a potentially lethal product is well corked (canned food) or thoroughly packed (homemade sausage). By the way, it all started with homemade sausage, characteristic poisonings were described back in the Byzantine Empire, and the term "botulism" comes from the Latin "botulus" - "sausage".
If the products are poorly washed, then particles of soil with clostridial spores can get into canned food. After clogging, bacteria germinate from spores that live a full life and do not deny themselves anything, releasing waste products into the environment, among which are several varieties of botulinum toxin, the most powerful natural nerve poison. Since bacteria live in small groups, the poison in canned food accumulates in islands. Therefore, toxicologists regularly encounter a situation where the whole family ate from one jar, and with botulism they took away one person who “won” a piece stuffed with botulinum toxin.
It is possible to avoid the appearance of botulism, taking into account the tactical and technical characteristics of clostridia that produce botulinum toxin. For example, it is well known that they love a slightly acidic, neutral and slightly alkaline environment (pH> 4.6), which means that acetic, citric or ascorbic acid should be actively used when canning. The temperature optimum for bacteria is no worse known: 5-60 degrees. This means that it is necessary to use either deep freezing or sterilization (better - using multi-cooker pressure cookers, which allow reaching numbers of 115-120 degrees due to increased pressure).
Of course, you need to thoroughly wash the products before canning. Clean the same mushrooms as expected, and not "and so it will do." Do not experiment with home-made stew or dried fish, especially do not buy "home-made" from dubious personalities in the market. Do not give honey to children under 1 year old - it may contain clostridia, and since at this age the aggressiveness of gastric juice leaves much to be desired, bacteria can slip into the small intestine, multiply there and poison the child a little.
Botulinum toxin in its action resembles the famous arrow poison curare. If you feel as if you were shot by a South American Indian, then this is it, botulism. Being a neurotoxin, the poison begins its triumphant march through the body from the cranial nerves, so the first characteristic symptoms will be blurred vision, doubling of objects, dilated pupils (and not necessarily uniform), sudden onset divergent strabismus, speech disturbance, sensation of a lump in the throat that interferes swallow saliva. If all this is ignored for some unknown reason, then in the second part of the Marlezon ballet there will be paralysis of the respiratory muscles and myocardium with coma and death.
What to do if you are poisoned? First, the very first action should be to call an ambulance. It is necessary to report that there is a suspicion of botulism or at least food poisoning, to clarify what exactly the victim ate - home-made canned mushrooms, self-caught and smoked fish, black pudding purchased from the "right grandmother" and the like.
Secondly, if a person has already lost consciousness, then the only thing that can be done is to put him on his side so that during possible vomiting there is no reflux of gastric contents into the respiratory tract.
Thirdly, if he is still conscious, you need to wash the stomach:
Warm water to body temperature or simply draw warm water from the tap;
One by one, give 2-5 glasses to drink (the younger the victim, the less);
Induce vomiting with finger pressure on the root of the tongue;
Repeat until clean wash water;
At the end, give any enterosorbent in the age dosage.
What should never be done:
Rinse with cold water: this causes an increase in intestinal motility with the promotion of the "poisoned" food bolus further along the gastrointestinal tract;
Add potassium permanganate to the water: a chemical burn of the mucous membrane is possible with an undissolved crystal, and they completely dissolve at a temperature of more than 70 degrees;
. "stop" the intestines with antidiarrheal agents;
Giving vodka: alcohol does not neutralize the toxin, contrary to popular belief, but, on the contrary, helps it, because ethanol is a neurotoxic poison in itself.
What happens if there is spoiled canned food
Alexey Vodovozov:
“If the product just “spoiled”, you can get away with 2-3 days of diarrhea. Compared to botulism, everything else is the little things of life that will dissipate like morning mist. Other microorganisms in canned food are extremely rare, such a combination of adverse factors - lack of oxygen, acidity of the environment, high temperature - more or less withstand only clostridia, the rest die in terrible agony.
If you have eaten mold, then in most cases nothing bad will happen. But if you are unlucky and as a mold you happen to encounter the fungus Aspergillus, then you can get acquainted with the second most important food poison, aflatoxin. Aspergillus loves plants with a high oil content, so raw vegans are more likely to get to know him than others. Dangerous in this sense are corn, cotton seeds, millet, peanuts, sesame seeds, sorghum, sunflower seeds, nuts, marijuana. The main blow of aflatoxins is applied to the liver, although the cells of the immune system also get it. Children, as well as HIV-infected people, are especially sensitive to such effects - their viral load can increase even while taking antiretroviral drugs.
