Odds are fairly good that if you have a vegetable garden or any fruit trees in your yard that you know how to go about canning these items so that you can have them year-round. Whether you can tomatoes so you will have them during the winter or pickle cucumbers, growing our own food and preserving it at home has been commonplace in American culture for a very long time. Pickles, jams, jellies, marmalades, soups, or chutneys have been being made in homes across the country and the world for quite a while and it is still going on today because some people prefer home-made goods to their commercial counterparts.
There are benefits to both growing and canning your own food at home, even though a process that is similar is used by commercial food canners worldwide. One benefit is that you have the knowledge of just how sterile the equipment being used to preserve your food is. You know how clean the items are that you are using to can your food. When you purchase these items in a store, you do not know whether the equipment used was clean or not. You also have the benefit of knowing what pesticides, if any, were used on the fruits and vegetables that you are preserving. You do not have to be exposed to more pesticides and chemicals than you would use to protect your own garden from insects and different kinds of rodents.
One problem with home-canning, though, is that if it is not done properly, mold can start to grow inside the jars of food that you thought that you were preserving so well. Mold grows in everything that is preserved eventually, anyway, but it can occur much sooner if the food that you can in your kitchen is not properly preserved. Most home-canning guides suggest that you date everything you can and use it within a year to avoid spoilage.
Mold-contaminated jars can be a problem, but you can avoid this problem most of the time by making sure the equipment that you use is sterile. You can sterilize glass jars by filling them and your canning pot with hot water (not boiling) and bringing the pot to a slow boil for around 10 minutes. This should effectively remove all microbes and spores from the water.
Any food you can should be washed and thoroughly inspected. Questionable items should not be canned, but thrown away.
Food should also be packed loosely in the jars so that the food inside can be completely heated throughout. If the temperature does not get high enough, it will not be completely sterilized. Mold spores, bacteria, and yeast can continue to grow even in high temperatures.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Tips To Protect Your Family And Food From Mold
What is the most important major appliance in your house? Most people would probably say their refrigerator and I would probably agree, but do we really keep them clean as often as we should..? The fact is that refrigerators are not kept as clean by busy families as they should be in order to keep a healthy household. Leftovers are put in the fridge and often get left there for days or something even weeks at a time before finally being thrown away after they have gotten spoiled. Liquids get spilled, frozen foods are left to thaw on the shelves, and just general mess gets left everywhere. A refrigerator might be cleaned out once every 4 or 5 months by a busy family, but if you keep a watch on the items in your refrigerator and the messes plaguing its shelves, you will not have to do this very often.
Look around in your refrigerator and figure out what is outdated and spoiled. If you keep jelly or jam, you probably know that these get molded after a while, either on the top of the food itself or on the inside of the lids. These soft items and other things like yogurt, sour cream, soft cheeses, individually sliced cheeses, and just generally anything with a high moisture content need to be thrown away. The entirety of the food will probably be completely contaminated with mold even though it might only appear to be on the surface of the food.
If you bring fruit or vegetables home from the grocery store and just chuck the plastic bags they’re inside into your produce drawer like that, you’ll probably end up with some moldy and rotted fruit not too long after. What happens in this situation is that condensation builds up inside the bag and mold starts to grow on anything inside it. Just take the fruits and vegetables out of the bags and make sure that none of the fruit already have mold growing on them. If they do, throw them out and wash anything that was in close proximity to it.
If you see any eggs that are cracked in the carton, these need to be thrown away, too. Bacteria growing on the outside of the egg will get inside and contaminate it.
If mold starts growing on a block of cheese, what you should do is take a knife and cut around and under the moldy spot on the block and remove it. Don’t touch the knife to other parts of the cheese to avoid cross-contamination.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
South Carolina flood water damage restoration and other states such as
Connecticut water damage restoration companies across the united states.
Look around in your refrigerator and figure out what is outdated and spoiled. If you keep jelly or jam, you probably know that these get molded after a while, either on the top of the food itself or on the inside of the lids. These soft items and other things like yogurt, sour cream, soft cheeses, individually sliced cheeses, and just generally anything with a high moisture content need to be thrown away. The entirety of the food will probably be completely contaminated with mold even though it might only appear to be on the surface of the food.
If you bring fruit or vegetables home from the grocery store and just chuck the plastic bags they’re inside into your produce drawer like that, you’ll probably end up with some moldy and rotted fruit not too long after. What happens in this situation is that condensation builds up inside the bag and mold starts to grow on anything inside it. Just take the fruits and vegetables out of the bags and make sure that none of the fruit already have mold growing on them. If they do, throw them out and wash anything that was in close proximity to it.
If you see any eggs that are cracked in the carton, these need to be thrown away, too. Bacteria growing on the outside of the egg will get inside and contaminate it.
If mold starts growing on a block of cheese, what you should do is take a knife and cut around and under the moldy spot on the block and remove it. Don’t touch the knife to other parts of the cheese to avoid cross-contamination.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
South Carolina flood water damage restoration and other states such as
Connecticut water damage restoration companies across the united states.
