Canning makes a comeback
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension is teaching a new generation – or two – how to save money and boost nutrition by canning their own food.
Canning is gaining in popularity, and Cooperative Extension is holding workshops across the state to teach people how to do it.
Brad Poole, Cooperative Extension
What if you could learn how to make your garden produce last beyond your growing season? Or control exactly what goes into the jam you spread on your toast? Home canning offers these benefits and more, and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has been teaching Arizonans how to do it safely for more than a century.
Canning is making a comeback, but it’s not just grandparents bringing it back. Interest is up among young people, especially parents, said Cindy Pearson, an Extension Family, Consumer and Health Sciences assistant in Extension in Graham County who has helped teach canning to Extension staff and the public for more than 10 years.
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has been training staff to conduct canning workshops across the state.
Brad Poole, Cooperative Extension
“Grandmas aren’t as interested in doing it — great-grandmas did, but now it’s moms who are taking it up,” said Pearson, adding that some families are bringing kids to classes.
And canning is going to be a summer project for 4-H youth in Apache County, said Margine Bawden, an FCHS assistant agent in Apache and Navajo counties.
With this renewed interest, Extension has been increasing educational efforts statewide.
What is canning?
Canning is a way of preserving food by sealing it in jars and heating them to a high temperature, and pressure when called for, long enough to destroy harmful microorganisms. The bacteria, yeasts, molds and spores that cause food to spoil can cause foodborne illness. Following proper canning methods and using tested recipes can make your food last up to 18 months on the shelf.
There are two methods for canning, water bath and pressure. Which method you use depends on the acidity of the food. Acidity is determined by pH – the lower the pH, the more acidic the food.
Low-acid foods with pH higher than 4.6, such as red meat and vegetables, must be pressure canned. A pressure canner can heat water (and jar contents) above 240 degrees, which is required to kill not only the microbes but their spores, which are killed by the acid in other foods. High acid foods, with pH below 4.6, can be water bath canned.
Regardless of how you can, it’s important to follow tested recipes and approved methods.
What are some benefits of canning?
One of the key benefits is knowing where the food is from and what’s in it, Bawden said.
Extension offers low- and no-sugar jelly and jam recipes – good options for people with diabetes or prediabetes. There is also an apple pie filling recipe that uses a non-wheat thickener, which helps gluten-intolerant people.
Canning allows you to control what is in your food and to know where it came from.
Brad Poole, Cooperative Extension
Preserving home-grown or other fresh vegetables offers a sense of accomplishment. Home canning reduces your carbon footprint and keeps the entire food-supply chain local, explains Bawden.
Food security is also a factor. Having shelves lined with canned food is a good buffer against power outages, disruptions in the food chain (such as during the Covid pandemic), or refrigeration failures.
Are there risks?
Yes. Done wrong, canning can be very dangerous. Botulism, an illness caused by Clostridium botulinum bacteria, can result from poor sterilization, according to the U.S Department of Agriculture, which publishes a widely used guide to canning.
Cutting corners can have serious consequences, specifically food borne illnesses. Some people have tried to can in hot cars in summer or in dishwashers – both bad ideas, Pearson said.
Staying up to date with current recommendations and using tested recipes is essential. Changes in food have prompted changes in canning. In recent decades, tomatoes have been bred for lower acidity, so they now require pressure canning unless you add bottled lemon juice or vinegar to raise acidity, Pearson said.
What kind of equipment is required?
Pressure canning requires a special pot (not the same as pressure cooker) with a lockable lid, a pressure gauge and release valve. For water bath canning you’ll need a large pot deep enough to cover the jars with an inch of boiling water and a rack to hold the jars off the bottom of the pot.
Pressure and water bath canning require a jar lifter to safely remove the jars from the canner. The new digital pressure canners can be used for both water bath and pressure canning, depending on your elevation.
A couple tips from our experts: Do not use an older pressure canner on a glass stovetop. They’re very heavy and can shatter the glass. Also, do your canning inside. Variable wind and temperature can lead to inconsistent results.
Pressure canners are widely available starting around $100. Water bath canning kits (including specialty rack and tongs) are available for under $25 without a pot or $75 with a large pot.
Learn More
Learn the basics of home canning at these scheduled Cooperative Extension workshops:
- Window Rock, March 12
- Prescott, March 21
- Prescott, April 30
Other workshops are planned for St. Johns (April 10, August 7), Holbrook (April 22), Prescott (July 15-16). Three-day classes are also planned in May, June, and August in Graham County. Email Cindy Pearson at cpearson@arizona.edu for more information.
For more information about all things canning, see the U.S. Department of Agriculture Complete Guide to Home Canning.