How Secure Is Your Food Supply? Part Five
As we continue this series on food security, we are now at the stage of considering the best method of preserving food available to the domestic household – canning.
Canning
In the last instalment I shared how my husband and I taught ourselves how to preserve the food we grew. A big part of this involved learning how to use a canning machine.
What is the difference between canning and bottling?
The difference lies in the temperatures reached: bottling is good for short-term preservation (up to one year), whereas food that has gone through the very high temperature reached in the canning process can be kept for a much longer period of time, and is therefore more useful when considering setting aside food for a time in the future as yet undefined.
Defining canning
For those not familiar, the term ‘canning’ is used of both tin cans and glass jar preservation. I only have experience of using glass jars in the canning process. However, whichever is used, it’s the temperature reached that’s the key factor, not the mode of storage. Having said that, I recommend screw top Kilner or Mason jars, not clip-top ones. Clip tops are only meant to be storage or display jars, so they crack at the high temperatures reached in the canning process.
The purchase of the correct machine is something to take very seriously, especially as they are inevitably expensive.
A 25-litre machine can preserve up to 15-20 jars at any one time, depending on the size of the jars used. For example, because it is possible to use two layers of jars in the machine, one atop the other, you could have a dozen or so 250 ml jars in the base of the machine, then, using a trivet over the top to provide a level base for a second course of jars, place at least ten litre or half-litre jars in the top half of the machine. This is a clear advantage, especially in fuel-saving, over a small domestic-sized pressure cooker which might take only 2 or 3 jars at most each time.
Buying a canner
The purchase of the correct machine is something to take very seriously, especially as they are inevitably expensive. In my experience they are generally not available in the U.K. as the process of canning is rarely used here. However, in the U.S., where groups such as the Menonite and Amish communities – who take food preservation very seriously – use canning for food preservation, the machines are more readily available. I have bought two machines, both from the U.S. via eBay, although they are now also available on Amazon. Here is a link for a machine similar to mine: https://amzn.eu/d/99uxXR3
If you invest in a machine, please be wise and order spare parts at the same time. When I was first learning to use my canner-cooker, I literally blew a gasket on just the second attempt and had to wait several weeks for replacement parts from the U.S., during which time crops that could have been preserved were lost.
Also, as we may not be able to rely on the current trading system in the future, we need to ensure to keep in our storehouse whatever might be needed.
Advantages:
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Food altered chemically by changing the moisture, pH, or salinity levels to protect against microbes, bacteria, mould and yeast.
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Limits food enzyme activity.
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Physical barriers of glass jars, seals, and lids effectively prevent decay.
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Can keep canned foods on shelves for 1-2 years or longer.
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Economical once initial supply of jars bought.
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Disadvantages:
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Glass jars can break.
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Seals can be broken, causing spoilage.
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Time consuming.
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Improper methods can be dangerous:
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Clostridium botulinum contamination.
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Taste can be inferior to fresh food.
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Food has lower nutritional value than fresh food.
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65% fewer vitamins and minerals than freshly picked.
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Start-up costs significant
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Filled jars require heavy-duty shelving for storage.
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Easy Canning
Taking your first steps in canning can be quite daunting, especially when you see your canning machine comes with an anti-explosion kit! See below a quick guide to canning.
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Pick and wash vegetables or fruit. Pat dry.
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Place trivet in the base of the canner and add 5 English pints of water. Put on heat and bring gently to a rolling boil on a SLOW HEAT (if you use a fierce heat the canner may blow a gasket).
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Whilst water is coming to the boil:
a. Wash and dry bottles. There’s no need to sterilise bottles as the canning process does this.
b. Scald lids in boiling water.
c. Pack vegetables or fruit into bottles ensuring to leave at least ½-inch headroom clear at the top of each jar.
d. Cover with boiling water to ½-inch headroom.
e. Slide a pallet knife around the sides of the bottle to ensure all bubbles are removed from the jar.
f. Seal and screw lids in place, hand-tight.
g. When the water is boiling, place jars in the canner and close the lid.
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Steam jars for 10 minutes without adding the weight.
