Acid Foods - Foods that contain enough acid to have a pH of 4.6 or lower. This includes all fruits except figs, most tomatoes, fermented and pickled vegetables, relishes, jams, jellies, and marmalades. Acid foods can be processed in boiling water.
Ascorbic Acid - The chemical name of Vitamin C. Lemon juice contains large amounts of ascorbic acid and is often used to prevent peeled, light colored fruits and vegetables from browning. It can also be known by the term citric acid.
Bacteria - A large group of one-celled microorganism that is widely distributed in nature.
Blanching - Fruits and vegetables have a chemical compound in them known as enzymes. These enzymes are responsible for the loss of color, nutrients, and flavor when the fruits or vegetables are frozen or canned. You need to inactivate these enzymes to prevent the reaction from occurring.
This is done through the blanching process. This is done by exposing vegetables to boiling water or steam for a brief period of time, about two to five minutes. To prevent cooking, you need to drain off the hot water and rapidly cool in ice water. If you want top quality frozen vegetables then blanching is very essential. Blanching will also kill any microorganisms on the vegetable surface.
Blancher - A six to eight-quart lidded pot fitted with a perforated basket to hold food in boiling water or fitted with a rack to steam foods.
Boiling Water Canner - A large, standard-sized kettle with a jar rack for heat processing seven quarts or eight to nine pints in boiling water.
Botulism - An illness that results from eating a toxin produced by the growth of Clostridium Botulinum bacteria. Occurs often in moist, low-acid food that has less than two percent oxygen and stored between 40-120 degrees Fahrenheit. The bacteria is destroyed by proper heat processing. Freezer temperatures can inhibit the growth. In dried food, the growth is controlled by the low moisture controls. For fresh food, the growth is controlled by high oxygen.
Canners - Using an evenly heated environment in cooking vessels to subject canned goods to a temperature high enough to kill bacteria. The two approved methods are water bath canners and pressure canners.
Canning - The food preservation method that involves airtight, vacuum-sealed containers and heat processing in order to store food at normal home temperatures.
Canning Salt - Also known as pickling salt. This is regular table salt without iodine or anti-caking additives.
Citric Acid - A type of acid that can be added to canned foods. It will increase the acidity of low-acid foods and can also improve color and flavor.
Cold Pack - A canning procedure where raw food is placed in a jar. Also known as raw pack.
Enzymes - The proteins found in food that accelerate flavor, color, texture and nutritional changes once the food is cut, sliced, crushed, bruised or exposed to air. Enzymes are destroyed through proper blanching or hot-packing practices and will help improve food quality.
Exhausting - The removal of air from within and around food in a jar or canner. Blanching also exhausts air from live food tissues. Exhausting a pressure canner is necessary for the prevention of botulism risks in low-acid canned foods.
Fermentation - A change in food as a result of intentional bacteria growth, yeast or mold. Native bacteria can ferment natural sugars into lactic acid; a flavoring and preservative found in sauerkraut and naturally fermented dills. Other fermented foods include alcohol, vinegar, and some dairy products.
Heat Processing - Treating jars with sufficient heat to allow storing foods at normal temperatures.
Hermetic Seal - An airtight container seal that prevents reentry of air or microorganisms into packaged foods.
Hot Pack - Heating of raw food in boiling water or steam and placing it into hot jars.
Low-Acid Foods - Food that has little acid and a pH above 4.6. These foods don't have enough acid to prevent the growth of the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. Low acid foods include vegetables, some tomatoes, figs, all meats, fish, seafood and some dairy foods. In order to control the risk of botulism, these foods need to be heat processed or acidified.
Microorganisms - Independent organisms that are microscopic in size. This includes bacteria, yeast, and mold. When in a suitable environment they can grow rapidly and can even divide or reproduce every ten to thirty minutes. This means they are able to reach a high population very quickly. Dangerous microorganisms can result in disease and food spoilage. Sometimes they can be intentionally added to ferment foods, make antibiotics and other reasons.
Mold - A fungus-type microorganism that results in a visible and colorful growth on food. Molds will grow on a variety of foods including acid foods such as jams and jellies as well as canned fruits. Heat processing and sealing will prevent growth on foods.
Mycotoxins - These are the toxins produced by mold growth on certain foods.
Open-Kettle Canning - This is a non-recommended method for canning. Food is heat processed in a covered kettle and then placed hot in sterile jars and sealed. Foods sealed in this way often have low vacuums and too much air, which causes a rapid loss of quality in foods. These foods will often spoil because they are recontaminated as the jars are filled.
Pasteurization - The act of heating certain foods enough to destroy heat-resistant pathogenic or disease-causing microorganisms that are typically associated with foods.
pH - A measure of alkalinity or acidity. The values range from 0 to 14. A food is considered neutral with a pH of 7.0. Lower numbers have more acid, and higher numbers have more alkalinity.
Pickling - This is the process of adding enough vinegar or lemon juice to a low-acid food to drop the pH to 4.6 or lower. Pickled foods can be safely heat processed in boiling water.
Pressure Canner - A specifically designed metal kettle with a lockable lid that can heat process low-acid food. They feature jar racks, one or more safety devices, systems for exhausting air and a way to measure and/or control pressure. The most common are canners with a capacity of 20 to 21 quarts. The minimum volume canner is 16-quart capacity or seven-quart jars. It isn't recommended to use any smaller capacity canner.
Raw Pack - The process of filling jars with raw, unheated food. Okay for canning low-acid foods, but will allow for quick loss of quality in acid foods that are heat processed in boiling water.
Spice Bag - A sealable fabric bag that extracts spice flavors in a pickling solution.
Spoilage - This is the result of undesirable bacteria, mold or other pathogen growth that can result in illness, injury or degrades the taste and/or qualities of foods.
Vacuum - A state of negative pressure. This reflects the thorough removal of air from within a jar of processed food. The higher the vacuum, the less air that is left in the jar. A vacuum doesn't guarantee that jars are sterile or safe.
Water Bath Canner - A large pot with a rack to hold jars. Acid foods such as fruits and tomatoes can be processed or canned in boiling water.
Yeasts - A group of microorganisms that reproduce by budding. They can be used in leavening bread and fermenting some foods.