How to recognize spoiled canned food
Alexey Vodovozov:
“The classic sign of botulism is the swelling of the can, the so-called bombing, a consequence of the release of gases during the life of Clostridium. But the absence of this sign does not mean the absence of the danger of poisoning. Botulinum toxin has no color, taste and smell, so it is recommended to boil all home-made canned food, especially meat and mushrooms, after opening for 30 minutes in a water bath.
For the rest, it makes sense to focus on the senses: if it seems to you that the contents of the jar smell or look suspicious, or it should not have this strange metallic taste, and mushrooms can only talk as a last resort, then consider that you do not Seems. Any doubt is interpreted not in favor of canned food - they can still be made, and you, your beloved, are the only one.
Preserve properly
How to preserve at home correctly
Harvesting canned food at home, which is usually carried out in summer and autumn, is quite common for a gardener. It's only natural to stock up on canned fruits and vegetables for the winter and fill your pantry with them to spice up your winter menu with summer-inspired foods. Preparations from tender and sun-smelling currants or fragrant tomatoes help to hold out until the next summer season, and there is no need to go to the supermarket, say, for strawberries or tomatoes in the dead of winter. Now we will consider the most important rules for canning for the winter at home, so that the jars are not torn off, stand for a long time and are safe to eat in winter.
We are motivated to make homemade preparations by an almost primordial desire to assert ourselves and survive, which was inherent in our ancestors, gatherers and hunters. Although now all this sounds somewhat pathetic, nevertheless, a decent supply of blanks in the house gives rise to a feeling of confidence and security.
In order for your jams, jellies and chutneys to be completely safe, you need to be at least a little knowledgeable in the field of exact knowledge, as well as know the most important canning techniques. If you understand why food goes bad and how to avoid it, then you will be able to save many products, use them for a long time and achieve new success in this field. Let's move on to the answer to the question - how to properly preserve at home for the winter.
Four negative factors when canning at home
Microorganisms- mostly unwanted guests. If they accumulate in large enough quantities, they become very dangerous for both food and our health. Under certain conditions, microbes begin to multiply actively. Some of them are harmless, and a person consciously includes them in the process of preparing a number of products. We can recall more than one example of "mutually beneficial cooperation": mold and cheese, yeast and beer, yeast and bread. But in the process of canning at home, they harm rather than help.
Compliance with hygiene rules food processing- the first rule in canning, on the way to combat microorganisms. Special care and tenderness should be handled not only with food, but also with all kitchen utensils and work surfaces. Perfect cleanliness will help to avoid the appearance and reproduction of harmful microbes.
The second rule along the way is application of high temperatures, which has become an integral part of canning. "Pests" survive perfectly in heat, but they cannot withstand real heat.
The third rule is the use of high concentrations of such ingredients, like sugar, acids and alcohol. They complicate the life of unwanted guests and create unacceptable conditions for enzymes and microorganisms.
The fourth rule and the last blow to pests on your part will be the sealing of the blanks. Vegetable oil plays an important role in this case.
ENZYMES
In fact, enzymes are not microorganisms. These are proteins of animal and plant origin that perform a variety of functions. After harvesting, enzymes retain their activity in vegetables and fruits for quite a long time. They work on the principle of a catalyst, accelerating chemical processes. Causing destructive changes in tissues, thereby promoting the growth of microorganisms. For example, the discoloration of a cut or damaged fruit is caused precisely by the action of enzymes. But if the unprotected surface of a fruit or vegetable comes into contact with an alkali or acid, then this process slows down. That's why when canning for the winter, the fruits are treated with lemon juice or dipped in salted water.
Enzymes are activated at a temperature of 29-50 °C, and at 60 °C, as well as during freezing, they begin to break down. But when defrosted, they begin their vigorous activity again.
BACTERIA IN PRESERVATION
Bacteria cannot be seen with the naked eye. These are the oldest and most common forms of life on Earth. Their rapid reproduction is facilitated by temperatures from 20 to 40 ° C, and when the products are frozen, they "fall into hibernation." The boiling point of water, that is, about 100 ° C, kills them. The harmful effects of bacteria on products are not immediately apparent. Many bacteria are harmless, and some are even beneficial. "Pests" emit toxins that are unfavorable to human health, causing food to rot, accompanied by the appearance of a disgusting smell. Therefore, when home canning for the winter, all the necessary blocking rules should be clearly followed in stages.
