Food Preservation Skills Checklist Dehydration of Fruits and Vegetables

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1 Food Preservation Skills Checklist Dehydration of Fruits and Vegetables Member s name: Note: This project requires blanching foods in boiling water or steam and the use of a dehydrator. It is only recommended for members who have taken other 4-H beginning foods projects and are 12 years of age. Mastering these food preservation skills will provide a solid foundation upon which the member may build. To achieve success in this project the skills listed below will help 4-H leaders know what to teach and 4-H members to know what they need to learn. Have your leader initial and date each skill as completed. Each level may take more than one year to complete. Required Basic Skills 1. Describe the importance of food preservation 2. Plan and carry out food safety practices Wash hands Sanitize work area, equipment and utensils Wash fruits and vegetables _ Explain what blanching is and the reasons why it is used in food preservation. _ Demonstrate the safe use of a variety of knives, cutting equipment, blancher and home dehydrators. _ Demonstrate the correct method of measuring liquid and dry ingredients. _ Demonstrate how to determine that a food is adequately dried for storage. _ Demonstrate that you know how to weigh food using a digital scale or a spring scale. _ Be able to explain why some foods are dehydrated with the following additions: Lemon juice Ascorbic acid Sodium bisulfite 9. Visit a fruit stand, farmers market or orchard to compare varieties and prices. _

2 Level 1: 1. Compile a food preservation (dehydration) notebook containing your recipes, journaling, comparisons, experiments, pictures, etc. 2. Journal results of taste-testing (quality, taste, texture and appearance) your preserved food with family or club members. Put these results in your notebook. _ Set up an area in your kitchen or pantry to provide safe and appropriate storage of your dehydrated fruits and vegetable products. _ Select and compare proper containers or packaging for your dried food products. Develop a list of foods that are safe and appropriate for dehydration. Put the list in your notebook. Compare pretreated and untreated dried fruit products. Compare taste, quality, texture and appearance of a food product dried a 2 hours, 5 hours and ten hours. Demonstrate proper selection and safe use of food dehydrator. Demonstrate how to select ripe or fresh foods for drying. Using a dehydrator, dry two different fruits. Using a dehydrator, dry two different vegetables. _ 9. _ 10. _ 11. _ 12. Using a dehydrator, dry two different herbs. _ 1 Label all your preserved foods. Include all of the following information on _ each label: The date is was preserved The name of the food The type and variety Any pretreatment used Method used for dehydration The length of time it took to dehydrate and Your name and age _

3 Level 2: Complete Level 1 before proceeding to Level Continue journaling the taste-testing of your dehydrated food. Put the results in your notebook. 2. Research desirable characteristics for judging dehydrated foods. Put this information in your notebook and use it to evaluate our own dried food products. Be able to explain why some foods are pretreated by blanching, or by the addition of sugar, lemon juice of ascorbic acid. Compare dehydrating methods (sun, oven, electric dehydrator) for effective, safe foods. Using a dehydrator, dry several vegetables. Using a dehydrator, dry several fruits. Using a dehydrator, dry ingredients and combine to make fresh and dry rubs. Develop balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (Monday thru Sunday) using dehydrated foods. Put this in your notebook. _ Level 3 Complete Level 2 before proceeding to Level 3 1. Continue journaling the taste-testing of your dehydrated food. Record results in your notebook. 2. Compare the weight and volume between a fresh and dried fruit or vegetable. Be able to explain when a fruit or vegetable has been dried long enough to store safely (mold). Use dried fruits in quick breads and desserts. Use dried vegetables in quick breads. Use dried fruits to make jam. Compare quality, taste, texture, appearance and cost of your dried food product with equivalent frozen, canned or fresh food in same recipe. Develop balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (Monday through Sunday) using dehydrated foods. Put this in your notebook. 9. Display notebook containing recipes, journaling, comparisons, experiments, pictures, research, etc. Food Preservation Resources _ Ball Blue Book of Preserving. The Alltrista Corporation, 200 Muncie, Indiana _ Website: National Center for Home Food Preservation

