The Beauty of Canning at Home

by Claire Grubb, Cow Creek Health & Wellness Center Registered Dietitian

Eat nourishing food all year round and save money – just two of the many benefits home canning provides. As gardens and orchards produce abundant harvests, canning offers a wonderful way to include nutrient-dense and wholesome foods throughout the year.

Canning at home requires just a few key tools: a canner (water bath, steam, or pressure canner depending on what you’re preserving); a safe, research-based r recipe; and fresh, high-quality food.

Aside from increasing our access to fruits and vegetables year-round, one of the greatest nutritional advantages of home canning is the ability to control ingredients. Most fruits and vegetables can be safely canned without added salt, sugar, or oil (remember – follow a reliable recipe!), and seafood and meat can be canned in water instead of oil. This flexibility makes it easier to preserve foods in a way that supports individual health goals while still maintaining great flavor.

For the safest and highest-quality results, always use current, research-tested canning recipes and preserve only fresh foods in good condition. With a little planning, home canning can transform a seasonal harvest into a pantry stocked with nutritious, delicious foods ready to enjoy all year long.

This article comes to you from Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center Dietetics and Healthy Living Team. Please reach out to our Lifestyle Coaches for ways to learn more about the power of food as medicine. (541) 672-8533, option #2