Yes, you…CAN!!!
So is home canning worth the effort? Absolutely, yes. Canning is so rewarding! Imagine diving into your own pantry and plucking out a gorgeous jar of deliciousness preserved from your very own bounty.
Your canned foods will taste better than any commercial product you purchase. In addition, home canning is preservative free. Those beautiful foods you’ve admired at the farmer’s market that you never bought because… “Yikes! Those cost SO MUCH!”… are yours for a fraction of the price.
Best of all, those preserves, pickles, sauces, jams and jellies you make also become The World’s Best Gifts! Perfect for any occasion.
A Brief History of Canning
Canning is a relatively recent development in the long history of food preservation. Dried, salted and fermented foods have existed since the dawn of recorded history. However, preserving food by heat-treating, and then sealing it in airtight containers, didn’t come along until the late 18th century.
In 1795, Napoleon Bonaparte offered a reward for anyone who could develop a safe, reliable food preservation method for his army. Nicholas Appert took on the challenge, and about 15 years later introduced a method that involved heat-processing food in glass jars reinforced with wire, and sealing them with wax. This technique is similar to the method some people still use when sealing jelly jars with paraffin wax. (According to modern standards, however, the wax method is no longer considered safe.)
Close to 100 years after Nicholas Appert took on Napoleon’s food preservation challenge, Louis Pasteur was able to demonstrate how the growth of microorganisms causes food to spoil. Previously, people understood that canning methods worked, but not the reasons why.
Just prior to the U.S. Civil War, glass food preservation jars with metal clamps and replaceable rubber rings were invented. These jars are still available today, although, they are more commonly used now for storing dry goods than for canning.
Also in the mid 1800’s, John Mason invented a glass container with a screw-on thread molded into its top and a lid with a rubber seal.
In the late 1800’s William Charles Ball and his brothers got into the food jar business. They quickly became leaders in the industry.
Alexander Kerr developed a metal disk held in place by a threaded metal ring in the early 1900’s. This modern 2-piece canning lid was quickly duplicated by the Ball brothers and is still used today.
Some Practical Reasons for Canning
Canning is almost zero-waste
You can reuse the same glass jars and rings year after year. Lids must be replaced each time since you need a fresh, new seal in order to keep the food properly preserved. However, reusable lids produced by Tattler are a must-have in my kitchen.
Canning is a way to produce the freshest produce
Fruits and vegetables are always best when eaten in their proper season. Canning enables you to keep that wonderful fresh taste of fruits and vegetables throughout the year.
Home canning allows you to keep the additives out of your food
When you can at home, you know exactly what’s going into the jars. Most recipes require minimal ingredients. You won’t need to worry about extra sodium, unrecognizable ingredients or BPA found in store-bought cans.
Canning allows you to support your local farmers
Pick-your-own fruit farms are everywhere, but you can also buy large baskets of produce directly from farmers. The smaller quantities sold in stores tend to be much more expensive. By buying local and canning at home, you will reduce the total number of miles that your food has travelled to get to your table, along with its accompanying carbon footprint. Better yet, grow your own!
Canning makes the perfect homemade gift
People love homemade preserves, jams and pickles, which makes them the ideal gift. I always keep jars on hand for last minute presents. They are perfect for any occasion.
There is food security in canning
There is something deeply satisfying about storing food for future consumption, and knowing it’s always there. I think it’s a good idea to minimize one’s dependence on the corporate grocery and Big Box food world. Canning is a way to stay off the ‘food grid’ as much as possible. In addition, jars won’t go bad in the case of an unexpected power outage.
The act of canning carries on an age old tradition
For centuries, people had to preserve their own food out of necessity. However, we’ve now become so dependent on a larger food system that canning hardly seems worth the effort. It’s a skill, however, that’s well worth preserving.
So plunge into my recipes and have a blast canning!