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Canning Your Survival Food Supply
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Basics of Canning Your Food
Canning is a great way to preserve foods that would otherwise go bad quickly, like fruits and vegetables. When done properly, canned foods can last for years without losing their flavor or nutritional value.
This makes them perfect for stocking up in case of an emergency situation.
If you are interested in canning your own survival food supply, there are a few things you need to know before getting started.
First, make sure you have the proper equipment, including jars, lids, and a pressure cooker or canner.
Second, familiarize yourself with the process by reading some books or online articles about canning (the National Center for Home Food Preservation is a great resource).
Finally, practice! Make small batches at first so that if something goes wrong it won’t be too big of a loss financially or emotionally.
Start all food preservation processes with the freshest food you can to ensure quality.
Common Foods For Canning
Fruits: Canned peaches, pears, Mandarin oranges, pineapple, pink grapefruit, and fruit cocktail
Vegetables: Canned corn, green beans, mushrooms, carrots, beets, asparagus, pumpkin, tomatoes, and okra
Soups: Canned pasta, noodle soup, and barley soup
Dairy: Evaporated milk
Protein: Canned tuna, shrimp, sardines, salmon, chicken, baked beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils
Beginner Steps For Canning Your First Food
If you're interested in canning your food, there are a few things you'll need to do to get started.
Here are the basic steps:
Choose the right type of food to can. Some foods are better suited for canning than others. Fruits, vegetables, and tomatoes typically work well for beginners.
Gather your supplies. You'll need a large pot or pressure cooker, jars, lids, and rings (to seal the jars), as well as tongs and a funnel. Make sure everything is clean before getting started.
Prepare the food you're going to be canning according to your recipe or instructions from a trusted source like the National Center for Home Food Preservation. This may involve washing and chopping produce, cooking meat or fish, etc.
Cook (See Detailed Procedures Below)
Boil water bath method: In this method, boiling water is used to cover filled jars of food that have been sealed with lids. The boiling helps destroy bacteria that could cause spoilage.
Pressure Canner Method: A pressure canner uses steam under high pressure to destroy bacteria that cause botulism poisoning Pressure cookers cannot be used as substitutes because they don’t reach high enough temperatures 5 minutes processing time per pintRemove air bubbles by running a non-metallic spatula around inside each jar
Wipe rims of jars with a damp paper towel
Put on lids & screw on rings 9 Process in boiling water bath OR pressure cooker 10 Wait until cool before checking seals
Choose the correct canning method.
Use a boiling water bath for fruits or high-acid foods.
Use pressure canners for all other foods.
Use a boiling water bath for fruits or high-acid foods.
Use pressure canners for all other foods.
Benefits of Consuming Canned Goods
There are many benefits to consuming canned goods.
They are a convenient and easy way to get your daily recommended fruits and vegetables, they are often less expensive than fresh produce, and they have a long shelf life.
Canned fruits and vegetables are typically processed within hours of being harvested, which helps preserve their nutritional value.
They can also be a good source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, potassium, and iron.
Canned goods can be a healthy addition to your diet if you choose wisely.
Look for cans that say “low sodium” or “no salt added” on the label, as these will help you limit your intake of unhealthy sodium levels.
Also, check the ingredient list to make sure there aren’t any added sugars or other unhealthy additives
Canning Procedure: Boiling Water Bath Method
Canner should be about half full of clean, hot water.
Load filled jars, one at a time, into the canner using a jar-lifter. Place them on a rack. Make sure the jar-lifter is securely positioned below the neck of the jar. Keep the jar upright at all times.
Add more boiling water, if needed, so that water level is 1 to 2 inches above the tops of the jars. Pour water around the jars, not on them to prevent breakage.
Turn the heat setting to the highest position, cover the canner with its lid, and heat until the water boils vigorously.
Set a timer after the water is boiling for the total minutes required to process the food.
Keep canner covered during the processing. The heat setting may be lowered as long as the water boils steadily for the entire time.
Add boiling water, if needed, to keep water above the jar tops.
If water stops boiling at any time during the process, turn the heat to its highest setting, bring the water back to a vigorous boil, and begin timing the process again, from the beginning (using original total processing time).
When the jars have been processed, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars.
Using a jar-lifter, remove the jars one at a time. Do not tilt jars Carefully place hot jars right-side up directly onto dry towels or a cake cooling rack to prevent jars from breaking on contact with a cold surface. Leave at least 1 inch between the jars during cooling. Avoid placing the jars in a cold draft. Do not cover with towels.
Let the jars sit undisturbed while they cool for 12 to 24 hours. Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until jar has completely cooled.
Always test, label and secure your canning jars for a long lasting food supply.
Pressure canning is the only method recommended safe by the U.S.D.A. for preserving low-acid foods such as meats and fish, soups & stocks.
Canning Procedure: Pressure Canner Method
Read the canner manufacturer’s instructions and follow them carefully.
Be sure to vent or exhaust all pressure canners for 10 minutes before closing them up to pressurize.
Center canner over the burner. When the jars of food are ready for canning, put the rack and 2 to 3 inches of hot water into the canner. Begin heating the water, but not enough for the depth to decrease.
Use a jar-lifter to place filled jars, fitted with lids, on the jar rack in the canner. Leave space between the jars for steam to flow around each one during processing. Keep the jar upright at all times.
Fasten the canner lid securely. Leave the weight off the vent port or open the petcock.
Turn the heat setting to its highest position. Heat until the water boils and steam flows freely in a funnel shape from the open vent port or petcock. Let the steam flow continuously for 10 minutes (to vent the canner).
After venting the canner, place the counterweight or weighted gauge on the vent port or close the petcock, depending on the type of canner. If you have a weighted gauge, be sure to use the correct setting. The canner will begin to pressurize.
For a dial gauge canner, let the pressure rise quickly to 8 pounds of pressure. Lower the burner temperature slightly and let the pressure continue to rise to the correct setting.
For weighted gauge canners, let the canner heat quickly until steam begins to escape from the gauge or the gauge moves and makes noise. Adjust the heat down slightly until the weighted gauge begins to jiggle or rock as the manufacturer describes.
Start timing the process when the pressure reading on the dial gauge indicates that the recommended pressure has been reached or when the weighted gauge begins to jiggle or rock as described.
Adjust the heat under the canner to maintain a steady pressure at, or slightly above, the correct gauge pressure. If the pressure goes too high, do not lower it by opening the vent or lifting the weight. Instead, turn down the heat under the canner.
If at any time the pressure goes below the recommended amount, bring the canner back to pressure and begin timing the process again, from the beginning (using the total original process time).
When the time process is complete, turn off the heat, remove the canner from an electric burner if possible, and let the canner cool down naturally. If the canner is too heavy, simply turn off the heat.
Do not force-cool the canner or depressurize it. It will depressurize while it is cooling.
After the canner is depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. After 10 minutes, unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from you so that the steam does not burn your face.
Do not leave the canner unopened to cool completely.
Using a jar-lifter, remove the jars, being careful not to tilt them. Carefully place the hot jars directly onto dry towels or a cooling rack. Leave at least 1 inch of space between jars.
Let the jars sit undisturbed while they cool for 12 to 24 hours. Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until the jar is completely cool.