Home canning is gaining in popularity as homeowners look for ways to preserve their gardens' surplus.
Inspired by the rising popularity of locally grown food plus a desire to be thrifty during these iffy economic times, many homeowners have begun growing their own fruits and vegetables.
Come harvest time, however, even a modestly sized garden can produce a bumper crop of tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and radishes that one family can’t possibly consume in a season.
Rather than letting a summer’s bounty go to waste, gardeners are preserving perishable produce by canning it themselves.
Food Preservation Is a Rediscovered Kitchen Art
We’re definitely experiencing a renewed interest in our products, even though Mrs. Wages has been on the market for 40 years,” says Laura Strickland, Product Manager for the St. Louis-based company. “Our customers tell us they are teaching their children to preserve pickles, tomatoes and green beans, just as they remember their grandmothers canning decades ago.”
There are various methods of preserving fruits and vegetables, but all of them involve halting the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast that can cause fresh produce to spoil. Often that is done by removing the oxygen in the jar in which it is preserved, along with adding an acid such as lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid.
Because improperly canned produce can be a breeding ground for the deadly botulism bacteria, those looking to try their hand at canning need an expert to guide them through it. As a result of this resurgence in food preservation, university extension classes specializing in canning have grown in popularity.
Moms, Students Retirees Signing up for Home Canning
”I’ve taught food preservation and canning for more than 35 years, and all of our educators throughout the state are seeing young mothers, college students, retirees and even dads signing up to learn how to can and preserve food,” says Shirley Camp, a University of Illinois Extension Wellness Educator and a Master Food Preserver Instructor. “We used to offer a few classes a summer, but we honestly can’t keep up with the demand, and our classes are filling up faster than in recent memory.”
The National Center for Home Food Preservation, which is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, is another excellent resource that includes tips for safe canning on their website.
Different produce requires different methods of canning. For example, most vegetables are considered low acid and should be canned using a pressure canner, which heats water to temperatures high enough (roughly 240-250 F) to kill botulism spores.
Canned Pickles, Canned Tomatoes Require Safe Processing
Fruits, such as peaches or pears, are high acid and can be safely processed using a boiling-water canner. The benefits of canning your own fruits and vegetables are many. Not only can you enjoy healthy produce from your garden throughout the winter months, but the costs of canning your own are roughly half of purchasing commercially canned products from the store. (That estimate, of course, does not include the value of your labor.) Perhaps the greatest benefit, however, is learning a skill that you can pass down to future generations.
Originally posted 2010-08-22 08:00:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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Home canning is an awesome and creative way to store foods in the home. If you have an open pantry that is easily seen it will greatly improve the look of your home to migrate your food in cans instead of simply in bags or boxes. The rise of organic food is also leading to people wanting to grow their own foods, which will keep making home canning important.