CANNING CLASSES TO PRESERVE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR THE LOCALS IN SAN MIGUEL, PANAMA JORDAN MASON BUSINESS INTERN

Transcription

1 K A L U Y A L A Project Conclusion CANNING CLASSES TO PRESERVE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR THE LOCALS IN SAN MIGUEL, PANAMA JORDAN MASON BUSINESS INTERN SUMMER 2014 Last edited August 1, 2014 Finalized August 2014 telephone: pastriesbyjordan@gmail.com

2 Table of Contents Introduction! 3 Interest! 3 Importance! 3 Goals! 4 Short-term 4 Long-term 4 Impact! 5 Research and Preparation! 5 Previous Knowledge! 5 Research! 5 Supplies and Budget! 6 Implementation! 6 Changes That Occurred! 6 Continuation! 7 Future Impacts and Project Growth! 7 Conclusion! 8 Success of Project! 8 Final Thoughts! 8 Special Thanks! 8 2

3 Introduction Interest Since I was young I ve always had an interest in food, cooking, baking, eating, and just experimenting in the kitchen. I used to spend hours watching the Food Network imagining being the next Top Chef. I pursued this passion by getting my Baking and Pastry degree in 2012 from Johnson & Wales University. With a dream to open up a bakery, I continued my education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and majored in Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management. Everything was going great and my dream of having a bakery would soon be a reality, except for the fact that two weeks prior to spending my summer with Kalu Yala in Panama, I discovered that I have severe food allergies to several foods, and my entire life changed. I ve overcome several obstacles while spending my time here at Kalu Yala, but a few things that I realized that I couldn t eat anymore are because of the preservatives that are in processed foods. This is why I chose to pursue teaching the people in San Miguel how to can. I personally wanted to teach myself how to can, and this was the perfect opportunity to teach myself, as well as others, and have all of us benefit from it. With my allergies I cannot eat a majority of processed foods, so canning foods myself will be the only way I ll be able to eat certain foods. After doing much research, I ve come to a realization of how unhealthy these foods are in general. Then, the people in San Miguel informed me that health is an issue there as well. With the abundance of fruits like mangoes and pineapples, and the unhealthy way of life the locals are living, I decided that I really wanted to help them create food that is good for them, as well as tasty. I really enjoy creating awesome food, and I love helping people and passing on my food knowledge. Importance Problem: There are an abundance of certain fruits in San Miguel that are spoiling before they can be eaten. There are also people in San Miguel who will benefit from having extra food around that is healthy. Goal: Provide people in San Miguel a workshop to learn how to can and preserve unused food to eventually eat or trade within the community. I hope that the small group I teach will enjoy canning and continue to do it on their own. Why People in San Miguel Should Can Their Food: San Miguel has a huge problem with their fruits spoiling, especially mangoes. There is an abundance of mangoes that fall to the ground 3

4 and spoil. Some people also have problems where they cannot afford food to feed their entire family. If they were to learn how to can and preserve their fruit that normally rots, they will have a healthy alternative in a few months when they need food. It is a fulfilling experience and many people are proud of what they accomplish when canning foods from their garden. Canning is very economical. It can save half the cost of buying commercially canned fruits and vegetables. Also, the same equipment is used over and over again (besides lids). The initial cost of getting the equipment can be expensive, but in the long run it will save them money. It s also better than freezing because canned foods do not have to rely on electricity. As well as being economical, canning can also be very nutritional. The food is going to be organic, healthy, and homemade. It s also convenient to grab some preserved fruit from your house rather than running down the street to the Chino for some snacks. Another perk is that foods can be available all year long, even if they are not in season anymore. Proper nutrition can be difficult to maintain when there are limited options of foods available in San Miguel. Quick foods consist of chips and snacks from the Chino, or fried food at the Fonda. Most of the people in San Miguel have plants that they can harvest fruit from, and I plan to help them preserve those fruits. Goals Short-term Provide a manual to keep at the San Miguel house as a reference for those who want to can. Teach a small group of individuals who are interested in learning how to can. Expand knowledge to the locals in San Miguel that this food is better for them, and they can really benefit from it. Create the knowledge for a new product for Aura to eventually sell at her stand. Long-term Have Aura sell canned products at her stand. Create a jar-returning system that allows jars to be recycled after they are used. Profit from the foods that are canned in San Miguel by having locals do the canning, sell it to Kalu Yala, and bring it back to sell on shelves in Panama City. Find a location that is safe, sanitary, and legal where locals can go to preserve their fruits and vegetables. Have San Miguelians benefit from this process nutritionally, economically, and personally. Co-exist with the Raised-Beds project 4

5 Impact I hope that my project creates a positive impact on the people in San Miguel. I hope that at least one person benefits from my project and continues canning on their own. If at least one person follows through with the process then they will most likely talk about it or share it with their friends. This project could make a large impact, but I personally didn t have enough time to expand it to its fullest business potential. I also hope that this project will eventually have a positive impact on Kalu Yala Farms S.A. in the future by creating profit and exposure of Kalu Yala. If this project is continued, Kalu Yala as a whole will benefit from it. Once Kalu Yala has buildings and becomes a real community, getting fresh canned foods from San Miguel will benefit both parties. Research and Preparation Previous Knowledge I have plenty of food knowledge, especially when it comes to baking. I love learning about food, and I understand how it works. So I really enjoyed doing all the research for this project. I could sit down and look at recipes all day, and that s what I have done somedays while searching for canning recipes that will be easily implemented in San Miguel. When it comes to canning, I do not have much experience, but I made sure that I researched the topic fully prior to having my class. Research I created a manual to keep at the house in San Miguel as a reference for anyone who wants to use it. For this manual, I researched everything including equipment needed, how to can, altitude, canning safety, problems, which foods are best to can, fruits that are in San Miguel, and recipes. It was really important to do this initial research because of the safety issues that can occur while canning. Botulism is not something that should be taken lightly, and it s important that everyone who cans realizes the risks involved. This is why I created the manual to keep at San Miguel. Problems can also occur, and I ve created a list of some of them, as well as why they happen and what should be done to correct them. I chose to mainly research fruit because at this point in time we do not have a pressure canner. To be 100% safe, it s best to only can fruits in a hot water bath method. Until a pressure canner is 5

