Whether as a money-saving measure, method of eating more local foods or a way to eat more healthfully, the popularity of home canning has risen in recent years, and despite its early origins, the practice holds increasing relevance with today's consumers.
"It definitely has become more popular," said Linnette Goard, a field specialist in Food Safety, Selection and Management in Family and Consumer Sciences for Ohio State University Extension. "We've seen a lot more requests for programs, a lot more questions about canning and freezing."
The Jarden Co., maker of Ball and Kerr brand canning supplies, reports traffic to its website FreshPreserving.com increased by 83 percent in the past year. In addition, more than 50 percent of fans of the 45,000-strong Jarden Facebook community are younger than 44.
"Preserving is a hot trend, and one that's here to stay," said Lauren Devine-Hager, Jarden test-kitchen scientist. "More and more people are turning to preserving because they want to know where their food comes from and how it's prepared."
Licking County OSU extension educator Shari Gallup follows two pieces of canning advice from her grandmother: Start early in the morning and can with a friend.
If it must wait, keep the items to be canned in the refrigerator until you have time to process them.
For beginners, Goard said, the easiest introduction to canning is probably with fruit or tomatoes -- high-acid foods -- and making jams and jellies.
High-acid foods can be processed in a water-bath canner, which is less expensive than a pressure canner, used for low-acid foods such as vegetables.
Newbies should make sure they're using a trusted recipe -- "Making sure they're not using Grandma's old recipe, but they're getting the latest information that's out there," Goard said -- and should obtain a good guide, such as the most recent edition of the Ball Blue Book or the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.
They also should make sure they have a safe place to store the canned goods that won't be too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer, Goard said.
If you get stuck, get in touch with your local extension office. The Ohio State Food Safety Hotline is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1-800-752-2751; information also is available at the OSU Extension website, ohioline.osu.edu
