From the Survival Blog
Food preservation through canning is
a skill still practiced extensively in the rural areas of the United States,
but people who live in the cities rarely consider canning because it is no
longer a part of the urban culture. Most city dwellers wouldn't have the first
idea about how to start canning, much less how to develop a viable food storage
program through processing their own food. Canning is a skill that is not only
important to our lives right now, but it will become even more important in the
event of TEOTWAWKI, because there will likely be no
more companies operating to preserve food for us.
I am a native Californian. I grew up
in a suburb of Los Angeles and lived most of my life in the "Golden
State". About 20 years ago, my husband and I started to become concerned
about the radical changes happening in our beloved home state, and we were
worried about raising our children in such a volatile culture. After about three
years of researching possible alternative locations, we pulled up stakes and
moved to tiny town in far northern Wyoming. When I say we pulled up stakes, I
mean that we left family, friends, and jobs to move to a place where we knew no
one and had no employment prospects. Our objective was to provide a better life
for our children and ourselves. Over the past seventeen years we have carved
out a niche in our little town and managed to almost integrate ourselves into a
very insular culture. Being Californians, we had a hard time convincing our new
neighbors that we weren't going to infect their society with our twisted
California values. After seventeen years and many hours of community service, I
think that they are beginning to trust us!
All kidding aside, my neighbors have
blessed my life since we moved to Wyoming by teaching me many things about
survival preparedness. In fact, it was difficult to choose just one subject for
this article. After consideration, I decided that canning was the single most important
thing that I have learned, because it combines self-sufficient food storage,
healthy eating, and saving money. Three of my all-time favorite topics!
Without exception, everyone should
"can". Men, women, city people, country people, and everyone in
between can benefit from learning how to preserve their own food. It does carry
some dangers, but they have been greatly exaggerated-- probably by the folks
who make canned foods for the supermarkets. As long as you use some common
sense and follow some simple rules, you will be able to provide your family
with delicious meals that are much healthier than the highly processed,
chemical-laden food that you can find in the grocery store. Additionally, you
will be able to lay in a supply of emergency rations that are far more
palatable than many of the freeze-dried foods and MREs that are currently being
sold for emergency preparedness. (We have freeze-dried foods and MREs in our
long-term food storage too, so I do not mean to marginalize these very important
food storage items; they definitely have their place in your plan.) Canning
will also allow you to save a substantial amount of money! So what's not to
love?
This article is not intended to teach
you everything you're going to need to know, as that would require a book.
Luckily, you have an excellent resource in the Internet to give you recipes and
basic instructions. (HJL Adds: Ball's Blue Book, usually available at
Walmart in the fall is also an excellent resource.) I also recommend talking to
all of the older women you know and polling your friends who live in the
suburbs. You'll find a wealth of information. This article is intended to
familiarize you with the benefits of canning, encourage those of you who dwell
in urban areas to look into preserving your own food, and to give you the basic
information that you will need in order to begin. I want you to get excited
about food preservation because the benefits are almost limitless!
Getting Started
No matter how you slice it, you're
going to have a little bit of an initial investment. But if you bide your time,
and shop smart, you can find a lot of ways to save money on your supplies. Here
is a list of the basic things you will need to start your canning adventure,
and some suggestions on how to save money when you buy them:
·
Jars
·
Lids
·
Water Bath Canning Kettle
·
Pressure Canning Kettle
·
Jar Puller
·
Canning Funnel
Jars & Lids
Jars come in several sizes-- from the
little jelly jars to pints, quarts, and even half-gallons. I would recommend
laying in a good supply of at least the pints and quarts, because these are the
sizes that you'll use the most.
Jars of all sizes come in two mouth
types-- regular and wide. The regular size opening works well for liquids,
sauces, and meats, while the wide-mouth jars are better for canning fruits and
vegetables. The jars require lids, so if you buy jars with both size openings,
you'll need both regular and wide-mouth lids. The lids themselves are a
two-piece contraption-- a flat lid with a sticky inner surface to facilitate
sealing and a ring that screws down over the flat lid to hold it in place.
