PRESS
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The Canned Advantage:
Right in Your Kitchen
Available year-round, canned Cling Peaches provide comparable flavor and
nutrients to their fresh counterparts. When kept in the refrigerator for
use anytime, canned peaches provide goodness throughout the year, whether
it be spring, summer, fall or winter.
Canning History
The process of canning was pioneered in the 1790s by a French confectioner,
Nicolas Appert, who discovered that food could be preserved by applying
heat to food in sealed glass bottles. In 1810, Englishman Peter Durand patented
the food canning process based on Appert's methods. In the beginning, canned
fruits were used primarily by the military, explorers and for emergency
rations. Later, canned fruits were used primarily by the wealthy as a convenient
way to eat fruit.
As canning became more common and less costly, canned foods became available
to everyone. The first known U.S. cannery was established in New York in
1812. About 50 years later, Louis Pasteur was able to demonstrate that the
growth of microorganisms was the cause of food spoilage, therefore reinforcing
the benefits of the canning process. Believe it or not, the earliest cans
were quite heavy to pick up and required a hammer and chisel to open.
Canning Facts
- Fruits intended for canning are harvested
at their peak of ripeness, when vitamin content and flavor are
at their highest
- With canneries operating around the clock
during the peach harvest, peaches are canned, in most cases, within
24 hours of delivery to the processing plant, locking in valuable
nutrients and fresh taste
- The canning process is one of the safest forms
of food packaging available: high heat and vacuum sealing destroy
microorganisms that cause food-borne illnesses and keep the fruit
sterile. An added benefit: no preservatives are used in canning
peaches, only juice and sugar are needed
- Canned fruits will keep in the unopened can
for up to two years; after being opened, the canned fruit should
be refrigerated, or frozen, for up to six months
- Studies indicate that levels of vitamin A
(in the form of beta carotene) and vitamin C are retained in canned
peaches - no difference in nutritional value has been found between
fresh and canned peaches
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The Versatile Canned Peach
Canned peaches can be used to cut down preparation time, infuse cooking
with flavor and nutrients or simply served on their own as a convenient
and healthy snack.
Some tips on using canned peaches
- Cans should be wiped off before opening to ensure that dust
particles don't get into the fruit
- Canned peaches should not be cooked for more than a few minutes
as the fruit will start to break down if overcooked
- Canned peaches can be substituted for fresh peaches in recipes
for pies, crisps and cobblers-peaches should be drained and only
half the sugar called for in the recipe used
- Halved or sliced, canned peaches can be combined with greens
and walnuts in a salad, along with a dressing of one cup purèed
peaches and two tablespoons each of white vinegar and oil
- Canned peaches can help fulfill the Five-a-Day requirement for
fruits and vegetables-a serving can be enjoyed with cottage cheese
or yogurt
- Canned peaches are excellent with main dishes as well. Peach
halves can be grilled on the barbecue for a couple of minutes
on each side and served with grilled meats, or canned peaches
can be purèed and used as a sauce on grilled meats
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Sources: The Canned Food Alliance, USDA, University
of Illinois Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition |