Preserving Know-how

For many, first week of November signals the official beginning of hunting season. Classrooms and workplaces empty so that keen hunters, young and old, can get out to bring home food for the coming year. It seems like a good time to review some of the tips for safe, high-quality preserving.

Canning

All meat including wild game, fowl, poultry (and fish) are low acid foods which means they must be processed in a pressure canner where the temperature rises to 240 -250 degrees F. This temperature is required to kill heat-resistant bacteria like that which causes botulism. As always, follow a reputable recipe!

Tip 1:

Do an annual review of your pressure canner. Check the gasket to ensure it is still pliable and has no crakes. Check the air vent to ensure it is clean. A pipe cleaner is handy for this purpose. If you have a dial-gauge canner, it is advisable to have the psi checked on an annual basis.

Tip 2:

Determine your altitude. Safe canning requires altitude adjustment. Recipes are developed for altitudes of 1000 ft or lower. If your altitude is 1001 – 2000 ft, increase the dial gauge pressure to 11 pounds. For a weighted gauge pressure canner, increase the weight to 15 lbs.

Tip 3:

Cool the meat as soon as possible to 40 degrees F. For game, rest in a refrigerator for 2-3 days will reduce the ‘gaminess’. Remove all fat, gristle and bruising. If necessary, freeze the meat until you are ready to can it.

Tip 4

Hot packing (instead of raw packing) is recommended. That means pre-cooking meat, game or fowl to the rare stage by roasting, stewing or browning. If browning, add the minimum fat as fat can interfere with sealing. Liquids to fill the jar can include boiling broth, water, even tomato juice for game.

Tip 5

It is safe to add 1 tsp of dried seasoning to a pint jar. However, never add thickeners such as flour, cornstarch, rice, pasta or barley. These ingredients increase the density of the food changing heat penetration. Wait until you are preparing the canned foods for the table and then add thickeners, fresh herbs or vegetables.

Freezing

Meats and game, both large and small, can be frozen. Chill as quickly as possible and allow the meats to chill for 24 to 36 hours. Cut into desired pieces and wrap in double layers of butcher paper. Freezer bags or vacuum sealing are also effective. Label and date.

Drying

Venison is often used to make jerky, marinaded thin strips of meat that are dried. It is important to treat the game meat properly to avoid food-borne illness from bacteria and parasites. This involves heating the strips of meat to 160 degrees after the marinading period (boil gently in the marinade) or after the drying period (place strips on a cookie sheet in a 275-degree oven for about 10 minutes). Jerky strips will dry at 140 degrees in a dehydrator or oven for 10-24 hours until the strips crack but don’t break. Cool, package in a glass jar, heavy grade plastic, vacuum seal or freeze for longer shelf-life.

The best resource for those who are preserving meat, game, poultry, fowl or fish is a book called “So Easy to Preserve” published by the University of Georgia where the National Centre for Home Food Preservation resides. It’s not glossy but is extremely comprehensive and is based on the most current research.  Or check the website for the Centre: https://nchfp.uga.edu/

preservingwithmartha@gmail.com

Fermentation is the oldest method of food preservation dating back 8,000 years! Fermentation is basically controlling the environment to enable desired bacteria, yeasts and molds to flourish and convert the food to healthy compounds. The process improves nutrient availability, digestibility, and adds to microbial diversity. Many people consume fermented foods but aren’t aware they are fermented. Let’s take cheese, yogurt, vinegars, sour dough bread, Kombucha, Kefir, miso and fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi.

The best way to consume fermented foods is when the micro-organisms are live. But be aware that some processing methods kill the good organisms. This includes vinegar making, wine making, sour dough cooking, soy sauce and pasteurization. So best to look for live culture fermented foods or make them yourself!

This past year, Western University researchers and my colleague Conner Flynn, chef-teacher and Master Food Preserver, collaborated to create the Canadian Fermented Foods Initiative: Fermented Foods, A guide to Good Gut Living. (See link below.) This guide includes details about the health benefits of fermented foods and many recipes created by Connor for easy fermentation at home.

