Spring is, without a doubt, one of my favorite times of year, even in spite of the weather fluctuations we’ve been having. Days of sunshine and blue skies, watching the world turn green, and calves playing in pastures always bring a lightness to my heart and a smile to my face. The other thing heralded in by spring is a new season of productivity- for now, primarily strawberries! As I work on planning a food preservation workshop for canning jams and jellies, I started to think about how little I know about food preservation, so today I wanted to do some digging and share some facts with you.
Did you know food loss and waste accounts for between 30 and 40% of food produced in the U.S? Food loss refers to the reduction in the amount and quality of food in the supply chain from producers to the market, while food waste happens at the retail and consumer levels. Food loss may occur due to a number of factors including timing of harvest, methods of harvesting, environmental conditions, and other agricultural practices. Losses can also occur during handling, grading, packaging, storage, and ripening processes. Food waste occurs when food is not purchased at a retail level, there is improper storage or rotation of perishable goods in the store, or foods are culled due to blemishes, damaged packages, or other reasons that customers would not purchase them. At the consumer level, food waste occurs due to lack of knowledge about preparation, food safety, plate waste or uneaten food, and seasonal and holiday losses. The bottom line is that food waste causes a loss of money and resources, secondary impacts like those on landfills and the environment, and has implications for keeping up with food demand as the global population grows. Preserving food then, can be a great way of reducing wastes and being more efficient producers and consumers.
There are three types of food preservation commonly used. Some foods can be frozen- a method that is simple and maintains food in a state more similar to its fresh counterpart. However, freezing requires a freezer and enough capacity to store food, electricity, and maintenance and repair costs. Canning is a second popular option and tends to be more economical for many households. Costs include the canner itself, special equipment, jars, and lids, water, and fuel. Canned goods typically have a longer shelf life than frozen. A third method of preservation is dehydrating or drying. Drying foods can be time-consuming and does not maintain as many characteristics of the fresh produce as freezing and canning might. It also requires additional work to rehydrate foods in order to use them. All food preservation must be done correctly, following good food safety and handling procedures in order to ensure the integrity of preserved products.
Lincoln County Extension is offering a water bath canning class on June 28th, 2022 from 5:30-8:30PM in which participants will learn how to turn fresh produce into jams and jellies. If you are interested in attending, please register online at tinyurl.com/Canning22 or call our office at 706-359-3233. The workshop is $10 to attend, due at check-in.