MOLD AND MUSHROOMS
Mold and fungus spores are airborne and can easily end up in food. At the initial stage, they look like thin threads, which later acquire a grayish-greenish tint and transform into a kind of cotton wool. At a temperature of 0 ° C, mold and fungi dormant, but at 10-38 ° C they begin to multiply and have a harmful effect. At a temperature of 60 to 88 °C, that is, during the heat treatment of products, they die. If you find a small amount of mold on the lid of an open jam jar, then you should take action as soon as possible. Simply removing it is not a way out, since the mold releases mycotoxins that are very harmful to the body if they are eaten along with a product canned for the winter.
YEAST IN HOME CANNING
Yeasts are present in food and are not generally a health hazard, but can cause putrefaction when canned at home. Many types of yeast quickly die at temperatures of 60 ° C and above, and also lose their activity when food is frozen. They easily breed in preparations containing more than 60% sugar, in incompletely filled or leaky sealed jars, and in places where it is always warm, such as in the kitchen. During the fermentation of yeast, gases are formed, which, among other things, can lead to the "explosion" of the bank with canned food.
Knowing these rules for home canning for the winter, your products will last a long time and will not cause harm when eaten. In the following articles, which you can see below, we will understand how to preserve food at home for the winter, including jams And jam.
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Which will help you master the skills of home canning.
Fruit preparation
Vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs intended for harvesting must be absolutely clean. They must be washed thoroughly before processing. Heavily contaminated vegetables and fruits must first be soaked.
Especially carefully, with obligatory complete immersion in water, it is necessary to wash the greens used in the blanks, since in addition to dirt, slugs can be on it.
Vegetables and herbs are washed only in cold water.
Peeled and chopped vegetables and fruits must be processed immediately so that they do not oxidize and do not change their color. To protect against oxidation, they can be filled with water for no more than 30 minutes so that useful substances are not washed out.
To easily remove the skin from some fruits or vegetables (for example, plums and tomatoes), they must first be scalded.
Preparing jars and lids
Banks should be checked for chips and cracks, then thoroughly washed with hot water and baking soda. Sterilize in boiling water for 20 minutes. Banks must be completely immersed in water when boiling.
You can prepare jars in the microwave. Pour water into a jar (about 1 cm), put in the microwave for 3-5 minutes at a power of 700-800 watts. If you put several cans, the sterilization time must be increased.
A very convenient way to prepare jars is roasting in the oven. After washing, wet jars are placed in the oven, after turning it on 160 degrees. Heat the jars until the drops are completely dry.
It is also necessary to check the caps: if they are screw caps, it is desirable that they are new. Do not use old lids. Screw caps, even slightly warped or scratched on the inside, will contribute to spoilage.
If you are using screw caps, simply boil them in water for 3-5 minutes immediately before closing the jar. Boiled lids must be taken carefully with boiled tweezers.
If you have jars with glass lids and iron clamps, the lids can be prepared with the jars, and the seals boiled and placed on the lid with clean tweezers before seaming.
Metal lids should be sterilized separately from jars. If you boil them together with the banks, then a plaque may appear on the banks, which will worsen the appearance of your blanks.
Packing and filling cans
Prepared fruits or vegetables are placed tightly in rows or in bulk in hot jars. You should not mix light fruits with fruits that give intense color in the same jar, for example, chokeberry with apples or cherries with apricots. Such blanks will look unattractive.
Banks with the product laid in them are filled with hot filling (marinade, brine, syrup). Half-liter and liter fill so that 1.5-2 centimeters remain to the top, and for three-liter - 5-6 centimeters.
When packaging juices, purees made by hot filling, the container is filled under the upper edge of the neck.
After filling, the jars must be sterilized no later than 30 minutes.
Sterilization
The most crucial moment in the harvesting process! If the necessary sterilization mode (temperature and duration of heating) is not maintained, then microbes or spores may remain in the prepared canned food, which will subsequently cause damage to the blanks.
Filled jars cover with lids, but do not roll up. Then put the jars on the bottom of the pot (sterilizer) with heated water (up to 50–60 degrees) on a wooden stand or metal grate so that the water does not reach the lids by 2.5–3 cm. It is not recommended to use instead of a wooden stand or metal grate a towel or cloth, as this reduces heat transfer and the jars may crack.
