National Center for

Home Food Preservation

Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D.

Project Director
National Center for Home Food Preservation

Associate Professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist

The University of Georgia
Department of Foods and Nutrition
College of Family and Consumer Sciences

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Modern Methods of
Home Food Preservation

 Canning
 Freezing
 Drying
 Pickling
 Sugar concentrates
 jams, jellies, butters, preserves, etc.
 Curing, smoking

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
National Center for Home Food
Preservation
 USDA Historical Support
 USDA has history of
making canning
recommendations.
 Canning – series of
Farmers Bulletins
 Began 1909; ran through
1942.

 WW I – Can the Kaiser

 WW II – Victory Gardens

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 USDA Historical Support
 USDA has history of making
recommendations.
 1944-1946 – Application of current scientific
methods to canning processes.
– Technical Bulletins with heat
penetration studies.

 1950s – Home freezing research.

 1945-1982 – Home and Garden Bulletins.

– Canning, pickling, jams/jellies, freezing.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 USDA Home Canning History

Tomatoes

1970s Reported botulism

1974-78 Acidulation and metabiosis

USDA Eastern Regional Research
Lab

1981-88 Processing times re-evaluated

Penn State University funded
projects

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 USDA Historical Support
 USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.
 Superseded four H&G Bulletins
 1988, 1989, 1994
 Collaboration with the Cooperative Extension
System (Penn State University).

 Complete Guide to Home Freezing

 Drafted in 1990’s; not published.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Cooperative Extension System
 USDA history interwoven with the land-grant
agriculture colleges and universities system.

 Experiment Stations conducted/conduct research.

 Cooperative Extension Service – teaching of
methods and distribution of USDA publications.
 More recently integration of applied research and
outreach.
– 1980’s – Center of Excellence at Penn State.
– Current – National Center, multi-state.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 National Center for Home Food
Processing and Preservation
 Funding from the CSREES-USDA (2000-2004).
 Cooperative State Research, Education and
Extension Service
 National Integrated Food Safety Initiative
 Priority issues in food safety best solved using an
integrated approach.
 Support multi-state, multi-institutional, multi-
disciplinary, and multi-functional research,
extension, and education activities.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 National Center for HFP
 Established to provide an integrated research,
Extension and education approach.
 Support for the USDA and the Cooperative Extension
System with current, reliable and scientifically-
validated guidelines on home food preservation.

 Components:
 Updating USDA-CSREES canning and freezing publications;
 Applied research to develop new products and validating or
adapting older methods;
 Dissemination methods for recommendations, emphasizing
the Cooperative Extension System resources.
 Educating a “new generation” of students and teachers.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 National Center for Home Food
Processing and Preservation

The University of Georgia – Lead Institution

Department of Foods and Nutrition
Department of Food Science and Technology
Department of Housing and Consumer Economics

Alabama A&M University – 4-yr Partner

Department of Food and Animal Sciences

University of California-Davis – 2-yr Partner

Department of Food Sciences and Technology

University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez

Department of Food Science and Technology

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
University of Georgia Team
 Foods and Nutrition
 Dr. Elizabeth Andress, Principal Investigator
 Dr. Judy Harrison, Co-PI
 Dr. Brian Nummer, Project Coordinator
 Dr. Elaine D’sa, Research Coordinator
 Jimmy Hansen, Web Site Administrator
 Food Science & Technology
 Dr. Mark Harrison, Co-PI
 Dr. William Kerr, Co-PI
 Dr. Sung-Gil Choi, Lab Technician
 Housing and Consumer Economics
 Dr. Anne Sweaney, Team Member

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
Alabama A&M University Team
 Food and Animal Sciences
 Dr. Lloyd Walker, Principal Investigator
 Dr. John Anderson

Other Collaborators
 University of California-Davis
 Dr. Linda Harris
 University of Puerto-Rico, Mayagüez
 Dr. Edna Negrón

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Advisory Committee
Composed of individuals from
Auburn University
Clemson University
Colorado State University
Cornell University
Kansas State University
North Carolina State University
University of California-Davis
Washington State University
Alltrista Consumer Products Company
National Presto Industries, Inc.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Objectives
! Collect and critically review literature relevant to home food
preservation techniques and guidelines.