Tips to Prevent Water Damage at Home
Water damage occurs most commonly in the bathroom and in the kitchen, but most of the time this damage can be prevented if a few simple measures are taken on a regular basis. Water damage is not only unsightly because it tends to discolor things in your house such as the drywall or the floor, but it also damages the internal structure, as well. Drywall that absorbs too much water will eventually begin to sag due to the weight and the paper on the drywall will become detached.
The kitchen and the bathroom are the two rooms that can add the most value to your home if you choose to sell it, so keeping them in good condition is crucial if a house you purchase is simply an investment. Even if it is not just an investment, keeping these two rooms in good condition is a good idea to keep the quality of life in your home at a good basic level.
Having a vent located in the bathroom and in the kitchen over the stove is necessary to help prevent water damage to the ceiling and upper parts of the walls. You will see these vents located in the bathrooms of most motels and hotels these days, in an effort to protect the room from water damage. Most commercial properties that have bathrooms with showers have these vents because they realize that this is necessary to make their property last as long as possible. If steam has nowhere to go, mold will also begin to grow on the ceiling and walls over time and having that removed is a whole other problem.
Plumbing in your kitchen or bathroom should be inspected often, as well. Even leaks that are only small drips can cause water damage and especially mold growth over time.
Toilets and bathtubs should be allowed to overflow as little as possible, especially in bathrooms that have carpet installed instead of tile or even carpet installed over tile. Tile floors should be completely sealed by caulking to be sure that water does not get to the floor boards underneath.
Water damage and mold can be prevented in the bathroom closet if wet items are not left on the floor. Mold can start to grow as little as 24 hours after a wet item is abandoned and this mold will contaminate any other clothes that are thrown on top of it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
north carolina flood water damage restoration and other states such as
New Jersey mold remediation companies across the united states.
The kitchen and the bathroom are the two rooms that can add the most value to your home if you choose to sell it, so keeping them in good condition is crucial if a house you purchase is simply an investment. Even if it is not just an investment, keeping these two rooms in good condition is a good idea to keep the quality of life in your home at a good basic level.
Having a vent located in the bathroom and in the kitchen over the stove is necessary to help prevent water damage to the ceiling and upper parts of the walls. You will see these vents located in the bathrooms of most motels and hotels these days, in an effort to protect the room from water damage. Most commercial properties that have bathrooms with showers have these vents because they realize that this is necessary to make their property last as long as possible. If steam has nowhere to go, mold will also begin to grow on the ceiling and walls over time and having that removed is a whole other problem.
Plumbing in your kitchen or bathroom should be inspected often, as well. Even leaks that are only small drips can cause water damage and especially mold growth over time.
Toilets and bathtubs should be allowed to overflow as little as possible, especially in bathrooms that have carpet installed instead of tile or even carpet installed over tile. Tile floors should be completely sealed by caulking to be sure that water does not get to the floor boards underneath.
Water damage and mold can be prevented in the bathroom closet if wet items are not left on the floor. Mold can start to grow as little as 24 hours after a wet item is abandoned and this mold will contaminate any other clothes that are thrown on top of it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
north carolina flood water damage restoration and other states such as
New Jersey mold remediation companies across the united states.
What Moldy Food Should You Discard?
Having an argument with yourself while ducked into the refrigerator on what you should have for breakfast, lunch, or dinner is a common occurrence if you have a full refrigerator, but something that is just as common is arguing with yourself over what you should do with an item in the fridge that has a little mold growing on it. Mold grows on a lot of things in the fridge, but we do not always know which items are safe to remove the mold from and keep. What do you do if you find something in your refrigerator that has mold on it? Well, it just depends on what the food is that you are talking about.
Mold grows on everything in the fridge eventually and that is just a fact that we have to live with. Food will not keep forever, no matter how well you try to preserve it most of the time. Jars of jellies, jams, marmalades, and preserves are among the worst offenders when it comes to mold growing on them in the fridge. These are items that you should throw away if you discover mold growing inside the jar, because since they are soft items, the “threads” of mold can reach throughout it and contaminate the entire jar. Throw these away.
Fruits and vegetables need to be checked carefully on a regular basis once you get them home and taken out of the plastic bags that you collect them in when you are at the grocery store. Condensation builds up in these bags and will cause mold to grow. One contaminated fruit will cause anything else it is touching to become infected, as well. Throw any contaminated fruits and vegetables away and wash anything it was touching that does not appear to be contaminated.
Anything in your fridge that has a high amount of moisture in it should be discarded after mold is seen growing on it, because it can contaminate the entire item very easily. Dense items like hard salami or blocks of cheese can simply have the moldy areas cut out (as long as it is an inch around and under the molded area) and these will be fine to consume afterward.
Any baked goods such as bread or cake should be discarded if mold is growing on them. These are porous surfaces and can possibly be contaminated beyond the surface.
