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Show 7 p.n ' . IIINTAH BASIN STANDARD. October 2.1. 2001 Ask a Specialist food preservation questions anwered Answer by: Charlotte llrennand, Utah State University Extension Food Sa fety Specialist uh, i 1 Food prescrvatioirseason is upon and it is important to know that methods have tome preservation "hanged. The followingquestionsand answers will help case you through the processing process. For answers to on preservation questions not listed below, contact your local county Extension office or see the Web site http:cxtension.usu.educoopfood foodfact.htm Q. Why do I need to process tomatoes longer than I used to? A. Tomatoes today ha ve a higher level of solids which changes the amount of lime it takes heat to penetrate the bottle of tomatoes. When the USDA published new tomato canning recommendations in 1988, they added a raw puck method to the options. This process requires much longer process times than before. Q. Why do I need to add acid to my tomatoes before canning and how much should I add? A. Not all tomatoes have enough acid to he canned safely using water bath processing; therefore, extra acid is needed to insure safety. Add either 1 2 teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each quart of tomatoes. Lemon juice powders are not recommended since we do not know the amount of available acid in the powder. Q. How long do I need to process my tomatoes? A. The amount of time depends on how you prepare the tomatoes before processing, jar size and altitude. For tomatoes that arecutintoquartersor crushed and simmered for 5 minutes before being put in quart canning jars, the processing time for quartjars in a water bath is 45 minutes at sea feet level, 60 minutes for 1001-300- 0 altitude, 55 minutes for 3001-600- 0 feet and 60 minutes if over 6000 feet altitude. To process unheated, whole tomatoes, the processing time per quart at sea level is 85, 90, 95 or 100 minuter for the altitudes listed above. Alternately, the same whole tomatoes may be pressure canned for 25 minutes per quart. The required pressure is 1 1 pounds for feet, 12 lbs. for 2001-400- 0 feet, 13 lbs. for 4001-600- 0 feet or 14 lbs. for 6001-800- 0 feet. If the pressure canner has a weighted gauge, it is 10 lbs. for feet and 15 lbs. for all other altitudes. Q. Is there anything I can still canningjars? process in A. The USDA only has timetables for fruit juice in canningjars. Attempting to guess correct processing times for other materials can result in underproccssingand health two-qua- rt two-qua- rt jars for canning fruitjuicenrstoringdry foods such as risks. Use two-qua- rt pusta, rice or dry beans. Q. I have a great spaghetti Bauce recipe. IIow longsAould I process it if I want to can it? A. It is important to only can tested recipes to avoid health problems or economic loss from havingtodiscard spoiled products. Establishing processing limes is expensive. Consider cither freezingyour product or using a tested recipe ifyou still wish to can spaghetti sauce. Q. How longshould I process salsa in quart bottles? A. Soriy, but all the tested recipes for salsa are bused on pint-size- d bottles. The larger quurt bottle would require more time, and it would be necessary to determine heat curves to know exactly how much longer. There is no formula for extendingthe known times from pint jars to quart jars. Q. Do I always have to follow the recipe when ennning? A. There are a few things with flexibility. For example, salt is optional in everything cxcpdI pickles. Fruit can be canned with Heavy syrup, light syrup, fruit juice or even plain water. Types of peppers can be interchanged in salsa recipes, but the total volume of peppers cannot be increased. Onions orpeppers can bedecreoscd when makingBalsa, but never decrease the amountof vinegar or lemon juice. The USDA Canning Guide has a soup recipe that allows a variety of ingredients to be combined to meet the consumers preferences. There is also a mixed vegetable recipe with flexibility. Both recipes do have some specific limitations. Q.Howdol know ifa recipe is from a reliable, tested source? A. For somethingtobe a tested recipe, it must be carefully tested in a laboratory. Simply having made the product for a number of years without problems is not proof that it will continue to be safe. Sources of tested recipes include USDA Home Canning Guide (available at http II extension.usu.edupublica Kerr Home foodpubs.htm), Canning and Freezing Guide, Ball Blue Book and bulletins obtained from county Extension offices. Be sure that the publication date is 1988 or later. Mqjor changes in recommendations, especially tomatoes, occurred that year. Q. Can I safely can zucchini bread or banana nut bread? A. No, these products are not safe to can. The conditions are such that C. botulinum, the organism that causes botulism, can grow. The heat process is too mild to kill this organism and it can grow under storage conditions. Both