Seasons come and go, as do the ingredients they give us, but saying farewell to the seasons harvest doesn’t have to be sad. Canning and preserving your favorites can be a great way to keep some summer flavors in the pantry for when you’re in need of some sunshine on a cold winter day. Some say you can’t have peaches in the winter. We say you CAN. *Pun intended.

Canning and preserving has been around for centuries. The process preserves food in glass canning jars such as Ball at high temperatures. The heat element of canning prevents natural spoilage. As the jars cool, a vacuum seal forms removing any air from the vessel. This process helps to further sustain freshness and prevents contamination.

Of the two canning methods, Water Bath Canning and Pressure Canning, we recommend establishing which foods you’ll be working with as a first step.

Water Bath Canning is great for foods with higher acidity:

• Fruits
• Fruit Juice
• Jams, Jellies, Pie Fillings
• Salsa
• Tomatoes
• Pickles
• Relishes
• Chutneys, Sauces, Condiments

Pressure Canning serves the lower acidity foods such as:

• Meats
• Poultry
• Vegetables
• Seafood

Water Bath Canning is best for beginners, and doesn’t require a Pressure Cooker as Pressure Canning will. To begin your canning adventure, we recommend gathering all the tools.

You can gather them separately or make an investment in your canning connoisseur dreams and purchase an all-in-one kit that will fulfill all the pieces of the puzzle. Shop here.

Finding a recipe that suits the cravings of your future can be exhausting, but the beauty of canning comes with the opportunity of canning whole fruits or vegetables for future use. Find more information here to canning whole fruit! And canning whole veggies.

If you’re working with meats and seafood, be attentive when following instructions! We recommend taking advice from a pro – read more here.