Home Canning

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Home Canning
« on: December 19, 2006, 04:47:56 PM » by Badgermom

Does anyone know if/how canning produce changes it's nutritional value? I have canned salsa, tomatoes, pears, and am in the midst of making lots and lots of apples into applesause. Of course, I realize that fresh is best, but fresh doesn't last long. I don't have a pressure canner so I just do boiling water baths. I assume the heat causes some nutritional loss, but is it still a good way to preserve fruits and vegetables?

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2006, 12:37:20 AM » by makingchanges

I can a lot of my produce. If one cooks tomatoes, pears, apples, etc. in ANY hot method, enzymes are killed with the high temperature. So yes, raw is best for vitamins. Stir fried is best for food prep., but like you said the produce won't last if you don't can. Corn on the Cob taste fabulous off the stalk in the corn field, but who eats it raw most of the time. The boiling kills the enzymes. So I think it is okay as long as all your food is not canned all the time. We all have seasons for fresh produce and seasons of canned. Plus my produce is organic and it is better than non-organic canned food. This is a step in the right direction. Everything in moderation.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2006, 07:04:32 AM » by nc-patunia

Canning foods does cause them to lose some of the nutritional value, but its a great way to save money. I can many items during the summer, but I always try to feed my family raw foods during the winter while we are eating all of the yummy canned foods. I want my family to eat healthy, but I am very practical as well. If God blesses our family with a great deal on a whole crate of tomatoes (or fill in whatever here), you better believe I am going to buy it and can it. I may be wrong on this, someone please correct me if I am, I believe tomatoes can be canned without losing as many nutients as other foods.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2006, 10:22:20 AM » by boysmama

I endorse what everybody has been saying... canning might not be the best way, but it sure helps out. At least I know the food in my canning jars is organic, has no preservatives/ unnecessary sugars, and has real salt. I fill my freezers FULL, try to keep a coldframe of fresh greens growing, and make lots of other enzyme rich foods during the winter.
That said I am thinking of trying to dry more fruits and vegetables this next summer. I guess as far as nutritional value goes fresh is best, then frozen,.. dried, and last canned...

Some nutritionists actually think that a little cooking makes vegetables much more digestable. Apparently some of the enzymes are counter-productive...I'd like to read up on this...Have any of you? Of course canning is more than a "little bit"!

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2006, 06:45:01 PM » by Pastorswife2B

Quote from: boysmama on December 20, 2006, 10:22:20 AM

try to keep a coldframe of fresh greens growing, and make lots of other enzyme rich foods during the winter.

Ok you have piqued my interest.. what is a coldframe and how do you keep fresh greens going in the winter?!?!

-Heather

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2006, 08:06:24 PM » by boysmama

Quote from: Pastorswife2B on December 20, 2006, 06:45:01 PM

Ok you have piqued my interest.. what is a coldframe and how do you keep fresh greens going in the winter?!?!

-Heather

A coldframe is a minature greenhouse/hothouse with no heater. Mine was made out of twisted scrap lumber and covered w/ a $6 piece of plastic from the hardware store. The back frame is higher than the front and is along the southside of one building; angled to catch the most of the winter sun and on the southside to protect it from wind. The top is several sections and hinged. If it is very sunny I have to open it to ventilate and keep my spinach from "cooking". If it is very cold- open it just a crack- very warm all the way open... I grow things like bunching onions, radishes, leaf lettuce, and spinach. Between the garden and the coldframe I can grow salad greens at least 9 months out of twelve.(zone 6) I plant the coldframe in the fall while it is still warm. If they freeze out during our coldest months I replant in Feb. (with plants started indoors). Then in March/April I start more in my garden etc.
Here is a picture and a more eloquent definition Wink

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_frame

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2006, 11:15:08 PM » by Pastorswife2B

that is such a cool idea! Cool

I'm gonna have to look into making one of these...

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2006, 01:49:45 PM » by makingchanges

I was in Wal-Mart today and was looking at all the can foods. A thought came to me about our canning questions. Tin cans are not as healthy as glass jars. I can't buy stewed tomatoes, green beans, etc. in glass jars. Another plus for these items in addition to being organic is the large amounts of food I can put up in my stocked kitchen. It saves so much money throughout the year to have canned goods put up. I do try to eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2007, 07:59:10 PM » by oneblessedwoman

And you are still getting all the fiber of the fruit or veggies. Cheesy

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2007, 05:06:34 PM » by BlessedWith4

The coldframe idea looks neat! I'll have to show this to my husband!
Also, for those of you that stock your freezers...I guess that you have generators for
back up protection or something? I'd just HATE to spend all the time and sweat over stocking the thing...only to lose it all in a bad power outage or something!