Jars and lids are sold in the grocery
stores in country towns, but they may be a little more difficult to find in
urban areas. If you live in a city, try taking a trip out to country for the
day with the family. Take a picnic and be sure to stop at a couple of farmer's
markets to pick up some fruit and vegetables to put into your new jars. Find
the local farm and ranch store, and you'll undoubtedly be able to find a wide
selection of canning supplies.
Another great resource for jars is
thrift stores. They usually wind up with quite a few of them, which they offer
at a good price because they take up a lot of space. I once bought over 300
jars at a thrift store for $10.00. When you consider that they usually cost
from $9.00 to $12.00 per dozen, this was quite a savings. I have also had
excellent luck with finding canning jars at garage and estate sales. Seldom do
I ever buy my jars new from the grocery store. If you are buying used canning
jars, it is very important to inspect them carefully. Run your finger gently
around the mouth of the jar to be sure that there are no nicks, which would
interfere with sealing. Do this inspection carefully; you don't want to cut
yourself! Also, hold them up to the light to be sure that there are no hairline
cracks in the glass. If you take care of them, canning jars can last for years.
One more word to the wise is that if you give any of your canned food to your
friends, be sure to tell them that you want the jar back. You don't want them
tossing your hard-won canning jars into the trash!
Lids are another story.
"Official" canning websites, which are sponsored by canning jar
manufacturers, will tell you that you cannot reuse the flat lids or the rings
that screw them down to the jars. This is a lie. While you should NEVER reuse the
flat lid, the rings can be used over and over again, as long as they remain in
good shape and are free of rust. The canning jar manufacturers must know that
this is the case because they sell the flat lids and rings as sets, but they
also sell boxes that contain just the flat lids. I run my jars and rings
through the dishwasher after I empty them. Once they are thoroughly dry, I
place the ring back on the jar before putting it into storage to await my next
canning venture. This allows me to be sure that I have plenty of rings for my
jars, and it saves on storage space. There are several companies on the
internet that offer reusable lids for your jars. I have used a few of these and
have found them to be very effective. They're expensive, but they will save you
money in the long-run, and they would certainly be good to have on hand in the
event of TEOTWAWKI or any other national shortage of supplies. (HJL Adds:
You can also reuse the lids when just using the canning jar for dry storage, or
short term storage in the refrigerator. We will often use a Mason jar lid
attachment with our vacuum sealer for dry goods. As a result, we hardly ever
throw the lids away. New flats are always used for canning, but we save the old
for general use.)
Water Bath Canning Kettle
A water bath canner is a large,
enamelware pot with a lid and an inside rack. The rack sits inside the pot to
hold jars in place during the canning process and is useful for raising or
lowering jars into or out of the water. You will process your filled jars in a
water bath canner when you are canning high-acid items, such as pickles and
fruits (including tomatoes). While vegetables are usually pressure canned, they
can be canned in the water bath kettle, if you're making pickles out of them,
because the salt raises the acid content.
Your water bath canner will cost
about $40.00 - $50.00, if you purchase it new. I have two of them, and I bought
them both (you guessed it) at garage sales for $5.00 a piece. Be sure to check
and make sure that the rack is on the inside, if you decide to purchase a used
water bath canner.
Pressure Canning Kettle
A pressure canner is simply a
gigantic pressure cooker with a flat rack in the bottom to keep your jars from
coming into direct contact with the heat. When I first learned to can, I was
scared to death to try pressure canning. I spent years canning only the
high-acid items that I could process in my water bath kettle. Finally, I sucked
it up and set out to learn about the pressure canner that had been sitting on a
shelf in my garage for over five years. The first time I processed a batch of
soup in my pressure canner I was sure that I needed the fire department and
ambulance standing by, but (much to my surprise) I got through the experience
with the house still intact and with no loss of limbs. I have been happily
pressure canning ever since. Many people pressure can everything that they
preserve, but I feel that pressure canning fruits and pickles makes them too
mushy, so I stick to using both kinds of kettles.
Vegetables and meats are considered
low-acid and should always be processed in your pressure canner. This is also
true of your soups, chilis, and most sauces. I find that it's a good idea, when
in doubt, to pressure can just to be safe.
