Page 27 - The Lost Book Preserving Food Naturally

The Lost Book of Preserving Food Naturally

Pressure Canning
Pressure canning involves using a special pressure cooker, unsurprisingly known as a

“pressure canner” to increase the atmospheric pressure and therefore the boiling point

of water. This allows canning at a higher temperature, which is necessary for some types

of foods, especially meats. This higher temperature is necessary to ensure that all
bacteria are killed.

Most references will tell you that you need to use pressure canning for all non-acidic

foods. However, I have seen a wide range of recipes for canning non-acidic fruits and

vegetables, which did not require a pressure canner. My wife and I canned a considerable
amount of home-made applesauce and apple butter, before we ever had a pressure

canner.

Nevertheless, I am not suggesting that you can without a pressure canner, unless you

have specific information that it is safe to can the type of food you are canning without

one. We have since acquired a pressure canner and use it for most of our canning.

Dry Canning

In the last few years, some people have been experimenting with pressure canning as a
means of preserving dry foods. Rather than canning in a pot, the jars and their contents

are heated in the oven, set to a low temperature (most home ovens only go down to 200

degrees).

Theoretically, dry canning should work as well for these foods, which are mostly grains

and pasta, as normal canning does for wet foods. You can’t use it for dry fruit, only for

foods that are truly dry, like the aforementioned grains. Bacteria can’t survive in this
food, as there is not enough moisture in it; so there is very little moisture content to be

concerned about. However, there is the possibility of insects, insect larva or insect eggs.

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