ONE OF MY FONDEST MEMORIES of childhood is playing in my grandmother’s pantry — the smell of the onion bin; the way the air stayed cool, even in the hot summertime. Sometimes the mouthwatering aroma of ham from Sunday dinner wafted out to greet you when you opened the door. The floor space under the bottom shelf made a great cubbyhole for hiding away. There were endless rows of pickles — watermelon rind, green tomato, bread and butter — stacks of colorful jam jars, and rows of mixed vegetables. Granny must have felt rich. In those times, preserving was a necessary economy.
In earliest history, a new age began with the discovery of drying as a way of preserving. How revolutionary to be able to save meat and produce from a time of abundance into the leaner winter months. Around 3000 B.C.E. the Egyptians preserved herbs in their precious olive oils. Fishermen in Biblical times dried their catch in the hot, dry open air. In colonial times, Native Americans shared their methods of drying corn and meat with early European settlers. That help meant the difference between living and dying as winter took its toll.
In the early nineteenth century, Frenchman Nicolas Appert devised a way to preserve food by heating it in a sealed container. From there Louis Pasteur, another Frenchman and scientist, documented sterilization as a way to destroy dangerous microorganisms that spoil food. With these discoveries, preserving food had become a science instead of folklore. The metal can and the glass canning jar were improved. Electricity and the advent of refrigeration soon revolutionized food storage. Refrigeration became so popular that the old methods of preserving the harvest were not widely used.
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To avoid frustrating delays, gather together all the equipment before starting your recipe.
Today’s families often turn to food preservation as an inexpensive and time-saving way to have chemical-free food that prolongs the abundance and flavors of summer. Because I have preserved much of the harvest of seasons past, I can serve almost any condiment, relish, chutney, or fancy pickle from my own pantry — and for far less than the cost at expensive specialty food stores.
The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest considers all forms of food preservation for today’s busy families. We seldom rely on the methods our grandmothers used because of what we now know about the dangers of bacteria. But we have at our disposal an array of new appliances that make the job of preserving healthy, safe, and simple. Here are the best of Granny’s offerings updated into safe, creative, good-tasting recipes everyone can use.
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Try preserving in small batches, particularly if you are a beginner.
As you might guess, my kitchen is set up for almost any food preservation method, and having the proper equipment makes getting started that much easier. Nothing is more frustrating than realizing in the middle of a recipe that you are lacking a key piece of equipment. The beginner need not invest in every single piece of equipment mentioned in this book, but it’s a good idea to purchase everything you will need for the particular method you choose. The good news is that many of the items mentioned are standard kitchen equipment.
When the harvest is rolling in, my philosophy is to gather either enough produce for one recipe of a canned product — usually four to eight jars, or two recipes of a frozen product — one for dinner that night and one for the freezer. Preserving in small batches does away with the long hours of preparation, and frequently you can complete that evening’s dinner at the same time. Picking small batches assures impeccable freshness.
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Start as early as possible in the day and allow plenty of time.
I hope this idea of preserving in small batches will motivate even the most timid or inexperienced cook to try food preservation. Small batches make more sense for families that may not have the room to store great quantities of preserved food or that may not even own a large freezer.