General Rules Preserved Foods Category

Transcription

1 General Rules Preserved Foods Category For Safety Issues: NO SALES WILL BE ALLOWED IN THIS CATEGORY. By entering this category, the exhibitor gives permission for the Williamson County Youth Fair to publish their recipe(s) in a Williamson County Youth Fair Cookbook. Recipe(s) MUST BE typed in the correct format found on page 30. No photo copies of recipes will be accepted; exhibit will be DISQUALIFIED. Each exhibitor is required to turn in TWO (2) copies of the exhibit recipe: from DOC, DOCX, or PDF on 8 ½ X 11 Plain White Computer Paper. One (1) of these copies must be submitted in a clear sheet protector and the other should be ed to Janice Knue: j_knue@yahoo.com. Subject Line of should read as: Exhibitor Name & Name of Recipe & Division/Class Text should include: Exhibitor s Name, Exhibitor s Parent s Name, Exhibitor s Parent s Phone Number, Exhibitor s Parent s Address Submit Typed Recipe in: DOC, DOCX, or PDF. All Recipes MUST BE Pre-Approved in Order to Show. Recipe will be reviewed by the Recipe Review Committee. If the recipe does not meet requirements, the Exhibitor s Parents will be notified. The Exhibitor will have 5 Business Days to submit a replacement recipe for approval. Replacement Recipes will be accepted ONE TIME ONLY, if the new recipe does not meet requirements, the Exhibitor s Exhibit will be DISQUALIFIED. **Without Notification** NO KITS OR BOX MIXES ALLOWED. (Exception: Pre-Junior Age Group) Due to the limited amount of space: NO Display Boards, Decorations, Accessories, Etc. **NO ALCOHOL OF ANY KIND & NO FLOWER GARNISHES OF ANY KIND WILL BE ACCEPTED** **NO ENTRIES ALLOWED THAT REQUIRE REFRIGERATION** **NO PART OF THE EXHIBIT CAN BE PREPARED BY A STORE** **JUDGES OF THIS DIVISION: WILL NOT TASTE ANY EXHIBIT** This is the Decision of the Williamson County Youth Fair Board.

2 Prior to Judging: If a Preserved Item Shows Obvious Signs of Spoilage: the Exhibit will be DISQUALIFIED. Judge s Criteria: will include, but is not limited to the following: Color Texture Appearance Quality Technique(s) Recipe Writing All Canned Foods: MUST BE Processed in Standard Size Canning Jar: Mason, Ball, or Kerr. MUST BE ½ Pint OR 1 Pint Any other type of container used, WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. Must comply with USDA & Canning Company Safety Guidelines. Water Bath & Pressure Canning Procedures MUST be Indicated in the Recipe. NO OPEN KETTLE METHOD Exhibit MUST HAVE 1 Jar NO EMBELLISHMENTS MUST HAVE Unbroken Seals Paraffin Seals ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE All Dried Foods: MUST BE in Moisture and Vapor Proof Bags. Any other type of container used, WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. Procedure Process MUST be Indicated in the Recipe. Exhibit MUST HAVE 3 Pieces NO EMBELLISHMENTS NO ZIP-LOCK BAGS NO WILD GAME Division G: Preserved Foods: CLASS NO.: CLASS NAME: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 1 Canned: Jellies, Jams, Marmalades, Preserves 2 Canned: Salsas 3 Canned: Fruits 4 Canned: Vegetables 5 Pickled: Vegetables 6 Dried Foods: Fruits 7 Dried Foods: Jerky 8 Dried Foods: Herbs 9 Canned: Other 10 Dried: Other

3 Preserved Foods Recipe Format: I. Does Your Recipe Have All of These Parts? Yes No Name of Recipe. Complete list of ingredients (Size cans, packages, etc. given). EX: 6 pounds of 4- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers Description for combining all ingredients. Description for canning procedure used or dried food procedure used. II. List of Ingredients: Ingredients are listed in order in which they are used. Ingredients listed as they are measured, the word describing is in the correct place. EX: ¼ cup chopped onion, not ¼ cup onion chopped. EX: 1 green pepper, chopped, not 1 chopped green pepper Measurements given in common fractions. (1/4 cup, 2 tablespoons, 1 teaspoon) All measurements are spelled out, not abbreviated. (cup, teaspoon, tablespoon, size can) Avoid brand names. Include complete description of ingredients. (low-fat, packed in syrup, reduced fat, etc.) III. Directions: I have: Used clear instructions, for every step of combining and cooking the ingredients. Used short, clear sentences. Used the correct words to describe the canning or dried food process. Stated the size of jars or packages. Given the temperature and processing time. Included the number of servings or how much the recipe will make.