! Update the current guidelines, incorporating new or revised

recommendations as appropriate.
! Develop and test new recipes (products) and guidelines on home
food processing and preservation methods that emphasize: (a)
popular consumer specialty foods; (b) safety guidelines for
processing food in community cannery settings; and (c)
applications of updated technology, such as microwave blanching
for food freezing.
! Establish distribution mechanisms for dissemination of guidelines.
! Identify areas where further research in home food processing
and preservation techniques is needed.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Product Development
 Mango salsas and chutney
 Mango relish
 Tomatillo relish
 Spicy jicama and watermelon rind relishes
 Pickled jicama
 Sweet pickles with Splenda®
 Jams/jellies with tropical fruits
 Hot pepper sauces
 Lemon curd/butter
 Sauces/marinades

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Applied Research
 Microbial profiles of selected fresh herbs and
whole spices used in home preparation of flavored
vinegars, salsas, oils.
 Supports the use of a chlorine wash to reduce loads prior to
flavoring vinegars.
 Effect of pressure canner size on heat
penetration in stewed tomatoes.
 6 qt and 8 qt cooker, 17 qt canner.
 15 psig.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Other Research Questions
 Documenting effect of fill weight on heat penetration.
 Jicama relish/salsa
• An increase of 118 grams solids per pint jar significantly increased
the heat penetration rate (fh) and more than doubled the required
processing time for this product.
• A decrease of 5°C in the initial fill temperature did not change the
heat penetration rate (fh) or processing time for this product.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Other Research Questions

 Alabama A&M University

 Microwave blanching for freezing vegetables.
 Accuracy and testing issues with dial gauges for
canners.

 University of California-Davis
 Survival and outgrowth of C. botulinum in garlic/oil
products.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Why ??

Do people still can (preserve) food at home?

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Surveys
 Survey of State and County Extension
Faculty
 Email in March 2000.
 Responses from 225 Extension agents representing 24
states.
 45 percent of home food preservation requests are for
canning, 21 percent for freezing and 12-13 percent for
pickles and jams/ jellies.
 Most requested processes are for condiments.
 Issues regarding processing equipment and evaluating
recipes were cited by more than 50 percent of respondents.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
National Survey 2000

National Center
for Home Food Preservation

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Survey 2000
 To determine activity in home canning and freezing, and
use of critical safety practices.

 500 complete telephone interviews from households

randomly selected across the U.S.
 Individual telephone interviews
 38 questions on canning
 42 questions on freezing

 Conducted by Survey Research Center, University of

Georgia.
 October 24, 2000 and January 10, 2001

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Current Canning Practices
 135 (of 500) reported canning foods.
 Sources of instructions
 friends or relatives (48%)
 cookbooks (19%)
 jar manufacturers (10%)
 USDA or Extension Service (6%)
 67% (90) of the respondents used their home
canning instructions ‘as is’
 29% (39) adapted them for use.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Current Canning Practices
Methods of Canning Fruits and Tomatoes

Boiling water 58 %
Pressure canner 15 %
Pressure cooker 18 %
Open kettle 21 %
Oven 4%

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
Current Canning Practices
Methods of Canning Vegetables

Pressure canner 30 %
Pressure cooker 29 %
Boiling water 40 %
Open kettle 16 %
Oven 3%

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Current Canning Practices
Dial Gauge Testing
Of those using a pressure
canner, tested in 1999

Yes* 24 %
No 59 %
No dial gauge 11 %
 46% at hardware store, 31%
at Extension Service
 1 at appliance repair store, 1
by “mother”

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Botulism from Home Canned and
Processed Foods, 1970-80
90
80
70
60
50 # Cases
40 #Outbreaks
30
20
10
0
1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Other Work in Process
Research
 Evaluating long-standing recipes for home
cured meats/sausages; validating basic
recipes.
 Developing original reduced fat sausages.
 Continued development of “specialty” foods –
salsas, sugar concentrates, relishes, sauces
and marinades.
 Looking at sugar substitution for sweet pickles
and spreads.
 Equipment issues – canner size and steam
canners.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Other Work in Process
Communications and Education
 Website: www.homefoodpreservation.com
 Emphasizing resources in the nationwide Cooperative
Extension System and from USDA.
 Dissemination mechanism for NCHFP products.
 Publishing literature reviews and technical bulletins of critical
preservation points.
 Research presentations and abstracts.
 Factsheets – e.g., new products for home canning.
 How to’s for consumers.
 Resources and historical information for educators.
 Slides shows, graphics galleries, exhibit ideas.
 Flash tutorials on the basics of home food preservation.
 On-line course for self-study coming in 2004.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
National Center for Home Food
Preservation
 Other Work in Process
Communications and Education

 Publishing Complete Guide to Home Freezing in

2003; then updated Complete Guide to Home
Canning in 2004.
 Master Food Preserver model curriculum for
states to use.
 Educational video series.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation
 Disclaimer and Credits
 References to commercials products, services, and information is made with the
understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the
University of Georgia, U.S. Department of Agriculture and supporting
organizations is implied.  This information is provided for the educational
information and convenience of the reader.

 This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State

Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, under Agreement No. 00-51110-9762.

 Document Use:
 Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole or in part for educational
purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost of reproduction) provided the authors and
the University of Georgia receive acknowledgment and this notice is included:
 Reprinted with permission of the University of Georgia. Andress, E.L. 2003. National
Center for Home Food Processing and Preservation. Athens, GA: The University of
Georgia, Cooperative Extension Service.

National Center for Home Food

Preservation