Frequently Asked Questions
Question
Q
Do I need to treat water before storing it?
Answer(s)
A
Water that is stored for long periods should be sanitized or disinfected. To treat water add 1/4 tsp. (16 drops) liquid chlorine bleach (5%) per gallon of water. You may want to rotate your water every few years.
Other Questions In This Topic
- I just prepared pesto today containing basil, pine nuts, garlic, italian cheeses, and lemon juice, pretty much in that order from largest quantity to smallest. For how long could I keep this in my freezer before the oil will go rancid or the pesto will otherwise be inedible. Seems to me that I kept some a while back for 6 months, and after eating it I got sick, though this could be coincidental.
- I have a question about my pressure canned sliced peaches. I cold-packed sliced peaches covering them with a light syrup. Following instructions I packed them with 1/2 inch headspace and poured the liquid to 1/2 inch headspace. However, the peaches floated up so that they were not covered by the liquid during processing. I did run a wooden spatula down the sides of the jars and seemed to get all air bubbles out of the jar. I processed in the pressure canner according to instructions at 10 PSI for 10 minutes. When I removed the jars the liquid was boiling and there seemed to be a lot of air bubbles around the fruit. The jars were already sealed when I took them out of the canner after waiting 10 minutes after the pressure seal dropped. The liquid is down considerably - looks to be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches and the peaches are floating. There are air bubbles and air pockets. The seal is fine. Are these peaches safe?
- I canned cucumbers (not using a brine, but a recipe that completed within the day). They do not taste like they have enough dill. This was about a year ago. Can I open the pickled cucumbers and add more dill then reseal the jars? If so are there any points I should follow? Otherwise, are my pickles just ruined? Thanks
- I know that I should add lemon juice to bottled tomatoes and tomato juice, but my husband hates sour stuff. Is there an alternative that isn't sour? Is there a recipe for 'V8' that is more palatable?
- When canning dry beans is it necessary to rehydrate by soaking them before you can them?
- Can you use canned food such as soups and vegetables past their use by date and if so how far past can you use them. How long does home canned fruits keep their nutional value?
- Does my stored food still have any nutritional value?
- Do weevil turn into moths? If not where would moths come from in my food storage room? and how do you get rid of them?
Note: These questions are a portion of the questions available at the master page.
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