Bottling Summer

Here in Colorado, we continue to trudge through the cold dark of winter.  Though the sun has begun making its way northernly, the frigid days drag on.  Our gardens, long since put to bed, lay blanketed beneath the fluffy white.  Yet, with the pop of a jar lid, we are transported back in time, back to summer’s sun kissed bliss.  Which is why this month, Canned Foods Month, we pay homage to the tradition of canning, the wonderful process through which we’re able to enjoy the bounty of our gardens, even in the depths of winter.

History

The process of preserving foods through canning was invented by French Chef, Nicolas Appert, in 1809.  It was a response to the need to keep soldiers fed during the Napoleonic Wars.  Monsieur Appert spent 14 years experimenting before perfecting a technique that kept food safe for years.  Appert’s first cans were actually glass jars, sealed, in a fashion similar to champagne bottles, and boiled, ridding the contents of bacteria that leads to food spoilage and illness.  Appert was, of course, unaware of this at the time; it would be another half a century before Louis Pasteur would show that food and beverages spoiled due to micro-organisms.

Benefits

When canned goods first hit the consumer market, they were considered a novelty, accessible only to the affluent.  Today, canned goods are a safe, convenient, and cost-effective way to meet nutritional needs.  In fact, not only do canned goods offer comparable nutritional value to their fresh and frozen counterparts, in some cases they are even more dense in essential nutrients!  Canned tomatoes, for example, are higher in Lycopene and B vitamins than fresh or frozen.

Candemonium

A renewed interest in Home Canning has been trending since the pandemic brought about new concerns of food scarcity.  While the recent revival briefly caused a shortage in availability of canning supplies, provisions have since rebounded.  A skill that had fallen to the backburner in the convenience age is revived and new generations are learning to carry on the tradition.  Canning your own homegrown vegetables is a great way to preserve your harvest.  However, it is very important to follow canning guidelines and recipes closely in order to maintain food safety.  The USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning and the National Center for Home Food Preservation are excellent resources on how to safely preserve foods by canning.

Leave us a comment and let us now how you’ll be celebrating Canned Foods Month!  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and never miss a Beet!