A guide to proper and safe food preservation

SALT LAKE CITY – Do you own a garden that gives you an abundance of produce? If so, you probably realized how important food preservation is. Properly storing your fruits and vegetables means you are safe to eat them over a long period of time.

In the latest Let’s Get Moving with Maria podcast episode, Maria Shilaos spoke with Jenna Dyckman, Utah State University extension assistant professor in the Home and Community Department, to learn about the different food preservation techniques and common mistakes to avoid.

Food preservation is a great way to keep the produce from your garden throughout the year. However, it’s only effective if you do it safely so that you don’t get sick.

For canning, Dyckman says it’s important to choose the right method. The two main ways are water bath canning and pressure canning.

“The way you know whether to use water bath canning or pressure canning is the acidity of the food,” she said.

The water bath canning method is for foods with high acidity, such as fruits, salsas, and pickled products. For low acid foods like meats and vegetables, use the pressure canning method.

“A water bath canner just doesn’t have high enough heat to kill all of those microorganisms, specifically botulism,” Dyckman said.

Another good practice is using tested recipes. One canning mistake Dyckman often sees is using recipes that have not been tested for safety. She recommends following recipes from reliable sources, such as the National Center for Home Food Preservation and Ball canning books.

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