The Philly Urban Prepper: Canning

Canning is a way of preserving food that may normally have a limited shelf-life and has been around in the United States since the 1800s.

Canning, basically, is the process of using heat to remove air from food that has been sealed in glass containers. This process prevents the food from taking its natural course of spoiling by creating a seal between the lid and glass.

Although canning is still popular in farming, homesteading and certain religious organizations (the Amish and Latter-Day Saints to name a few), the percentage of people in the urban environment who used canning as a way of preserving their foods waned in the 1970s when commercially produced foods such as meats, fruits and vegetables became more readily available in supermarkets.

As families became two income households and women embarked on careers, purchasing canned goods became time-saving strategies for busy households.

In urban communities, there just wasn’t enough land available to grow enough food to can in large amounts and most families didn’t have the transportation to travel outside the city to farms where they could pick large amounts of produce for a price.

Canning, in a sense, became a relic of the past.

However, canning is an important skill to possess as an urban prepper.

It is also more conceivable to can without having a garden or farm because inner cities also have a large influx of farmer’s markets as well as discount produce stores.

Families are now smaller than they were during the 1950s-1970s and large amounts of food aren’t needed to can enough to keep everyone fed.

It’s smart to can for the following reasons:

1. You can restore the lack of nutrients and control the sodium as well as additives in your product;

2. You’ll save time and money from having to go back and forth to the supermarket;

3. The jars used for canning can be reused for more canning or repurposed to be used for other things. This is friendlier for the environment;

4. The jars can be stored anywhere in a cool environment and don’t need to take up cabinet space that’s usually minimal in urban environments;

5. Canned foods have a much longer shelf-life than commercially canned foods. Through the canning process foods can last anywhere from 10-20 years. There are even some foods (such as dried beans) that can last for 30 years.

Although you may feel a little apprehensive about canning, once you know how it’s pretty easy.

There are two types of canning process. The first one is called water bath canning:

Water bath canning is used on certain foods that either have high acid in their product naturally or acid is added. The higher than usual amount of acid kills the bacteria in the food.

You can use this method for:

Vinegars, fruits, fruit juices, salsa, jams, jellies, tomatoes (you will have to add more acid), condiments, pickles, chutney, and relishes.

This method is slightly easier to use as the equipment that is required isn’t necessarily that expensive.

For water bath canning you will need:

1. Recipes for preserving food using this method. For these recipes, please go to: http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes/;

2. A water bath canner that can be purchased online. Amazon has them that can run you anywhere between $20 - $123. If you buy a new one, they often come with most of the other supplies that you’ll need on this list. Be careful in purchasing a used one as you won’t know how well they’ll work. You can also use a large, deep covered sauce pan which is much cheaper. The pot should be deep enough to hold your jars as well as water;

3. A rack that fits neatly and securely in the bottom of the pan;

4. Glass jars (such as Mason or Ball brands) with fitting lids and bands. Under no circumstances do you use glass jars that once held spaghetti sauce, preserves, etc. in them. Mason and Ball jars may be difficult to find in an urban environment. The ones you do find may be too expensive. You can purchase these a little bit cheaper at: amazon.com, jarstore.com or uline.com;

5. Jar lifter, hot jar handler, band tool. Once again, if you purchase your pot new these tools are usually included;

6. Wooden spoon;

7. Ladle;

8. Good quality oven mitts;

9. Funnel (you should have at least three in different sizes including one that is designed for canning);

10. Your ingredients.

Instructions:

1. Read your recipe carefully and make sure you have everything you need in front of you within your grasp.

2. Prepare your recipe according to directions and set aside.

2. Check all your jars for nicks, cracks, etc. as these may cause your jar to burst during the process. The bands should fit on the jars and the lids should be free of any nicks, scratches or other damage. Wash all the jars, lids and bands in hot soapy water. Rinse them off very well. Make sure you either dry the bands or give them time to dry.

3. Using a separate large pot, place your jars in the pot. Fill the jars and the pot halfway up with water, turn your stove burner on and, on medium heat, bring the water to simmering. Leave the jars in there until you are ready to use them. Do not add the lids or the bands. This process prevents the jars from cracking and sanitizes them.

4. Place the rack in the bottom of the pot you intend to use as the water bath canner. Remove the jars from the hot water using tongs or a Jar Lifter (if you have one). Dump out any excess water in the jar. Fill one jar at a time with your recipe and allow a certain amount of headspace as the recipe recommends. Using a spatula, insert it between the food and the jar to remove any air bubbles. Do this a couple of times.