4 Ingredients: 6 pounds of 4- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers 8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 3 pounds) 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt crushed ice 4 cups vinegar (5%) 4 1/2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons mustard seed 1 1/2 tablespoons celery seed 1 tablespoon ground turmeric Bread and Butter Pickles Directions: Wash cucumbers. Cut a 1/16-inch slice off the blossom end and discard. Cut into 3/16-inch slices. Combine cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Add salt. Cover with 2 inches crushed or cubed ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, adding more ice as needed. To make pickles, combine remaining ingredients in a large pot. Add drained cucumbers and onions and slowly heat to boiling. Fill pint jars with slices and cooked syrup, leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top. Release air bubbles. Adjust lids and carefully place the jars in a rack in a canner containing hot water. Add more hot water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Cover the canner and bring the water to a boil. Processing time begins as soon as the water comes to a boil. Process for 15 minutes. Yields: 8 pints.

5 Preserving Food: Using Pressure Canners COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA College of Family and Consumer Sciences in cooperation with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Pressure canners for use in the home were extensively redesigned beginning in the 1970 s. Models made before the 1970 s were heavy-walled kettles with clamp-on or turn-on lids. They were fitted with a dial gauge, a vent port in the form of a petcock or covered with a counterweight, and a safety fuse. Modern pressure canners are lightweight, thin-walled kettles; most have turn-on lids fitted with gaskets. (At least one style has screw-down knobs around the canner and does not have a gasket, however.) They all have removable racks, an automatic vent/cover lock, a vent port (steam vent), and a safety fuse. Today s pressure canner may have a dial gauge for indicating the pressure or a weighted gauge, for indicating and regulating the pressure. Weighted gauges are usually designed to jiggle several times a minute or to keep rocking gently when they are maintaining the correct pressure. Read your manufacturer s directions to know how a particular weighted gauge should rock or jiggle. Dial gauge canners will usually have a counterweight or pressure regulator for sealing off the open vent port to pressurize the canner. This weight should not be confused with a weighted gauge and will not jiggle or rock as described for a weighted gauge canner. Pressure readings on a dial gauge canner are only registered on the dial and only the dial should be used as an indication of the pressure in the canner. Pressure canners come deep enough for one layer of quart or smaller size jars, or deep enough for two layers of pint or smaller size jars. The USDA recommends that a canner be large enough to hold at least 4 quart jars to be considered a pressure canner for its published processes. Serious errors in processes obtained in pressure canners can occur if any of the following conditions exist: The altitude at which the canner is operated is above sea level and adjustments in pressure are not made. Internal canner pressures (and therefore temperatures) are lower at higher altitudes. Canners must be operated at increased pressures as the altitude increases. Check reliable canning instructions for altitude adjustments. Air is trapped in the closed canner during the process. Air trapped in a pressure canner lowers the temperature obtained for a given pressure (for example, 10 or 15 pounds pressure) and results in underprocessing. To be safe, USDA recommends that all pressure canners must be vented 10 minutes before they are pressurized. To vent a canner, leave the vent port (steam vent) uncovered (or manually open the petcock on some older models) after you fill the canner and lock the canner lid in place. Heat the canner on high until the water boils and generates steam that can be seen escaping through the open vent port or petcock. When a visible funnel-shape of steam is continuously escaping the canner, set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of continuous steam, you can close the petcock or place the counterweight or weighted gauge over the vent port to begin pressurizing the canner. (See steps 3 and 4 below.) An inaccurate dial gauge is used. Dial gauges should be checked for accuracy each year before use. If the gauge reads high or low by more than one pound at 5, 10, or 15 pounds pressure, replace it.

