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By FLORENCE VICKERS
Food preservation season is gearing up and will soon be the focus of many households in Rappahannock County. Already we’ve put strawberries in the freezer or into jam.
Principles of Food Preservation - There are two major goals in preserving and storing foods. They are (1) to maintain high quality and (2) to prevent the growth ol organisms which can cause illness.
Food must be of high quality to start with if the first goal is to be achieved. No mirthod of food preservation improves the quality of food. In fact, there is usually some loss of quality.
The nature of the food, the storage period and the storage conditions must be considered when choosing a preservation method.
Enzymes, yeasts, molds and bacteria are responsible for changes in foods. Yeasts and enzymes cause changes in food quality but rarely affect the safety of a food. One bacteria of particular concern to the home canner is Clostridium botulinum.
Botulism is the deadliest and rarest kind of foodborne illness. The organism lives on dead and decaying organic matter and is found almost everywhere in nature - in soil, dust, on fruits, vegetables and other foods. In its dormant or resting phase as a spore, it can survive for years. The spores themselves are not harmfiil but they are capable of producing a deadly toxin (poison).
Most microorganisms require moisture, a food source and air (oxygen). Activity is greatest at temperatures between 60 and 120 degrees F. Activity may refer to changes in color, flavor or texture, to an increase in numbers of microorganisms, or to the production of a toxin (poison) by the microorganism. Lowering the temperature stows activity but it does not destroy the microorganisms. Raising the temperature also stows or stops activity. Yeasts, molds and enzymes are killed at temperatures between 160 and 212 degrees F. but botulinum spores have a greater tolerance for heat.
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