Why Can Foods?

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Title: Why Can Foods?
Categories: Canning, Information
Yield: 1 guide


Canning can be a safe and economical way to preserve quality food at
home. Disregarding the value of your labor, canning homegrown food may
save you half the cost of buying commercially canned food. Canning
favorite and special products to be enjoyed by family and friends is a
fulfilling experience and a source of pride for many people.

Many vegetables begin losing some of their vitamins when harvested.
Nearly half the vitamins may be lost within a few days unless the fresh
produce is cooled or preserved. Within 1 to 2 weeks, even refrigerated
produce loses half or more of some of its vitamins. The heating process
during canning destroys from one-third to one-half of vitamins A and C,
thiamin, and riboflavin. Once canned, additional losses of these
sensitive vitamins are from 5 to 20 percent each year. The amounts of
other vitamins, however, are only slightly lower in canned compared with
fresh food. If vegetables are handled properly and canned promptly after
harvest, they can be more nutritious than fresh produce sold in local
stores.

The advantages of home canning are lost when you start with poor quality
fresh foods; when jars fail to seal properly; when food spoils; and when
flavors, texture, color and nutrients deteriorate using prolonged
storage.

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* USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994)
* Meal-Master format courtesy of Karen Mintzias

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