August 2007
Monthly Newsletter; Issue Number 08-07

CORN-HOW SWEET IT IS!

Sweet corn is sweet because of (drum roll, please)...sugar! Specific types of corn are grown just for the fresh sweet-corn market, but how ears are harvested and handled matters, too.

When buying corn, choose the freshest possible -- look for moist husks and ears. Watch out for indentations in the kernels--they signal the corn is old (too long of a period since harvest) or is overripe. If you're not planning to cook the corn that day, you can save some of the sweetness by storing the cobs in ice water.

Corn is a good source of fiber, folate, thiamin and phosphorus. Yellow corn also offers Vitamin A in the form of beta carotene -- including zeaxanthin, which is especially good for eyesight. A medium-sized ear (about 7 inches long) has 110 calories.

Go light on the salt and butter. An eighth of a teaspoon of salt adds 290 milligrams of sodium. A tablespoon of butter adds 100 calories. Try skipping the salt completely. And instead of solid butter or margarine, try a pump spray -- it's a less-messy, less-calorie alternative.
Source: Chow Line, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

ASCORBIC VS. CITRIC ACID

These two ingredients play important, but very different, roles in food preservation, but are often confused with one another.

Ascorbic acid is Vitamin C. It is frequently used to prevent discoloration in fruits. Not only does it preserve the natural color of fruits, but it adds nutritive value as well. Ascorbic acid is available in powdered form but is more readily available and sold as Vitamin C tablets. Crush the tablets before use. Fillers in the tablets may make syrups cloudy, but they are not harmful. Try to get Vitamin C tablets without other additives. One-half teaspoon powdered ascorbic acid equals 1500 mg of Vitamin C.

Before freezing fruit, add ascorbic acid to the syrup, the sugar or directly to the fruit. Ascorbic acid is also added to the water for light-colored peeled fruits while waiting for the canning process. Citric acid or lemon juice is sometimes used in place of ascorbic acid to prevent discoloration, but is not as effective. There are commercially-prepared anti-browning products, such as Fruit Fresh® and SureJell Ever Fresh®, that contain ascorbic acid as the active ingredient. Follow the manufacturer's directions for their use.

Citric acid or bottled lemon juice is added to canned tomatoes to increase the acidity of the tomatoes and make them safe for processing in a boiling water bath. Processing times are based on the addition of citric acid or lemon juice. Generally bottled lemon juice is more readily available than powdered citric acid. A few health food stores do sell small bottles of pure citric acid for food preservation. Mrs. Wages® citric acid powder is available at some stores that sell canning supplies.

Use 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice per pint or 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart of tomatoes. If using citric acid crystals, use one-quarter teaspoon per pint or one-half teaspoon per quart.

Do not use ascorbic acid or commercial anti-darkening agents to acidify tomatoes. Ascorbic acid does not contain enough acid to change the pH of the tomatoes and make them a high acid food.
Source: Let's Preserve, Lancaster County.

TESTING CANNER GAUGES

Today's pressure canner may have a dial gauge or a weighted gauge for indicating and regulating the pressure. Weighted gauges "jiggle" or gently rock several times a minute when they are maintaining
the correct pressure. Read your manufacturer's directions to know how a particular weighted gauge should rock or jiggle.

Dial gauge canners will usually have a counterweight or pressure regulator for sealing off the open vent port to pressurize the canner. Pressure readings on a dial-gauge-only canner are only registered on the dial, and only the dial should be used as an indication of the pressure in the canner

Dial gauges should be checked for accuracy each year before use. If the gauge reads high or low by more than one pound, it needs to be replaced. Testing of dial gauges is a free service provided by our office. To have your gauge tested, call the office at (814) 825-0900 to schedule an appointment. Weighted gauges do not have to be checked as they remain accurate over time.

CANNING ON SMOOTH COOKTOPS

Smooth cooktops differ in ways that influence their suitability for canning. Some manufacturers say do not can on them. Others say it is okay to can on them but put stipulations on the diameter of the canner compared to the diameter of the burner. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) identifies several issues:

1. There can be damage to the cooktop from the excessive heat that reflects back down on the surface, especially if the canners used are larger in diameter than is intended for the burner being used. This damage includes discoloration of white tops, actual burner damage, cracking of the glass tops and/or fusion of
   the metal to the glass top. Even if a manufacturer says a burner/cooktop can be used for canning, be aware that scratching can occur if the aluminum canner is slid or pulled across the cooktop, which often happens with large, heavy filled canners.
   
2. Many of these cooktops have automatic cutoffs on their burners when heat gets excessive. If that option is built in, and the burner under a canner shuts off during the process time, then the product will be under-processed and cannot be salvaged as a canned food. The process time must be continuous at the intended temperature, or microorganisms may survive.
   
3. Many canners do not have bottoms that are flat enough to work well on a smooth cooktop and will not to be able to maintain a full boil over the tops of the jars.
   

Contact the manufacturer of your smooth cooktop before making a decision as to whether or not to can on it. They are the recommended source of this information and may also have up-to-date alternatives or suggestions for equipment that you can use. Make sure they understand the size of the canner, how long it must be heated at high heat, how long the hot canner may stay on the burner until it cools after the process time, and if the canner is made from aluminum.
Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Sincerely,

 

Janice M. Ronan	Holly K. Hedstrom
Extension Educator - Family Living/4-H	County Extension Director
Lynn B. Clint		tlv
Extension Educator - Family and Consumer Sciences		8/1/07

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