Soft cheeses, yogurts, casseroles, hot dogs, lunch meat, and etcetera need to be discarded after old is seen growing upon them. These items tend to have a high content of moisture and will probably be contaminated throughout their entire depth.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut Mold Remediation services and other states such as
north carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.
Mold grows on everything in the fridge eventually and that is just a fact that we have to live with. Food will not keep forever, no matter how well you try to preserve it most of the time. Jars of jellies, jams, marmalades, and preserves are among the worst offenders when it comes to mold growing on them in the fridge. These are items that you should throw away if you discover mold growing inside the jar, because since they are soft items, the “threads” of mold can reach throughout it and contaminate the entire jar. Throw these away.
Fruits and vegetables need to be checked carefully on a regular basis once you get them home and taken out of the plastic bags that you collect them in when you are at the grocery store. Condensation builds up in these bags and will cause mold to grow. One contaminated fruit will cause anything else it is touching to become infected, as well. Throw any contaminated fruits and vegetables away and wash anything it was touching that does not appear to be contaminated.
Anything in your fridge that has a high amount of moisture in it should be discarded after mold is seen growing on it, because it can contaminate the entire item very easily. Dense items like hard salami or blocks of cheese can simply have the moldy areas cut out (as long as it is an inch around and under the molded area) and these will be fine to consume afterward.
Any baked goods such as bread or cake should be discarded if mold is growing on them. These are porous surfaces and can possibly be contaminated beyond the surface.
Soft cheeses, yogurts, casseroles, hot dogs, lunch meat, and etcetera need to be discarded after old is seen growing upon them. These items tend to have a high content of moisture and will probably be contaminated throughout their entire depth.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut Mold Remediation services and other states such as
north carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.
Preventing Damage From Wildfires
If you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, such as certain areas of California, you should do what you can to protect your home from them. While it may seem pretty hopeless once a wildfire is on a path that will go straight through your home, there are some things that you can do to try and minimize the damage.
The first thing that you can do if you own your home is to outfit it with fire resistant materials. The roof is perhaps the most important surface that you should take care of, since it is the largest surface of the home that is exposed to sparks of fire that have become airborne. If there is a wildfire near your house, you should take your water hose and keep the roof wet as much as possible to stop this threat. Fire-resistant roofing materials are large in number and include tile, metal, and fiberglass. Any oil-based roofing material should be replaced and wooden shingles are a disaster waiting to happen.
Fire-resistant materials should also be used to build the walls and windows of the house, since this can impede the spreading of the fire to the interior. Stone, metal, and brick offer a decent amount of protection, but vinyl siding and wood provide extremely little. The windows are important because heat will radiate inside the house and possibly set drapes on fire, so having smaller windows in homes that are at risk is a good idea.
Another thing that you can do to your lawn if a wildfire is nearby is wetting it with the water hose. This can also slow the fire’s spread to your house some. Do not allow dead leaves and other debris to build up in the yard during wildfire season and try to get rid of any tree branches that are hanging over your house. You can even go as far as to have these trees that are close to your home removed, but that is a personal preference. It will help, but some people may not want to sacrifice them.
If you have to evacuate, realize that you cannot take everything with you. Take only the most important valuables and get out as soon as you can. If you have time and are leaving voluntarily, take the opportunity to wet your yard, roof, and the exterior of your house again. This is pretty much all you can do at this point and the rest is in the hands of nature.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.moldrestorationny.info
http://www.moldrestorationnj.info
The first thing that you can do if you own your home is to outfit it with fire resistant materials. The roof is perhaps the most important surface that you should take care of, since it is the largest surface of the home that is exposed to sparks of fire that have become airborne. If there is a wildfire near your house, you should take your water hose and keep the roof wet as much as possible to stop this threat. Fire-resistant roofing materials are large in number and include tile, metal, and fiberglass. Any oil-based roofing material should be replaced and wooden shingles are a disaster waiting to happen.
Fire-resistant materials should also be used to build the walls and windows of the house, since this can impede the spreading of the fire to the interior. Stone, metal, and brick offer a decent amount of protection, but vinyl siding and wood provide extremely little. The windows are important because heat will radiate inside the house and possibly set drapes on fire, so having smaller windows in homes that are at risk is a good idea.
Another thing that you can do to your lawn if a wildfire is nearby is wetting it with the water hose. This can also slow the fire’s spread to your house some. Do not allow dead leaves and other debris to build up in the yard during wildfire season and try to get rid of any tree branches that are hanging over your house. You can even go as far as to have these trees that are close to your home removed, but that is a personal preference. It will help, but some people may not want to sacrifice them.
If you have to evacuate, realize that you cannot take everything with you. Take only the most important valuables and get out as soon as you can. If you have time and are leaving voluntarily, take the opportunity to wet your yard, roof, and the exterior of your house again. This is pretty much all you can do at this point and the rest is in the hands of nature.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.moldrestorationny.info
http://www.moldrestorationnj.info
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