Do you source your fruits and vegetables from your farm or buy in bulk to get the best rates? Are you looking for ways to preserve them, so they last way past their shelf life?

Try canning them – canned food can be kept safe for a very long time as it is impervious to contamination. This way, you can have flavorsome, nutrient-rich food anytime you please.

Each canned item can last for at least several years, depending on the food type and how good your canning technique is.

What Type Of Food Can Be Canned Safely?

Canning is one of the oldest techniques for food preservation, and it has been used to preserve all kinds of jams, jellies, and condiments. Here are some top food items that are often found canned:

Fruits

Use the bath canning method to preserve tomatoes, jams, jellies, pickles, fruits, and much more! The method works best because of the acidic profile of these foods — they have a pH level of 4.0 or below.

This method guarantees that there is no chance of food being infected with clostridium botulinum spores.

Remember, if the selected fruits have a pH level of 4.0 to 4.6, you’ll have to add citric acid or lemon juice to the jar to ensure long-term freshness.

Condiments

Pickles, sauces, relish, vinegar, and many other condiments can be preserved in a can by using the same water bath method.

Also, since most of these condiments have a vinegar base that automatically reduces the risk of spoilage by bacteria as the acid levels remain consistently high.

Meat And Vegetables

Whether you like dried jerky or buy meat, vegetables, poultry items, etc. in bulk — canning them can help you preserve them for good. This way, you can have a steady supply of meat products all year long, despite them having a short shelf life.

We recommend you to use a pressure canner to do the job, instead of the bath method.

Like a pressure cooker, the pressure canner has a unique locking mechanism that keeps the lid secure. The pressure gauge lets you select the appropriate pressure to be applied to the items within the container.

Check the manual to know the ideal pressure, heat, and time settings for your canner — these may differ by the type of food getting canned.

Key Takeaway

Home canning can be a productive and enjoyable hobby. Not only do you get to preserve food for the future, but you also experience considerable savings.

Additionally, you can enjoy fresh, seasonal flavors all year round, and canned soups, stews, and sauces, etc. make for great gifts as well.

Long story short, you can preserve a good number of different food types with the right method. For instance, canning can be done to enhance the shelf life of hamburger patties, bacon, chicken thighs and legs, pot roast, hot dogs, cheese, butter, etc.

But you have to have sound knowledge of what you’re doing by considering the pH level of the food. We can help ensure that you always make the right call when it comes to canning.