Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600942
10/13/97

### Maintaining Color And Flavor in Canned Food

        To maintain good natural color and flavor in stored

    canned
    food, you must:

        *  Remove oxygen from food tissues and jars.

        *  Quickly destroy (inactivate) the food enzymes.

        *  Obtain high jar vacuums and airtight jar seals.

        Follow these guidelines to ensure that your canned

    foods
    retain optimum colors and flavors during processing

    and
    storage:

        *  Use only high-quality foods which are at the

           proper maturity and are free of diseases and

           bruises.

        *  Use the hot-pack method, especially with acid

           foods to be processed in boiling water.

        *  Don't unnecessarily expose prepared foods to air.

           Can them as soon as possible.

        *  Fill hot foods into jars and adjust headspace as

           specified in recipes.

        *  Tighten screw bands securely, but if you are

           especially strong, not as tightly as possible.

        *  Process and cool jars.

        *  Store the jars in a relatively cool, dark place,

           preferably between 50 and 70 degrees F.

        *  Can no more food than you will use within a year.

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