Questions about long-term food storage such as canning, pickling, freezing, and drying.
29
votes
1answer
3k views
How long can I store a food in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer?
How do I know if a given food or ingredient I have is still good, or if I should discard it?
How can I best preserve a food or ingredient?
This broad question is intended as a "general reference" ...
28
votes
7answers
35k views
How dangerous is it to refreeze meat that has been thawed?
I've often been told by people that I shouldn't refreeze meat (particularly hamburger meat) once it has been thawed. However, this seems a little silly to me. I can't imagine how meat that hasn't ...
24
votes
3answers
895 views
Does freezing butter or margarine change the properties?
I have a lot of butter & margarine and looking for ways to keep it for longer time.
Will freezing them change melting point, flavor, or anything that could be undesirable when cooking?
Update:
...
17
votes
5answers
3k views
Can I freeze Milk?
After a bit of miscommunication, my wife and I ended up buying 6 litres of milk between us. I don't really want to waste it, so I'm wondering if it's safe to freeze some of it and defrost and use it ...
16
votes
5answers
4k views
Are any retail vacuum-sealing systems worth the expense?
Living alone means that my leftovers tend to go a pretty long way, and I don't end up using raw ingredients as quickly as the supermarkets expect me to.
For a while I've been considering investing in ...
16
votes
5answers
4k views
Is there anything I can add to homemade bread to preserve it?
I love making our own bread - we rarely buy shop bought, but it tends to go off very quickly. Part of the appeal is that it doesn't have any "junk" in it - artificial preservatives - which I'm sure ...
15
votes
2answers
1k views
Why peel tomatoes?
Everyone seems to think it is necessary to peel tomatoes before canning or freezing them. Since I do not peel tomatoes when I'm cooking with them (soups, salsa, etc.), I'm wondering if I can freeze ...
14
votes
1answer
2k views
Why don't dry bread crumbs spoil, when bread does?
Why don't store-bought bread crumbs spoil? Can you make your own bread crumbs and save them for later use? Will homemade breadcrumbs mold?
13
votes
1answer
618 views
What's the difference between jam, jelly, and preserves?
I assume the difference in name is due to their cooking processes, but am unsure what exactly makes them different.
12
votes
8answers
6k views
Making “long(er)-life” homemade mayonnaise
Most recipes I've seen for mayonnaise suggest that homemade mayo should be kept in the fridge for no longer than between 3 and 5 days.
What techniques or ingredients can be used to increase the ...
12
votes
2answers
782 views
How to recover jam that has set too hard?
Every time I make jam I always manage to set it too hard. Is there any way to recover it once it's done this?
11
votes
2answers
941 views
How to store garlic?
When I buy garlic, I normally put it in a bowl on the kitchen counter or in the pantry, and then pop off cloves as need. Sometimes, if the garlic has been around for a while, I find what looks like ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Are there things you cannot freeze?
There are a lot of edible things that come to mind when I think about what can be frozen. But when I think about things you better not put in the freezer, I honestly have no idea.
So, what food ...
10
votes
4answers
913 views
Can one preserve food by periodically heating it?
I get that keeping food temperature low will slow down chemical reactions and preserve food, but sometimes my sister preserves food by heating it every 6 hours or so (up to 1-2 days). Does this help ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Can I preserve fresh potato gnocchi by drying it?
I have a lot of potatoes to use, and I am making a large batch of Gnocchi. I plan to freeze much of it, but I was wondering if it's also possible to dry the fresh Gnocchi and store in a sealed ...
10
votes
5answers
3k views
Can I make pickled eggs that don't require refrigeration?
This time of year I have a ton of extra eggs. In the winter I have fewer. I have, therefore, been experimenting with egg preservation techniques.
I like pickled eggs a lot. They aren't very versatile ...
9
votes
2answers
810 views
Can I can vegetables using sous-vide?
