National Center for Home Food Preservation

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National Center for Home Food Preservation

• Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D.
• Project Director
• National Center for Home Food Preservation
• Associate Professor and Extension Food Safety
  Specialist
• The University of Georgia
• Department of Foods and Nutrition
• College of Family and Consumer Sciences

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Modern Methods ofHome Food Preservation

• Canning
• Freezing
• Drying
• Pickling
• Sugar concentrates
• jams, jellies, butters, preserves, etc.
• Curing, smoking

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USDA Historical Support

• USDA has history of making canning
  recommendations.
• Canning series of Farmers Bulletins
• Began 1909 ran through 1942.
• WW I Can the Kaiser
• WW II Victory Gardens

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USDA Historical Support

• USDA has history of making recommendations.
• 1944-1946 Application of current scientific
  methods to canning processes.
• Technical Bulletins with heat penetration
  studies.
• 1950s Home freezing research.
• 1945-1982 Home and Garden Bulletins.
• Canning, pickling, jams/jellies, freezing.

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USDA Home Canning History

• Tomatoes
• 1970s Reported botulism
• 1974-78 Acidulation and metabiosis
• USDA Eastern Regional Research Lab
• 1981-88 Processing times re-evaluated
• Penn State University funded projects

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USDA Historical Support

• USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.
• Superseded four HG Bulletins
• 1988, 1989, 1994
• Collaboration with the Cooperative Extension
  System (Penn State University).
• Complete Guide to Home Freezing
• Drafted in 1990s not published.

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Cooperative Extension System

• USDA history interwoven with the land-grant
  agriculture colleges and universities system.
• Experiment Stations conducted/conduct research.
• Cooperative Extension Service teaching of
  methods and distribution of USDA publications.
• More recently integration of applied research and
  outreach.
• 1980s Center of Excellence at Penn State.
• Current National Center, multi-state.

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National Center for Home Food Processing and
Preservation

• Funding from the CSREES-USDA (2000-2004).
• Cooperative State Research, Education and
  Extension Service
• National Integrated Food Safety Initiative
• Priority issues in food safety best solved using
  an integrated approach.
• Support multi-state, multi-institutional,
  multi-disciplinary, and multi-functional
  research, extension, and education activities.

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National Center for HFP

• Established to provide an integrated research,
  Extension and education approach.
• Support for the USDA and the Cooperative
  Extension System with current, reliable and
  scientifically-validated guidelines on home food
  preservation.
• Components
• Updating USDA-CSREES canning and freezing
  publications
• Applied research to develop new products and
  validating or adapting older methods
• Dissemination methods for recommendations,
  emphasizing the Cooperative Extension System
  resources.
• Educating a new generation of students and
  teachers.

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National Center for Home Food Processing and
Preservation

• The University of Georgia Lead Institution
• Department of Foods and Nutrition
• Department of Food Science and Technology
• Department of Housing and Consumer Economics
• Alabama AM University 4-yr Partner
• Department of Food and Animal Sciences
• University of California-Davis 2-yr Partner
• Department of Food Sciences and Technology
• University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez
• Department of Food Science and Technology

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University of Georgia Team

• Foods and Nutrition
• Dr. Elizabeth Andress, Principal Investigator
• Dr. Judy Harrison, Co-PI
• Dr. Brian Nummer, Project Coordinator
• Dr. Elaine Dsa, Research Coordinator
• Jimmy Hansen, Web Site Administrator
• Food Science Technology
• Dr. Mark Harrison, Co-PI
• Dr. William Kerr, Co-PI
• Dr. Sung-Gil Choi, Lab Technician
• Housing and Consumer Economics
• Dr. Anne Sweaney, Team Member

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Alabama AM University Team

• Food and Animal Sciences
• Dr. Lloyd Walker, Principal Investigator
• Dr. John Anderson

Other Collaborators

• University of California-Davis
• Dr. Linda Harris
• University of Puerto-Rico, Mayagüez
• Dr. Edna Negrón

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Advisory Committee

• Composed of individuals from
• Auburn University
• Clemson University
• Colorado State University
• Cornell University
• Kansas State University
• North Carolina State University
• University of California-Davis
• Washington State University
• Alltrista Consumer Products Company
• National Presto Industries, Inc.

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Objectives

• ! Collect and critically review literature
  relevant to home food preservation techniques and
  guidelines.
• ! Update the current guidelines, incorporating
  new or revised recommendations as appropriate.
• ! Develop and test new recipes (products) and
  guidelines on home food processing and
  preservation methods that emphasize (a) popular
  consumer specialty foods (b) safety guidelines
  for processing food in community cannery
  settings and (c) applications of updated
  technology, such as microwave blanching for food
  freezing.
• ! Establish distribution mechanisms for
  dissemination of guidelines.
• ! Identify areas where further research in home
  food processing and preservation techniques is
  needed.

