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Food, Nutrition and Health

Food

Food Preservation Resources

fruits and vegetables

National Center for Home Food Preservation
This site has a great of advice for consumers on how to preserve foods by almost any way possible. The recipes are all scientifically valid with food safety risks evaluated and addressed. Includes judging guides for evaluation of home preserved foods for 4-H and other fairs. 

Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
The home page for the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. The website leads to a large number of technical and consumer oriented materials. 

  • Consumer Advice
    The topics on this page are arranged by food grouping and address food safety concerns associated with each type of food. Additional information is available about cosmetics and nutrition.

  • Approximate pH of Foods and Food Products
    The pH and/or acidity of a food are generally used to determine processing requirements and the applicability of GMP regulations for regulatory purposes. Methods and conditions for determining the pH and acidity of foods are also summarized in 21 CFR 114.90. Methodology for pH is generally available from pH meter and electrode manufacturers.

The Bad Bug Book
This is a listing of foodborne pathogens and toxins. It is a useful resource in determining what bacteria, parasites, viruses, molds, and toxins might be found in foods.

 
North Dakota State University Extension Service
One of the best sources for publications on preserving wild game and fish (written by a Meat Scientist and Extension Specialist).


Home Food Preservation Site - Pennsylvania State University
A very complete site with information about suppliers, kitchen unit converters, and includes the USDA canning guide.


The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning
The complete reference is available in pdf format on the site. This is the handbook that most of Extension uses for home canning of foods. 


Ball Blue Book
A comprehensive source for home canning information.

 

Iowa State University Extension Answer Line Frequently Asked Questions
 


Iowa State University Extension Food Preservation Publications

Information on canning pumpkin butter or squash purees - University of Georgia
It is not possible at this point to evaluate a recipe for pumpkin or mashed squash for canning potential by looking at it. At this point, research seems to indicate variability of the products is great, and in several ways that raise safety concerns. It is best to freeze pumpkin butters or mashed squash. The information at this web site explains why.

Note: Some of the publications linked on this site are Adobe Acrobat pdf files. For more information about pdf files or to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, please consult the pdf help section