6 Clean lid gaskets and other parts according to the manufacturer s directions. Use only canners that have the Underwriter s Laboratory (UL) approval to ensure their safety. Follow these steps for successful pressure canning: (Read through all the instructions before beginning.) Center the canner over the burner. When you have your jars of food ready for canning, put the rack and hot water into the canner. If the amount of water is not specified with a given food, use 2 to 3 inches of water. Longer processes required more water. Some specific products (for example, smoked fish) require that you start with even more water in the canner. Always follow the directions with USDA processes for specific foods if they require more water be added to the canner. For hot packed foods, you can bring the water to 180 degrees F. ahead of time, but be careful not to boil the water or heat it long enough for the depth to decrease. For raw packed foods, the water should only be brought to 140 degrees F. Place filled jars, fitted with lids, on the jar rack in the canner, using a jar lifter. When moving jars with a jar lifter, make sure the jar lifter is securely positioned below the neck of the jar (below the screw band of the lid). Keep the jar upright at all times. Tilting the jar could cause food to spill into the sealing area of the lid. Fasten the canner lid securely. Leave the weight off the vent port or open the petcock. Turn the heat setting to its highest position. Heat until the water boils and steam flows freely in a funnelshape from the open vent port or petcock. While maintaining the high heat setting, let the steam flow (exhaust) continuously for 10 minutes. After this venting, or exhausting, of the canner, place the counterweight or weighted gauge on the ventport, or close the petcock. The canner will pressurize during the next 3 to 10 minutes. Start timing the process when the pressure reading on the dial gauge indicates that the recommended pressure has been reached, or, for canners without dial gauges, when the weighted gauge begins to jiggle or rock as the manufacturer describes. Regulate the heat under the canner to maintain a steady pressure at, or slightly above, the correct gauge pressure. One type of weighted gauge should jiggle a certain number of times per minute, while another type should rock slowly throughout the process check the manufacturer s directions. Loss of pressure at any time can result in under-processing, or unsafe food. Quick & large pressure variations during processing may cause unnecessary liquid losses from jars. IMPORTANT: If at any time pressure goes below the recommended amount, bring the canner back to pressure and begin the timing of the process over, from the beginning (using the total original process time). This is important for the safety of the food. When the timed process is completed, turn off the heat, remove the canner from the heat (electric burner) if possible, and let the canner cool down naturally. (It is okay to leave the canner in place after you have turned off the burner.) While it is cooling, it is also depressurizing. Do not force cool the canner. Forced cooling may result in food spoilage. Cooling the canner with cold running water or opening the vent port before the canner is fully depressurized are types of forced cooling. They will also cause loss of liquid from jars and seal failures. Force cooling may also warp the canner lid.

7 Even after a dial gauge canner has cooled until the dial reads zero pounds pressure, be cautious in removing the weight from the vent port. Tilt the weight slightly to make sure no steam escapes before pulling it all the way off. Newer canners will also have a cover lock in the lid or handle that must release after cooling before the lids are twisted off. Do not force the lid open if the cover locks are not released. Manufacturers will provide more detailed instructions for particular models. Depressurization of older canner models without dial gauges should be timed. Standard size heavy-walled canners require about 30 minutes when loaded with pints and 45 minutes when loaded with quarts. Newer thin-walled canners cool more rapidly and are equipped with vent locks that are designed to open when the pressure is gone. These canners are depressurized when the piston in the vent lock drops to a normal position. Some of these locks are hidden in handles and cannot be seen; however, the lid will not turn open until the lock is released. After the canner is completely depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face. Using a jar lifter, remove the jars one at a time, being careful not to tilt the jars. Carefully place them directly onto a towel or cake cooling rack, leaving at least one inch of space between the jars during cooling. Avoid placing the jars on a cold surface or in a cold draft. Let the jars sit undisturbed while they cool, from 12 to 24 hours. Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until the jar is completely cooled. Remove ring bands from sealed jars. Ring bands can be washed and dried and put away for using another time. Put any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use first. Wash jars and lids to remove all residues. Label jars and store in a cool, dry place out of direct light. Dry the canner, lid and gasket. Take off removable petcocks and safety valves; wash and dry thoroughly. Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist. The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability. An equal opportunity employer/affirmative action organization committed to a diverse workforce. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Josef M. Broder, Interim Dean and Director FDNS-E