Pineapple in Syrup

How to preserve the food in jars at home?
There are two basic methods for home canning. First is to boil glass jars in the hot water bath. The second is need pressure cooker to increase temperature beyond the boiling point of water. You can preserve many kinds of fresh fruits and fruit jams using water bath. However, less acid foods like beans and corn can only be preserved using pressure cooker.

What is syrup?
Word syrup or sirup can be sometimes confusing. It is used to describe tree different products. First is a sticky liquid made from sugar cane or maple. This syrup you put on pancakes. Second is sweet liquid made sugar and boiling water. It's used for preserving fresh fruit. This is what Smokeless Kitchen does. Third is concentrated fruit flavour high on sugar that mixes with water to make soft drink.

How long can be canned food be stored?
There is differences based on the food, but in most cases canned food will last between 1 and 5 years. There were cases of food preserved for more than 100 years. After such a long time taste, appearance and vitamin content degraded, however laboratory tests showed food still safe to eat.

How can be food preserved for long time?
There are different ways to preserve food. You can freeze, dry, pickle or can food into jars. It depends on the type of food that you like to preserve. Canning is best for preserving fruits and vegetables, but you can also preserve different sauces or even meat.

How old is canning technology?
More than 200 years! In 1795 Napoleon offers a reward for the invention of a new food preservation method. Nicolas Appert wins the reward in 1809. He invents the process of canning when food is preserved in glass jars and heated up for extended period of time. It was more than 50 years before Louis Pasteur found about bacteria. In 1810 Peter Durand patented the use of tin cans and start supplying British Royal Navy. Soon after that home canning becomes popular both in Europe and North America.

How much vitamins is lost during the canning?
Heat during can destroys up to one half of vitamins A and C, thiamin, and riboflavin. Once canned, additional losses are from 5 to 20 percent each year. However amount of other vitamins in canned food is only slightly lower than fresh food.

Why preserve food at home by food canning?
Many families preserve seasonal fruits when they are cheap on the market and enjoy them later in the year. So canning can be way how to enjoy your favourite foods out of season for prices that do not break your wallet.

What equipment do I need for canning fruits?
For basic water bath canning you need jars, lids, big pot and cooker. The are some extra kitchen tools that you find handy during the process: pot lid to warm up water faster, funnel for filling the jars, big spoon when working with sauces or brines, kitchen tongs and kitchen mittens for handling hot jars. For pressure cooking method you need pressure cooker with a pressure regulator or a set of weights.