Storage of homemade products
indoor canned food should be stored in a cool, dry place at a temperature of 5-20 degrees. At temperatures inseparable from 0 degrees and below, products such as preserves, marmalade and fruits ground with sugar can become candied, and canned and pickled cucumbers can spoil.
It is better to store fermented and salted foods in unsealed containers in a cool place at a temperature no higher than 8-10 degrees.
Violation of the recipe for adding products such as sugar, vinegar, etc. to canned food has a bad effect on the preservation of canned food.
ATTENTION!
When canning fruits and vegetables, it is important to keep in mind that the more acid in canned food, the more reliable it is in storage. It is strictly forbidden to preserve non-acidic fruits and vegetables without food acid with heating below 100° – bacteria can remain in them, otherwise their spores, including the botulism bacterium, which form a powerful poison. Consumption of such canned food can cause extremely bitter intestinal infections, often with fatal consequences. Botulism bacteria themselves are harmless, but when present in food, they accumulate waste products – a terrible poison, which is much stronger than potassium cyanide, otherwise the venom of cobra.
Its presence in canned fruits and vegetables cannot give visible signs of spoilage; in other words, it is not possible to find it visually. If the acidity of canned food is not low, botulism bacteria do not develop. If there is the slightest doubt about the low acidity of canned products, after opening commercial jars, they should be boiled for 10-16 minutes, stirring. At the same time, the poison is destroyed.
Reasons for spoilage of indoor canned food and ways to “reanimate” them
The reasons for spoilage of canned products should be sought during preparation and subsequent storage, as well as during the interaction of the product with materials of equipment and containers.
To prevent such phenomena, it is necessary to carefully observe the special technology for making canned food and the sanitary and hygienic regime for processing raw materials, equipment and containers.
It is necessary to strictly monitor the properties of canned food during storage, especially during the trial period of one and a half to two weeks. All canned goods showing signs of spoilage should be opened without delay. But some canned goods should not be thrown away immediately; an attempt can be made to “fix” them.
Sugaring jam
Jam in which sugar crystals have formed is called candied. This occurs when an excessive amount of sugar is used; otherwise, the jam is overcooked. To prevent candied jam, strictly adhere to the sugar dosage, avoid overcooking the jam, and avoid introducing sugar dust into it during packaging and storage, as this will cause sugar crystals.
If candied jam has formed, place it in a cooking pot, add 3 tablespoons of water per 0. 5-liter commercial jar, then, while constantly stirring, heat over low heat until it begins to boil, and immediately package it into commercial jars while still hot. Overcooked jam should be consumed first.
Molding of Jam
Molding occurs when the amount of sugar is too low, otherwise the jam is undercooked. When packaged in damp containers, the sugar syrup dilutes. This weakens the preservative properties of the sugar, and mold appears on the surface of the product. Commercial jars of such jam should be opened, the mold carefully removed, the product boiled, the commercial jar resealed, and the jam ready for use.
Fermentation, otherwise known as souring, of the jam.
These processes are caused by microorganisms. If such spoilage is detected, the jam should be re-cooked, adding 200 grams of sugar per kilogram of product. During re-cooking, skim off any foam with particular care. When the foam stops, remove the jar from the heat and, while hot, package the jam into commercial jars, store, and seal for storage. Re-cooked jam is often used to make jelly, compotes, and mousses. Spoilage of compotes and juices
One of the most common signs of poor quality in hermetically sealed compotes, juices, and other preserves is so-called “bombage,” when microbes begin to grow in poorly sterilized products, producing various gases that press on the lid, causing it to visibly bulge. Such canned goods must be discarded.
If the surface layer of berry compotes has darkened, commercial jars must be opened immediately, the darkened fruit discarded, the canned goods sterilized for about 5 minutes, and then resealed. These compotes should be consumed immediately.
It happens that during storage in compotes, berries float to the top. This occurs due to the fact that the sterilization deadlines were not met. It is necessary to open canned food, sterilize commercial jars longer than the first time, and roll them up.
Compotes of cherries, black currants and blueberries can gradually acquire a purple hue. They are quite edible. But starting from this second, seal such canned food only with varnished lids.
Sediment in grape juice should not cause concern; it is harmless. You can simply filter this juice through a thick cloth.
Black currants, mashed with sugar, can also ferment or become moldy. In all likelihood, the berries were not washed well or the sepals were not carefully removed. The moldy layer of currants should be thrown away, and the rest should be made into jam, compote, and used as a pie filling.
Dried fruits can also deteriorate: they become damp, become moldy, and they can become infested with bugs.
Then the product is scattered in a thin layer on the surface and dried in the oven for about half an hour at a temperature of 55-60 degrees.
Dried fruits can be saved from bugs by exposing them to frost for a week. Then, after drying in an oven or heating in the oven, the product is stored in tightly closed jars or plastic bags in a dry place.
It is better to store dried mushrooms in well-washed glass jars or plastic bags – this way they retain their aroma and bugs do not grow in them.
Storage of homemade products