Cover the sterilizer with a lid and bring the water to a boil with intensive heating. Slow heating of water will lead to boiling of the product, but it is not necessary to allow rapid boiling.
The sterilization time is counted from the moment the water starts to boil. We sterilize for 20-25 minutes. We remove the jars from the pan using a special grip or towel, trying not to move the lids from the jars, put them on the table and immediately roll them up. Rolled up jars should be turned upside down and cooled.
How to preserveHow to properly preserve. Useful tips. A few important tips to help you master the skills of home canning. Preparation of fruits Vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs intended for harvesting must be absolutely clean. They must be washed thoroughly before processing. Heavily contaminated vegetables and fruits must first be soaked. Delicate berries are recommended to be washed not under a strong stream of water, but under a “quiet” shower or by immersing them several times in warm water. Especially carefully, with obligatory complete immersion in water, it is necessary to wash the greens used in the blanks, since in addition to dirt, slugs can be on it. Vegetables and herbs are washed only in cold water. Peeled and chopped vegetables ...
Olesya Bakumenko:
“The conservation rules for all products are the same. If you pickle cucumbers, marinate mushrooms, are going to pack zucchini caviar, jam or compote in jars - in any case, you will have to go through several mandatory steps, no matter what recipe you are cooking.
Before you start canning something, you need to choose the right packaging material. At home, as a rule, canned food is closed in glass jars. The lids of these jars are different.
It is important to know that the plastic lid always allows air to pass through, so in this case, the jars will have to be carefully monitored at all times. To be honest, I would not recommend using these covers at all.
Screw-on lids with thread fit snugly to the jar, and they are much more reliable than plastic ones.
But the most reliable are those flat covers that are closed with a special machine, where air does not enter at all. They are not as convenient as twisting ones, because you have to look for a typewriter, but there are more chances to save the product and not get poisoned.
How to handle the jar and lid
Olesya Bakumenko:
“First of all, I recommend treating glass jars and lids with a light solution of soda - about a spoonful of soda per liter of water: soda removes microorganisms from the surface of the jar. It is necessary to treat with soda not only the inner surface of the can, but also the outer one. There is nothing complicated here - you just need to carefully wipe the glass. Some people use hydrogen peroxide instead of baking soda.
Then the jars and lids must be heat treated, that is, they must be sterilized. In boiling water, jars and lids should spend a few minutes. Some believe that jars can simply be scalded with boiling water - this is a big mistake, you can’t do that.
After sterilization, jars and lids must be dried naturally - that is, let them dry themselves, you do not need to wipe them. In no case should food be placed in wet jars, water is the soil for the development of microorganisms.
How to put the product in a jar
Olesya Bakumenko:
“If this is a finished product - vegetable caviar, stew, compotes and jam - you just need to put it in a jar almost to the very edge of the jar and quickly close the lid to prevent air from entering.
If these are pickles or marinades - that is, what else will be cooked in a jar - these products are placed in a jar, then poured with brine or marinade, and then also quickly closed with a sterilized lid. But in the case of pickles, there are nuances, I will talk about them later.
How to close cans
Olesya Bakumenko:
“After the product is placed in a jar and closed with a lid, this jar must be turned upside down without fail. This is necessary in order to sterilize the inner surface of the lid and the upper empty space of the jar. Banks should stand upside down for at least 20 minutes, some leave them in this state for a day.
How to store canned food
Olesya Bakumenko:
“After the jars have cooled, they need to be stored in a dark, cool room. Humidity should be 75% and temperature around 15 degrees. You can also store it in the refrigerator, but this is not necessary. But it is important to ensure that there is no light: plant materials contain vitamins, for example, ascorbic acid, which are oxidized when exposed to light. And if there is an oxidation process, then the process of development of microorganisms can begin.
If you do not forget all these rules, if the jars are hermetically sealed and the whole canning technology is followed correctly, then it is assumed that the shelf life of canned products will be at least one year, or even more, and that under such conditions, microorganisms will not breed for at least a year.
How is pasteurization different from sterilization?
Olesya Bakumenko:
“The words sterilization and pasteurization often appear in recipes. These are different things.
Sterilization allows you to destroy the pathogenic microflora contained in the products that we want to keep for a long time, it occurs at temperatures above 100 degrees. Usually, the duration of sterilization is set experimentally and is written in the recipe.