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2007, 08:35:20 PM » by boysmama

No back up generator here. I do think about it sometimes, but our power outages are almost always when it is below freezing outside

The freezers are in an unheated, weather proof out building so if we don't open them much the contents stay frozen solid even for 2-3 days.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2007, 10:59:01 PM » by makingchanges

I can so many things like veggies, meat, soups, etc. so I will not have to thaw it out with the added benefit of not losing the food in the freezer if the electricity goes out in the summer. We lose our electricity in the summer here in TX due to thunder storms. This has helped so much. Food won't last long here with the hot summers.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2007, 10:51:49 AM » by littlemama24

Perhaps this should be in another thread, but how does one "can". I have jars, but I use them for everything else. I have pamphlets on it, but it is still over-my-head. A lady I know is giving me a "canner" this week although I am not sure what that is. Grin

What is the best way to can produce?

Also, I freeze whatever I can. Shredded zuccini for zuccini bread, corn, beans, etc. Veggies blanched quickly and then cooled and put in freezer bags works great and is quick and easy.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2007, 12:47:04 PM » by makingchanges

You need to get a good canning book. There are ones by Ball. There is 2 different kinds of canning. One is hot water bath which do high acid foods such as tomatoes, pickles, and fruit jams and jellies. The other kind is pressure canning and that cans meats and most veggies. You'll need to find a friend that cans or read, read ,read the book. Get one with pictures. I had no one to help me learn. I just did a lot of reading. I'll be glad to help on specific things. Don't try to do too many things at once. I can tomato products such as stewed tomatoes, spaghetti, chili, pizza, etc., green beans, jams, pickles, meats, and a few odds and ends. Squashes and other heavy liquid veggies do not can well.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2007, 01:44:06 PM » by petrimama

Okay, at the risk of being stoned...
I just put anything hot and liquidy (soup, etc.) into a clean mason jar and as it cools the jar seals itself. We have never gotten sick, and it is as easy as can be. (Pardon the pun Cheesy

.) Now, why exactly is this not okay?? Is this one of those things that people make more complicated than necessary, or is there something important I should know?? ~L

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #15 on: March 26, 2007, 02:23:16 PM » by petrimama

Quote from: herbfever on March 26, 2007, 01:53:27 PM

If food isn't canned properly your run the risk of illness. Botulism is one example. By heating food in the appropriate canner you are killing any bacteria that the food may have been exposed to.

Ball Blue Book is very helpful and loaded with recipes. Costs 6.00 around here.

Wouldn't boiling the food before canning it take care of that?
I'm not trying to be difficult, just honestly asking. ~L

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #16 on: March 26, 2007, 03:19:32 PM » by BJ_BOBBI_JO

What about the shelf life of home canned foods? Huh

I have not done canning in many years. I have a basement full of the old fashion glass jars for canning I should be using.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #17 on: March 26, 2007, 05:23:12 PM » by makingchanges

I've read that jar's canned correctly will last 3 yrs. I have had bumper crop years and have canned and canned. One yr. we put up around 300 jars of green beans. The green beans kept producing. Finally I begged others to come pick and take. Anyway, we only grew the amt. needed to eat the next seasons. Our canned beans lasted for the entire 3 yrs. just fine.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #18 on: March 26, 2007, 05:43:25 PM » by mom24boys

Quote from: BJ_BOBBI_JO on March 26, 2007, 03:19:32 PM

What about the shelf life of home canned foods? Huh

I have not done canning in many years. I have a basement full of the old fashion glass jars for canning I should be using.

Most authorities say to use your homecanned goods within a year. After that, there is a loss of nutrition and taste... according to them.

Now, that being said, from my early childhood, we just kept using the canned goods until they were used up. Sometimes, that would take 3 years because we got such a good deal on a huge quantity of produce or it was something "special" we couldn't get every year so we made it last. We never noticed a decrease in flavor or texture. I doubt they actually lost any nutrition. We didn't have any more with seals that went bad that were 2 or 3 years old than we did that were under a year. (My mom figured that bad seals accounted for about .5% loss each year - maybe not clean enough rim of jar or something like that)

Your milage may vary.
Jenny

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #19 on: April 04, 2007, 09:02:13 AM » by petrimama

Okay, I spoke too soon. I just had an entire batch go bad after only a few weeks!
Now I have a question:
Are there and HOME canning machines out there? Like the industrial ones that do it all for you, but smaller and cheaper? I'm trying to avoid the whole hot water bath and all just for a fer measly cans. ~L

« Last Edit: April 04, 2007, 09:14:09 AM by petrimama »
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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #20 on: April 04, 2007, 12:21:11 PM » by daisey

Canning is such a good way to save money for the family. No one here has mentioned canning dried beans to help cut down on prep time for those recipes. I can lots of garden stuff every year. Have both water bath and pressure canner. You can get different size canners so get one that holds at least 7 quarts. When my children turned 6 they started helping can the fruits. They helped snap beans and stuff when they were younger but I didn't like them to be around the hot water and pressure canner until they were older. Now when it is time to can we just all have a job and it goes really fast. Sort of our own assembly line. Cheesy

It is wonderful to see all the shelves full of canned food.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #21 on: April 04, 2007, 12:39:53 PM » by shiningHislight

Quote from: daisey on April 04, 2007, 12:21:11 PM

Canning is such a good way to save money for the family. No one here has mentioned canning dried beans to help cut down on prep time for those recipes.