A good pressure canner is going to
cost you from $120.00 to $200.00. I bought mine at a garage sale for $10.00,
and it was almost brand new when I bought it. The retail price would have been
$140.00. It is important to buy a fresh gasket for the inside of any used
canner that you might purchase, and it is also a good idea to take the pressure
gauge (which will unscrew from the top) to your local extension office to have
it tested. You can find an extension office by contacting your local community
college. The nice extension people will test your gauge for free. If your used
canner doesn't come with instructions, just check the model number and look up
the instruction manual on the Internet. I recommend reading it thoroughly and
printing a copy to keep in your files.
Jar Puller
This is a utensil that is specially
shaped to allow you to keep a firm grip on your jars as you move them in and
out of the canning kettles. These are also sold anywhere that canning supplies
can be found, and they run about $12.00 each. Mine is 1970s avocado green and
was purchased at a garage sale for 25 cents.
Canning Funnel
This is a funnel with wide openings,
which will fit snugly into the mouth of your regular or wide-mouth jars and
will allow you to transfer your food into the jars without making a mess. (Well,
at least without making a huge mess.) It will also help you keep the tops of
the jars as clean as possible so that you'll have to do less cleaning before
sealing them. The new ones are plastic and cost about $15.00. I prefer the
older models, which are made of metal and can be picked up at garage sales or
thrift stores for next to nothing.
Aside from the things that you
probably already have in your kitchen, such as pots and pans, measuring cups,
and measuring spoons, you won't need any other equipment to start canning. When
you've assembled the above-mentioned items, all you need to do is decide what
you want to put into your jars, and get started.
What Can You Can?
You're going to be a little bit
confused when you start reading canning websites and blogs. There is a lot of
conflicting information out there about what can be canned, how it should be
canned, whether you should hot pack or cold pack, and how long it can be kept
on the shelf. I personally prefer the blogs and websites of elderly ladies who
have been canning for years and have plenty of practical experience under their
belts.
Let's start with what can be canned.
I can almost everything, and so do all of the other women whom I know. This
includes meats, vegetables, fruits, stews, soups, sauces, relishes, jellies,
chutneys, jams, and pickles.
Here's a little story to illustrate
how confusing the canning websites can be. I had been canning my spaghetti
sauce, which contains an appreciable amount of olive oil, for many years when I
read a hair-raising article about the dangers of canning food that contains any
kind of oil or fat. The article claimed that fats trap the bacteria and makes
them resistant to heat. After forcibly restraining myself from tossing out the
30 quarts of spaghetti sauce that were sitting on my shelf, I thought the whole
thing through and decided that I wasn't going to let the article strike a nerve
with me. After all, I had been canning sauces, soups, chilis, and meats, which
all contain fats, for many years, and I hadn't killed anyone or even made
anybody sick. Additionally, I know a woman who even cans her own butter, and
she hasn't killed anyone either. So, I have continued to happily can foods that
contain fats. This is your call, though, and you should thoroughly research the
available information before you make a decision about what you feel
comfortable canning. By the way, I water bath can my spaghetti sauce, even
though it contains onions, peppers, and oil, because tomatoes are so very high
in acid. I would not do this if I put meat in my canned spaghetti sauce. Meat
must always be pressure canned. Once again, do your research, and decide what
you feel is safe.
Speaking of safety, before eating any
low-acid canned foods you should thoroughly heat them to a hard boil to kill
any residual bacteria. Check the canning instruction websites to find out how
long they should be heated, and to what temperature, before serving.
Hot Packing and Cold Packing
There are two ways to can fruits and
vegetables: hot packing and cold packing. Meats are always hot packed after
they are thoroughly cooked. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, I
personally prefer cold packing. This means that the fruits and vegetables are
washed and put into the jars raw. Then brine, syrup, or water are added, and
they are placed into either the water bath canner or the pressure canner. Many
people prefer to cook foods before canning them, but I feel that the canning
process makes them too mushy if they are cooked ahead of time. This is a
personal preference, and you should experiment with both methods to see which
one you prefer. There is one problem with cold packing that you should know
about. The raw fruits and vegetables will shrink a little bit during the
processing, and your jars won't look as full and pretty. The contents will
float up a little, too. This doesn't hurt anything, but your jars won't look as
attractive as they do when you hot pack them. This is really only a
consideration if you're entering your canning for competition in the local
fair.
