The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [6]
Still, you can achieve good results even without an automatic sealer by filling a boilable bag and placing it on a heavy bath towel, then covering the bag with a damp cloth and sealing the top with an electric iron set on low. The electric iron isn’t as convenient as the automatic bag sealer, but trying the process with an iron will let you know whether you want to invest in the equipment.
Another particularly popular food preserving aid these days is the vacuum packaging machine. This type of sealer is more expensive but does a very good job of removing air from the package and thus reducing the chance of oxidation, which can lower the quality of the food. Vacuum-packed foods also take less room in the freezer. However, vacuum packed bags are generally not boilable, so you will need to blanch vegetables before packaging them. If you choose this option, keep in mind that while vacuum-packaging inhibits oxidation, it can increase the risk of other (often nonodorous) bacteria, making it all the more important to process your food properly before packaging.
bag sealer
Blanchers, Preserving Kettles, and Canners
The pots in which you blanch vegetables, cook down relishes and jams, and process canned foods are necessary pieces of equipment. But before you buy anything new, take an inventory of what you have in your kitchen.
The traditional way of preparing vegetables for the freezer is to blanch the vegetables in boiling water to cover, cool them, drain, then bag. It is not the fastest way — using the boilable bag method is, as we will see in chapter 3.
One blancher on the market is so handy I find many uses for it, even though I blanch most of my vegetables in the microwave. The 5-in-1 Pot Steam Blancher is a versatile little kettle made up of a 7-quart deep pan, a deep steam basket, a smaller colander-type of basket, a flat perforated container that holds about 2 cups, and a cover. It can be used for cooking and steam-blanching (three layers at a time), and the colander can be used for straining. It’s the handiest pot in my kitchen and sells for about $30.
5-in-1steam blancher
For blanching vegetables in a microwave, 1 pound at a time, you will need a 2-quart, microwave-safe container.
If your microwave container does not have a lid, you will have to cover the container with microwave-safe plastic wrap. The microwave- safe plastic wraps that contain polyvinyl chloride form the best seals. Use a big enough piece to allow for steam to collect inside the wrap. To safely remove the wrap from hot food, pierce the plastic with the tip of a knife to release the steam and peel the plastic up and away from the container.
A heavy-bottomed, large-capacity pot is needed for making jams, jellies, and pickles, and for cooking down purées to make fruit leathers. It should be made of a nonreactive metal — that is, stainless steel, enamel-clad cast iron, anodized aluminum, or most nonstick finishes. These materials will not be affected by the acid in citrus juice, vinegar, fruit, or tomatoes. Pots made of unlined aluminum, copper, or cast iron may react with acidic foods to produce an off flavor or to discolor the food. The heavy bottom is necessary to disperse the heat evenly and prevent scorching, which is particularly important when you are making jams and chutneys.
Boiling-water-bath canners can be used to process acid foods only. Low-acid vegetables, meats, seafood, and mixes should never be canned in one (or without a properly researched pressure canning process). Boiling-water-bath canners come in two sizes — the smaller one can process up to 7 quarts at a time, and the larger size can process 9 quarts. They can be made of stainless steel, aluminum, or porcelain-on-steel — the latter being the least expensive, selling for $15 to $25. Any large kettle can be used in place of this type of canner as long as