Intro to Canning

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Intro to Canning

• Rick Sloan
• FCS Agent

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What we will learn!

• Why are we canning in the 21st century
• Canning Trends
• Specific Concerns with Canning Foods at Home
• Credible Instructions

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Home Food Preservation
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Why are We Canning in the 21st Century?
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Home Food Preservation
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Canning History Lesson

• Canning dates to late 18th century in France.
• Napoleon Bonaparte, concerned about keeping his
  armies fed, offered cash for developing a
  reliable method of food preservation.
• Nicholas Appert won the prize, 12,000 francs, in
  1809 when he submitted his method of food in
  glass bottles (Kovel and Kovel, 2007).

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Canning History

• Appert used glass jars sealed with wax and
  reinforced with wire.
• Took 14 years to develop.
• Peter Durand, in 1810, replaced the breakable
  glass bottles with cylindrical tinplate
  canisters.
• Tin Can Openers were not invented for another 30
  years.

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Basics havent changed drastically

• The basic principles have not changed
  dramatically.
• Heat sufficient to destroy microorganisms.
• Foods packed into sealed, or "airtight"
  containers.
• The canned foods are then heated under steam
  pressure at temperatures of 240-250F
  (116-121C).

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The Basics

• Louis Pasteur provided the explanation for
  canning when he was able to demonstrate that the
  growth of microorganisms is the cause of food
  spoilage (Lund et al. Eds. 2000).

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Commercially Canned Foods

• Historically
• Relatively safe
• Only 4 outbreaks in 40 years, last one was in
  1974
• Before.

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Recent Illnesses

• September 2008
• Botulism
• Ohio man and his grandson were hospitalized as a
  result of botulism toxin poisoning caused by
  improperly canned green beans.
• 2007
• Virginia couple died after eating improperly
  canned foods that also contained botulism toxin.
• Physician

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Recent Illnesses

• February 2009
• Woman in her 30s and two children under 10 fell
  ill from eating improperly-canned green beans
  from a home garden.
• The woman is reportedly recovering slowly and
  remains on a ventilator.

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Canning Trends
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Home Food Preservation

• Home canning continues to be a popular means of
  preserving food at home (Andress et al, 2002).
• Fruits and vegetables make up the majority of
  home preserved foods.
• Meats (especially game) and fish are also
  preserved.

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National Phone Survey of Canners (2005)

• 58 of home canners are between 35-64 years of
  age
• 27 are 65 and over
• 15 are under 35 (Dsa et al., 2007)

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Home Canning Survey

• Majority of home canners have reported not
  following science-based home preservation
  methods.
• Receive much of their home preservation
  information through friends and family.
• Only 45 of respondents thought that home canned
  foods could be spoiled without obvious signs of
  spoilage.

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Reasons for Preservation

• Local
• Economy
• Personal
• Business opportunity
• Connection to food

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July 22, 2008New York Times
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Eat Local Movement Stresses Safety

• "Buying locally is much safer than just eating
  food that has been purchased en masse from god
  knows where."

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Food Preservation Trends

• Farmers Markets in some areas allow selling
  home-made jams and jellies, but NOT certain
  canned goods due to fear of botulism.
• Prohibited are low-acid foods, such as green
  beans.

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Recent headlines

• Let us grow our own food to eat better, save
  money (W-S Journal, April 4, 2009)
• More Alaskans trying to keep food source local
  (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, April 5, 2009)
• Locals jump on national gardening trend
  (Northwest Arkansas times, April 5, 2009)

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Growing, Preparing, Storing Own Food

• Seed sales up 10-15.
• Families with gardens expected to increase 40
  in 2009.
• "As the economy goes down, food gardening goes
  up," says Bruce Butterfield, the group's research
  director. "We haven't seen this kind of spike in
  30 years."

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Younger Demographic

• May not have even seen home canning before

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Specific Concerns with Canning at Home
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Storing Jars

• Canned foods can be stored for up to 18 months to
  retain optimal quality.
• Store canned foods in a cool, dry environment
  that is between 50 and 70oF.
• Non-pathogenic thermophilic bacteria can grow if
  the jars are not stored properly.

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Unsafe Canning Methods

• Open kettle
• Oven canning
• Dishwasher
• Addition of aspirin
• Steam canners
• Microwave oven canners

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Credible Instructions
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Canning Books

• So Easy to Preserve, University of Georgia
• Ball Blue Book, Alltrista
• How to Dry Foods, Deanna DeLong
• The Joy of Winemaking, Terry Garey
• Canning Preserving without Sugar, Norma MacRae

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Canning Websites

• National Center for Home Food Preservation
  www.uga.edu/nchp
• Food Safety Website www.foodsafetysite.com/consume
  rs/resources/
• Alltrista Consumer Products www.homecanning.com/us
  a OR 1-800-240-3340

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