January is a month that starts sweet and ends bitter. The Three Wise Men put an end to the party and from that day on the much-feared slope begins. As a month of resolutions, it is also a good time to start beneficial habits. At the top of all lists: eat better and healthier, and save. Therefore, it is a good time to talk about preserves.
In recent years, the consumption of those we find on the market has taken a big bite. Inflation has taken its toll. According to the latest data from the fish and mollusk canning sector, in 2022 we consume 187.2 million kilos, the lowest figure in the last nine years, and far from 2020, when they peaked at 224.3. And those of fruits and vegetables fell by 7.5%, adds the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
The numbers
365
days
This is what we should have at most a jar of homemade preserves in the pantry, according to Aesan.
7.67
kilos
per capita of canned vegetables we consume in 2022 in Spain, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
4.05
kilos
of canned fish and seafood every Spaniard on average ate last year.
But what is bought is one thing and what is done is another. Spain is also a country where bottling vegetable and animal products at home is widespread. And what is more important, it is a relief for the pockets. Of course, it has to be done well. It is not enough to pour the product into the jar, cover it with liquid, and turn it upside down. Blunting is a simple process but requires more steps to do it safely.
The Spanish Food Safety Agency (Aesan) has developed a basic and essential guide. And the first step is hygiene. If we want to make a preserve, the first thing is to clean the surfaces, utensils and our hands thoroughly and dry them. Also sterilize the jars and lids, something that is as simple as putting it in a saucepan with water and boiling it for at least 15 minutes. Then, let it air dry, says Beatriz Robles, food technologist and professor at the Isabel I University.
The handling of raw materials is also important. It is true that the most popular preserves may be fish, but “there are a lot of vegetables with which we can make them,” says nutritionist Pablo Zumaquero. The best known are those with tomato, beans, peas… but “they can be made in a variety of ways and even from ready-made dishes, such as stew,” he adds. We could also freeze them, but the truth is that not all of them support the process without losing properties. An example is potatoes, which lose their starch and therefore, part of the flavor and texture.
Foods for bottling must be “fresh and clean,” point out Aesan experts: in optimal conditions of maturity, without bruises or external damage. If they have them, they must be removed. Then, we wash them with bleach “suitable for disinfecting drinking water.” Just one teaspoon per liter is enough. We soak them for ten minutes and then rinse and dry.
Heat treatment
With all this done, it is time to make the preserve. We blanch or cook the ingredients and put them in the jars, being careful to leave about 3 centimeters free from the edge. We stir so that there is no air inside and we put the lids on. Here, Robles warns you, is when the most important time comes to avoid botulism, a dangerous and deadly disease.
When to throw away a preserve
-
1
If the container is beaten and dark. -
2
If the liquid is cloudy or there are bubbles, it gives off an unpleasant odor or if we see a change in color of the product. -
3
If the lid moves up and down: we are talking about the classic “click-clack” that sounds when you press the lid. -
4
Botulinum toxin does not produce changes in the preserve, which is why it is important to know how it was made. As a general rule, if it has been stagnant for more than a year, it is best to discard it. It is also advisable that we heat the product to 80 degrees at least ten minutes before consuming.
If we are dealing with acidic foods with a pH less than 4.5 (for example, tomato, peach, pineapple, orange…) it would be enough to place the jars in a saucepan in a vertical position, with the lid up and covered with boiling water. (100 degrees) for one or two hours. But if these foods have a higher pH, such as meat, fish, legumes and vegetables, you must use “the pressure cooker.” We place the preserves in their containers and fill with water until they are covered, leaving between 3 and 5 centimeters up to the lid. We close and cook between 20 and 60 minutes from when the steam starts to come out. In both cases, we must let the preserves cool “at room temperature and upside down” before labeling them and storing them in the pantry, the teacher says.
By using the pressure cooker, we cancel almost all the possibilities of the development of botulinum toxin, which, by the way, cannot be seen with the naked eye because it does not produce any change in the preserve. Even so, Aesan recommends that in the case of these low-acid foods we never consume them directly from the jar, it is better to heat them to 80 degrees for at least 10 minutes.
For Zumaquero, preserves are a perfect tool to maintain a healthy diet: “Think that with a jar of, for example, various vegetables and a couple of eggs you can have dinner in less than ten minutes,” he encourages.
– Do they lose any nutritional value when they are dulled?
-Barely. Only folic acid and vitamin C through the thermal process. Therefore, you must also consume fresh vegetables.
#Homemade #preserves #January #slope
