Can it, Janet

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The reaction to finding out that I can food is always the same: a funny look and incredulous, “You do what?” Maybe we’ve all just become too attached to our freezers, or maybe canning food seems like an old-fashioned thing to do.  But canning food is not the sole province of little old ladies with too much time on their hands - those of us who care about the preserved quality and safety of our locally grown food are also well-served by knowing how to can.

So why would anyone can their food instead of, say, freezing it?  In many cases, I do prefer produce frozen instead of canned.  Take, for instance, green beans.  Beans that are blanched and frozen keep their color and texture so nicely it seems silly to preserve them any other way.  And lots of vegetables have that advantage.  So why would anyone can food?  Shelf life is a big factor.

Canned green beans - if they are canned and stored correctly - can be kept for up to five years.  Blanched and frozen green beans can be kept in the freezer for about 9-18 months, depending on how cold your freezer is and how the beans are packed.  And consider what happened to me this past January: my chest freezer went on the fritz and I lost every single bit of food I had preserved from the Summer prior. I definitely wish I would have canned a bit more food last year when that happened!

You could also look at the total amount of energy used in canning food versus the cost of running a chest freezer.  Or the convenience of not having to defrost food.  You might even consider the safety of food processed under high heat.

Obviously, I don’t can every bit of food I preserve.  I happen to prefer green beans that are blanched and frozen over those that have been canned - they keep their color better and I like the texture better.  Both freezing and canning have their advantages and disadvantages, but canning is my preferred method for preserving sauce, soup, salsa, and some fruit.  I will refer you here to learn all about home canning.  It’s a great way to preserve all that gorgeous locally grown food you seek out or grow yourself!