Canning and preserving foods is a common method for food storage and long-term food storage that has been used for centuries. Various techniques have changed over the years due to modern technology, however the basic principles remain the same. The idea of canning and preserving food has become increasingly popular in the last decade due to several food recalls and to food shortages in certain areas. Individuals may choose to can or preserve their food for long-term food storage in order to stockpile food for emergencies. In fact, canning and preserving foods can have a longer shelf life than other methods.
This guide will discuss the different techniques for Canning and preserving foods, tools and items you will need for Canning and preserving foods, tips and advice, maintenance of supplies and various other topics and canning and preserving foods. This guide is meant as an intro guide to the concept of canning and preserving. This guide is to offer a general introduction for individuals who may be new to Canning and preserving or may not understand the steps behind canning and preserving.
Before discussing the different techniques, canning, and preserving food, we will first discuss the benefits of canning and preserving food for long-term food storage and for stockpiling for emergency situations. The following are just few of the benefits.
Long-Term Stability
By and large, the reason that individuals choose to can or preserve foods is based on the long-term stability of food storage. Though it may not be common in certain areas, areas like Alaska will have more homes participating in these preservation methods. This is due in large part to the harsh cold weather climates in Alaska and the lack of food after a certain point in the winter months. During spring and summer month's families will grow and hunt for food and preserve that food for the coming winter months. For families in these situations, several hundred pounds of meat, vegetables and other food resources are vital to the survival in the area.
For those individuals who are not concerned with survival for a specific timeframe each year, they may be concerned with survival on a long-term basis. For some families, canning and preserving foods is one of the only ways to ensure that food will be available in case of an emergency. These emergencies can be linked to preparedness, but the vast majority of emergencies people prepare for Canning and preserving foods are those linked to economic and financial hardships. If a family member loses a job or if there is an economic or financial hardship due to a medical reason, having a long-term food storage in place can save the family and keep them off public assistance when needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition is another benefit to Canning and preserving of food. This is generally not thought of as a benefit, however when you know what is going into your food and you know what preservatives are in your food the nutrition value is much greater than something that is store-bought. Another aspect of nutrition to be considered with canning and preserving food is the overall shelf life. For example, there are some families who will resort to buying canned foods from the supermarket and storing those. The problem with this is their long-term shelf life is not that long. In most cases the shelf life for store-bought canned goods can be as little as two years with only a maximum of five years. For those individuals who have decided to use canning and preserving techniques the long-term stability in nutritional value of the foods can last over five years and in some cases over 10 depending on the type of food.
Financial Stability
A third benefit of canning and preserving foods is the financial stability. Though canning and preserving foods can be costly at the beginning, in some cases up to $300 of investment, the overall financial stability of being able to Canning and preserve foods has more long reaching effects. For many families, purchasing meat in bulk and preserving those meats can save a great amount of money especially with the fluctuation of quality of meat and meat products on the market. For those families who hunt and fish, the financial stability and budget friendliness of canning of preserving foods is far greater.
Now to understand some of the benefits of canning and preserving foods, it is time to discuss the basic types of canning and preserving methods. There are three major types.
Three Types of Canning and Preserving Foods
Canning and preserving foods is an easy process once you understand the types of canning and preserving methods as well as what goes into each type. This section of the guide is to go over the three types in general and give you a general idea each type. We will be going over each type in detail including what types of tools are needed for the various types of canning and preserving.
Water bath Canning
Water bath canning is a canning method that is used for high acidic foods. Fruits and vegetables can be preserved and can through water bath canning methods. Water bath canning is a very basic concept. An individual who wants to water bath can their foods will use a water bath pot. This pot may also be a stockpot. The main issue with this particular type is that you use a water bath canning device with a lid. Canning jars will be placed inside of the water bath. The canning jars will already be filled with the food item. The canning jars will be submerged under water and boiled in now water for a specific amount of time depending on the food that is being canned. The food within the jars will be cooked during this process. After the boiling process is finished the canning jars will be removed and allowed to cool. After they have cooled they will be stored in a storage area.
