By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

Apple butter, peach jelly, raspberry jam and cranberry chutney are just a few of many recipes that can be used when preserving this season’s harvest. While canning may be a practice of generations past, Cumberland County Extension Educator Kathy Savoie said planting and preserving food is becoming more popular due to rising cost in the grocery aisles.

While Savoie didn’t have hard numbers to indicate an increase in canning practices, she said the demand for workshops has significantly increased.

“Demand and attendance is much higher this year than ever. We knew this spring more people were farming more because a lot of places sold out of seeds and seedlings that hadn’t in past years. More people are seeing it as a way to extend the availability of local foods,” Savoie said.

She also attributed increased seed sales and demand for workshops to a trend toward being more self-sufficient.

The workshops Savoie teaches include basic method instruction, identifying appropriate equipment and measuring the pH levels in foods to determine the proper method.

Water bath and pressure canning are two methods used to preserve surplus food from a harvest, said Piscataquis County Extension Educator Jane Conroy. Savoie said both methods require the use of a dome lid and screw band jar readily available in grocery stores.

“A pH level of 4.6 is the cap for acidic foods. Anything below 4.6 is considered acidic and is safe for using the water bath method,” Savoie said. 

The water bath method is good for jams or jellies, Savoie said. It requires one to two inches of boiling water higher than the tops of the jars in order to heat the jars and seal them properly while cooling. A pressure bath is good for low acidic foods, such as vegetables, fish or meats, and uses steam reaching 240 degrees to seal the jars. 

Savoie said foodborne illnesses are caused by improper canning. If not sealed properly by pressure canning, low acid foods can develop the botulism toxin. According to the Center for Disease Control, symptoms of foodborne botulism appear within 18 to 36 hours  and include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. Botulism can be treated with an antitoxin, but complete recovery can take weeks. The Center for Disease Control recommends people who preserve food should follow strict hygienic procedures to reduce possible contamination.

“[To ensure safety of equipment] folks do need to have their pressure gauges tested every year, as well as the canner. The extension offices offer testing, just call first,” Conroy said. 

Conroy said freezing foods is another method to preserve excess fruits, vegetables or meat. 

“Freezing is a marvelous and simple form of food preservation to extend the availability of local produce. There is also less risk associated with freezing and vitamin retention is higher,” Savoie said. 

Savoie said most vegetables require blanching – submerging them into boiling water and then quickly submerging them into cold water. Meats and fruits do not require this process.

Conroy said properly frozen foods can last as long as one year. 

Canning and preserving food is a process SHaker Hill Community Kitchen Food Services Director Martha Huestis is familiar with. Huestis said she uses the water bath method to preserve high acid foods, making her own jellies, jams and fruit preserves. 

“My mother canned. Bread and butter pickles, I have to do them. I do something for every season and if I miss, it doesn’t feel right. It is my way of connecting with the earth,” Huestis said.

The community kitchen, located in Saco, rents space to those who would like to use an industrial kitchen for their personal needs or to start a food business. Currently the kitchen doesn’t have equipment available for canning, but does have the space available if someone expresses interest. Huestis said she would look into purchasing the appropriate equipment if there was enough interest.

“If people want to come and can, they should talk to us. This facility is new to the area. [Canning is] one aspect we’d like to do too. We’re into creative thinking and want to work with people,” Huestis said.

For more information on Shaker Hill Community Kitchen, contact Martha Huestis at marthah@ycspi.org.

A “Preserving the Harvest” workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 18 at the J. Richard Martin Community Center in Biddeford. Cost is to be determined. To register, call 282-3883. 

For more information on canning and preserving food or for other workshop listings, call the York Extension Office at 324-0817.