2 years, 8 months ago
How much energy does it take to can applesauce (at home) versus keeping in the freezer?
To make my homemade applesauce safe to store on the shelf, I have to process it in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Obviously if I'm going to eat up all the applesauce in one month, it's probably better to just put it in my freezer, but I'm wondering where the tipping point is. For what length of storage time is it better to boil all that water?
O.K., for a tip, I'd also like the same energy cost comparison for canning chicken broth. This takes a lot more energy, because I have to process the jars in a pressure canner for 25 minutes (and that's after I've gotten it up to pressure, which takes a fair amount of energy).
I have the necessary equipment. To do the canning I just need to get new lids. The freezer in question is a big upright dedicated freezer that is in my garage (which is in Wisconsin).
O.K., for a tip, I'd also like the same energy cost comparison for canning chicken broth. This takes a lot more energy, because I have to process the jars in a pressure canner for 25 minutes (and that's after I've gotten it up to pressure, which takes a fair amount of energy).
I have the necessary equipment. To do the canning I just need to get new lids. The freezer in question is a big upright dedicated freezer that is in my garage (which is in Wisconsin).
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M$1 Answer
There is not enough information in your question. What you could do is measure electrical consumption using a watt-hour meter. You would need to connect this to your freezer, and this would assume you would apportion the costs due to each item you are storing. Lets say, its only applesauce, then you know all energy used to keep the applesauce frozen for a day, week, month, etc.
Then you would cook the applesauce on an electric range (or hot plate) and measure the energy used there.
The crossover point is when the energy used to cook the applesauce equals the energy used by the freezer to keep it frozen.
This does not include the extra trouble you went through to cook the applesauce, ie, your extra labor. It does not include the energy cost to make all the equipment being used to prepare the applesauce, not only the pots and pans, but the freezer and stove, nor does it include the energy used to wash the dishes or jars in preparation for the canning process, and the washing in hot water afterwards. You really want to know the total lifetime cost.
Also, the energy cost is subsidized, because it does not reflect the cost of securing that energy supply, ie, the cost of the military we maintain in the Middle East, to secure the oil supply to make the electricity. While this does not affect mathematically the crossover point, it might be better to prepare for the shelf, so there is not this constant usage of energy. ie, you could then shut off the freezer for good.
Then you would cook the applesauce on an electric range (or hot plate) and measure the energy used there.
The crossover point is when the energy used to cook the applesauce equals the energy used by the freezer to keep it frozen.
This does not include the extra trouble you went through to cook the applesauce, ie, your extra labor. It does not include the energy cost to make all the equipment being used to prepare the applesauce, not only the pots and pans, but the freezer and stove, nor does it include the energy used to wash the dishes or jars in preparation for the canning process, and the washing in hot water afterwards. You really want to know the total lifetime cost.
Also, the energy cost is subsidized, because it does not reflect the cost of securing that energy supply, ie, the cost of the military we maintain in the Middle East, to secure the oil supply to make the electricity. While this does not affect mathematically the crossover point, it might be better to prepare for the shelf, so there is not this constant usage of energy. ie, you could then shut off the freezer for good.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Yes, I know it's a difficult question. It's probably unanswerable, as there are so many variables. How many quarts of applesauce are you making? How big is the pressure canner? How full is the freezer?
I'm asking about home made applesauce in either case, so there's no "extra trouble" to cook the applesauce, merely some extra trouble to can it.
Since I have the freezer running already, and in general a full freezer is more efficient than a half empty one, it seems to me the better practice is to store it in the freezer, until such time as I have need of freezer space for something that can't be stored elsewhere. For example, we've once again ordered a half steer from a local farmer and have committed to buying a half hog from a different farmer. When we cut those up we will suddenly need a lot of room in the freezer.
Canning food is wonderful in that it renders the food shelf stable, but there's a considerable investment of time as well as energy. I'm just struggling with the pros and cons. I've got chicken broth that I canned up over a year ago and have not used, and that's becoming a dilemma for me. Should I just save it for a disaster and accept that the quality is dropping? It will definitely provide nutrition even if it is years old, and I'm tired (today ;-) so I think that's what I'll do. I'll keep saving the broth I already bothered to can, but not can more unless I have a sudden need for freezer space.
I agree that you came to a satisfying solution. Since you were already using the freezer, the incremental cost in using the unoccupied empty space in the freezer is just the cost to freeze the food, and so using this first is most appropriate.