Green Calgary

Eneregy Efficient Food Preservation

Reader Question

Hi Ashley,

My husband and I have been attempting to cut back on our electricity consumption, replacing old lighting with energy efficient options, unplugging electronics when they are not in use, and we recycled an old power-hungry fridge that lived in the garage. Though we have noticed big electricity reductions during most of the year, it always spikes in the fall when our kitchen transforms into a small food processing facility, turning the garden’s bounty into jams, pickles, salsas, and various other canned goods. We expect our bills to go up during this time but we’re always surprised by how much they spike. We wonder if you have any tips on cutting back on electricity consumption in the kitchen during these busy times.

Thank you,

Anne & Bill

Ashley's Answer

Dear Anne and Bill,

I can totally relate with your situation. Like your bills, mine nearly double during harvest season. To some extent this is unavoidable. We either process seasonal foods for eating during the winter or we buy fresh foods flown in from exotic locales or foods that have been processed by someone else, in some other place. Home food processing is fun and rewarding and I encourage everyone I meet to give it a try. That said it is entirely possible to process foods using less energy, preserving summer’s freshness for another day. Besides the obvious techniques – using the right size of burner for the pot, using a lid when cooking, using clean reflective drip pans under the burner, etc – there are some ingenious, fun and, even, ancient techniques to reduce one’s electricity consumption in the kitchen, all the while preserving and, in some cases, enhancing the flavours and nutritional qualities of the foods. So let’s get started.

Perhaps one of my favorite energy-slashing tools is the pressure canner. A pressure canner is similar to a pressure cooker, only larger. They come in a variety of sizes and will cut processing times by three-quarters. For instance, processing a quart of pears in a boiled water canner will take approximately 30 minutes. The same pears can be processed in a dial-gauge pressure canner in 7 minutes. Increasing pressure increases temperature and this has a dramatic impact on how much time is needed to make canned goods safe. Pressure canners are also essential for processing low-acid foods and meats. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a great slide-show presentation and video on the different types of pressure canners and how to use each. And if you’re interested in purchasing one, you can find high-quality USA-made models at Lehmans.com.

Another favorite energy-saving technique of mine is fermentation. According to Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Wild Fermentation, food fermentation is some 12,000 years old. When foods undergo fermentation, organisms produce alcohol, lactic acid, and acetic acid, thereby acting as “bio-preservatives”, thereby keeping foods from spoiling. Though most people know fermentation for its ability to covert sugars into alcohol (wine and beer), it is also used for making sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, miso, chutney, yogurt, kefir, cheese, sourdough bread, and more. The possibilities for fermenting are endless and as Katz writes: “fermentation is a health regime, a gourmet art, a multicultural adventure, a form of activism, and a spiritual path, all rolled into one.” I couldn’t have said it better and if your interested in this sort of thing, Katz’s book, Wild Fermentation, is a must read.

The next technique I’ll cover is dehydration. Again, it’s been around for a long, long time and it is a great way to preserve food and lock in vital nutrients. My estimates suggest dehydrating foods with an electric dryer is slightly more energy intensive than canning, especially if a pressure canner is used. A large burner on high consumes about 1500 watts, while a large dehydrator, such as the one from Excalibur, uses about 600 watts. Most items can be processed (canned) in a boiled water canner in less than an hour, while dehydration takes 4 to 12 hours. This all changes, however, if you are able to harness the power of the sun. Solar dehydrators, such as the model available through Lehman’s, are designed to dehydrate without using electricity. It is also quite possible to make your own and there are many plans available online, including this one from the British-based magazine Permaculture. I plan to take this project on myself this summer and I can’t wait to get started!

So whether you invest in a pressure canner or turn your surplus cabbage into yummy sauerkraut (subjective, I know), you can reduce your electricity consumption in the kitchen, while getting the most from your harvest. How you get there is up to you but I must say, fermentation is one of the most exciting and rewarding projects I’ve taken on in recent years. I’m continually amazed by the fact that salted cabbage (the basis of sauerkraut) can sit on the counter unrefridgerated for months and months, becoming ever more tasty and nutritious with time. Renewing this microbial bond that has kept us alive and healthy since the dawn of time is a journey I’d recommend to anyone, both for the fun of it and for the potential energy savings.

Happy preserving,

Ashley

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