Preserve—To maintain the quality of food for consumption at a later time. Accomplished by canning, freezing, pickling, drying, or making jelly, jams, or preserves.
Processing—Heating food in closed canning jars to insure destruction of micro-organisms so the canned food will remain unspoiled and safe to eat. Acid foods—such as fruits, tomatoes, and pickles—and jams and preserves are safely processed in a boiling-water-bath. Low-acid vegetables (all vegetables except tomatoes) require processing at higher temperature by use of a pressure canner or pressure saucepan. Times required to insure an adequate process are specified in canning directions for each food.
Sirup Pack—Fruit is packed for freezing in a sugar sirup made by dissolving sugar in water.
Steam-pressure Canner—A large, heavy metal pan having a tight-fitting cover which is fitted with safety valve, steam vent or petcock, and a gage—either weighted or dial. Used for processing low-acid foods under pressure at high temperatures in order to insure their safety.
Steam-pressure Saucepan—Smaller than a canner. If equipped with a gage to maintain pressure at 10 pounds, it is suitable for processing food in pint jars.
Sugar Pack—Sugar is added directly to fruit and mixed gently to draw juice from fruit before packing into freezer containers.
Unsweetened Pack—Fruit packed for freezing without any sweetening added. It may be packed dry or covered with water.
Footnotes
[1]Edmund A. Zottola is Extension Food Microbiologist and Isabel D. Wolf is Extension Specialist, Foods and Nutrition, at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul.
[2]Gerald D. Kuhn is Professor, Food Science Extension, and Louise W. Hamilton is Professor, Foods & Nutrition Extension, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.