Self-Reliance: Canning

Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food is processed and sealed in an airtight container. High acid foods can be processed by water bath boiling, while all other foods must use higher temperatures requiring a pressure canner.

Canning and Food Storage

Home canning tends to be what a lot of people think of when they think of food storage. The true long term food storage is shelf stable foods with long shelf lives such as grains and legumes. However, supplementing a plain diet with fruits and vegetables is important for your nutrition as well as to avoid flavor fatigue.

There are many many things you can preserve via water bath or pressure canning. Everything from jams and jellies, fruits and pie fillings to salsa, tomato sauce, chicken, hamburger, soups, and more. Because you can purchase foods in bulk when they are on sale, canning them can be a very cost-effective solution to add fruits and vegetables to your food storage (even taking into account the costs of canning materials).

Benefits of Canning

You know exactly what ingredients are included (no artificial preservatives)
Add the nutrition of fruits and vegetables into your food storage diet
Ability to use recipes with meat as part of your three month supply (they become shelf-stable!)
Home-canned foods taste significantly better than store-bought canned goods
If you have a home garden, it’s a great way to preserve your harvest