Most of us don’t think about preserving avocados. But if you find a good buy on avocados—or are lucky enough to have an avocado tree in your yard—then knowing some ways to preserve the fruit (yes, it is a fruit, not a vegetable) is handy information. One of the best ways to preserve avocados is to mash them with a… …click to read more…
Fermenting is one of the oldest and simplest forms of food preservation. No one invented it. As sure as the sun sets every evening, fruit juice left unattended will slowly ferment. Most fermentation processes are anaerobic. That is, they occur without air, in closed containers. The process produces acids that inhibit spoilage microorganisms and other components that improve texture and… …click to read more…
There are several ways to prepare apples for applesauce, as well as other pome fruits, including pears and quince. In this article, we describe several tools and appliances for preparing apples, pears, and quince to make sauce. In addition, we offer several ways to prevent browning of these fruits during preparation and several different methods (using different tools and equipment) for… …click to read more…
Apple butter and pear butter is a spreadable topping, made essentially by reducing seasoned applesauce to a thick paste. When cooked until thick, pome fruits such as apples and pears reveal earthy, plum-like flavors that are heightened with warm spices and a touch of sugar or honey. There’s no butter in it; it spreads like butter. Hence, the name. Compared to… …click to read more…
You can preserve cranberries by the same food preservation methods as other berries: freezing, canning, and drying. Drying and canning food preservation methods produce shelf-stable products that are safe for storage at room temperature. When canning, be sure to use tested canning recipes. If you don’t want to can foods, cranberries are easy to freeze. While most other berries are in season… …click to read more…
Use this simple recipe to make homemade fruit pectin from apples or oranges. Pectin helps jams and jellies thicken, especially when you want to make old-fashioned cooked jam or jelly using fruits and fruit juices that are naturally low in pectin. Low pectin fruits include apricots, sweet cherries, figs, kiwis, pineapples, rhubarb, strawberries, or any type of fruit that is… …click to read more…
This article offers a brief overview of some of the best methods for preserving fresh red or green table grapes. You can preserve fresh table grapes and grape juice by freezing, canning, pickling, drying, or fermenting into wine or vinegar. One pound of fresh grapes is equivalent to two dry pints (four cups whole), three cups halved, 2½ cups purée,… …click to read more…
Once you’ve eaten dried melon, you may be inclined to agree with Marco Polo that it is “sweet as honey”. When you dry slices of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew or other melons, the flavors intensify. It certainly tastes better than any candy I’ve ever had. White or light green melon flesh may turn slightly brown when dried, especially if sliced thin and… …click to read more…
To preserve fruits and vegetables at their peak, it helps to understand the difference between maturity and ripeness. Maturity means the produce will ripen and become ready to eat after you pick it. Ripeness occurs when the color, flavor, and texture is fully developed. Once it is fully ripe, fresh produce begins the inevitable and declining spoilage process. Here’s a… …click to read more…
A rumtopf is a German tradition that layers fruit with rum and sugar. The traditional recipe uses a mixture of fruit, beginning with berries and cherries in spring or early summer and ending with stone fruits like peaches and apricots in early fall. Left to marinate until December, the rumtopf is consumed during the Christmas and New Year holidays. This… …click to read more…