Pasteurization is a method of processing a product at a temperature below: in the range from 80 to 100 degrees. With this method, the microflora is also destroyed, but biologically active substances, for example, the same vitamins, are preserved. But the shelf life is also reduced.
Pickles
Olesya Bakumenko:
“Salt is a natural preservative, and it will be the very barrier that will protect the product from the development of microorganisms, bacteria and mold in it. As a rule, no more preservatives are added to pickles at home. Unless there are some spices that, in addition to taste, have preservative properties - dill, horseradish, and so on.
Pickles are poured more often with hot, but sometimes with cold brine. If the brine was hot, then in principle, after the jar was closed, it can be turned over and cooled naturally. And if the brine was cold, then after you closed the jar with all the contents and turned it over, it must be sterilized again - already with the product. But in general, if you sterilize jars filled with hot brine just in case, then it will not be worse. True, vitamins are destroyed from prolonged sterilization.
Marinades
Olesya Bakumenko:
“A variety of preservatives are used in marinades, but for home use, the most popular and traditional preservative is acetic acid. The proportions of this acid are contained in the recipes, do not take them out of your head or ask your neighbors, it is risky. You need to understand that when you canning food, the recipe must be proven and reliable. Marinades should be rolled up and stored according to the same general rules that I described above.
It is important to understand that pickled foods last longer than salted ones. Therefore, grandmothers often have pickles with vinegar on the market. I categorically do not advise buying such canned food from strangers, no matter how cute these grandmothers may be: it is not known how they closed them and how they stored them.
vegetable caviar
Olesya Bakumenko:
“Zucchini, eggplant or any other vegetable caviar can be preserved only after it has undergone heat treatment. At the same time, you don’t need to somehow specially prepare it for canning - just cook this caviar as if you were going to eat it right now, add all kinds of spices, spices and salt there. And then do everything in the same way as I described above. The main thing is that the caviar is thermally processed. But in a good way, for safety, jars with vegetable caviar need to be sterilized already together with the product.
Stew
Olesya Bakumenko:
“In this case, the conditions for preservation and storage should be tougher, because meat has a higher acidity than vegetables and fruits: the higher the acidity, the more actively microorganisms develop.
When preparing canned meat, long hours of sterilization and the obligatory use of a seaming machine are required. Recipes always describe these harsh conditions, and they cannot be neglected.
pickled products
Olesya Bakumenko:
“Fermented products can be preserved under normal conditions, even in a bucket - you will not sterilize it. These products contain powerful preservatives - salt and sugar. If the cabbage is fermented in large volumes, acetic acid is added to it. It is stored in a cool place at temperatures up to 10 degrees. You can even not in the refrigerator, but in a special closet or cellar. The main thing is to make sure that it is always covered with brine.
Jam
Olesya Bakumenko:
“Methods of storing jam depend on the recipe and on the acidity of the fruit. There are people who simply grind berries with sugar - it's not even jam - and such a product is stored in the refrigerator for a very short time. Our grandmothers, who did not have refrigerators, cooked berries and fruits for hours, and such jars easily stood on the shelves at room temperature.”
Compote
Olesya Bakumenko:
“The rules for preserving and storing compote are the same as for pickles, marinades and vegetable caviar.”
Cured and dried foods
Olesya Bakumenko:
“Drying of meat, fish or fruit takes place at high temperatures and very quickly. And dried foods are obtained by slow gradual dehydration.
Dried and dried products should not be stored next to strong-smelling foods, such as onions and garlic: all these extra flavors are absorbed very quickly and strongly. This should be stored in a separate package - in dark paper, in a plastic or vacuum bag and in a dark room with good air circulation. The ventilation of the room is necessary to maintain uniform humidity - while the products themselves must be protected from moisture, light and air. If moisture gets into dried or cured foods, they will begin to mold. Store dried and dried products in small portions and regularly inspect these products.
The storage temperature of dried and dried fish and meat should not exceed 10 degrees. Dried fruits can be stored at 17 degrees. The kitchen is not suitable for this, so it is better to store in pantries or cabinets with ventilation.
What is botulism and how to avoid it
Alexey Vodovozov:
“Botulism is an intoxication, an unfortunate collision with the waste products of several types of soil bacteria Clostridium. No matter how strange it may sound, the closest relative of botulism is tetanus, clostridia are also to blame there, and it is also associated with the soil. Both wound botulism and inhalation botulism are well described - when inhaling a powder developed as a biological weapon. Therefore, for example, all military personnel are vaccinated against botulism.
