Discover the best Methods and Retort Time Tables for Home Retort in Pouches

 CHEFTALK

Discover the best methods for home retort in pouches

The best time of the year to start your retort activities is here. Products are in abundance and at its lowest prices. Time therefore to get started.

Several request for a chart of retort times for various products has prompted us to publish information about retort times for pouch retort.

Pouch retort has a significant advantage over retort in cans and jars for quality and convenience reasons. Pouch retort times are 10% to 25% higher than can or jar retort, moist content in finished pouch retort products have been proven to be 10% to 15% higher compared to can and jar retort. Overall quality and consumer acceptance of pouch retort products have been found to be of higher levels during sensory evaluation tests.

In addition are retort pouches environmental friendlier, take up less storage space and are easy to purchase compared to cans and jars. www.vacupack.com  for USA and www.vacupack.ca for Canada.

Starting the retort process

Storage Saver

Pre-preparing products for retort is the key to a good finished product. Ensure all working surfaces and utensils are clean. The products to be retorted must be as fresh as possible. When food is pre-cooked before the retort process ensure that is has cooled down preferably to refrigeration temperatures prior to retorting.

Ensure that sharp objects (bones) that may be present in food are removed or positioned such that they pose no danger to damaging the pouches.

Preparing your pressure canner

You will need 2 quarts of water in your pressure cooker for all retort products.

Pressure and retort times are important, pressure and times given below are meant for an altitude of 2000 ft or less, if you happen to live at an higher altitude you need to apply one (1) pound of pressure  for each additional 2000 ft. The cooking times remain the same!

Retort & Vacuum Sealing
The retort canning bags must be vacuum sealed before attempting to can.  The air evacuation keeps the bags from blowing out the side seams while canning.  A commercial chamber vacuum sealer with retort capability is required.  http://vacupack.com/commercial-vacuum-sealers-packers

Meat:

For all beef, poultry, pork, lamb, veal, venison, other game meat, (four legged or birds), offal’s (liver, heart, tongue) raw or pre-cooked (stews, boiled meats, sausages, cold cuts), follow the guide below: This is a personal guide, the official time and temperatures have not been published by the FDA. Can at your own risk. 

Meats can be pre-prepared seasoned or marinated before retort, ensure to allow cooling before retort.

Pressure Pounds:	½ pt< = (2 or 4 oz retort)	pint = (8 oz retort)	Quart = (16 oz retort)
Canner Pressure 10 LBS	65 min.	75 min.	90 min.

       

This pressure and timing guide ensures that you have reached a core temperature of 121 Celsius or 249.8 F at the coldest point inside the product as per the schematic picture below for the time period necessary to eliminate all contaminating bacteria including their spores.

           Solids only                               with liquid content

Seafood:

Retort times for different types of seafood vary even though the pressure remains consistent with meat retort at 10 Lbs.

Seafood can be seasoned and fried before retort to add extra flavor. Do not cook the product all the way through, the retort process takes care of that. Add sauce or other additives e.g. herbs and spices to the pouch to your liking. 

Pressure pounds:	½ pt< = (2 or 4 oz retort)	pint = (8 oz retort)	Quart = (16 oz retort)
Canner pressure 10 LBS
Clams and oysters	85 min	95 min	110 min
Crab meat	95 min	105 min	120 min
Fish (General)	100 min	110 min	125 min
Lobster	100 min	110 min	125 min
Salmon	110 mi	120 min	130 min
Shrimp (wet pack)	60 min	75 min	100 min
Shrimp (dry pack)	110 min	120min	130 min
Tuna	110 min	120 min	140 min

                                                   

Vegetables

Vegetable retort times vary quite significant based on the nature of the vegetable (hard, semi-hard or soft) the guide below is based on raw vegetables. Season before retort, salt serves as a preservative and flavor.

Pressure pounds:	½ pt< = (2 or 4 oz retort)	pint = (8 oz retort)	Quart = (16 oz retort)
Canner Pressure 10 LBS
Asparagus	20 min	25 min	55 min
Baked Beans	75 min	85 min	90 min
Beans, Lima	40 min	45 min	60 min
Beans, Snap	25 min	30 min	35 min
Beets, baby	30 min	35 min	55 min
Carrots, young	20 min	25 min	30 min
Corn, whole kernel	60 min	65 min	85 min
Corn on the cob	60 min	65 min	75 min
Eggplant	35 min	40 min	45 min
Greens, all kinds	60 min	60 min	70 min
Kohlrabi	30 min	35 min	40 min
Okra	25 min	30 min	45 min
Parsnip, turnips	30 min	30 min	35 min
Peas, green	30 min	30 min	N.A.
Peas, Black eyed	30 min	30 min	N.A.
Peppers, Pimento	10 min	10 min	N.A.
Pumpkin, smashed	75 min	75 min	90 min
Summer squash, Zucchini	20 min	35 min	40 min
Squash, winter (cubed)	50 min	55 min	90 min
Succotash	60 min	75 min	90 min
Sweet potatoes	75 min	90 min	90 min
Tomatoes	10 min	10 min	10 min

        

Fruits  

Use fruits that are on their peak of quality.

Do not use over ripe fruits and retort only as much as you can handle during the period of time you spent on canning.

Clean the fruits thoroughly by rinsing to remove any dirt and/or chemicals present on the fruits, dirt contains some of the bacteria that are very hard to kill. Do not soak fruits for a very long time as this result in loss of nutrients and flavor.

Except for berries, all regular fruits can be processed under a pressure of 5 LBS for 10 minutes.