My girlfriend and I were talking about the summer produce season approaching and hit on the idea of canning sous-vide. That is, rather than sterilizing by high heat for a short amount of time, you ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
Best way store stocks in freezer?
What do you think is the best way to store stocks in the freezer? Ice cubes? Plastic bags? etc.
Also, what would be the optimal portion size? 100ml, 1/2 cups, etc.
8
votes
4answers
875 views
How can I preserve large quantities of garlic?
I have a lot of garlic that is still fresh. How can I preserve it easily so that it can be used for a variety of uses later?
8
votes
5answers
3k views
Why prevent apples from turning brown?
It's somewhat well-known that applying an acidic solution to sliced apples prevents them from turning brown as quickly. I believe that the primary motivation to prevent the "browning" is aesthetic: ...
8
votes
3answers
174 views
Pressure canning instructions
Where can safe and reliable instructions be found for canning? Including high and low altitude canning.
8
votes
3answers
278 views
Can the bacon in homemade “Bacon Salt” be made shelf stable?
After success making several fancy salts including Sriracha, smoked, and green chili I've decided to try to move in to stranger and tastier territories. As such I want to make a bacon salt. The ...
8
votes
4answers
675 views
Corned Beef - From Scratch
I want to make corned beef, completely from scratch. How do I:
Select the cut of beef to corn?
Corn that cut?
I'm well aware of how to prepare corned beef after that process, but I'd like to start ...
8
votes
1answer
195 views
How to make/preserve popcorn so that its taste and texture doesn't deteriorate within a day or two?
I really love popcorn and usually pop it on the stove and eat it right away. However I'd like to make it ahead to save for snacks at work. I tried this once before and the kernels got a bit stale ...
7
votes
3answers
4k views
Why do they put the jelly-like substance in pork pies?
I don't like the jelly-like substance found in between the pastry and meat of pork pies, and I don't know anyone that does, so I was wondering why they put it in. Or is it a by-product of the ...
7
votes
5answers
4k views
Minimum procedure for sterilizing mason jars for canning
My wife and I are about to do some tomato canning tomorrow. We have a bunch of mason jars that we didn't have time to sterilize. She thinks that just washing them in hot water is enough. After ...
7
votes
7answers
890 views
Looking for non-standard (i.e. no dill) fermented pickle suggestions
I'm looking for some outside the box ideas for fermented (sour) pickles. Fermented pickles only use a salt water brine, spices and some time.
Here's a short list of what I'm NOT looking for:
...
7
votes
5answers
12k views
Do you have to refrigerate Pickles?
So last weekend the wife and I got a huge jar of pickles at Costco. The thing is bigger than a gallon of milk (the wife really loves her pickles). There really isn't any room for it in the fridge, ...
7
votes
2answers
633 views
How long will a fresh herb paste last?
I make a paste using ground fresh basil, ground fresh mint, ground dried ginger, salt, ground roasted coffee, and raw honey (enough to coat all of the ingredients well). It makes a great rub, and can ...
7
votes
1answer
2k views
Why does olives with the pit left always taste better than pitted ones
When you buy or eat olives it seems that the high quality ones always have the pit left in them. If you buy cheaper, not so good olives, they will most likely be pitted.
What is the reason behind ...
7
votes
1answer
167 views
How to ship bread or bread dough?
I've been thinking about starting a boutique mail order dinner roll business.
Dough
While I'd really like to ship dough and allow customers to bake (per roll) at their leisure, I'm beginning to think ...
7
votes
3answers
4k views
How do I maximize the shelf life of my homemade hot sauce?
I am planning on putting this year's crop of hot peppers to use by trying my hand at making my own hot sauces.
I've never tried this before, but I've found a number of recipes on the Internet. ...
6
votes
5answers
33k views
What is the ideal fridge temperature
I notice that in both countries where I lived the fridges are kept at 6 or 7 °C (43-45 °F). When it would be colder, people find their drinks to cold, when served straight out of fridge (especially in ...
6
votes
6answers
232 views
Does a home produce refrigerator exist?