4 Food Preservation Skills Checklist Frozen Foods Member s name: Note: This project requires blanching foods in boiling water or steam and the use of a dehydrator. It is only recommended for members who have taken other 4-H beginning foods projects and are 14 years of age. Mastering these food preservation skills will provide a solid foundation upon which the member may build. To achieve success in this project the skills listed below will help 4-H leaders know what to teach and 4-H members to know what they need to learn. Have your leader initial and date each skill as completed. Each level may take more than one year to complete. Required Basic Skills 1. Describe the importance of food preservation 2. Plan and carry out food safety practices Wash hands Sanitize work area, equipment and utensils Wash fruits and vegetables _ Prevent cross-contamination of meat and produce. Explain to someone else what blanching is and the reasons why it is used in the food preservation process. _ Demonstrate the safe use of a variety of knives, cutting equipment and blancher. _ Demonstrate the correct method of measuring liquid and dry ingredients. _ Describe the factors that affect the quality of frozen food. _ Demonstrate that you know how to weigh food using a digital scale or a spring scale. Describe proper packaging options for frozen food. Be able to explain why some foods are processed with the following additions: Sugar Lemon juice Ascorbic acid _ 9. Visit a fruit stand, farmers market or orchard to compare varieties and prices. _

5 Level 1: 1. Compile a food preservation (frozen foods) notebook containing your recipes, journaling, comparisons, experiments, pictures, etc. 2. Journal results of taste-testing (quality, taste, texture and appearance) your preserved food with family or club members. Put these results in your notebook. Demonstrate how to select ripe or fresh foods to preserve by freezing. Prepare foods to freeze. Compare quality of foods cooled before freezing with foods frozen hot. Prepare a vegetable product by freezing. Prepare a fruit product by freezing. Preserve a jam by freezing. Label all your frozen food. Include all of the following information on each label: The date it was preserved The use by date The name of the food The type and variety The type of pretreatment The minutes blanched or pretreatment time Your name and age Level 2: Complete Level 1 before proceeding to Level Continue journaling the taste-testing of your preserved food. Put the results in your notebook. 2. Research desirable characteristics for judging frozen foods. Put this information in your notebook and use it to evaluate your own frozen food products. Use syrup pack, sugar pack and without sugar to freeze a fruit in season. Compare quality and record in your notebook. Freeze a vegetable using blanching as pretreatment. Preserve a job by freezing. Preserve a meat by freezing. Develop balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (Monday thru Sunday) using several foods you have frozen. Put this in your notebook.

6 Level 3 Complete Level 2 before proceeding to Level 3 1. Journal taste-testing your frozen food. Record results in your notebook. 2. Safely thaw frozen food and use in a meal. Explain to others the 9. conditions under which food can safely be refrozen. Freeze a prepared fruit (applesauce, pie filling, fruit mixtures). Preserve a vegetable by freezing Preserve a jam by freezing. Preserve a meat by freezing. Preserve a main dish or combination casserole by freezing. Compare the following fruit pie products: Pre-baked frozen pie Frozen unbaked pie (baked) Pie filling baked in a fresh pie shell Develop balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (Monday through Sunday) using several foods you have frozen. Put this in your notebook. 10. Display notebook containing recipes or resources with recipes, journaling, comparisons, experiments, pictures, research, etc. _ Food Preservation Resources Ball Blue Book of Preserving. The Alltrista Corporation, 200 Muncie, Indiana Website: National Center for Home Food Preservation

