By: Nikki Nies
Fun Fact: Food preservation permeates all cultures. And they say we’re all different, huh?
How often do you find yourself throwing food out because you didn’t have a chance to use it before it goes bad? Or how many times do you head to the checkout line at the grocery store with the maximum amount of produce allowed due to the great sale? While these conundrums may be a common issue for you, by canning and/or preserving your food, you can have your veggies and can them too! Pun intended!
There are so many preservation methods, depending on the foods, equipment and intentions with the food. I’m by no means an expert on canning, but I’ve had first hand experience in the food saving systems it can do!
The list below is not an exhaustive list of food preservation, but it’s a good overview of the most common techniques used and a few unique modes of preservation for those more adventurous with their canning abilities.
| Preservation Method | Commonly Used Foods | Fun Facts |
| Canning | Wine; milk; vegetables; fruits; meat | With canning, it destroys microorganisms and inactivates enzymes; the vacuum seal prevents other microorganisms from recontaminating food within jar or can; includes pressure canning and water bath canning |
| Cellaring | Vegetables; grains; nuts; dry cured meats | Storing foods in temperature, humidity and light controlled environment |
| Curing | Meat; fish | Earliest curing was dehydration; included use of salt to help dessicate foods; uses salts, acid and/or nitrites; may employ secondary method of fermenting, smoking or sealing |
| Dry Salting | Meat; fish; vegetables | Fermenting or pickling techniques; 2.5-5% salt concentration promotes fermentation; 20-25% salt promotes high salt concentration; |
| Drying | Often with fish, game, domestic animals, fruits; herbs | In ancient times, sun and wind would have naturally dried foods—with Asian and Middle Eastern countries actively drying foods as early as 12,000 B.C. ; in the Middle Ages they built “still houses” for the purpose of drying fruits, vegetables and herbs that didn’t have strong enough sunlight for drying |
| Fermenting | Fruits–>wine; cabbage–>Kim chi or sauerkraut ; legumes; seafood; dairy; eggs; wine; cured sausage; yogurt; meats | Fermentation has been used to create more nutritious and palatable foods from less than desirable ingredients; microorganisms that are responsible for fermentation can produce vitamins |
| Freezing | Meats, vegetables, leftovers, fruit; eggs; nuts; prepared foods | Common use includes cellars, caves and cool streams; chilling foods to at least 0°F |
| Jamming | Fruits | With use of honey or sugar; in ancient Greece, quince was mixed with honey, dried and packed tightly into jars; |
| Pickling | Wine; ciders; chutneys; mustards; relishes; ketchups and sauces | Preservation of foods in vinegar or other acids; first fermented to alcohol and then alcohol’s oxidized by bacteria to acetic acid; |
| Sealing | Legumes; seafood; dairy; eggs; wine; cured sausage; yogurt; meats | Covers food to keep out air—delaying the activity of spoilage organisms; used as complementary process to other fermentation methods, i.e. freezing or drying; relatively inexpensive |
| Smoking | Meats | Improves flavor and appearance; can be used as a drying agent; by smoking, meats are less likely to turn rancid or grow mold than unsmoked |
With all this said, what canning techniques have I left out that you think should be used consistently? Have any kitchen hacks you’re willing to share with canning? We’d love to hear them!
Learn how to preserve specific foods with OSU’s guide!
Sources: http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/
http://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation/safe-methods
http://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation
http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/preservation.html
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/fch/food-preservation
http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/food_pres_hist.html
