Master Food Preservers – Page 3

How long have you been preserving food?

Since 1997. I started with my father’s green tomato pickle recipe and venison. My aunt and I spent a weekend canning and divided up the food. My next adventure involved canning squash, which I learned shortly thereafter was a bad thing! I did not do it correctly, and it spoiled in my pantry. The jars leaked the fermented, rotting squash, and it smelled very bad.

What are your favorite preservation methods?

I like dehydrating foods because it is easy; it saves space; and it’s versatile. I also enjoy pressure canning—I find I preserve many more low acid than high acid foods, the latter of which can be processed in a water bath canner. Plus, I can a lot of meat, which requires pressure canning.

Jar of canned meat. — Danielle likes to make a mixed ground meat as a hunting camp staple. It’s versatile and she fries it up like hash, adds to breakfast burritos, includes with Spanish rice in stuffed peppers and more.

What are some of your favorite foods to preserve and why?

I like to dehydrate apple slices until they are crunchy. I eat them like potato chips or crumble them into cereal, yogurt, or quick breads. I also like to pressure can meats for use as a quick meal solution on busy nights. I can chicken, pork, venison, beef, and turkey, which we use in tacos, casseroles, sandwiches, soups, stews, and stir fry. I like to make and can shepherd’s pie that my family need only heat up before eating. I also make and pressure can many, many different types of soup.

One of my favorite things about fall is the beautiful seasonal color. Of course, I am talking about the glowing ruby reds of… cranberries! One of the last fruits of the year to ripen, these native, low-growing berries are a staple of holiday feasts, but they have application far beyond turkey condiments. Cranberries are high in fiber and vitamin C, as well as anthocyanin – that’s what gives them their vibrant color; it is also a powerful antioxidant. Naturally low in sugar, cranberries are often prepared with additional sweeteners – but they don’t have to be!

We are incredibly lucky to have one of just two cranberry farms in New York State right here in the North Country, at Deer River Cranberries of Brasher Falls. When I first tasted these berries – available fresh and frozen from many local retailers, as well as direct from the farm – I was amazed by how different the flavor was compared to supermarket ‘fresh’ berries. In fact, they are so tasty that my family and I like to snack on them raw, without any added sugar.

cranberry harvest — Autumn harvest at Deer River Cranberries in Brasher Falls. Photo courtesy of Sasha Kocho-Williams.

But, if you do want to prepare something with them, you will be spoiled for choice. From a simple cooked cranberry sauce (whole-berry, crushed, or strained style) that can be water-bath canned for long-term, shelf-stable storage, to fresh relishes, juicing, and baked goods, cranberries are as versatile as they are beautiful.

Tag: Master Food Preservers

MEET DANIELLE BARSE, MASTER FOOD PRESERVER VOLUNTEER

Cranberries in the North Country