Home Canning has been around for far longer than our store-bought canned products of today.  It is an old skill that is making a come back during these tougher than normal economic times.  And why not?  Buying fresh foods and learning how to make them last long into the next few seasons is often the most economical way to eat without attempting to live off of preservative laden boxed mixes.

The history of canning can be traced back as far as Napoleon Bonaparte in the 18th century.  He experimented for over 15 years and finally realized that if food is sufficiently heated and sealed in an airtight container, it would not go bad.  Wine was among his very first commodities to attempt to preserve in this manner.  I mean, priorities are priorities, right?

Although this skill may seem a bit old fashioned it is gaining new ground as grocery prices rise.   Men and Women  from their 20’s to their 60’s are learning this fine art of food preservation.   It is as safe as it is ‘green’ (earth friendly).  The cans are reusable glass and do not leach BPA into the food like the white lining of the commercial cans do.  Even the lids don’t have to be tossed if you purchase the Tattler Lids (also BPA free).  This is much better on our environment and our bodies.

The difference between water bath canning and pressure canning is easily determined by the acidity of the food.  There are several good (and reasonably priced) books to help you know which method to use and how long to process the food.   There are also tools of the canning trade that you can get for less than you may think, making the home canning process an old skill that will help you stretch your food bill for seasons to come.

With a little practice, you can easily both pressure can or water bath can almost every single food you may need.  The food then stores for years without the aid of electricity.

If I can can – then you can can – we can all can!

Blessings and enJOY the journey!