Food can be preserved for a long time if done correctly. Otherwise the food spoiling bacteria like yeast and molds can completely ruin your efforts. There are certain basic checklists that you need to carry out before you start canning your food such as, when foods are dried, no moisture is present for the bacterial growth, frozen foods to be stored at temperatures too low for microorganisms to grow etc.
Home canning is the most popular way of preserving and enjoying the homegrown fruits and vegetables. If you are using fresh vegetables and fruits from your own kitchen garden, then you can be sure that there are no chemicals and pesticides used unlike the commercial market. Home canned foods are better as most of the commercial canned foods have an extra amount of sugar, salts and preservatives added, which are not good if you are suffering from any health problems.
Home canning also allows you to preserve fruits and vegetables when they are at their peak of ripeness. You can enjoy backyard harvest which will give you flavorful spreads and sauces all year long. Food products canned at their peak of ripeness hold a better nutritional value. Another advantage of home canning is that you enjoy the off season food all the time even when they are not available or are expensive in the market. Home canning also adds a benefit of self-reliance when things like bad weather or short supply make the products unavailable or too expensive.
By following the right home canning recipes you can enjoy and preserve foods for a very long time. Home canning recipes teach you various methods of canning like the pressure method, water bath and open kettle method of canning etc. By adopting these methods of canning, you can get the highest nutritional value out of the home canned food products. Studies done at various universities have shown that home canned fruits and vegetables are nutritionally equal to their fresh counterparts. Home canning will not have any detrimental effect on the nutritional value of any fruit or vegetable. Thus the fresh fruit and vegetables remain to be an excellent source of nutrient even after being canned.
A fruit canned within 24 hours after being harvested holds more nutritional value than the one available at the market. This is because most of the fruits and vegetable available at the market reach their customers many days after harvesting. You do not add any extra sugar or preservatives in home canning which ensures that the nutritional value of the foods is retained to its fresh levels even after canning.
Home canning is one of the safest ways of preserving the food. All the canned fruits and vegetables are fat free and can be done with a no-salt or low-salt process. Home canned foods will have shelf life of two years if done using the right home canning recipe. Another good part is that the vitamins levels remain stable during the shelf life of home canned fruits. The canned fruits maintain a comparable level of Vitamin A and Vitamin C to their fresh and frozen counterparts.
Home canning can be a very enjoyable experience if done with the whole family. Preserve all your backyard garden gains with all nutritional value for a long time by following the right recipes for canning at home.
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