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["During the cold months of autumn, I often get calls about canning jams and jewel-tone jellies for holiday gifts.", "Persimmons and pomegranates are two of the fall favorites.", "In the past, home canning was an important method of food preservation.", "Now, many wonder why people would go to the trouble of canning when most produce is easily available at grocery stores.", "Canning offers benefits ranging from avoiding preservatives to meeting specific dietary needs to providing a sense of personal satisfaction.", "Canning is an economical method of preserving food which enables people to retain more control over what they eat.", "Most of the cost of food goes toward the cost of labor in the food system.", "So, in general, the more labor you do yourself, the more money you save.", "Canning also can be a family activity involving several generations, preserving both the foods themselves and the knowledge and skills involved in preparing them.", "Many people like to can foods because they prefer the taste of homemade products.", "Canning also frees up space in the refrigerator and freezer.", "The most popular items to be canned are jams and jellies, vegetables, pickles, fruits and tomato sauces.", "Jams and jellies are most common for beginners and veterans.", "Salsa is one of the latest trends in canning.", "There are two methods of canning.", "The boiling water method is used for acidic foods: jams, jellies, fruits, pickles, tomatoes with added acid and acidified salsas for example.", "The temperature reached by the boiling water method is sufficient to destroy the molds, yeasts and bacteria which can be found in acidic foods.", "Low-acid foods - meats and other vegetables and combination food products - require a higher temperature than boiling water to destroy the bacterial spores and toxins which can thrive in a low acid environment.", "A pressure canner provides a sufficiently high temperature to safely preserve low-acid foods.", "The most important thing to remember when canning is to follow directions.", "Our publications and the ""USDA Home Guide to Canning"" include research-tested recipes.", "It is also critical to remember:If the jar does not seal, the three options are to recan the food, freeze it or possibly eat it.", "Although canned food should remain safe to eat indefinitely, the quality of the food is best if consumed within one year.", "The best way to store canned foods is to keep them in a cold, dry, dark place at a temperature between 50 and 70 degrees.", "During the months of November and December, many people's thoughts turn toward all the abundance they possess.", "Helping others is also something which humans have always done and continue to do all over the world.", "Did you know which the United States has 150,000 food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, meal sites and meal delivery programs which operate to serve people who don't have sufficient to eat Many such organizations depend on commodity, donated and salvaged foods to feed their guests.", "Most programs rely on volunteers, are small and operate on a low budget.", "Staff and volunteers face the obstacle of preparing nutritious, quick and tasty meals, or possibly food bags, with little expertise and a variable food supply.", "Consider offering to volunteer to help such an agency in your community so no one will have to go hungry."]
