Join me as I introduce beginners to canning and food preservation! This is a complete, but not complex, guide for those interested in learning to make real food last on the shelf. Come learn the simple art of food preservation the *simple* way.
What is Long Term Preservation?
The idea of long term food preservation is that it can last on the shelf for more than a year. Food preservation practices have been around for centuries. Some of the oldest methods being canning, drying, and fermentation.
The differences not only lie in the fact that foods last longer but that often the nutrition is better preserved using these methods. Take freezing vegetables for example… First you blanche them (the process of heating the food and cooling it very quickly). This depletes the food of nutrition. Then freezing/thawing. Then reheating on the stovetop. All of these steps deplete the food of nutrition. Canning and other methods of long term preservation eliminate unnecessary steps and preserve more nutritional properties in the food.
Another difference in long term vs short term preservation is that foods taste different. This is of course dependent on the person but I feel that some foods are just better canned vs frozen. Green beans just have a tenderness and flavor that they do not get in the freezing process. Some foods cannot be frozen well but can be preserved through canning with better results.
Long Term Preservation Methods
There are several long term preservation methods, some only used in certain cultures as ancient practices. Here we will discuss the four main methods of long term preservation used in our culture today…
Pressure Canning. This method is widely used in culture today. It is the process of using pressure to preserve food in jars for long term storage that can last several years on the shelf. Food is placed in jars with lids that have a seal. As pressure in the canning rises the air is compressed which causes the lids to seal and preserve the food.
Water Bath Canning. Water bath canning is the method of canning using only heat to preserve the food. Food is placed in a glass jar then into boiling water for a period of time which causes the lid to seal for freshness.
Dehydration. This method is the process of using dry heat from an oven or conventional dehydrator machine to dry foods. It removes all the moisture from the food which makes it shelf stable for years. Fruits can be dehydrated and ground into a powder for flavoring. Meat can also be dehydrated and made into jerky.
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Freeze Drying. This is a method that is slowly becoming more available to homes in the US and other countries. It has been around for a while but only in mass production, large facilities. Companies have recently been working to make this method more available to the home cook, although it is still quite expensive.
In this post we will focus mostly on canning as it is the most efficient and available method at his time.
Fear Around Canning
A few mishaps, plus the unfamiliarity and culture today has been handed a fear of canning as a long term preservation option. While there have been incidents over the years, if you are following instructions there is NO REASON to fear canning your own food. Because of the fear around canning many women are intimidated by the entire process. Here are a few of the main reasons people fear canning and why you should not let these fears stop you…
Explosions. This is probably one of the main fears that have kept many from venturing into the world of canning. The data on this is seriously vague to say the least. Canning incidents are added to the total number of kitchen incidents involving any number of home appliances making it very inaccurate when trying to find actual numbers. Needless to say, if your equipment is in proper shape and you are following instructions you do not need to worry about your canner exploding.
Botulism and food poisoning. Another fear around canning and long term preservation is botulism and other types of food poisoning being contracted from preserving foods from home. There have definitely been cases of this throughout the years caused by canned foods that were not preserved properly or eaten out of date. As long as you have followed all the proper instructions (keep reading for those!) and are familiar with food safety you need not worry about giving your family botulism from home canned goods.
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Unfamiliarity. I personally believe this is the root cause behind all the fears around canning and preservation. We just do not do it any more. One hundred, and even fifty years ago most everyone was at least familiar with the idea of canning, if they were not doing some form of it themselves. Today it is not practiced in the home kitchen and many of us Millennials and Gen Z gals did not grow up with mothers or even grandmothers who were canning things in the summer. If you did, consider yourself fortunate!
The only way to keep this tool and art alive is to learn it and use it ourselves! To a generation craving the simple and longing for the traditional ways that sustained generations- let’s bring it back and keep it alive!
Safety Tips
Knowing the proper safety involved with canning will eliminate unnecessary accidents and help you feel more confident. All canners come with a safety manual. I highly recommend reading that to know the specific safety features of your canner. Many of the newer models are equipped with safety features that reduce incidents. Here are a few other tips to help avoid incidents….
- Always clean your food. Botulism and food poisoning can easily be avoided by properly washing your fruits and vegetables before canning. My preferred method is to soak them in baking soda and vinegar, then scrub them each by hand. As you are cleaning and cutting take notice of any bad spots on your produce. Remove these spots before canning and make sure all dirt has been removed.
- Always sterilize your jars. Sterilizing your jars is just another preventative measure that will likely prevent bacteria growth in your preserved foods. Sterilizing sounds intimidating. It is simply allowing the jars to soak in boiling water for several minutes. This kills bacteria and guarantees safety.