zucchini bread and banana nut bread ireeze well so consider tnis option . Do not can it or eat any home canned breads given to you as gifts. Q. 1 followed the USDA recipe for applesauce. Why are my lids popping and mold is growing? A. Applesauce timetables are based on a hot pack. This means that the mixture must be uniformly hot when it is placed in canningjars and pro- cessed immediately. When applesauce is in a pot bubbling, it may look like it is boiling, but only the very bottom layer may actually be hot If put in canningjars at this stage, the processing time isnt long enough to neat it adequately. Be sure to stir thoroughly during the preheating stage so that all parts are truly hot before bottling. Q. My pectin package instructions say to turn the bottles over after filling them to seal the lids, but the USDA jelly instructions say to water bath the jelly jars after filling. My mother always used to pour melted paraffin over the jelly. Does it miitai any difference which method I use? A. The mjor objective in sealingjelly andjamjarsis to control mold growth. In order to grow, mold must have air. Melted paraffin is no longer recommended because it is dangerous to handle and it sometimes has small air channels that alio w mold to grow. Turning bottles upside down while the jelly is still hot heats the lid and helps with the seal. The water bath method drives out part ofthe air and helps sterilize the lid. In both casee, as the jelly cools a vacuum seal is formed. However, a much stronger vacuum seal is formed with the water bath method and there are also fewer bottles that fail to seal. Q. What do I do when my bottles fail to seal during home canning? What do I do if I processed the product incorrectly? A. Ifyou are able to use the product during the next week, simply put that bottle in the refrigerator. Ifyou processed the food incorrectly or if several bottles failed to seal, they can be reprocessed up to 24 hours after the initial processing. Products that muTa be dumped kett reheated, then returned to the canningjar and reprocessed with a new lid. Reprocess for the same amount of time listed in the instructions. Q. Can I still eat the canned food that has been in my storage for 10 years? A. Ifthe cans or bottles are still intact, the food is safe. However, the appearance, flavor and texture may hie such that you wonteqjoyeatingit Check out our Classifieds! To order ball 435-722-51-31 I know the people that live here and listen to them. My wife Pat and I raised 4 children here. It is our home and I just want to help make it better. I have started and operated several successful businesses in Roosevelt. The last one being Cellular One. I purposely headquartered the 6 county operation in Roosevelt so Roosevelt would be the main beneficiary of the business. I just recently along with two sons established S & S Service Center in Roosevelt. 1 reinvested in our community. I have a strong interest here. DISCUSSION Duchesne County Commissioners met last week with contractors and others to gather input on county building inspector Dean Johnson. Both compliments and complaints were listed. County building inspector seeks to clear the air over allegations the Steed and Long believe tnat are the being held up by the buildingthey inspecbecame a source county commission tors who are requiringmore than what of contention between the Duchesne the building code states. County building inspection departAmber McMullin who owns acment and local builders. The flyer McMullin Heating, Cooling and Recused county building inspector Dean with her husband felt that Johnson of interfering with local con- frigeration have never had a problem with they tractors livelihood. and even when he has writNo one has stepped forward to take Johnson, ten them up for something he was just responsibility for the memo which doing his job. "I was a little amazed at states: It is now time to come the letter we got ... he has been honest forward... in order to make with us. changes.. All of you have most likely Other comments generally stated had trouble with this fellow (Johnson). ..he demands rules which are not in the 'book. This Public comment reopened for mentality must stop. The memo was also faxed to Johnson. recovery plan for Southwestern The memo stated that there would be a "hearing Oct 17 on the subject endangered bird of Dean "Mad Dog Johnson at the TheU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service County Commission. Commission Chairman Guy Thayne stated there is reopening the public comment was a meeting scheduled between the period for the draft Recovery Plan for building inspection department and the southwestern willow flycatcher contractors who wanted to air griev(Empidonax trailli extimus) to allow ances, but the memo aggravated the for more input on the suggested methsituation, which in turn involved the ods for helping this endangered bird. An anonymous flyer faxed into office of several