Tag: food preservation

Library of Things

Norpro Juicer/Strainer with attachemnts. Item is assembled and mounted on a kitchen countertop.
Norpor Juicer/Strainer kit
Photo by Buffy Rhoades

Free books, movies, magazines…I mean, come on…the library is amazing! But did you know you can also borrow a food strainer, pressure canner, boiling water canner, or a food dehydrator from the library?

receipt from library showing how much money the borrower has saved by borrowing this item instead of buying it. Valued at $100. Includes date due information.
Look what you saved by borrowing instead of buying!
Photo from Buffy Rhoades

What is The Library of Things?

A Library of Things is a collection of items other than books/dvds, that you can borrow from the library. It supports a “sharing economy”, allowing us to try before we buy, and reduces waste. Thank you Clackamas County Office of Sustainability for initiating this program! If folks can borrow instead of buying, we’re not only saving money, but also reducing our impact on the planet.

How Did OSU Extension Get Involved?

Sometimes all you have to do is ask. 🙂 This was a project near and dear to our heart, but lacked a sustainable system. A perfectly timed phone call to the Oregon City Public Library led to series of meetings and a partnership was born. By September 2019, our program partnered with five of the nine libraries participating in the local Library of Things project. We donated surplus food preservation equipment and compiled printed and digital food preservation resources.

OSU Extension Master Food Preserver volunteer and staff at a table with food preservation equipment and jars of canned foods, talking to a person outside of the main photo.
Master Food Preserver volunteer, Christine, and Buffy chatting with a Library of Things patron at the launch of the Oregon City library event. Photo from Pamplin media.

The Library of Things program was paused during library closures in 2020.

Boiling Water Canner and canning tools with inventory list. This image is attaching to the supplies when a person borrows a boiling water canner from the library.
Example of the Boiling Water Canner kit loaned out by the Ledding Library in Milwaukie, Oregon.

The public came back strong in 2021, borrowing pressure canners, food dehydrators, strainers, and boiling water canning kits. By the way, dehydrators are hugely popular in Milwaukie! (I wonder if the Master Food Preserver presence at the Milwaukie Farmer’s market had anything to do with those numbers?) Borrowers shared their success stories with library employees, encouraging each other to try new things. The best part, to me, is that our educational material is still out there, always free, supporting a system of lifelong curiosity and learning.

“Maintenance? What maintenance?”

Testing gauges and gaskets is an important part of scheduled maintenance. The dial gauge of a pressure canner needs to be tested, at least, annually. If a canner is new to you, the dial gauge needs to be tested before using. If you drop the lid, get it re-tested.  As part of a good Spring Into Canning practice, this is a perfect time to do it. Contact your local Extension office and schedule your Free appointment.

Weighted gauges- what are they, and how do I use them?

Dial gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure and a ten pound weight in a tilted position on top of the canner's vent port. This is an example of a weighted gauge being used on a dial gauge canner.
Rocking 10# weight on a dial gauge canner.
Photo by Buffy Rhoades

Each library’s pressure canner kit contains a three-piece weighted gauge. Stay tuned for a new Clackamas County FCH YouTube video sharing how to convert a dial gauge canner to a weighted gauge and why this may be the perfect choice for you.

In the meantime, my friends, keep building each other up by celebrating one another’s successes, stay curious, and above all, be kind.

If you haven’t already, please subscribe, comment, and share with your peeps. We appreciate the comments.

Buffy Rhoades| preserver. forager. gardener. volunteer turned program assistant. a real busy beaver

instagram icon download 24x24 - curved Healthy Together Newsletter  Website

 

Sharing Your Extended Harvest

 

from citações org/minimalismo

Recently a meme floated through social media promoting clutter-free gifts. Raise your hand if you don’t need more stuff. (I’m in the back row with my hand raised!) Great ideas included gifting an experience (tickets to a favorite event or class,) memberships (in person or digital subscriptions), and DIY goodies like a jar of affirmations, old-fashioned mixed tapes, and consumables are mentioned in this sweet essay from Closed Loop Cooking.

DIY. (Yes! We love this category!) Not everyone loves receiving food gifts, but Lin (family/friend/mentor) actively encouraged a consumable gift exchange. The kids and I would drive over the pass in our ’69 Volkswagen bus with a basket of pickles, jams, and preserves and come home with a cooler packed with frozen venison or elk, salmon, and her amazing zucchini bread. I consider these gifts from the heart.

Image from Pinterest

Before joining OSU Extension, my former occupation was a cheese monger and produce buyer for a small grocery store in SE Portland. The store carried a plethora of local and imported specialty grocery items, perfect for gift baskets. I often heard folks say they could make “that” at home.

 

Caution: hard to find treats can be tempting to make at home, but may be unsafe. Commercial processing facilities have higher temperatures and processes to preserve foods, and are tested by a process authority for safety.

However, thanks to university research, there are safe options:

Herbs and Vegetables Stored In Oil – Follow these instructions to the letter.

Photo by horst from Pexels

Oil’s oxygen-free environment is perfect for growth of bacteria. For this reason, herbs and vegetables in oil must be stored correctly to prevent botulism food poisoning. (Commercial garlic-in-oil mixtures are acidified to prevent bacterial growth. These products can be stored safely at room temperature.) Safe gift ideas in this publication include:

    • Dehydrated tomatoes in oil– Acidified for safety and to soften them a bit, they can be stored in oil. Adding herbs or garlic is okay but they will need to be stored in the fridge for 4 days max, or frozen.
    • Pickled mushrooms or hot peppers, stored in oil–  Pickled mushrooms and chilies in oil must be refrigerated and used within 4 days or frozen for long-term storage unless they have been pickled with vinegar or lemon juice. Pickled mushroom recipe here. Pickled hot pepper recipe here.
    • Pesto– Freeze it.

Making Garlic- and Herb- Infused Oils at Home –  Follow instructions exactly for a safe product. In a word- Acidify! Flavored olive oil is great w bread, but what about drizzling it over a bowl of rosemary-infused beans, or homemade butternut soup?

Image from PNW 664
Pumpkin soup and pepitas. Photo courtesy of Tina Vanhove on Unsplash.

Which brings me to Winter squash. In a previous blog post, we talked about food safety issues preserving purees. Because of density issues affecting thorough and consistent heat penetration, it needs to be frozen, but listen, frozen soup is a great gift! (Imagine having a selection of delicious homemade soup in the freezer!) It can also be dehydrated and ground into a powder.

Flavored vinegars– Safe, easy, and fun to make. Vinegar isn’t just for salad dressing, consider making a drinking vinegar or shrub to add to sparkling water or a more adult beverage. Infuse with berries, fruit, herbs, spices, or roots like ginger or turmeric. Get creative!

Finally, as we (rapidly) approach the gift-giving season, please consider taking some intentional time to be kind and patient with yourself and the world around you. It’s not only good for your emotional and mental health, but it’s good for your body too. And as a nod to my friend and former mail carrier, hug your loved ones a little more. Make sure your peeps know you love them.

Until next time, friends… embrace the rain and fruits of the season. Look for more OSU Extension Family and Community Health program information on our Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, website, and newsletter. And please subscribe!

Keep exploring, stay curious, and be excellent to each other!
Buffy | mom. gardener. forager. volunteer turned program assistant. a real busy beaver

 

instagram icon download 24x24 - curved 

Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials without discrimination based on age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran’s status.
Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.