- Check your canner seal and other parts. Before using your pressure canner check the seal to make sure it is tight and there are no tears or flaws. The number one cause of pressure canning mishaps is an issue with the pressure not being contained to the canner (a seal issue).
- Follow instructions in your manual. Many issues could be avoided if you simply read and follow all the instructions. This may seem like a hassle at first but the more you can the more confident you will become. Just like any skill you will retain more of the process the more you do it. For now read all the steps, double check yourself, and get familiar with the process.
- Make slow temperature adjustments. Broken jars and canner explosions happen when quick adjustments are made to temperature. Have you ever accidentally poured boiling water over a cool glass? The glass breaks due to the extreme shifts in temperature. This happens in the canning process as well so be mindful that you are making slow adjustments as needed.
- Do not open your pressure canner lid immediately! Steam burns hurt and can be extremely dangerous. Allow the canner to cool before opening the lid immediately. Due to the large size of the pot, often the lid can be right at face/neck level. If for some reason you need to open the canner before it cools, open the lid away from your face and use mits on your hands.
Steps to Canning and Preserving Food
- Wash food well. Use 2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 cup vinegar in warm water. Allow food to soak then scrub with hands removing all the dirt.
- Sterilize jars in boiling water.
- Fill the canner 3/4 full of water and boil on high heat. This can take a little while.
- Cut or process the produce as necessary. Make sure to cut out any rotten spots on your produce.
- Fill your jars. Pack the jars following the instructions on your recipe. Many recipes call for an inch or 1/2 inch of headspace. This simply means space at the top between the lid and your food.
- Screw on the lids. Make sure the rings are placed properly around the jars and that they are tight.
- Place the jars in the canner. Try to space them evenly in a circle rotation (like you are making a flower). You can place jars in the middle as well. Keep the jars from touching each other. This reduces breakage.
- Adjust water. Water should be about half and inch to one inch above the jar lids. Take out or add water as needed.
- Place lid on canner and begin processing time. Processing time always begins when the water comes to a complete boil, or, for a pressure canner when the pressure weight on the top begins to shake.
- Keep an eye on temperature and adjust as needed. You want a constant, steady boil or (for pressure canner) a steady shaking of the pressure regulator (the weight). If the boil gets too high or the regulator begins shaking violently slowly turn temperature down.
- When processing time is complete turn heat off and allow canner to cool.
- Remove jars after canner has cooled.
- Allow jars to cool and seal (24-48 hours).
- Check the seals by pushing in the middle of the lid. If it makes a popping sound the lid did not fully seal. If there is no give in the lid your jars are fully sealed and can be stored in a cool dry place for as long as your recipe calls for.
*For foods that are already cooked- skip step one and four.
Where to Begin with Long Term Preservation
After consuming all this information you may be wondering, “Where do I start?” The easiest place to begin is right here! Gathering information. Do not get overly consumed with this step. Get just enough info to get started then…
Decide which canning options right for you. I suggest starting with a water bath canner and learning to can things like pickles and salsa before stepping up to a pressure canner. They are safer, more cost effective, and a great place to begin! Get your water bath canner here then join our email list so you do not miss out on easy water canning methods for pickles and salsa coming later this month!
You will also need pint sized and quart sized glass jars with lids and rings. You will also need the ingredients for whatever you are preserving. That’s all! With just a little information and a bit of equipment you can start preserving your own food in your own home.
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The easiest way to begin is to pick one food you want to can and master that one food. You will be mastering the method as you go as well! Pickles are a great place to begin if you and your family are a consumers. They are made with simple ingredients and are just about the easiest things to preserve while also giving you the full preservation experience. They can be canned in the water bath which is also the easier of the two canning methods. If you are wanting to familiarize yourself with preservation but are not quite ready for a canner try refrigerator pickles!
What you Need to Begin Canning
This was vaguely stated in the section above. Here is a complete list of everything you need to begin canning…
- Water Bath Canner and/or Pressure Canner
- Quart glass Mason jars
- Pint glass Mason jars
- Pickling salt
- Ingredients for what you are canning
- Lid Tightener (optional; hands work just as well)
- Jar lifter for warm jars (optional; can wait until the jars cool)
Join our email list so you don’t miss out on recipes, how to’s, and more on canning and preserving! Our new printable e-book all about canning and preserving will be available soon! Follow along on Instagram @littlewifeinthewoods for more content weekly.
[…] You do not need to be an expert. No experience is required to start learning the art of canning and preservation! If you want my complete guide to canning and preserving for beginners go check out this post here. […]