The knowledge of and need for food preservation has been an essential part of human existence for thousands of years— since Adam and Eve were forced to leave the Garden, I imagine. From the ancient practices of drying and fermenting to our modern forms of refrigeration and freezing, keeping food from spoiling has been an essential pursuit. However, in this day and age, most folks’ experience with food preservation goes about as far as throwing something in the fridge or freezer. Since the majority of people do not grow their own food anymore, the skills required to “put food by” for later have been nearly lost to the last couple of generations. I think that is just a shame. More than that, I believe we are doing ourselves and future generations a disservice by allowing this knowledge to slip away.

The ability to take a large quantity of food—be it meat, vegetables, or fruits— and preserve it is still a very practical way to safeguard ourselves and our families in the event of disaster or economic distress. Home-preserved food is fresher and more wholesome because it is not full of chemicals and preservatives and is much less expensive than store-bought food. There is also an indescribable sense of satisfaction and joy in gazing upon a shelf full of varicolored jars filled with good food for your own family. The best thing about canning is that the food will keep for many years on the shelf. No need for electricity.

As a method of food preservation, home canning is a relative newcomer. It is generally agreed that water bath canning was developed in France in the early nineteenth century. The process of placing food in jars and heating the food in order to kill bacteria has continued to be refined and improved over the years. The science behind canning is fairly simple. All food is exposed to molds, bacteria, and other external matter in the air and ground. Internally, the chemical structure of fruits and vegetables includes enzymes that act to bring the food to maturity. The heat involved in the canning procedure kills the external spoilers and arrests the enzymatic progress of ripening. If preserved properly, the food will be kept in a kind of “suspended animation” until the jar is opened.

Although canning has been around for more than a hundred years, it truly saw its heyday during World War II. Throughout those difficult years, goods and resources were diverted to the war effort. Large-scale agricultural production was channeled to supply the troops, and many of the trucks that normally brought fruits and vegetables to market were put to work in the defense industry. The United States government launched a propaganda campaign in which all Americans were urged to do their part to support the troops and the economy by growing “Gardens for Victory” or Victory Gardens, as we now know them. Twenty million Americans answered the call and dug up their backyards and front yards. Neighbors banded together to plow vacant lots in their community and grow neighborhood gardens. Fruits and vegetables could even be found growing in trailer parks and window boxes. An impressive 40% of all produce grown during that time was harvested by the American backyard grower.

Of course, all that bounty needed to be preserved to see folks through to the next growing season. All over the country, women fired up their canning kettles and dusted off their Mason jars. Now, I do a fair amount of home canning, but I am truly humbled when I read and hear stories about the amount of food our mothers, grandmothers, and great- grandmothers managed to “put by.” Literally hundreds of quarts of peaches, tomatoes, green beans, corn, and more were stuffed into every cupboard, nook, and cranny of the average American home. My own mother has vivid memories of not only the Victory Gardens her family grew but also the jars and jars of homecanned food lining the shelves. They even kept chickens and rabbits along with their Victory Garden, and that was in their backyard in Los Angeles, California!

I have heard a number of ladies express their reluctance to try home canning. They are afraid the food won’t be safe. However, canning has come a long way. Modern scientific research, along with superior jars and seals, has made this method nearly foolproof, if the proper steps are followed. Websites such as www.homecanning.com or the National Center for Home Food Preservation website at www.uga.edu/nchfp/ contain a wealth of good information that ought to put anyone’s mind at ease. I would also suggest picking up a copy of the book Putting Food By by Janet Greene, et al., for a thorough education in the art of home food preservation.

To preserve fruits or pickled foods, the water bath canning method is used. This involves filling hot jars with the hot food, sealing them, and placing them in boiling water for a prescribed amount of time. Fruits can be canned using the water bath method because they contain a high amount of acid and the boiling temperature of 212° will destroy all bacteria. To preserve all vegetables and meats, a pressure canner must be used. This is because vegetables are low acid and the temperature necessary to kill off bacteria needs to reach 230° or more. Obviously, this can’t be achieved by simply boiling water. Only a pressure canner can generate that kind of heat.

We will concern ourselves only with the water bath method in this article. The equipment needed for water bath canning is very basic and pretty easy to find. You will need a canning kettle. These are very large kettles, usually porcelain enamel over steel, often black with white speckles. There will be a lid with a handle and a rack inside for holding the jars. I have found these at my local hardware or grocery stores, and they are fairly inexpensive. These kettles must be large, because there must be at least one to two inches of water above the tops of the jars inside the kettle during boiling. Other useful accessories are canning tongs to pull the hot jars out of the water and a wide-mouthed funnel for getting the food into the jar instead of onto your counter.

Of course, you will need canning jars. For the recipe I will share in this article, you will need wide-mouthed quart jars. The jars also come in half-pint and pint size. I urge you to use only the Mason jars specifically made for home canning. They are stronger and come with lids that are made to fit perfectly for a proper seal. The two-piece caps consist of a band or rim and a metal lid that has a sealant around the edge. When this sealant is heated, it adheres to the rim of the jar and seals it tight. While the bands can be used over and over again, as long as they are not rusted or bent, the lids can be used only once. Another advantage of buying a case of canning jars is that they come with very thorough instructions on preparing the jars for use. That’s how I learned to do it the first time!

It's harvest time and apples are plentiful, so I am sharing my recipe for Apple Pie Filling. We have seven apple trees on our property, and they are loaded. This recipe is a great way to use up lots of fruit. It is also truly delicious, and it is one of the easiest recipes to prepare and can. The filling makes a wonderful present for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Place a pretty label on it. Cut a piece of homespun fabric in a 7” diameter circle and attach it to the top with a piece of ribbon or raffia for a really lovely gift.

If you have consulted the websites I recommended or bought the book and have familiarized yourself with the canning process, you’re ready to try this! A gadget called an apple peeler/corer is a handy tool for peeling, coring, and slicing the apples. Look for it in your local hardware or home store. Now, let’s get canning!

Apple Pie Filling

18 cups baking apples—peeled, cored & sliced (about 6 lbs.)
(Use a variety of apples for best flavor—Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Fuji are all good choices.)
½ cup lemon juice
4 cups brown sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
8 cups water

In a large bowl mix the apples together with the lemon juice to keep them from browning. Set aside. In a large pot combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for two minutes. Add apples (you may want to drain off some of the lemon juice, but I think it adds a nice flavor) and return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 6-8 minutes. Have your quart jars and lids hot and ready. Pack each jar with the filling to ½ inch from the top. Screw down lids. Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes. Makes about 5 quarts. This filling can be used for pies, crisps, tarts, turnovers, or as an ice cream topping. Enjoy!

Lisa is wife to Guy and mother to six great kids. She is the publisher of New Harvest Homestead, a bi-monthly e-newsletter for Christian women who love the “homestead” life. She has been growing and preserving her own food for 20 years and is probably busy right now putting up jars and jars of tomato sauce, apple cider, and pie filling! You can visit the New Harvest Homestead website at www.newharvesthomestead.com or contact Lisa at NewHarv@aol.com.

© Copyright 2006. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Fall 2006, pages 167-169