7 Food Preservation Skills Checklist Boiling Water Bath Canning Hot Pack and Raw Pack Member s name: Note: This project requires handling glass jars and equipment in a boiling water bath, being able to use a jarlifter to lift hot jars of food out of a boiling water bath. It is only recommended for members who have taken other 4-H beginning foods projects and are 12 years of age. Mastering these canning skills will provide a solid foundation upon which the member may build. To achieve success in this project the skills listed below will help 4-H leaders know what to teach and 4- H members to know what they need to learn. Have your leader initial and date each skill as completed. Each level may take more than one year to complete. Required Basic Skills 1. Describe the importance of food preservation 2. Plan and carry out food safety practices Wash hands Sanitize work area, equipment and utensils Wash fruits and vegetables _ Demonstrate the safe use of a variety of knives, cutting equipment, blancher and appropriate canning equipment. Demonstrate the correct method of measuring liquid and dry ingredients. Find out why types of cooktops are recommended for canning. Be sure the cooktop you wish to can on recommends this process. _ Explain where you can find safe, reliable, current canning recommendations _ Demonstrate that you know how to weigh food using a digital scale or a spring scale. _ Be able to explain why there are differences in processing foods at higher altitudes. _ 9. Determine processing time based on your altitude for foods preserved by boiling water bath canning. _ 10. Be able to explain why some foods are processed with the following additions: Sugar Lemon juice Ascorbic acid Salt Vinegar (acetic acid) Pectin _ 9. Visit a fruit stand, farmers market or orchard to compare varieties and prices. _

8 Level 1: 1. Compile a food preservation (boiling water bath canning) notebook containing your recipes, journaling, comparisons, experiments, pictures, etc. 2. Journal results of taste-testing (quality, taste, texture and appearance) your preserved food with family or club members. Put these results in your notebook. _ Demonstrate proper selection and safe use of boiling water bath canner. Demonstrate proper selection and preparation of jars, lids and rings. Set up proper storage of full and empty jars. Develop a list of foods that are safe and appropriate for boiling water bath cannning and put in our food preservation notebook. Demonstrate how to read a processing time chart. Demonstrate the proper sterilization of jars and lids. Preserve a tomato product: i.e. salsa, whole tomatoes, etc. by boiling water bath canning. Determine appropriate headspace and packing method. Preserve a fruit product (not jam or jelly) by boiling water bath canning. Determine appropriate headspace and packing method. Preserve a jam by boiling water bath canning. Determine appropriate headspace and packing method. 11. Preserve a pickled product by boiling water bath canning. Determine appropriate headspace and packing method. Using a dehydrator, dry two different vegetables. 12. Label all your preserved foods. Include all of the following information on each label: The date it was preserved The name of the food The type and variety Recipe source and date of publication The type of processing The minutes processed and Your name and age

9 Level 2: Complete Level 1 before proceeding to Level Continue journaling the taste-testing of your preserved food. Put the results in your notebook. 2. Research desirable characteristics for judging canned foods. Put this information in your notebook and use it to evaluate our own canned food products. _ Explain to someone else how to test for a good jar seal after a food is processed. _ Preserve a relish by boiling water bath canning. Follow appropriate headspace and packing methods. Preserve tomato juice by boiling water bath canning. Follow appropriate headspace and packing methods. Preserve a jelly by boiling water bath canning. Follow appropriate headspace and packing methods. Preserve the same variety of fruit or tomato by hot pack and by raw pack boiling water bath canning and compare taste, texture and appearance. Record these results in your notebook. Develop balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (Monday thru Sunday) using canned tomato, pickles, fruit jams or jellies. Put this in your notebook. _ Level 3 Complete Level 2 before proceeding to Level 3 1. Continue journaling the taste-testing of your preserved food. Record results in your notebook. 2. Explain to someone else how lid seal and air removal are keys to obtaining a good vacuum and food quality. _ Explain to someone else when you can safely reprocess a food. Explain why properly pickled foods can be safely canned in a boiling water bath canner. Make and can a brined pickle product using proper headspace and packing method. Can a chutney using proper headspace and packing method. Can a tomato sauce, hot sauce, ketchup or barbeque sauce using proper headspace and packing method. Can a marmalade using proper headspace and packing method. Compare quality, taste, texture and appearance of preserves made with no sugar, lower sugar and sugar alternatives. Compare taste, texture, etc. of jellies (same fruit) made with and without commercial pectin. Develop balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (Monday through Sunday) using canned tomato, pickles, fruit jams or jellies. Put this in your notebook. Display notebook containing recipes, journaling, comparisons, experiments, pictures, research, etc. Food Preservation Resources Ball Blue Book of Preserving. The Alltrista Corporation, 200 Muncie, Indiana Websites: Home Canner s Help Line National Center for Home Food Preservation _