I love to can dried beans! Right now I have black beans on the shelf and I have a 10 pound bag of kidney beans waiting to be canned. What I do a lot of times is if I don't have a canner full of green beans I will finish it off with dried beans that way I never can only a partial canner. (Did that sentence make any sense? Huh

) When I am in a rantin' ravin' hurry I don't have to soak beans and they make great fillers for many, many recipes.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #22 on: April 22, 2007, 03:53:24 PM » by Badgermom

Can you tell me how you can beans?

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #23 on: April 22, 2007, 05:58:42 PM » by herbalmom

Quote from: Badgermom on April 22, 2007, 03:53:24 PM

Can you tell me how you can beans?

Check a Ball Blue Book. I do know they have to be pressure canned but I don't know at how many pounds or for how long. Stores that carry canning supplies frequently carry the Ball Blue Book- I know WalMart carries it & it's under $10. Also your local library should have it. HTH Blessings ~herbalmom

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #24 on: April 22, 2007, 07:15:34 PM » by CKSMOM

Quote from: Badgermom on April 22, 2007, 03:53:24 PM

Can you tell me how you can beans?

Wash and drain beans, remove string, trip ends and break or cut. Pack into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace, add 1/2 tsp salt to each pint, 1 tsp to each quart. Ladle boiling water over beans, leave headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust two piece caps, process pints 20 minutes, quarts 30 minutes 10 lbs. pressure. From the ball blue book Wink

Oh, good grief, maybe you meant dry beans, ::)from the "book" again, cover beans with cold water, let stand 12-18 hours in a cool place. Drain, cover with cold water by 2 inches boil 30 minutes. Pack hot beans into hot jars, leave headspace same salt ratio's. Ladel liquid or water over beans, adjust caps, process pints 1 hour and 15 minutes, quarts 1 hour and 30 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. Tongue

« Last Edit: April 22, 2007, 07:21:27 PM by CAMPBELLKIDSMOM »
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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #25 on: May 01, 2007, 11:07:42 AM » by littlemama24

If I put boiling soup in quart jars almost up to the rim and lid them and flip them over, are they canned? I tried using up a bunch of leftovers and made a taco soup concoction and wanted to "can" them. Is this okay to do it this way?

Thanks!

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #26 on: May 01, 2007, 11:26:16 AM » by herbalmom

Nope, you are seriously risking botulism this way. Read posts 14, 15, 16, & 17 (including the links) earlier in this thread. HTH Blessings ~herbalmom

Quote from: littlemama24 on May 01, 2007, 11:07:42 AM

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #27 on: May 01, 2007, 11:55:55 AM » by mexmarr

Quote from: littlemama24 on May 01, 2007, 11:07:42 AM

Anything with meat should be canned in a pressure canner for 90 min.

I have done that with "taco soup" and it worked wonderfully.

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #28 on: May 01, 2007, 12:40:39 PM » by littlemama24

Thanks herbalmom-

Okay, so I finally brought out my Ball blue book. I bought it eons ago with the intent of learning to can and got confused and put it away. A friend of mine's mother recently gave me an old pressure canner, which according to the blue book is what I need to use with a low acid dish like the soup I made. The only thing is - it doesn't have a gauge. It isn't missing, it just doesn't have one. There is a steam thingy on the top that goes up and down the whole time, but according to the blue book that isn't a gauge. So, do I have this right? I put my filled jars in this presure canner (which also doesn't have a rack...) and fill to more than covering with water. Lock it in the canner and boil for over an hour (quart sized jars) and ten minutes? What about when they are done? I do not have those handy tong thingies- is it okay to leave them in the pot until they cool or does that undo the process? Such a silly girl I am... boy do I wish I had been trained up in the way I should go... This would be so much less complicated. Thanks

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Re: Home Canning
« Reply #29 on: May 01, 2007, 12:45:32 PM » by blessed2BJeffs

Littlemomma-
Oh how I wish the same were true for me. I am slowly learning all the things I wish I had been trained in as a child and I find myself getting impatient wanting to be able to DO IT ALL now!--Good luck in all your endeavors. I will be looking back at this thread in a few months for help with my canning so I hope you get some great responses!

Blessed2BJeff's

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