Additional Important Tips
·
Always sterilize your jars, lids, and rings before putting your
product inside. This is easy to do by simply putting your clean jars upside
down in a metal baking pan with about 2 inches of water in the bottom. Toss the
lids and rings in around them, and boil for about ten minutes. If the jars suck
up the water while they're boiling, just tilt them slightly to one side to
release it back into the pan. Be sure to use a hot pad when handling the jars
and lids, because they will be VERY hot.
·
When using salt in your canned products, always use the canning
salt or kosher salt that is available in most grocery stores. Regular salt is
iodized and it will discolor your vegetables. Also, add about a half a teaspoon
of Fruit Fresh to your jars of fruit to keep the colors vibrant and pretty.
Fresh Fruit is just ascorbic acid, and will not affect the flavor or nutrition
of your product.
·
Cleaning the tops of your jars and the threads around the edges
is vitally important before you put the lids on the jars. This will facilitate
sealing and prevent contamination of the contents. After you process your jars
in your canner and allow them to cool and seal, you should remove the outer
ring and clean again around the threads. Don't worry about removing the outer
ring, it won't affect the seal. Dry thoroughly and put the ring back on before
storing the jars. Many people store their jars without the rings on, and they
claim that this does not affect the length of time that the seal is viable.
Since I stack my jars on shelves, or in plastic bins, I want them to be as
protected as possible and have never done this, but I know several people who
do.
·
Mark the flat lids of your jars with a permanent laundry marker
as to the contents and the year that they were filled. You can buy those pretty
little labels to put on the outside of the jars, but I have found that they use
some kind of indelible miracle glue on them, and they're almost impossible to
take off once you put them on. Even putting them through the dishwasher doesn't
remove those little suckers. I'm going to throw the flat lid away anyway, so I
always just do my writing on the tops of the jars.
·
When you remove your jars from the canning kettle, try to do it
in a place where there is no direct draft from an air conditioner or a fan.
They will be very hot, and the cold air can crack them. Always allow them to
cool on a wooden cutting board or a thick dish towel to avoid contact with the
cold countertop. Additionally, if you are processing several batches in your
canning kettle, one after the other, don't lower the next batch of jars
immediately into the boiling water from the previous batch. This can also break
your jars. Allow the water to cool for a little while before putting in the
next batch of jars. Leave the jars undisturbed on the counter for at least five
or six hours before marking and storing them. After the cooling period, check
each jar for proper seal by pressing your index finger gently in the center of
the flat lid. If the jar is sealed, there will be no movement. If the jar is
not sealed, the flat lid will pop up and down. Put any unsealed jars in the
fridge and eat the contents in the next couple of days.
·
Jars should be filled to between ½ inch and 1 inch of the top
before sealing. Different recipes call for different headspaces, so be sure
that you check your recipes carefully before filling your jars.
·
After putting the product and the liquid into your jars, run a
kitchen knife gently around the inside of the jar. This will release any
trapped air bubbles. Add additional liquid as needed.
The Benefits of Canning
Food Storage - To me, this is
the number one, most important benefit of canning your own food.
"Official" websites say that you should not keep home canned food on
the shelf for more than two years. We feel very comfortable with keeping them
for up to five years. You simply have to exercise some common sense. Store them
in a cool, dry place and away from direct light sources. If the jar is no
longer sealed, if the food is discolored, or if the food smells bad, throw out
the contents of that jar! We rotate our home-canned food storage in the same
way that we rotate our store-bought food storage. The oldest jars are stored in
the front and used first. We also date every jar so that we know in what year
it was canned. We store our jars in plastic milk crates that are carefully
marked as to content and dates. This protects the jars, makes them easy to
stack, and would be handy to load into the back of the Suburban if we ever have
to bug out during a crises. You could also use small plastic storage tubs.