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Product Development

• Mango salsas and chutney
• Mango relish
• Tomatillo relish
• Spicy jicama and watermelon rind relishes
• Pickled jicama
• Sweet pickles with Splenda
• Jams/jellies with tropical fruits
• Hot pepper sauces
• Lemon curd/butter
• Sauces/marinades

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Applied Research

• Microbial profiles of selected fresh herbs and
  whole spices used in home preparation of flavored
  vinegars, salsas, oils.
• Supports the use of a chlorine wash to reduce
  loads prior to flavoring vinegars.

• Effect of pressure canner size on heat
  penetration in stewed tomatoes.
• 6 qt and 8 qt cooker, 17 qt canner.
• 15 psig.

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Other Research Questions

• Documenting effect of fill weight on heat
  penetration.
• Jicama relish/salsa
• An increase of 118 grams solids per pint jar
  significantly increased the heat penetration rate
  (fh) and more than doubled the required
  processing time for this product.
• A decrease of 5C in the initial fill temperature
  did not change the heat penetration rate (fh) or
  processing time for this product.

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Other Research Questions

• Alabama AM University
• Microwave blanching for freezing vegetables.
• Accuracy and testing issues with dial gauges for
  canners.
• University of California-Davis
• Survival and outgrowth of C. botulinum in
  garlic/oil products.

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• Why ??
• Do people still can (preserve) food at home?

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Surveys

• Survey of State and County Extension Faculty
• Email in March 2000.
• Responses from 225 Extension agents representing
  24 states.
• 45 percent of home food preservation requests are
  for canning, 21 percent for freezing and 12-13
  percent for pickles and jams/ jellies.
• Most requested processes are for condiments.
• Issues regarding processing equipment and
  evaluating recipes were cited by more than 50
  percent of respondents.

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National Survey 2000

• National Centerfor Home Food Preservation

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Survey 2000

• To determine activity in home canning and
  freezing, and use of critical safety practices.
• 500 complete telephone interviews from households
  randomly selected across the U.S.
• Individual telephone interviews
• 38 questions on canning
• 42 questions on freezing
• Conducted by Survey Research Center, University
  of Georgia.
• October 24, 2000 and January 10, 2001

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Current Canning Practices

• 135 (of 500) reported canning foods.
• Sources of instructions
• friends or relatives (48)
• cookbooks (19)
• jar manufacturers (10)
• USDA or Extension Service (6)
• 67 (90) of the respondents used their home
  canning instructions as is
• 29 (39) adapted them for use.

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Current Canning Practices

• Methods of Canning Fruits and Tomatoes

Boiling water 58
Pressure canner 15
Pressure cooker 18
Open kettle 21
Oven 4
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Current Canning Practices

• Methods of Canning Vegetables

Pressure canner 30
Pressure cooker 29
Boiling water 40
Open kettle 16
Oven 3
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Current Canning Practices

• Dial Gauge Testing
• Of those using a pressure canner, tested in 1999
• 46 at hardware store, 31 at Extension Service
• 1 at appliance repair store, 1 by mother

Yes 24
No 59
No dial gauge 11
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Botulism from Home Canned and Processed Foods,
1970-80
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Other Work in Process

• Research
• Evaluating long-standing recipes for home cured
  meats/sausages validating basic recipes.
• Developing original reduced fat sausages.
• Continued development of specialty foods
  salsas, sugar concentrates, relishes, sauces and
  marinades.
• Looking at sugar substitution for sweet pickles
  and spreads.
• Equipment issues canner size and steam canners.

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Other Work in Process

• Communications and Education
• Website www.homefoodpreservation.com
• Emphasizing resources in the nationwide
  Cooperative Extension System and from USDA.
• Dissemination mechanism for NCHFP products.
• Publishing literature reviews and technical
  bulletins of critical preservation points.
• Research presentations and abstracts.
• Factsheets e.g., new products for home canning.
• How tos for consumers.
• Resources and historical information for
  educators.
• Slides shows, graphics galleries, exhibit ideas.
• Flash tutorials on the basics of home food
  preservation.
• On-line course for self-study coming in 2004.

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Other Work in Process

• Communications and Education
• Publishing Complete Guide to Home Freezing in
  2003 then updated Complete Guide to Home Canning
  in 2004.
• Master Food Preserver model curriculum for states
  to use.
• Educational video series.

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Disclaimer and Credits

• References to commercials products, services, and
  information is made with the understanding that
  no discrimination is intended and no endorsement
  by the University of Georgia, U.S. Department of
  Agriculture and supporting organizations is
  implied.  This information is provided for the
  educational information and convenience of the
  reader.
• This material is based upon work supported by the
  Cooperative State Research, Education, and
  Extension Service, U.S. Department of
  Agriculture, under Agreement No. 00-51110-9762.
• Document Use
• Permission is granted to reproduce these
  materials in whole or in part for educational
  purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost of
  reproduction) provided the authors and the
  University of Georgia receive acknowledgment and
  this notice is included
• Reprinted with permission of the University of
  Georgia. Andress, E.L. 2003. National Center for
  Home Food Processing and Preservation. Athens,
  GA The University of Georgia, Cooperative
  Extension Service.