Pressure Canning
Pressure Canning is another common method of canning and preserving of foods. Pressure Canning uses a similar method as the water bath canning method with a slight difference. Whereas the water bath canning method will use a specialized water bath canner or deep-water container, the pressure canning method uses a pressure canner. Pressure canner is similar to a pressure cooker and in some cases is a combined device. The pressure Canning method is used for meats, fish and for other foods such as beef stew, soups and other items. In this technique the meats, fish or other food item will be placed into the Mason or canning jars. The jars will be sealed and will be placed into the pressure canner underwater. The pressure canner will be sealed and the food will be cooked in the jars within the pressure canner for a specific amount of time depending on the kind of food that is being canned.
Fermentation
Fermenting foods is a third method that is used. This is only used on certain foods and is not as popular with canning and preserving as the previously to mentioned techniques. Fermentation techniques differ depending on the type of food that is being fermented. In general, a fermentation technique does not use a pressure canner or water bath containment unit. The food that is being fermented will be cooked outside of the jars and placed into the jars for fermenting purposes. Sauerkraut, soy sauce and similar items are the most popular items that are used in the fermentation canning and preserving process.
In addition to the three types or techniques of canning and preserving there is also a technique we will discuss later called dehydration storage. Dehydration storage is becoming increasingly popular and we will discuss that type of storage in the next section of this guide.
Dehydration Preserving and Canning Methods
Dehydration preserving and canning methods are becoming recently popular with the ease of purchasing food dehydrators. Many individuals will choose to dehydrate food rather than deal with the sanitation issues surrounding pressure canning or cooking. This is especially true of individuals who want to preserve meat for long-term storage. Though meat can be used in a pressure canning environment, there are several health risks to meat and to avoid these risks dehydration is a preferred method. The following are the basic methods behind dehydration preserving and canning.
The Equipment
The equipment used in dehydration preserving and canning methods is fairly simple. You will need a food dehydrator of your choice, food dehydration screens for finer foods and jerky, a food vacuum sealer and jar vacuum sealer attachments. Overall the equipment will cost you between $150-$200 depending on the type of dehydrator you choose. The type of dehydrator is the largest amount of cost with this type of preservation method.
The Procedure
The procedure behind the hydration preserving and canning methods is very simple. It is the same procedure regardless of if you are dehydrating meats, vegetables or fruits. The basic concept is that you will prepare the food in the manner required and according to your dehydrator instructions. Each dehydrator has different instructions and you should follow the instructions for that particular dehydrator and the food that you are dehydrating it to the letter. For example, an enclosed dehydrator such as the Excalibur uses a fan system and temperature gauge system. You will want to just throw food in there and let it dehydrate. There is a specific method and you will need to follow that method in order to make sure that the food comes out properly.
Once you have determined how you need to prepare the food for the food dehydration method you can then place it in the dehydrator for the specified amount of time on the specified temperature if your food dehydrator has a temperature requirement. You will leave the food in the dehydrator for the specified amount of time according to your food dehydrator instructions. Generally food is left in the dehydrator for anywhere from six hours to several days.
Once the food has dehydrated properly, remove the food and allow it to cool. Remember that even in the dehydrator you are still using temperature to dehydrate the food, which means the food will be warm to the touch. You want to make sure the food cools down before you move to the next step in the dehydration preservation procedures. When the food has cooled down you will then place it into one of two preservation methods.
The first method that you can use is the canning method. In this method you will place the meats or whatever item you have dehydrated into a mason jar. You will then use the vacuum sealer and the Mason jar sealing attachments for your vacuum sealer to seal the jar and remove any air. Once the air is removed you can then store the jar with you the rest of your food storage.
The second method that you can use is the vacuum sealer method. This method is very popular many individuals because it uses the vacuum sealer and vacuum sealer bags. You will simply place the food items in your dehydrated into the vacuum silverbacks and user vacuum sealer to seal those bags. Bags can be stored along with the regular food storage items or in a dark container in your food storage closet. Remember you will want to keep any item that you vacuum seal in a cool, dark area. This will elongate the life of the food and will allow the food to remain stable for a longer period of time.
The Water bath Canning Approach
The water bath canning approach is one of the most common and easiest canning and preserving methods. Next to dehydration, many people will choose to use the water bath method over a pressure canner method. In fact many individuals who have been using canning and preserving methods for several years will do a mixture of the dehydration method and the water bath canning approach. In order to begin the water bath canning approach you will need to understand what is required in tools, ingredients and in the process itself.