Saving Money
There are several financial benefits
to canning your own food. First, you will be able to buy fruit and vegetables
during the seasons when they are readily available, and very cheap. You might
not appreciate this as much if you live in California where vegetables are
grown year-round, but those of us who live in wintry states, like Wyoming, know
the value of being able to buy our asparagus when it's $1.49 per pound, as
opposed to the winter time when it goes up to $4.89 per pound! Also, you
usually save an additional amount of money by buying produce in larger quantities,
which you will be able to do since you will know how to preserve what you don't
eat right away! You can also use your new canning skills to take advantage of
sales and promotions on everything from produce to meat. Finally, you can cut
down on waste by cooking in large quantities, and canning the leftovers for
future use.
Meat is a great example of the value
of learning to can. Sure, you can buy meat on sale and put it into the freezer,
but how long will it be before it starts to dry out and becomes freezer burned?
Six months, tops? And what will happen if the grid goes down and you don't have
the electricity to run your freezer? You'll wind up with a lot of spoiled meat.
"Official" canning websites say that canned meat can be kept on the
shelf for two years, but we have eaten meat that has been in the jar for five
years with no ill effects at all. By the way, I have to warn you that meat in a
glass jar is one of the most unattractive things that you will ever see. It
looks like a failed science experiment. But don't let that put you off. If you
like to preserve wild game meats, try putting them into a stew or soup before
canning them. Between the seasonings and the canning process, they will lose
that strong, gamey taste.
Whenever I cook chili, stew, or soup,
I always cook in large quantities. It doesn't take much longer to cook a lot
than it does to cook a little, and that way I can build up my food storage with
very little additional effort. I simply can what is left over. This is also
handy for my husband, who works out of town most of the time. Whenever he comes
home, he goes down and raids the food storage for these pre-made meals to take
with him when he goes back to the job site. That way he has fast and easy
home-cooked meals that are tastier, more nutritious, and much less expensive
than eating out.
Saving Time
After reading this article, you may
have gotten the false impression that I spend all of my time in the kitchen,
cutting up produce, and sweating over bubbling pots. This isn't true. I am a
Funeral Director and a Deputy Coroner, so I work long, strange hours. Canning
actually saves me time and effort because I can cook large amounts of product
all at once and then enjoy it for a long time. Our family enjoys good food,,and
we particularly love ethnic foods. Anyone who has ever cooked Mexican food or
Indian food knows that the sauces are time consuming and labor intensive. I
cook a couple of gallons at a time, whether enchilada or mole sauces, or Indian
masalas. Then I can them in pint jars for quick use later on. What a blessing
on days when I'm pressed for time!
Health Benefits
To me, this is another one of the
most important aspects of canning. Our country is racing toward using more and
more GMO raised produce, more insecticides, and more questionably raised food
from foreign countries. Commercially canned foods are placed in cans and jars
with BPA in the liners and the lids. So it is becoming essential that we
protect our families from these serious health hazards. If you can your own food,
you are able to grow your own produce and meat, or you can choose organic
growers and small farmers to supply your products. You'll have the ability to
know where your food came from,and what is being added during the canning
process.
Flavor Benefits
Most kids hate vegetables because
commercially canned vegetables are cooked to death and have absolutely no
seasoning or flavor. While my preference is for fresh vegetables that have been
cooked completely waterless (yep, not even any steam), the next best thing is
my home-canned produce that is seasoned with herbs and spices before canning.
Be creative with your preserved foods. When I can peaches I put cinnamon and
cloves in the syrup, and I always put a tablespoon of brandy and a piece of
star anise in the jar before sealing. Compare that with the commercially canned
peaches that have no flavor at all, and you'll never want to buy grocery store
canned fruit again!
Fun
Even the LA County Fair has a canning
division. Once you've mastered the art of canning, you can enter your products
in county and state fairs and have the pleasure of winning ribbons and prizes
for your efforts!
So... do some research, start out
simply, and discover all of the amazing food storage, money saving, health, and
flavor benefits of learning to can. You won't regret a minute of it. I promise!
A Few Helpful Websites and Blogs
Posters comments:
1) Canning is a
"lost skill" in my opinion.
2) Seeking a person
who knows how to can routinely is often difficult to achieve these days.
3) I agree with
starting out simple at first.
4) There are many other references on the
subject, too.
5) Start learning
about canning during good times, if you can.