It seems there are many foods that benefit from 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit / 10 to 15 degrees Celsius storage temperature--herbs, peppers, tomatoes, etc. As it stands, I store tomatoes and some ...
6
votes
1answer
220 views
How to remove individual steaks from a lump I mistakenly froze together?
I got a vacuum sealer and stored about 7 pieces of steak in 1 bag. I put it in the freezer and just now I decided to take out a couple of steaks to thaw out so I cut open the bag but all the steaks ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
Why is my blueberry jam grainy?
I recently made and canned blueberry jam for the first time, using this recipe and canning instructions.
I filled all my jars & canned them, but there was a little jam left in the pot. It was a ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
Possible to freeze jam in glass?
I have read on multiple canning sites that you can freeze jam in glass jars. Has anyone actually done this successfully? Under what circumstances would it be preferable to putting the jam in plastic ...
6
votes
4answers
372 views
What are the herbs that “dry” the best?
Some fresh herbs seem to retain their flavor better than others when dried; for example, dried parsley has very little flavor, but dried tarragon tastes reasonably close to fresh tarragon.
Which ...
6
votes
2answers
569 views
How can I recreate the flavour of instant ramen without the salt?
I am looking to make my own instant ramen soup - nothing complicated, but there must be a way to duplicate the instant variety without all the salt. I've played with combinations of dried onions + no ...
6
votes
2answers
149 views
How to determine if canning is safe?
How can I tell if it is safe to can a particular homemade sauce? Is it just a function of pH and technique (pressure vs boiling water) or are there any other factors in play?
Specifically, I would ...
6
votes
3answers
296 views
Is there a way to speed up the process of making preserved lemons?
I really like preserved lemons, but I often find that I don't plan properly and don't time the month long wait properly. Is there a way to speed this process up?
Preserved Lemons
Quarter ...
6
votes
1answer
649 views
How can i preserve squid ink
I clean my own squids and I want to preserve the ink for later use.
I was wondering what to do with the ink sac. Should I collect the ink in a little jar and freeze it?
Or how long will it last in ...
5
votes
3answers
4k views
Should cheese be frozen?
I just put a piece of parmesan cheese into the freezer part of a fridge. Is this practice good or bad? I did this because when I bought the cheese, I could not back to home immediately and the cheese ...
5
votes
5answers
2k views
What are some easy, safe fermented foods to make at home?
Pickles, dilly beans, etc. (different veggies, same technique)
Kombucha
Sauerkraut
Kimchi
Yogurt
5
votes
2answers
4k views
Frying - Oil foams
I am relatively new to deep-frying. Having seen the questions about oil reuse and conservation, I'm still at a loss about what's going on with my oil...
My sunflower oil foams like crazy. I've been ...
5
votes
3answers
672 views
Food that does not spoil, lightweight, energetic and balanced
As I am preparing to get into sailing, the problem of having food with me that does not spoil, is lightweight, sufficiently energetic and well balanced becomes relevant for me. Personal satisfaction ...
5
votes
4answers
259 views
What flavorings do you use for sour pickles?
I'm making sour pickles (salt water brine, no vinegar) and do not have dill, so I've got garlic and black pepper.
What other suggestions do you have for flavorings?
5
votes
2answers
173 views
Do I need to use sterilized jars straight away?
When making jams and preserves you obviously need to sterilize the jars. After the jars have been sterilized do you need to use them straight away or can you sterilize them in advance and keep them ...
5
votes
5answers
25k views
How long can you keep chocolate, and what is the best way to store it?
For instance, I have some bars of Valrhona I use for chocolate tarts and pastries, but I haven't been doing the dessert thing in a while. How long does chocolate last before losing flavor (or does ...
5
votes
2answers
10k views
How long will fresh scallops keep in the refrigerator?
Today I bought one pound of fresh scallops from the seafood counter at the local market, but my dinner plans have changed - I am no longer planning to cook the scallops this evening and I don't ...
