Questions tagged [food-preservation]
Questions about LONG-TERM food storage such as canning, pickling, freezing, and drying.
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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 ...
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Are there alternative ways to test fruit preserves for doneness?
I've tried twice to make fruit preserves using only the natural pectins in the fruit. The first time with plums where the jam was much to thick, and yesterday orange marmalade which came out tasting ...
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Can you safely can homemade caramel/butterscotch syrup?
I've done canning of jams and jellies. I would like to make caramel and butterscotch syrups and jar them to give away, too, but I'm not sure if this is do-able since they contain butter and cream. Can ...
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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 ...
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Is there a rule of thumb on vinegar's abilities as a preservative?
To follow up on the storage of ketchup in particular, many items in cupboards and refrigerators have vinegar listed as a key ingredient. The first things that come to mind are hot sauce, mustard, ...
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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 -...
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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, ...
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How to dry homemade pork sausages with proper humidity and temperature?
I am new to this and am attempting to dry some pork sausages. I was told to add a quarter pound of salt for every ten pounds of pork meat, which I did (I used ordinary table salt). I have the sausages ...
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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 ...
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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 it)...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Cranberry Beans, probably any beans; medium-term storage options?
I am planning on cleaning out the lady at the farmer's market of her cranberry beans this Friday. I am hoping to use in three different recipes over the course of the next 6 weeks or so. They are sold ...
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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 ...
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How to keep fresh lemon juice for a week without a change in its taste?
Are there any way to preserve the juice of lemon for, say, one week without a change in its taste?
Even deep-freezing it makes it little bit bitter!
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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What are the costs to consider when making jam?
I am trying to dertermine what kinds of jam are particularly cost-effective to make at home.
I have been given a few bits of equipment for jam making, and am looking forward to getting started.
We ...
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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 ...
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Looking for non-standard (i.e. no dill) fermented pickle suggestions [closed]
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:
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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 ...
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Pasta preservation
I have some extra pasta, cooked.
I have no extra sauce to put the pasta in.
What's the best way to preserve it so it lasts for a day or hopefully two without getting dry or rotten?
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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 ...
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How long can I keep pureed root ginger
As the title says, how long can I keep pureed root ginger in the fridge?
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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 ...
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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 shelf-...
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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?
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Does food get spoilt if it catches moisture?
Sometimes, if you leave something like chips out in the open, it catches moisture from the air and is not as crisp after that.
Is the food good to consume even after that?
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Can I freeze egg whites?
I saw this question and it got me thinking, can I freeze egg whites, and if so is there anything I need to bear in mind when doing so?
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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?
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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 ...
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Pressure canning instructions
Where can safe and reliable instructions (including high and low altitude canning) be found for canning?
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