Author: Saratoga TODAY

The uncertainty of the strained supply chains that resulted in last winter’s shortages left many feeling vulnerable and scrambling for supplies. Now, some are rethinking how they will prepare for the next wave of the pandemic. 

Having an extra cache of the foods your household uses most eases the emotional and economic stresses that unforeseen disruptions can bring. 

But don’t pull out an old family canning recipe and that hand-me-down pressure canner just yet. 

Before preserving your garden’s harvest or buying locally-grown fruits and vegetables in bulk while they’re available, you need to put time into learning how to do it safely, cautions Saratoga County Cooperative Extension Food and Nutrition Educator Diane Whitten.

“Many cases of botulism are from home canning, so if you’re going to get into canning, there are some real serious food safety issues you need to be aware of,” she said. 

Can-Do & Can Don’ts

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by improperly canned food. You can’t see it or taste it. 

Low-acid foods such as green beans and corn are common sources for cases of foodborne botulism. Low-acid foods, which includes all vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood, must be canned using a pressure canner (not a boiling water bath canner) to reach a temperature hot enough to kill the heat-resistant botulism spores. Botulism will not survive in high-acid foods, including fruit and acidified vegetables, such as salsa and pickles which can be safely canned in a boiling water canner. 

Using a safe research-based recipe is also important for food preservation. Many examples you’ll find online are not USDA approved. Instead, for up-to-date recipes and information, go to the National Center for Home Food Preservation website at nchfp.uga.edu

Freezing Facts

There are three things to keep in mind even if you think you already know how to freeze foods:

1. To get the best quality vegetables from your freezer, blanch them in boiling water beforehand. This inactivates the enzymes that cause them to degrade, so they’ll last longer. Blanching times vary for each vegetable, so follow time recommendations from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

2. To prevent freezer burn and preserve the plumpness of fruits like apples and peaches, freeze them in a sugar syrup or water.

3. Get a low-cost sensor for your freezer unit to alert you if it turns off, otherwise you could be losing thousands of dollars worth of food when the power goes out. 

Coming Up Dry

No matter how hot it might seem when you’re out in the sun, the Northeast is just too humid to dry most foods without a dehydrator (with the exception of herbs -which can be hung to dry in a warm spot that gets good circulation). 

To avoid mold, foods need to be dried at a consistent warm temperature (ovens get too hot) so look for a quality dehydrator that has varying temperature controls and includes a fan. 

Fermentation is a short-term food preservation method that will last four to six months in the refrigerator. Examples include flavorful sauerkraut, kimchi, and fermented dill pickles.

Master Food Preserver Diane Whitten will be hosting FREE Food Preservation Zoom Classes on Sept. 9 and Oct. 7, 6-8:30 p.m. For more information, go to ccesaratoga.org/nutrition-food/food-preservation

I’m always impressed at how quickly the days get shorter this time of year.  We’re losing daylight at a rate of almost 3 minutes a day!  It adds up day after day. There are signs of fall everywhere.  The asters are beginning to flower in the meadows.  The hummingbirds will be gone soon.  All these are indications that our glorious growing season will be coming to a frosty end.  You would think that this would be a quiet time for gardeners. Not at all!

There are bulbs to plant and it’s a great time to plant trees and shrubs that are on season end clearance at the garden centers.  Cool weather makes it a great time to catch up on any lingering landscaping projects.  Most of us have more time to devote to garden tasks in September.  In spring, with all the preparation for the vegetable garden, raking the lawn and other pressing chores, it can be hard to find time to keep up.  Rainy spring weather can also make it difficult to accomplish all you wish to.  Many of the gardening chores that you’d normally think of doing in spring can actually be taken care of now. 

One task that I like to tackle in fall is the dividing and transplanting of perennials.  Most of our perennial flowers are just about finished for the season.  They go dormant as frost approaches.  This is a great time to make improvements and adjustments to our flowerbeds and borders.  You may have underestimated how large a plant would get and need to move it.  You may have some perennials that have become mature and need to be divided.  This is a great time to take advantage of cool, crisp “work weather” to get a jump on next spring. 

For instance, I’ve got some daylilies and hosta that are in need of dividing.  It is a good idea to have the new location ready to receive your transplants before you lift them from their present spot.  Dig your holes and add your soil amendments.  I add Bio-Tone since it contains all the nutrients as well as soil organisms to get the new plants off to a great start.  If you have sandy soil, the addition of compost will improve the soil’s ability to retain moisture. 

Next, slice all the way around the plant you wish to divide with a sharp spade and lift it from the soil.  If you’re moving it to a new location, simply plant it and water it in well.  If you need to divide the plant, simply slice the clump apart (as with hosta) or gently pull the clump apart (as with daylilies).  Sometimes this seems a bit brutal but remember most perennial plants NEED to be divided every few years to remain healthy and vigorous. 

Remember your gardening friends when you’re dividing your perennials.  I always set a few small divisions aside to share.  My friends share with me so, there’s always something new for all of us to enjoy. 

Thanks for the read!