The Frugal Art of Canningby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 13 Jul 2007 08:15 AM If you grow your own food in your garden then you are already saving money. What do you do with your produce? Do you usually eat it all up with a little bit to spare for family and friends? Why not take the next step to save even more money off of your food budget? This year, plant some extra produce and plan to preserve it, so you will have plenty of food the whole year through. That is where canning comes in. Sure, there are some types of produce that can be frozen, but most of the time, frozen produce, even when you are able to do it, can't be used for much more than baking or cooking into recipes. But with canning, you can retain the texture, color and feel of fresh produce, or at least eat it pretty much out of the jar. And canning fresh produce can retain most of the nutrients in the food. There is a reason that this old fashioned practice is gaining popularity. Not only does it save you money in an age of rising grocery prices, but it also gives you a sense of accomplishment and helps you to be prepared in an emergency. You can can foods in many ways and in many combinations. You can pickle produce, pack produce in syrup, and make jellies, jams and butters, all to preserve your food for months and even years later. The optimal time to use produce that has been canned is within a year, to get the best nutrition and crispness. So, if you make it a practice to can some of your garden every year, you'll soon learn how much produce your need to optimally grow. Canning requires only a few simple pieces of equipment and a few hours of your time. The biggest concern with canning, of course, is preventing botulism or spoiled food. Making sure your jars, lids and other equipment is always sterilized is important. Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Computing Blog here at Families.com where she shares everything from the latest news on technology to cool downloads and fun websites. Related Articles: Frugal lessons from The Amish: Growing Food Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments AuntJamelle (125) 07 Jul 2008 10:53 AMThe setup costs for canning can be minimized by purchasing your canners used - Ebay can be a great resource. We got a great deal on a pressure canner that would have cost close to $100 brand new - even with shipping we still got a steal! I would also invest in the current year's edition of the Ball Blue Canning book. It is usually around $5 and it contains both instructions and recipes. You could also check out canning books from the library.  Mary Ann Romans (26876) 07 Jul 2008 01:03 PMThanks again! I'm curious about your mention of the current edition of the Ball Blue Canning book. Is new information released annually? I found this book at our local feed store. AuntJamelle (125) 07 Jul 2008 01:16 PMSupposedly the Ball Blue book is revised every year. The cover image is changed, maybe the title wording, but the recipes are usually identical. At least as far as I can tell! I've only seen two editions so I can't really be a good judge. You might find more differences between a 1930's edition and one from more recent years, just because of the things that have changed over time as far as safety standards. The use of parrafin wax to seal jars, for example, is no longer considered safe... Mary Ann Romans (26876) 08 Jul 2008 04:13 AMKara, you can often check by contacting the manufacturer or looking at the recycling number on the bottom of the pieces. Here is an article that address BPA (Hate the stuff!) http://home.families.com/blog/removing-bpa-from-your-home TrishM (5) 25 Jan 2009 10:41 AMOnce you open a jar that has been canned, how long will the food typically last? I canned Apple Sauce last year and opening it now. Thanks! Mary Ann Romans (26876) 25 Jan 2009 10:57 AMIt generally depends on the product. Without commercial preservatives, your food won't last as long as store bought. I would give applesauce anywhere from 3-5 days. You'll notcie mold start to grow. It might last longer if it is kept in the back of the fridge. Also, avoiding eating from the jar or placing a spoon that has been in someone's mouth will lengthen the time before it spoils. Apple sauce goes quickly in my house, so I haven't tested this theory. Great job getting it canned! Community Tags Canning, growing your own food, making jam, Preserving Food Discuss this article
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