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After 10 minutes add the weight and pressure will begin to increase.
a. Bring to 11lb pressure (this has to be adjusted for altitude and instructions on the correct pressure will come with your machine).
b. Maintain pressure by continuing with a slow heat for required canning time. N.B. If pressure goes below required pressure, you will need to start timing again.
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Once timing has expired, turn off heat and allow pressure in the canner to reduce to zero. Be careful not to interfere with the weight at this stage.
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Once pressure has reduced to zero, allow goods to remain in the sealed canner for a further 5 minutes.
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After 5 minutes remove lid and carefully move very hot jars to a cooling rack using forceps.
a. Lids will probably screw a bit further hand-tight.
b. Leave to cool without fiddling with them overnight. You should hear the seals pop from time to time. This means they are sealing as they cool.
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Next day, check all the lids for a seal:
a. A sealed jar has a concave centre that does not move when pressed.
b. An unsealed jar will pop and move inwards when pressed.
c. If any jars are not sealed, either re-process with a new seal or place in the fridge to use up over the next week or so.
Useful Pressure Timings:
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Green Beans: 20 minutes at 11lb pressure for ½ litre or 25 minutes for 1 litre jars.
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Tomatoes with no added water: add ¼ tsp citric acid and ½ tsp salt to each ½ litre jar (½ tsp citric acid and 1 tsp salt to each 1 litre jar). 25 minutes at 11lb pressure for ½ and 1 litre jars.
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Beetroot: pre-cook. Pack small beets whole or sliced. 30 minutes at 11lb pressure for ½ litre or 35 minutes for 1 litre jars.
To download this guide to easy canning please click here.
Other practicalities to consider:
Meat Supply
My husband and I partnered with a neighbouring farmer for our meat supply – he grazed his sheep in our field, for which we received a supply of lamb for our freezer.
Recipes from the Storehouse
Everyday Meals and Soups using Dried Goods
We created recipes using dried goods from the store. It is one thing to store foodstuffs, but it is something entirely different to create something edible from them. These recipes are available here and here.
We also came across a booklet online (see www.godecookery.com) based on medieval recipes using locally grown produce, plus a few spices which you can store in advance. This booklet is available here.
Medicinals
Herbs are a naturally occurring plant, many of which have historically been used for healing, emphasising their effectiveness in treating various ailments and their medicinal properties.
​Herbs can be combined with other readily available resources or distilled to be made into healing teas, tinctures, lotions, liniments and balms.
Herbs can be combined with other readily available resources or distilled to be made into healing teas, tinctures, lotions, liniments and balms.
One member of our core group, a nurse, took time to learn how to create usable compounds, salves and medicines from common garden herbs. A list of herbs to grow and their uses is here. This isn’t something you can just do; it needs time to learn how to make useable products.
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Dry Herbs for…
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Soap;
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Lotions;
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Potions;
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Liniments & salves;
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Respiratory, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, anti-septic; digestive; pain, nerves & emotions and ophthalmology.
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Foraging
Foraging is the natural harvest of the hedgerows and is therefore local and readily available in the backyards of those who live in relatively rural areas. It is, however, fraught with challenges for the uninitiated. So, I would recommend going on some form of course with an expert to learn properly.
Advantages:
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Fresh food.
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Balanced diet with seasonal variations.
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Free food therefore saves money.
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Gain a new appreciation of nature and different ecosystems.
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General health benefits from spending time outdoors in gentle exercise, fresh air & vitamin D production.
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Sensible foraging can give a supply of vitamin and mineral-rich foods.
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New flavours and textures.
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Improve basic cooking skills as you learn new ways of combining foods and flavours.
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It's a great day out!
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Disadvantages:
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Time-consuming. 1 to 2 hours per foraging walk
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Need to move around to find sufficient foods.
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Can be dangerous or fatal to health if foods aren’t safe for consumption.
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Need to learn from an expert guide who can explain about safe and toxic plants and their uses.
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Not every plant will taste nice.
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Lots of trial and error.
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Needs patience to experiment with flavours.
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Avoid parks busy with dog walkers.
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Avoid areas near heavy traffic.
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In the next instalment of this series, we will also consider the most basic food of all; bread, along with its derivative, grain, while also thinking about how to set up a local trading co-operative.
Sarah Winbow, 18/07/2025