contractors and power-hungr- y County Commission. The open meeting was attended by contractors and private home builders who were under Johnsons jurisdiction. Thayne, who chaired the meeting, assured the public in attendance that the meeting was not a hearing. Thayne opened by commentating how inappropriate the flyer was, "We don't work that way." He further clarified that no decisions would be made at this meeting, that it would only be to gather information. Tea comments were made of which four were negative. Keith Goods peed wanted to know why Johnson required him to live by a different wiring code for three-phas- e systems than inspectors in other areas of the state. Frank Steed of Highland Development and Lamar Long of Long Plumbing had the most contentious disputes over inspections on their projects. Both The new deadline in Dec. 10. The Draft Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Recovery Plan describes the status, current management, recovery objectives and criteria, and specific actions needed to reclassify the bird from endangered to threatened, and to ultimately remove it from the list of threatened and endangered species. The draft plan was developed by 13 scientists from various disciplines. The southwestern willow flycatcher spends summers in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Texas, and New Meirico breeding and rearingyoung. Nests are built in the vegetation borderingstreams, reservoirs and wetlands. Considerable habitat loss is occurring in these riparian areas which has severely impacted the bird. Each fall, they migrate to the rainforests in Mexico, Central America, and possibly northern South America. that Johnson is fair and that he is enforcingthe rules for safety purposes, and that he conducts himself appropriately. Johnson took a turn by. responding to the negative comments. Building inspectors review construction work for compliance to several electrical, mechanical, plumbing andbuildingcodes which Johnson feels is the toughest job int the world. "Everyone feels like you are holding them upornit-pickingthesaid Johnson. Johnson was in favor of the meeting, because he wants the air cleared. More than 200 community representatives, including ranchos, conservation organizations, water and power interests, local, state and federal land managers, were appointed to discuss proposed recovery actions in sixgeographic areas where the bird is found. Reopening the comment period will allow for meeting in each ofthe six regions to folly discuss the recommendations. The draft plan will be revised and finalized based on comments received during the meetings as well as comments gathered from all sources. Recoveiy plans are not binding documents. Rather, they prescribe activities leading to the recovery ofa threatened or endangered species. Once comments to the draft recovery plan are addressed and the Service finalizes and approves it, it will serve as a blueprint of steps to conserve the flycatcher and a compass for the development of policy on conservation and management of the species. Comments on the draft Recovery Plan must be received on or before Dec. 10 to be considered. Send comments to the Field Supervisor at: Arizona Ecological Service Field Offices, UB. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix, Arizona, 85021-495To obtain copies of the Draft Plan, contact Greg Beatty at thiB location. 1. Along with all of you my future is right here. We must continue to better the town and the quality of life for the next generations. We have come a long way and the town has seen many changes in my lifetime. I will work for continued improvement for our community. I would like to see funding obtained for a new and larger enclosed swimming pool. Many of us have contributed to this project over the years and it still has not happened. I will work to get the job done. Our streets need maintenance. area of tow n. I 4 will work to improve streets and sidewalks in every ' h E. tv 1 Street lighting is a proven way to reduce crime. every area of town. I w ill work for more street lights in 1 Our Police and H i . Department need more and better equipment and wage increases. I strongly support these Departments and will work for their improvement. u . - 4 i. .; qr .,. - (UCANiRAOIAlS 'u wiwsrw'1 i ft.- wmo. v, - The city should take the lead in economic deelopment and look for some realistic viable projects. I will work to improve shopping and jobs for our area. I i 4 . All of these things cost money. Hut I am confident there are ways to achieve our goals without undue tax burdens on the people. In some cases this can be done by simply shifting some priorities as to where city dollars are spent. i V i f i i Help Me Move Roosevelt Forward!! Vote, ALFRED STRINGHAM- - NOVEMBER 6th ROOSEVELT CITY COUNCIL i i CJWTMS H f a TOM X :i2COlSTJO:v . .ss.srt... swyfc J A? AMERICAN CAR CARE CENTER 395 South 200 East, Roosevelt Utah 84066 435-722-50- 24 (POOR C |