Preservation 101: Intro to Canning

You’ve grown and sourced some amazing food. Now you want to get it on your shelves and store it. One of the best ways to do that is with canning. Canning is becoming more popular than ever, thanks to its many benefits. So, how do you get started the right way? 

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn kick-off a brand-new series on preservation techniques with an introduction to canning. They cover the different types of canning and what foods they are good for, what equipment you should be using and why it’s so important to follow the rules and practice the right safety measures, especially when it comes to canning.   

In this Episode:

• For the weekly update, Carolyn has done a bit of harvest scrambling due to the freezes this past week and they butchered about 135 birds (mostly chickens), netting almost 600 lbs of meat in their freezer. She explains how being more efficient as a family has helped them get this done even quicker this year. 
• How did canning originate? Carolyn and Josh trace its history all the way back to Napoleon during the war, to the evolution of the Mason jar in the 1850s, to the development of the standard two-part lid in the 1950s that is used today.  
• What are the different methods of canning and why is each most effective for different types of food? 
• Since canning is not a “natural” preservation method, there is a specific set of rules you need to follow and not just trust your intuition. 
• Why is canning not called “jarring” or “bottling?”
• What are the two biggest fears that people have when it comes to canning and why they don’t need to worry. 
• Can you use an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker for pressure canning? 
• What are the differences between the types of canners and is one better than the other? 
• Why it’s important to be practical and determine what foods you really need to be canning ahead of time.  
• Question of the week: what kind of backup generator do they own and what brand(s) do they recommend?  

Resources: 

• Canning Tutorial Video 
• BCS Two Wheel Tractors 
• Follow Homesteading Family on Instagram
• Follow Homesteading Family on Facebook

Every month, I host a free live training on a new homesteading skill. This January, we’re focusing on herbal medicine and how to create an effective family herbal protocol to help stop the cycle of winter sickness. Join the free live training on January 22 and start becoming a confident family herbalist. Register HERE!