Food Preservation (Lesson 26)

Overview

Home canning has changed greatly over the years. Food science has led us to safer canning techniques and better quality canned goods. Home canning can be a cost-saving way to preserve food. If you have the time, canning home-grown food may save you half the cost of retail canned goods

Upon completing the lesson you will be able to:

1. State two advantages of home-canned food.
2. Identify the two types of canners used in preserving food at home.
3. Identify the recommended source for safe canning instructions.
4. State the recommended procedure for canning quart jars of green beans.

The advantages of home canning are lost when you use bruised, cut or over-ripe foods. If you do not follow proper canning procedures, your food may spoil or the quality (such as flavor, texture, color and nutrients) may break down during storage. Vegetables that are properly handled and promptly canned after harvest can be more nutritious than fresh produce sold in local stores.

Whether food should be processed in a pressure canner or a boiling-water canner depends on the food's acid level. Acid prevents the growth of bacteria in food. It can also destroy bacteria when a food is properly heated. Don't guess at which procedure is best for your product. Follow product-specific guidelines for canning. Whether you are a first-time canner or an experienced canner, use only USDA-based recommendations. The Cooperative Extension Service publishes a complete Home Canning series that follows these guidelines. Or a complete set of USDA publications on canning is in the National Food Safety Database . For specific home-canning instructions, use these resources correctly.

Summary - The Bottom Line

Properly canned goods can be safe, nutritious and delicious. Food-borne illness from improperly canned foods can be deadly. Use current, tested canning procedures. Don't count on an old family recipe to be a safe recipe.

Web Site Activity

1. Visit the National Food Safety Database .
2. Click on Browse the Database.
3. Now click on Consumer-Related Food Safety Resources.
4. Scroll down to the header, Have a Question and click on Canning, Drying and Freezing.
5. Next, click on Canning.
6. Now click on USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.
7. Scroll down and click on Guide 4.
8. Scroll down and click on Beans, Snap and Italian. How would you can quart jars of green beans safely?