What would you do if you couldn’t go to the grocery store?
I know it’s hard to imagine in our society so dependent on that system, but do your best to think through what you would do. This scenario was quite possible a few years ago with people needing flash particular cards to enter public spaces, even for necessities. And while I’m glad that didn’t pan out where I live, it likely won’t be the last thing to prevent me from going in.
During that time, I decided that it was absolutely necessary to create an amount of food security for my family. I had seen people canning food at home all over social media, and was instantly intrigued at the benefits it could have in my home.
In this post, I’ll dive into why canning is my favorite method of food preservation and how you can get started canning at home.
Benefits of Canning at Home
When I started canning food at home, it quickly became one of my favorite things to do. It creates food security for my family, allows me to control what goes into my food, provides some convenience at meal time, and is downright rebellious against the grocery system that our society depends on.
Food Security is something extremely important to me. As already addressed above, there may be a time that I cannot get to the store due to natural disasters, the political state of the state or nation, or other reasons beyond my control. My husband works in construction, and being contracted labor, not working means no pay. If he were to be injured or lose his job, we would need to cut our budgets severely. In any of these cases, I don’t want to worry about food. Canning my own food and having a consistent stock of non-perishable meals gives us the security we need.
Another reason I love canning is the ability to control what goes into my food. Many canned vegetables include high amounts of salt, and fruits are often canned in loads of refined sugars. And while I don’t demonize salt or sugar, I’d like to have better control on the amounts and quality of them and adjust them to the needs and preferences of my family.
Even though my driving force for canning is the have a stock of food, we also use it continually. That being said, an added benefit of canning is having convenience foods at meal time. If we suddenly have company that I hadn’t planned for, I can make an extra side of carrots, add beans to stretch a soup or chili, or make a quick batch of spaghetti. Avoiding meal time stress is helpful now and will be even more so as our family grows.
Canning and food preservation as a whole allows us to depend less on the food systems in the US, and opting out of a system always sounds good around here!
The Two Types of Canning
There are two different ways to can food, and how you can is dependent upon what foods you are canning. Water bath canning is used for high-acid foods with a pH level lower than 4.7 like jams and jellies, fruits, salsas, tomatoes, and pickles. Pressure canning * is used for low-acid foods with a pH level above 4.7 like meats, vegetables, stocks and broths, and sea food.
* According to the US Department of Agriculture, pressure canning is the only approved method for home canning low-acid foods. Any other canning method is not promoted or encouraged by the Headed For a Homestead blog, any associated accounts, or affiliated writers and contributors.
What You Need to Start Canning
Water bath canning is a wonderful and easy place to start learning the feel of home canning, and chances are, you already have most of the necessary equipment. Aside from the ingredients to any recipes, you will need
- Regular- or wide-mouth mason jars with unused lids and rings
- A stock pot large enough to fully submerge your jars in water
- Stove
Once you have the necessary equipment and the ingredients needed, simply follow the recipe, place the food into jars leaving adequate headspace, load the jars into the pot, cover with water, and boil for the instructed time for the recipe. You’ll need to let the jars cool completely to seal, but by in about 12-24 hours, you should have shelf-stable food that will last for many years.
Pressure canning does require a moderate investment in a pressure canner, but otherwise, the supplies are the same. There are a few more ‘gadgets’ that you can get for canning, but they certainly aren’t necessary to get the job done.
- Pressure Canner
- Regular- or wide-mouth mason jars with lids and rings
- Stove
The process is similar to water bath canning. You’ll follow a recipe, fill jars to correct headspace, load jars into the canner, put the lid on and follow the directions and time recommendations based on your specific canner and elevation. Pressure canning does require paying a bit more attention to the process, but it’s an easy process to familiarize yourself with, and you’ll be a pro in no time at all!
Purchasing a Canner
I personally use a Presto canner that is safe for electric and glass top ranges. It has a dial gauge to monitor the pressure inside the can, a single 15lb weight, and runs a bit cheaper than its competitor, the All American Pressure Canner.
The All American Pressure Canners have a few features that are nice and helpful, but not necessary. These canners have a handle on the top for easier and safer lid removal. They also do not have a rubber seal as the Presto does, so it will not ever require replacement of that part. It is also fitted with a dial gauge and comes with a weight that changes between 5, 10, or 15lbs. The one real drawback depending on your circumstances is that the All American canners are not recommended for use on glass top or flat ranges.
You can purchase either brand of pressure canner here:
I recommend buying the tool/accessory kit that both sites offer, as they are tremendously helpful with packing jars and moving them while they are hot.
What Will You Can First?
Learning to can at home can be quite daunting at first, but as I stated before, you get into the swing of it, and you’ll be stocking up your shelves before you know it! If you want an easy first time, try making broth. This post explains how to make it, and it only takes 30 minutes!
I hope you’ve learned something, and I’d like to learn from you too! For my seasoned canners, let me know what you canned first, and maybe share a few tips for those of us who have only just begun. Happy canning, and happy homemaking!