These bacteria are taken from everything that has somehow come into contact with the soil - directly naturally from everything: there are fish, and meat, and cucumbers, and spinach, and peanuts, and honey. No one will leave deprived - neither vegans nor meat eaters. This is such a food version of Russian roulette. And there is one important feature: clostridia are anaerobes, that is, oxygen is not needed for their life. Even so: oxygen is harmful to them. So a potentially lethal product is well corked (canned food) or thoroughly packed (homemade sausage). By the way, it all started with homemade sausage, characteristic poisonings were described back in the Byzantine Empire, and the term "botulism" comes from the Latin "botulus" - "sausage".
If the products are poorly washed, then particles of soil with clostridial spores can get into canned food. After clogging, bacteria germinate from spores that live a full life and do not deny themselves anything, releasing waste products into the environment, among which are several varieties of botulinum toxin, the most powerful natural nerve poison. Since bacteria live in small groups, the poison in canned food accumulates in islands. Therefore, toxicologists regularly encounter a situation where the whole family ate from one jar, and with botulism they took away one person who “won” a piece stuffed with botulinum toxin.
It is possible to avoid the appearance of botulism, taking into account the tactical and technical characteristics of clostridia that produce botulinum toxin. For example, it is well known that they love a slightly acidic, neutral and slightly alkaline environment (pH> 4.6), which means that acetic, citric or ascorbic acid should be actively used when canning. The temperature optimum for bacteria is no worse known: 5–60 degrees. This means that it is necessary to use either deep freezing or sterilization (better - using multi-cooker pressure cookers, which allow reaching numbers of 115–120 degrees due to increased pressure).
Of course, you need to thoroughly wash the products before canning. Clean the same mushrooms as expected, and not "and so it will do." Do not experiment with home-made stew or dried fish, especially do not buy "home-made" from dubious personalities in the market. Do not give honey to children under 1 year old - it may contain clostridia, and since at this age the aggressiveness of gastric juice leaves much to be desired, bacteria can slip into the small intestine, multiply there and poison the child a little.
Botulinum toxin in its action resembles the famous arrow poison curare. If you feel as if you were shot by a South American Indian, then this is it, botulism. Being a neurotoxin, the poison begins its triumphant march through the body from the cranial nerves, so the first characteristic symptoms will be blurred vision, doubling of objects, dilated pupils (and not necessarily uniform), sudden onset divergent strabismus, speech disturbance, sensation of a lump in the throat that interferes swallow saliva. If all this is ignored for some unknown reason, then in the second part of the Marlezon ballet there will be paralysis of the respiratory muscles and myocardium with coma and death.
What to do if you are poisoned? First, the very first action should be to call an ambulance. It is necessary to report that there is a suspicion of botulism or at least food poisoning, to clarify what exactly the victim ate - home-made canned mushrooms, personally caught and smoked fish, black pudding purchased from the "right grandmother" and the like.
Secondly, if a person has already lost consciousness, then the only thing that can be done is to put him on his side so that during possible vomiting there is no reflux of gastric contents into the respiratory tract.
Thirdly, if he is still conscious, you need to wash the stomach:
Warm water to body temperature or simply draw warm water from the tap;
One by one, give 2-5 glasses to drink (the younger the victim, the less);
Induce vomiting with finger pressure on the root of the tongue;
Repeat until clean wash water;
At the end, give any enterosorbent in the age dosage.
What should never be done:
Rinse with cold water: this causes an increase in intestinal motility with the promotion of the "poisoned" food bolus further along the gastrointestinal tract;
Add potassium permanganate to the water: a chemical burn of the mucous membrane is possible with an undissolved crystal, and they completely dissolve at a temperature of more than 70 degrees;
"stop" the intestines with antidiarrheal agents;
Giving vodka: alcohol does not neutralize the toxin, contrary to popular belief, but, on the contrary, helps it, because ethanol is a neurotoxic poison in itself.
What happens if there is spoiled canned food
Alexey Vodovozov:
“If the product just 'spoiled', you can get away with 2-3 days of diarrhea. Compared to botulism, everything else is the little things of life that will dissipate like morning mist. Other microorganisms in canned food are extremely rare, such a combination of adverse factors - lack of oxygen, acidity of the environment, high temperature - more or less withstand only clostridia, the rest die in terrible agony.
