My grandmothers canned everything from fruit to farm-grown corn. During frigid Midwest winters and tornado summers in the storm shelter, I was always surrounded by jars. With those memories as a backdrop, I asked home cooks and the associate director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation about modern canning.
Ninety-five-year-old home canner Hettie Reed had this to share about her canning experiences:
“I will can anything I can get my hands on that is edible,” she says. “I have arthritis in my hands, and canning helps keep them moving and going. It saves me money, and I enjoy spending my time doing it. I give green beans, tomatoes and other vegetables I’ve grown in my garden and canned to my children and grandchildren every year.”
As grocery prices skyrocket, here’s a beginner-friendly guide to home canning, so summer’s bounty of fresh, affordable produce can be preserved to use all year.
The DOs of canning:
DO choose your method
Tracey Brigman, EdD, MS, RDN, LD, associate director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation and a nutrition specialist with the University of Georgia, offers recommendations for getting started.
“Water bath canning is the best method of canning for beginners,” she says. “It’s the easiest and safest and uses very little equipment. The more years you can, the more cost-effective canning becomes.”
Brigman, an avid canner, recommends checking out the resources from local Cooperative Extensions, including Cornell in Albany County, to learn more about the process and the equipment needed to can at home.
For newbies, Brigman suggests starting with an easy freezer jelly — crushed fresh fruit, sugar and a no-cook pectin — as it requires no heating or special equipment.
“I love a good freezer jelly,” she says. “It is faster and easier to make, tastes fresher and is less sweet than traditional heated jelly. It does have a thinner set than a traditional heated jelly would have, so if you’re someone who likes a stronger set, you would need to choose a traditional heat-canned jelly or jam. You also need to have freezer room if you want to go this route.”
DO try different foods
Brigman shares some great canning options, including a perennial summer favorite, homegrown tomatoes.
“When it comes to canning,” she says, “there’s a variety of foods that can be safely canned. These foods include many fruits, vegetables, meats, soups, pickled/fermented products, jams and jellies. I have a sweet tooth, so jams and jellies are my favorite. You also can’t go wrong with canning good, homegrown tomatoes.”
DO store canned goods properly
My grandmothers had the right idea, storing canned produce in their storm cellar.
According to Brigman, home-canned goods should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place, with ideal temperatures ranging from 50 to 70 degrees.
“It’s important to avoid temperatures over 95 degrees, freezing temperatures and direct sunlight,” she says. “Make sure the lids and jar surfaces are washed and dried to remove food residue and prevent rust. It is recommended that the screw bands, or rings, be removed to prevent them from rusting onto the jar.”
It’s also important, she says, to ensure all jars are clearly labeled and dated, and to use the “first in, first out” principle when choosing which jar to open. You should also periodically examine your jars for broken seals, unnatural color changes and rising air bubbles.
DO watch for canning trends
My memories of canned vegetables like freshly picked green beans run alongside new methods and recipe approaches. Brigman outlined upcoming trends in today’s canning.
“We are seeing the younger generation canning more frequently as a result of trends in reducing carbon footprints and increasing self-sufficiency,” she says.
Extension services are turning to social media and webinars to reach a wider audience and counteract misinformation about home canning and safe practices. There’s a high demand for reduced-salt and -sugar recipes, as well as healthier options such as ground poultry and plant-based proteins.
DO make it fun
I’m not the only home cook who’s sentimental about canned food. Trisha Nieder, master gardener, regenerative farmer and author at Nieder Farms described her love of the generational experience.
“Canning is such a family and communal experience for us,” she says. “My aunt gifted me her old pressure canner a few years ago, and I spent a Friday night with my two young boys at my grandmother’s house, where she gave me all her tools and taught us. She enjoyed remembering spending weekends making tomato sauce as much as we enjoyed hearing the stories from decades ago.”
Nieder says her family always grows a surplus in the garden for canning and pickling.
“It’s such a fun thing to do after school or work or on a weekend,” she says. “Outside of enjoying it ourselves, we’re always sharing sauces, jams, pickles with family, friends and neighbors. My kids love giving them as gifts and feel so proud of what they’ve made.”
Whether you’re canning out of necessity, practicality or nostalgia, there’s something special about serving preserved foods from jellies to pickles, canned in your kitchen. You may be saving money or produce, but the shared experiences and memories are priceless.
And some DON’Ts of canning:
DON’T use too many or the wrong tools
“Make sure you’re using the right canner for the food you are canning, ensure your jars and lids are in good condition, get your dial gauge on your pressure canner checked annually,” she says.
Brigman further explains that “ … while the startup costs for home canning can be expensive, it is important to note that if you purchase jars or canning equipment secondhand, they should be thoroughly checked for chips, cracks or scratches in the rims or structural damage on the body of the jar.”
Avoid jars that have etchings, she advises, and use only jars made specifically for canning. If you purchase a secondhand canner, she recommends taking it to your local extension office to have it inspected for safe use.
DON’T use improper or untested techniques
You may have read horror stories about bacteria and canning. Brigman mentions the potential danger of botulism, but also ways to avoid inviting bacteria into the canning process:
“Our greatest concern in home canning is the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. There have been some cases of foodborne botulism from home canning in the news. Most recently, in June 2024, an outbreak of eight cases was caused by home canning of prickly pears. The bacteria can produce spores that generate a dangerous toxin. The risks increase when using improper techniques for home canning such as oven or open-kettle canning, using unvalidated recipes, or failing to use a pressure canner when canning low-acid foods.”
DON’T use unvalidated recipes
Memories aside, it may be tempting to use family recipes or social media posts. Brigman cautions home cooks that “all recipes should be scientifically tested and up-to-date. Using family recipes or recipes found online can be risky. Validated recipes must be followed exactly, from ingredients and ingredient measurements to processing times, to proper cooling and handling of jars. Any deviation from a validated recipe can result in an increased risk for foodborne illness.”
DON’T can foods that won’t net great results
While many foods can be canned with optimal results, Brigman recommends avoiding:
- Recipes that contain pasta or rice. Starch prevents heat from reaching the center of the jar, and not all bacteria will be killed.
- Recipes that have very dense purees. The density inhibits heat penetration, and not all bacteria will be killed.
- Recipes containing dairy products. They will go rancid if not refrigerated.
- Recipes containing fats and oils. Fats and oils interfere with heat penetration, allowing bacteria to survive in the jar’s cold spot. They can also interfere with proper jar sealing.
- Some vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage and squash. These are low-acid foods, and the high temperatures and long processing times required by the pressure-canning process will turn them to mush.
