History of Canning

 

THE HISTORY OF FOOD CANNING:

 I personally love to can and have been canning since I was a teenager. I was taught initially by my Aunt Greta, but failed to continue it until I moved to Virginia where I met a woman by the name of Lola. Ms. Lola was the mother of my business partner and she was a wonderful old southern lady who knew how to cook the most amazing southern food but also knew how to can food perfectly. She retaught me the art of canning and I've been doing it ever since. There is nothing like opening a can of homemade jelly or jam, or tomato sauce that was made with fresh tomato from the farm. Once you've tried it and tasted your own handiwork, you'll never go back to buying store-bought canned foods again. Let's jump into the history of food canning. 

Home canning can be traced back centuries specifically to the 18^th century in a country called France. It was Napoleon Bonaparte who was concerned about the health and feeding of his troops and offered a reward for whoever would develop a way to preserve food for long durations.  A citizen by the name of Nicholas Appert devised a method of preserving food in bottles, like wine. After 15 years of testing and experimentation, he learned that if the bottles of food were heated correctly and properly sealed, the food would not spoil.

Peter Durand, An Englishman, took the original design and created a way to preserve food in tin cans, which was then was turned into a commercial canning factory in England in 1813 by Bryan Dorkin and John Hall. As the necessity of supplying various armies around the world needed canned foods to survive on the battlefield, Thomas Kensett emigrated to the United States and established the first Canning company that would preserve meats, fruits, veggies and even seafood in the New York Area in 1812.  In 1852, Louis Pasteur discovered that microorganisms were the cause of food spoilage. 

Contemporary Canning

Although the fundamental principles of canning have remained the same since Appert and Durand's era, our understanding of how heat and sealing techniques contribute to food safety has evolved into a precise science. Pasteur was instrumental in discovering the role of heat and airtight sealing in food preservation. For instance, adequate heat is necessary to eliminate microorganisms when packing food into sealed containers. The food is then processed under steam pressure at temperatures between 240-250°F (116-121°C), with the required time varying based on the food's acidity, density, and heat conductivity. For example, tomatoes need less processing time compared to green beans, while corn and pumpkin require significantly more.

Canning processes are optimized to ensure commercial sterility while maximizing flavor and nutrition, adhering to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Sealed and heat-processed cans keep their contents safe and high-quality for over two years, provided the container remains intact, without the need for added preservatives.

The canning process varies by product. Fruits and vegetables might be peeled, pitted, or de-stemmed. Some vegetables are pre-heated to expel air and facilitate efficient packing. Acidic juices and vegetables can be sterilized before containerization. Seafood is typically deboned or shelled before canning, except for small or soft-boned fish like sardines, anchovies, or salmon. Meats and larger fish are often pre-cooked to tenderize the flesh, deboned, compacted, and canned with added liquid. One significant difference in the modern canning process is that today's cans are made of 100% recyclable steel.

Packed at the Peak of Freshness

Canning facilities are typically located near harvest points to ensure foods are packed fresh, maintaining cost efficiency and optimal flavor. Canned foods are sealed at their nutrient peak, with studies showing that canning may even enhance nutrient profiles. For example, canned pumpkin has significantly more vitamin A than fresh pumpkin, and canned tomatoes have more lycopene than their fresh counterparts.

The canning process involves heating the food in cans to destroy harmful microorganisms, ensuring safety. This process is rigorously monitored through systems like Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to maintain high safety standards.

A wide variety of foods are available in canned form, providing a convenient, safe, and nutritious option that remains a staple in modern pantries, despite the availability of fresh and frozen alternatives.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Graduating with an Associate of Arts from Pheonix University kin Business Management, then a degree in Mass Communication and Cyber Analysis from Phoenix University, then on to Walden University for her master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology, her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. In her spare time, Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, pen and ink, Gouache, and pastels. As a political operative having worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 6 blogs that range from art to life coaching, to food, to writing, and opinion or history pieces each week.