If you have eaten mold, then in most cases nothing bad will happen. But if you are unlucky and as a mold you happen to encounter the fungus Aspergillus, then you can get acquainted with the second most important food poison, aflatoxin. Aspergillus loves plants with a high oil content, so raw vegans are more likely to get to know him than others. Dangerous in this sense are corn, cotton seeds, millet, peanuts, sesame seeds, sorghum, sunflower seeds, nuts, marijuana. The main blow of aflatoxins is applied to the liver, although the cells of the immune system also get it. Children are especially sensitive to such effects, as well as HIV-infected people - their viral load can increase even while taking antiretroviral drugs.
How to recognize spoiled canned food
Alexey Vodovozov:
“The classic sign of botulism is the swelling of the can, the so-called bombing, a consequence of the release of gases during the life of clostridia. But the absence of this sign does not mean the absence of the danger of poisoning. Botulinum toxin has no color, taste and smell, so it is recommended to boil all home-made canned food, especially meat and mushrooms, after opening for 30 minutes in a water bath.
For the rest, it makes sense to focus on the senses: if it seems to you that the contents of the jar smell or look suspicious, or it should not have this strange metallic taste, and mushrooms can only talk as a last resort, then consider that you do not Seems. Any doubt is interpreted not in favor of canned food - they can still be made, and you are the only one at home, beloved.
An inconspicuous and simple vegetable - peas, is actually very healthy and tasty. Thrifty housewives are happy to preserve it, because it is quite simple and fast. In addition, such a preparation allows you to save all the beneficial properties of the legume. Want to know how to do it yourself? Read on.
Mistresses blanks
Canned peas are a versatile product. It can be served as a side dish for hot dishes, added to salads, appetizers and soups. The benefits of this legume have been known since ancient times. In Tibet, it was an indispensable ingredient in dishes that were included in the menu of seriously ill people. Why?
Firstly, because the beneficial substances that make up its composition contributed to the renewal of the blood. And secondly, it is a valuable source of easily digestible protein, which may well become a plant-based meat substitute if you are a vegetarian or decide to stick to a diet.
But the pea season is short, so you need to have time to make home supplies. And we are happy to share with you recommendations and recipes.
First of all, you should know that not all types are suitable for canning. Brain varieties are ideal for this. It is worth choosing a fresh vegetable, with evenly green pods and milk (young) peas. Overripe categorically unsuitable, as they contain a large amount of starch. And he, in turn, worsens the taste and is the cause of the appearance of a cloudy sediment.
Without sterilization
Fast and simple. It tastes like fresh, as if just plucked from the garden. Will need:
- peas;
- water - 1 l;
- salt - 4 tablespoons;
- sugar - 1 tbsp;
- vinegar - ½ tbsp.
Open the pods, remove the contents, rinse well. To pour, boil water, dissolve salt and sugar in it, pour out the peas so that the water completely covers them.
Boil for 15-20 minutes, at the end of cooking pour vinegar. Arrange in jars, pour the marinade into them and roll up.
Marinated
A simple marinade will add a more piquant taste to legumes. For its preparation you need:
- water - 1 l;
- salt - 1 tbsp;
- vinegar 100 ml.
Throw the washed peas into boiling water for a few minutes, then take it out and let it drain. Arrange in jars, add the filling prepared by mixing all the ingredients, and send to sterilize for half an hour. Then roll up. For those who love spices, you can add a few peas of allspice to the filling.
Preservation in two stages
This recipe is good for those who want to be sure that the blanks can easily stand all winter, and there will be no half-baked product inside. True, and the time for this will need to spend twice as much.
You will need:
- fresh peas;
- sugar - 1 tbsp;
- salt - ½ tsp;
- water - 1 l.
Boil the marinade, put the beans in it. Let it boil for 3 minutes and put into sterilized jars. Leave in a water bath for 30 minutes and leave to cool.
The next day, repeat the procedure and roll up. It is better to fill the containers not completely, leaving a few centimeters to the edge of the can.
pickled pods
They can be served as a side dish for meat dishes. Looks original. Will need:
- young pods;
- cloves - 2 pcs.;
- allspice - 2 pcs.;
- citric acid - ¼ tsp;
- sugar - 35 g;
- vinegar - 30 ml.
First, soak the pods for several hours in water, and then cook for 2 minutes in boiling water with the addition of citric acid.
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