The Tools and Ingredients
The chosen ingredients for water bath canning approach are slightly expensive but will pay for themselves in due time. You will need a water bath canning device. Water bath canning devices can be purchased for around $60 from local stores, canning and preserving stores and online. You may also use a regular stockpot with a tight fitting lid. You will need canning or Mason jars in the desired size. Mason jars come in several different sizes and you can choose whichever size fits your needs. It is also best to buy a water bath canning kits. These kits are generally accessory kits that have tongs and several other devices that will make water bath canning easier on you. Depending on the type of canning you will be doing you may need pickling ingredients or a pectin.
The Process
The process for the water bath canning approach is pretty cut and dry. If any other type of food you will be preserving or canning you will have a varied amount of time that you will work through the process. However, in general the following is the basic process for the water bath canning approach.
Sterilization is the first step in the process. You will need to boil and sterilize empty Mason jars but also the lid and the caps. The lids and caps will come with the Mason jars or may be purchased separately. The reason that you want to do the sterilization process of boiling them in water is a twofold reason. One is to remove any germs or contaminants that may be on the jars or the lids and caps themselves. The second reason is to activate the Mason jar lids. You want to make sure the seal is somewhat activated and the boiling and sterilization process will do that. Once you have sterilized the Mason jars and the lids and caps you can move on to the food portion of the process.
You will take your food item and prepare it for canning. This may mean dicing, slicing or pur'eing. You will place the food item of your choice into the Mason jars once you have prepared the food properly. You will then place the filled jars with their caps and lids in place, in the water bath. You want to make sure the water is already boiling in the water bath container. You also want to make sure there is enough water that it will cover the jars once the jars are placed in and that there is not so much water that will overflow or boil over. Once you have placed your jars into the water bath container you will then cover the container with a lid and allow it to sit and boil for the specified amount of time for the food item you have chosen.
When the food has reached the desired amount of time in the water bath, you will remove the jars and allow them to cool. You will need to allow cooling for several hours. Remember they must be cooled to the types and you must remember that the middle of the jar may still be warm. So allow them to cool as long as necessary. After they have cooled you may place them into the shelving area or stockpile or you are created.
The Pressure Canner Preservation Method
As previously mentioned, the pressure canner preservation method for food canning and preserving is much the same as the water bath method with only a slight change. The slight change has to do more with the tools and equipment than with the process itself.
Tools and Equipment
The tools and equipment used for pressure canner preservation methods are fairly the same as the canning in the water bath method. You will still need Mason jars of the desired size, you will still need an accessory kit, which is much the same as the water bath canning kits, and you will still need a canning device. The canning device is the biggest difference in the two canning methods. A pressure canner cooker is what is required for the pressure canning preservation method. The reason is because you will primarily be cooking meats and other items in the pressure canner method. The process however, is much the same.
The Process
The process of the pressure canner preservation method is fairly the same as the water bath canning method. You will prepare the meat or whatever food item you will be canning and preserving prior to placing it in the Mason jars. You will still need to go to the sterilization steps that were mentioned in the water bath canning method. The sterilization steps are vital and possibly more important in the pressure canning method then in the water bath method. This is due to the fact that you are dealing with salmonella and other poisons that may occur if the food is not handled properly.
When you have the food prepared and placed into the Mason jars, make sure that you remove any extra air. When you have removed the air from the jars, you will then place the lids on the jars and submerge them in the water in the pressure canner. Various pressure canner's have different views on if the water should be boiling or not. Follow the directions that came with your pressure canner to determine if the water should be boiled or what temperature the water should be at. Remember that you want to have the water cover the Mason jars that you place inside the pressure canner.
The pressure canner will have specific instructions on how to select the amount of pressure and temperature that will be used for the cooking process. Follow the instructions that came with your device. Do not try to guess on this. A pressure canner is not the same as a water bath. A water bath canning method will simply boil over if there is a problem. However a pressure Canner can explode and cause a major injury and damage to the kitchen. Follow the directions that came with your unit. After you have set the pressure canner and allowed the pressure canner to cook for the desired amount of time, you will then remove the pressure canner from the heat and allow cooling down. Remove the pressure canner lid after the desired amount of cool down time and then remove the jars. The jars should be allowed to cool just as with the water bath method. Once the jars are cooled completely you can then place them with the rest of your food stockpile.