I know canning is a very popular and very useful method of food preservation. I've never done it personally, but my best guy pal does it. My mother-in-law does it, too, and my own mother used to do it. I've considered experimenting with it, and every once in a while I get close to buying some canning supplies, but then I change my mind. I know I'm going against conventional wisdom here, but I'm not sure canning is the best method for food preservation for me. Here's why:
- Canning is hard to do without electricity. I've heard of people who can foods over propane camping stoves. So I guess you don't need a regular household stove to do it. But though I don't know much about canning, I am pretty sure I read somewhere that it's important to maintain a steady temperature (which is one reason some glass-top stoves are not suitable for canning). Because of this, I imagine it would be difficult to can food over an open fire or other long-term shit+fan cooking method. (Plus, I own one of those aforementioned glass-top stoves, and I don't want to buy a propane stove just for canning.)
- Canning supplies may be difficult to obtain in a shit+fan situation. Although I know they make reusable lids for canning, most canning lids cannot be reused. So unless I get a shitload of them stored away, I'm eventually going to need to find another way to save my food. In addition, glass jars can break. All it takes it one good earthquake, and the jars are nothing more than shattered glass.
Rather than spend my time and money practicing a food preservation technique that doesn't really suit my lifestyle, I've decided to try some other methods. This year, I'm going to focus on dehydrating. Now, I realize my electric-operated dehydrator won't work during a no-electricity situation, either. But I'm also reading up on solar drying. If my electric dehydrating experiments work out ok this year, I may try solar drying next year.
This assumes, of course, that my garden even produces something I can dehydrate... (weeds don't count!).
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4 comments:
People were canning food a long time before electricty came into vogue. For most jellies, jams, pickles, sauces, fruits, juices, all you need is a boiling water bath which is totally feasible over a propane stove.
It WOULD be difficult to pressure can low acid foods like corn or green beans over a camp stove, but that's where dehydration or lacto-fermentation would be useful. As my grandma used to say "You can pickle ANYTHING!"
Home canning of foods began in 1795 and open fires were the norm then for cooking. :)
Wood cookstoves work fine as well.
I can certainly understand wanting to learn how to dehydrate foods, but I wouldn't pass by an opportunity to can up foods as well.
Also there are canning jars like Weck canning jars and lids like the Tattler lids that are reusable. While glass can break and doesn't have an indefinite life I'm using some canning jars from the 1920's to do my canning. :)
Ok... you guys almost convinced me. Maybe I should reconsider canning. Almost everyone who preserves food uses this method for at least some of their food preservation. Would probably be foolish of me to discount it entirely without even trying it...
Yay for Bitsy....we're having a Dr.-Phil-breakthrough moment LOL!
You know, I'm more afraid of food scarcity than an all-out, complete and total, societal collapse. If we do have a total collapse, you're right, canning would be difficult if not impossible.
But if the problem is food scarcity or the shelves are empty at Walmart because of, I don't know, massive flooding or fuel price issues, then knowing how to can food could mean all the difference to you and your family. You don't have to love canning, but it's always wise to put your eggs in many different baskets.
Besides, you can't dehydrate strawberry preserves.....and if there's a reason to learn how to can, it's homemade strawberry preserves :)
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