Berries and blended fruits e.g apple sauce can be processed using 5 LBS for 8 minutes.   

Syrup may be added to the fruits and below is a guide how to balance sugar syrup.

Light syrup	2 cups sugar	4 cups water	yield    5 cups
Medium syrup	3 cups sugar	4 cups water	yield    5 ½  cups
Heavy syrup	3 ¾  cups sugar	4 cups water	yield    6 ½  cups

No scientific data from FDA or USDA is available on home canning and the above information is a guide only and no authorized data.  

PMG holds no responsibility for misuse of the information provided and is void of any liability. Home canning is at your own risk.

For PMG by: Marinus Hoogendoorn 

Ideas what to Cook with Local Market Produce.

  

CHEF RECIPE TALK

Some Ideas what to Cook from the Local Market Goodies

When you have decided to give local produce a chance you may well come home with lots of great stuff from the local market. 

Bags full of sweet tomatoes, white and green asparagus, peaches and apricots are waiting to be turned into great dishes to delight the family.

It is a good plan to start your retort program as well so you have lots of pouches with summer ingredients on hand for when the market closes when winter is nearing. You can refer to my earlier posts about pouch retort from the side bar on the right.

In the meantime I give you a few ‘easy to make’, yet incredible tasting recipes that the whole family will enjoy.

For starters:

 Use green asparagus for an appetizing light green color in this recipe. 

                                           

Asparagus soup:         Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sized onion (roughly chopped)
14 oz green asparagus (cut into small pieces)
18 oz chicken stock (homemade if possible)
4 tbsp double cream
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat the oil in a double based stock pot, add the onions and fry on medium heat until softened. 
• Add the asparagus and fry for another minute, mixing well. 
• Add the stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 
• Transfer the mix to an upright blender. Add half of the double cream and blend smooth. 
• Return the soup to the stock pot and bring to boil. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Serve the soup in individual bowls garnished with the remaining half of the double cream and slices of crusty bread. 

For Mains:

Traditionally, Bolognaise sauce, that lovely deep red/ brown color of good tasting beef sauce, is served with Tagliatelle 

Here is a great, ‘Italian chefs association’ approved recipe. 

 

Tagliatelle Bolognaise:           Serves 4                                                        

                                        

 Ingredients:                                                                                          

2 tbsp olive oil 6 rashes streaky ‘pancetta’ (cut in ¼ inch strips)         

2 large onions (chopped) 

3 cloves fresh garlic (chopped) 

2 medium sized carrot (diced) 

1 stalk celery (cut the same size as the carrot) 

2 lbs lean minced beef 

2 glasses red wine 

2 lbs fresh tomatoes 

2 nos bay leaves 

1 ½ Lbs dry tagliatelle (quantity is a guide, make as much as your family eats)
Salt and pepper to taste and grated Parmesan for serving.


Method:

• Heat the oil in a double base skillet. Add the pancetta and fry on medium heat until browned. 
• Add the onion and garlic and fry for another 2 minutes. 
• Add the minced beef and bay leaves and continue frying until the beef has browned. 
• Add the diced carrot and celery, mix well 
• Add the wine and reduce the quantity by cooking for 5 minutes. 
• Add your tomatoes, bring to boil and season the mix with salt and pepper. 
• Cook the tagliatelle according to the cooking instructions on the packaging. (for dry pasta this is usually 9 to 10 minutes) 
• Divide the pasta over individual plates, top with a generous grating of parmesan and a good ladle of Bolognaise sauce. 
• Grate some more parmesan over the top and serve hot. 

For Dessert:

           

This deep dish peach pie makes a great finish to this menu.

Deep Dish Peach Pie                                                                 

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 cups all- purpose flour

½ tsp salt 

1 tsp cinnamon powder 

3 tsp sugar 

8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick, cold and cut into small pieces) 

8 tbsp vegetable shortening 

2 egg yolks 

1 egg white (slightly whisked) 

1 tbsp sugar

For the filling:

3 lbs peaches (cut into wedges) 1 tbsp lemon juice 1cup sugar pinch of salt ¼ cup instant tapioca 4 tbsp corn starch

Method:

• Place flour, cinnamon, salt and 3 Tbsp sugar in a food processor, pulse for a few seconds. 
• Add the pieces of butter, pulse until you get a crumble like texture. 
• Add the shortening and egg yolks and pulse until a dough forms. 
• Remove from the processor. Work the dough a bit until it all comes together. 
• Cover with cling film and rest for ½ an hour. 

Mix all ingredients and leave to stand for ½ an hour, mixing it around a few times.

Making the pie:

• Divide the dough in half and roll one half about 1 ½ inches bigger than a 9 inch deep dish pan. 
• Line the pan with aluminum foil or baking paper, place the dough on top. Ensure the edges are a bit outside the pan. 
• Add the peach filling. Slightly wet the edges with a brush. 
• Roll the other half of the dough and place on top. 
• Press the bottom and top of the dough together with the help of a fork. 
• Brush the top of the pie with the whisked egg white and sprinkle the remaining sugar. 
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 F for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 F and continue baking for 40 minutes. 
• Remove the pie from the oven and cool. 
• Remove the pie from the pan and cut into slices. 
• If liked you can serve this pie slightly warmed with some powdered sugar on top and a scoop of ice cream.

Enjoy your local market products in this great ‘feast’ dinner.

When you are out of or in need of retort pouches find them here:   www.vacupack.com  www.vacupack.ca


Recipes by Marinus Hoogendoorn