Q and A: oven canning rice and everlasting yeast

Oven canning rice

Can you oven can raw rice?

Jean Groen

Yes, it keeps well in sealed jars. But I save time and money by just storing bags of rice in my used popcorn tins. I’ve never had rice go bad yet after years in them. Brown rice is another story; it doesn’t keep well, even when oven canned although that does buy it some time. Freezing large quantities is a better option. Or can it as you would nutmeats, shortening the time heating in the oven on a cookie sheet, but thoroughly heating it before placing in dry, hot canning jars then pressure canning it at 5 pounds for 10 minutes. That’s much surer than oven “canning.” — Jackie

Everlasting yeast

I was wondering if you could tell me the difference (if any) between sourdough starter and everlasting yeast?

Cynthia Morgan
Hudson, Florida

Everlasting yeast is simply a “fed” handful of bread dough that you put into a crock, add water and flour, and let work for a day or two, covered. Each time you make bread (every couple of days), you hold back a handful of dough to start your next batch of dough. If left to work too long, it will become sourdough and can be used as any other sourdough starter. It is usually initially started with a yeast dough and you propagate this tame yeast by retaining a chunk and “feeding” it to make your next dough. Sourdough proper is usually started and kept going, fermenting in a crock. You use a certain amount to make your bread, retaining much of it and “feeding” it with water and flour to keep it alive and ready to use next time. As sourdough is fermented, it keeps going forever with decent care. The everlasting yeast dough also can be kept going, but in a different way; you just keep back a handful of dough and use that to start your next loaves of bread. — Jackie