Health Benefits of Fermentation

The research into fermented foods is powerful, so much so, that fermented food consumption is being added to Canada’s Food Guide. The benefits include;

Gut Health

Fermented foods improve digestion, increase nutrient absorption and has shed light on the relationship between gut and brain demonstrating improvements in mental health as well.

Regulate Blood Sugar

Fermented foods lower blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity and prevent insulin spikes.

Boosts Immune Function and Reduces Inflammation

Research evidence shows that fermented foods can reduce inflammatory markers and help reduce susceptibility to colds and flu. An interesting fact from the research is that mothers who consume fermented foods during pregnancy lowered allergies in their babies/children.

Boosts Health

Evidence is showing that fermented foods can lower “bad” cholesterol, improve blood pressure and overall blood vessel function.

There are many reasons to bring fermented foods into your diet. If you are buying food at the grocery store, look for fermented foods that say “raw”, “unpasteurized” or “contain live culture”. Then you know you are getting the real McCoy. Or make some fermented foods at home. Making a batch of sauerkraut can be done in a few minutes. Doing a one jar fermented pickle is simple and easy. For recipe ideas and great instructional videos, check out the Canadian Fermented Foods Initiative.

https://fermentedfoods.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/WEB-VER-CFFI-1.pdf

preservingwithmartha@gmail.com

This is the time of year to stock up on pesticide free root vegetables and fruit. Some of the lucky ones have root cellars designed specifically for preserving the harvest through winter. Others of us might not be as lucky. But there are alternatives to help preserve the bounty. Do you have a closet with an outside wall or a room where the baseboard heater can be turned off? Do you have a mudroom, porch, cellar, attic, shed or barn to use for storage? Do you have picnic coolers to insulate produce, garbage bins or food-grade plastic containers as preserving vessels? All of these are options to help retain the quality of fruit and vegetables.

The key to preserving the Fall harvest is understanding what fruits and vegetables need in terms of temperature, air circulation and moisture. Once you have that knowledge, many creative root cellar substitutes can be used.

Cold and Moist (0-4.5 degrees Celsius) with 90% humidity)

Beets, carrots, turnips, radishes .

Store in dampened sand or sawdust. Choose your container and moisten the sand or sawdust layering vegetables. Carrots go straight down into the sand.

Cold and Dry (0 – 4.5 C with 60 – 70% humidity)

Apples, pears, Brussel Sprouts, potatoes.

Store apples separately as they produce ethylene gas. Even in the refrigerator store apples away from other fruit and vegetables.

Potatoes need a dark environment to prevent the development of greening and related toxins. Note: Do not refrigerate potatoes as this will cause their starch to convert to sugar.

Cool and Dry (0 –10C and low humidity)

Onions, garlic, shallots.

Braid garlic and hang. Place onions or shallots in breathable mess bags or use a pantyhose leg tying a knot between each onion. Snip off the stocking below the knot to release the onion one at a time. For larger quantities, use a bushel basket, orchard rack or cardboard box with holes. Moisture is the enemy for onions, so they need lots of circulation.

On the Warmer Side and Dry (up to 15C and dry)

Pumpkins, squash, and sweet potatoes.

Many vegetables such as potatoes, pumpkins, squash, and onions benefit from a curing phase before storing. Allowing them to sit on a porch for 10 days when temperatures are moderate allows the skins to firm up and readies the vegetables for winter storage.

So, understand what your vegetables and fruit need – temperature, moisture, air circulation. Choose a location and a vessel. And remember that many root crops can stay in the earth until needed if they are well covered with stray or hay. In fact, vegetables like parsnips and carrots benefit from a frost. The chill sweetens the flavour!

Even without an official root cellar or cold room, it is possible to store vegetables and some fruit for many months during the winter. Even one container of beautiful potatoes kept in the garage or chilly room will bring plenty of great taste to a winter meal. It’s simple to preserve good, healthy food!

Preservingwithmartha@gmail.com

www.thevalleypreservery.ca