5. Using a clean, damp cloth remove any food from the rim or threads of the jar.

6. Center the lid on the jar and allow the sealing compound to come into contact with the rim. Apply the band and adjust it until it’s tight. Place the jars one at a time inside the canner.

7. Once the canner is full with jars, pour enough water in to cover the jars 1-2 inches.

8. Place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Allow the jars to process according to the recipe.

9. Once the time is done, remove the lid, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the pot for 5 minutes.

10. Place a towel on the counter top. Once again, using either tongs or a Jar lifter, remove the jars and place them on the towel. Let sit for 24 hours without touching or moving them.

11. Once the time has passed, check the lids and make sure the seal is tight. Remove the bands. The lid should not be able to be removed with your fingers. If the lid has not sealed, you can either place the jar in the refrigerator or process it again.

12. Label the jar (don’t forget the date!) and store in a dry, cool place.

Special note: If you want, you can watch this video on water bath canning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eVXHsWJDlg

The second canning technique is pressure canning. This technique will allow you to can other foods like vegetables, seafood, poultry and meats. This procedure involves heating the contents of the jar to 240° which will eliminate bacteria such as Clostridium botulium and the toxin-producing spores that comes with it.

For this type of canning, you will need the following:

1. A recipe. For recipes that use pressure canning, please go to: https://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes/.

2. Pressure canner. You can purchase a pressure canner on websites such as QVC, Macy’s and Amazon. They range in prices anywhere from $100-$200. Although this may be pricey, if you can enough foods it will certainly pay for itself. You may also be tempted to save a little money by getting a used one. Make certain that it works and that you got it from a reputable person.

A note: Many people have pressure cookers in their homes and may be tempted to use a pressure cooker instead of purchasing a pressure canner. While you may be able to use the cooker and get away with it, a canner is much larger and can only be used for canning.

Cooker’s are designed for cooking foods and cannot hold the same amount of jars as a canner;

3. Glass jars, lids and band;

4. Wooden spoon, funnel and ladle;

5. Ingredients for recipe including fresh vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood;

6. Jar lifter or strong tongs;

7. Sure tight-band tool.

Instructions:

1. Carefully read over the recipe and prepare it for the canning process.

2. After inspecting the jars, lids and bands for any cracks or nicks, wash them with hot soapy water. Rinse them very well. Make sure you either dry the bands or give them time to dry.

3. Fill a large pot with water. Place the jars in the pot and fill the jars with water. Heat the pot until simmering. Leave the jars in the pot until ready for use.

4. Fill the canner with 2-3 inches of water and let it simmer until ready for use.

5. Remove the jars from the hot water using tongs or a Jar Lifter (if you have one). Dump out any excess water in the jar. Fill one jar at a time with your recipe and allow a certain amount of headspace as the recipe recommends. Using a spatula, insert it between the food and the jar to remove any air bubbles. Do this a couple of times.

6. Using a clean, damp cloth remove any food from the rim or threads of the jar.

7. Center the lid on the jar and allow the sealing compound to come into contact with the rim. Apply the band and adjust it until it’s tight. Place the jars one at a time inside the canner until it is full.

8. Lock the lid in place and leave the vent pipe open. Put the heat on to medium-high. Continue to let the steam escape through the pipe. Once the steam has been steadily streaming out of the pipe, vent for about 10 minutes to be sure that there is no air but steam left in canner. Close the vent using the method described for the canner. Gradually adjust heat according to the directions in order to maintain the recommended pounds of pressure.

9. Process the jars using the recommended pounds pressure that is listed in the recipe. Remove from heat, but do not remove the weighted gauge. Let canner stand until the pressure returns to zero. Let it stand an additional10 minutes. Remove weight and unlock lid. Let the jars cool for another 10 minutes.

10. Place a towel on the counter top. Once again, using either tongs or a Jar lifter, remove the jars and place them on the towel. Let sit for 24 hours. Do not touch the bands or the jars.

11. Once the time has passed, check the lids and make sure the seal is tight. Remove the bands. The lid should not be able to be removed with your fingers. If the lid has not sealed, you can place the jar in the refrigerator for consumption at a later date.

12. Label the jar (don’t forget the date!) and store in a dry, cool place.

For more information on pressure canning, please view this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqUqPJ8CP1I.

Although learning how to can seems to be a little daunting, it is a must-have skill for all urban preppers and one that is well-worth your time.

Once you get the hang of it, you might want to can everything.

Resist the temptation with every fiber of your being.

It’s important to only can what your family will eat unless you plan on giving some jars away as gifts or if you have a family member who is struggling to put food on the table.