6 available to them in San Miguel, and they can be properly taught how to use it, I decided it was best to only research fruits and put them in the manual. My manual can be accessed on the past projects page on the Kalu Yala website. Supplies and Budget Jars- I used 4 oz so that they would be able to take the jars home with them and if they do not have refrigeration then the jam won t spoil if it s not used fast enough. I had to get 12-4 oz jars from Amazon that were $ Pint jars can be purchased in Panama at Discovery Center for $25.00 for a dozen. Canning rack- $9.00 Tool kit- includes all the necessary tolls like funnel, jar lifter, jar grabber, etc. ordered from Amazon for $14.00 Implementation Plan On July 24th, 2014, I hosted a workshop at the San Miguel house and taught them how to can. I chose to teach them both canned pineapple and mango marmalade. Changes That Occurred My project started with me wanting to host 2-3 classes to the general public in San Miguel. After visiting San Miguel though, I realized that it would be more beneficial just to teach Aura and Noris (the cook and housekeeper and Casa Llena). After I taught them, I was going to have a class with their friends. Once I started talking to Olivia and Duffy about their project, I realized that our projects tied directly into one another. The foods that they will be growing in the raised beds will need to either be eaten soon after harvested, sold, or preserved. If the locals really enjoy canning, then the foods they choose to grow in their gardens can be foods that they can preserve themselves. Having the raised beds program will allow them to choose the foods they want to grow, and give them the freedom on how they want to use it. This is when we decided that it would be best if we hosted our classes together and make a workshop for the select few individuals who will be receiving the raised beds. 6

7 The last change occurred when I had some minor issues getting the canning materials to Panama by the day they were having their class, so I moved my class to the day after theirs. I think that they will all realize that these projects are similar and hopefully they will take advantage of it. Continuation Future Impacts and Project Growth The future impact of this project could be endless. This is only the beginning for a business that could generate a lot of profit for Kalu Yala Farms. If it is implemented how I envision it, both Kalu Yala Farms and San Miguel will benefit. In the long run, the community of Kalu Yala could benefit from canned goods as well. Under Kalu Yala Farms, this canning company would be the second food product. The goal of this company would be to have a location in San Miguel, Panama where the people who live there will have the opportunity to work for our company. On their own time they will go to the designated canning location and preserve all the fruits and vegetables they want. After they produce these goods, they will be able to sell whatever they want back to Kalu Yala Farms, and the product will then be available to sell on the shelves in Panama City. Both parties profit from the deal, and it will create more income for the people in San Miguel, as well as create a profit for Kalu Yala Farms. Once Kalu Yala is a town with stores, some of the canned goods can be sold in the grocery store or used in the restaurants. San Miguel will still be profiting from people being in Kalu Yala, and the product will probably still be in Panama City. All of this will be making money for Kalu Yala Farms as well, hopefully to expand the company and make even more food products. The possibilities are endless when it comes to the future impacts and project growth of canning in San Miguel. My project has only been the initial platform for a business and product that eventually is going to happen. We will gain more respect from San Miguel if we pay them for the work they are doing for us, which is very important for the future of Kalu Yala. Check out my business plans on the past projects page on the Kalu Yala website. 7

8 Conclusion Success of Project The women who were at the class really enjoyed what I taught them. They have never canned or done anything like it and were really excited to learn how to do it. After the class they were discussing how many mangoes there were and they didn t know what to do with them. Even if they don t end up canning and getting the equipment, they loved the mango marmalade that I showed them how to make. If anything, it s a new recipe they can add to their collection. All of them were excited to take the jars home and share the marmalade with their husbands. It was very rewarding knowing that all my effort I put into my project was worth it. Final Thoughts I think overall, this project was a success. I introduced something new to people who have never done it before, and they not only enjoyed it, but were excited about it. Noris thanked me several times for showing her how to can and how to create something new in the kitchen. Not only did this project introduce canning to a town that could really benefit from it, but the future of this project will benefit both Kalu Yala and Kalu Yala Farms S.A. I m really glad that this is the project I chose to pursue, and I hope that there will be a future to canning in San Miguel. Special Thanks Special thanks to my director Matthew Duffy for helping me direct my project goals several times and actually make the canning class a reality, to my other director Megan Pelham for helping me all along the way with anything and everything, to Dixie Hendley and Alix Tingle for helping me translate, to everybody at San Miguel for letting me use their house, and providing so much positive support, to Carol Martinez for helping me with spanish translations for my handout, to Jahd Burns and Selena Feliciano for helping me practice my recipes, to Jessee Keirstead for taking awesome pictures, and to many more interns who gave me any help or support along the way! Thanks! 8