Posted May 30, 2021 at 4:52 am ET
SHUT DOWN
After an unusually cold start to May, we ended with unusually hot weather. Somewhere in between these extremes, many across the county began planting their vegetable gardens.
Gardening in the US was certainly on the rise due to orders left at home last spring. Long-time gardeners were spending even more time in their gardens, and with the newfound time at home, many were trying to garden for the first time.
According to a recent gardening survey conducted by Axiom Marketing, 42% of gardeners spent more time gardening in 2020. Almost three-quarters of respondents in three age categories (19-28, 29-39 and 40-55) said they spent more time gardening in 2020 with the youngest age categories (19-28 and 29-39) taking their time extend the most.
About 82% of all respondents felt successful in their gardening work. In terms of plans to garden this year, 86% plan to garden the same amount or more in 2021. Almost all (94%) of energetic 19- to 39-year-olds plan to continue working in the garden this year as well.
You may recall that last summer there was a shortage of canned food. This was kind of a perfect storm. The increase in home gardening and support from local growers led to an increased interest in food preservation at home. Crazy supply chains for raw materials resulted in a decline in production for manufacturers. This trend will continue in 2021.
When buying lids, keep in mind that not all lids are created alike. Make sure they are specifically designed for food preservation and not just decorative. And the same advice applies to glasses too.
If you want to eat green beans or other vegetables this summer, you’ll need to use a pressure scanner instead of a water bath scanner. This is because a water bath scanner does not reach the temperatures necessary to destroy the bacteria that cause botulism. Boiling water reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to inactivate these potentially deadly toxin-producing spores, however, temperatures of up to 240 to 250 degrees are required, which can only be reached under additional pressure.
Some pressure scanners use a weight indicator, some use a dial indicator, and some use both. All of these are valid methods of indicating that proper pressure is being obtained and maintained during processing. Every dial indicator should be checked for correctness annually.
I will be testing dial gauges and examining scanner lids on June 11th at the OSU Extension Office and on July 10th at Auer Ace Hardware. You can register for a period at coshocton.osu.edu. This is a free renewal service. I’ll answer questions about food preservation and have plenty of resources with approved recipes and the most up-to-date safety recommendations.
As more people become comfortable trying recipes in their electric multicookers (one brand is Instant Pot), I am sometimes asked if this is a safe canning method. This is listed as a possibility in some user guides. However, it is unknown if the USDA approved recipes required time and temperature will be met. Therefore, the OSU extension does not recommend this as a valid conservation method.
To answer the various inquiries about food preservation, OSU Extension offers a series of webinars on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. Topics include canning on June 1st, freezing on June 15th, and drying on June 29th. You can register for it at coshocton.osu.edu.
Today I will leave you with this quote from Alfred Austin: “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. Maintaining a garden means not only nourishing yourself from your body but also from your soul. “
Emily Marrison is an OSU Extension Family and Consumer Science educator and can be reached at 740-622-2265.
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