Canning is one of the newer forms of food preservation used today. Before we had the versatility of canning, people largely used drying, smoking, fermenting, and freezing for preserving food. Thankfully, canning is easier, more reliable, and can really stretch your food budget, plus decrease waste. In this primer for the ultimate canning newbie, we will discuss the types of canning, why acid plays an important role in which method chosen, and ways to get started.
Types of Canning
There are two main types of canning: using pressure or water bath canning. Which method you use depends entirely on what you are preserving. Foods that are high in acid can be water bath canned (generally speaking) and low acid foods are pressure canned to ensure that all of the bacteria that may be present are eliminated so the food doesn’t go bad and no one gets sick.
Acid in food is what prohibits bacteria from growing and spoiling the food. If something has low acid, bacteria is able to grow quickly whereas high acid foods already inhibit growth that can make you sick. The big question then is, “What food is high acid and low acid?”
High Acid
- Apples
- Berries
- Most fruits
Low Acid
- Meat (all)
- Carrots, peas, potatoes, beets, corn, etc.
- Beans (all kinds)
- Most vegetables
The list is much larger than this but what is shown above gives you a good idea overall and it is easy to research your specific ingredients. A good rule of thumb: when in doubt, pressure can.
