What Foods Shouldn’t Be Home Canned? What I’m Learning as a Beginner
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Learning to Can Safely: What I’m Putting in Jars and What I’m Not
Preserving old-fashioned skills without ignoring what we’ve learned about food safety.
One of the things I’ve been learning more about lately is home canning.
I love the idea of filling my pantry shelves with food I’ve preserved myself. There’s something satisfying about learning skills that generations before us relied on, and canning is one of those skills I want to become more confident in.
But the more I learn, the more I realize that just because something can be put into a jar doesn’t necessarily mean it should be.
And that’s where things can get a little controversial.
Let’s Talk About Rebel Canning
If you’ve spent much time in canning groups or watching canning videos, you’ve probably come across the term “rebel canning.”
It’s generally used to describe canning practices that fall outside established, research-tested guidelines.
Some people have been preserving food this way for decades. Others follow methods passed down through their families.
I’m not here to argue with them.
What someone chooses to do in their own kitchen is their decision. I know there are experienced canners who use methods that aren’t recommended by current food preservation guidelines.
But here’s where I stand.
I’m still learning. I’m not a food scientist, and I’m certainly not an expert canner. So when it comes to preserving food for my family, I’m choosing to follow research-tested methods.
That doesn’t mean I’m afraid to learn traditional skills. Quite the opposite. I want to learn how to do them well.
And part of that, for me, means understanding why certain foods aren’t recommended for home canning.
A Jar That Seals Isn’t Necessarily Safe
This is probably one of the most important things I’ve learned.
When a canning jar seals, it tells us that a vacuum has formed. It doesn’t tell us whether the food inside was processed correctly or reached the temperatures necessary to make it safe for shelf storage.
And that’s a pretty important distinction!
One of the concerns with improperly canned food is botulism. It’s rare, but it’s serious. The toxin responsible for botulism can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted.
That’s why following the correct processing method matters so much.
Water bath canning and pressure canning aren’t interchangeable. Low-acid foods such as meat and most vegetables require pressure canning, using tested instructions.
It’s not simply a matter of boiling something long enough or making sure the lid pops down.
Why Can’t We Just Can Whatever We Cook?
I’ll admit, the convenience of having homemade meals sitting on the pantry shelf is appealing.
Imagine opening a jar of homemade chicken noodle soup, creamy potato soup, or sausage gravy and having dinner practically ready.
But those are also good examples of why we can’t assume a recipe that’s safe to cook and eat fresh will be safe to can.
The thickness of food affects how heat travels through it. Ingredients such as flour, cornstarch, rice, pasta, and cream can change how a soup heats during processing.
That’s why the National Center for Home Food Preservation doesn’t recommend adding those ingredients to its home-canned soup procedure.
The good news? We can still preserve many of the ingredients separately.
For example, I can preserve chicken broth using a tested recipe and add noodles when I’m ready to make soup. Or I can prepare a suitable broth-based soup for canning and finish it with cream or thickener when I heat it for dinner.
I still get the convenience of having homemade food on hand without trying to can a recipe that hasn’t been tested.
Some Foods Are Better Preserved Another Way
Another thing I’m learning is that not everything needs to go into a canning jar.
Take pumpkin, for example.
You can pressure can pumpkin cubes following tested directions, but pumpkin puree and pumpkin butter aren’t recommended for home canning.
Why?
Because the thickness of pumpkin puree can vary so much that researchers haven’t established a reliable home canning process for it.
So if I want homemade pumpkin puree ready for pies, muffins, or bread, freezing is the better choice.
Potatoes are another example.
There are tested instructions for pressure canning peeled potatoes, either whole or cubed, but not for canning mashed potatoes.
That doesn’t mean I have to give up the convenience of having potatoes ready to use. I can preserve them in a form that has tested instructions and mash them when I need them.
I’m learning that preserving food isn’t always about having the entire finished recipe sitting on the shelf. Sometimes it’s about having the ingredients ready so making dinner takes less time.
What About Dairy Products?
This is one area where I’ve seen a lot of conflicting advice online.
You’ll find people canning milk, butter, cheese, and all sorts of creamy foods.
But there aren’t established, research-tested home canning processes for ordinary milk, butter, or cheese.
Dairy can present challenges because of its composition, including fat content and the way it affects heat penetration.
And while commercially canned dairy products exist, commercial equipment and processing methods aren’t necessarily something we can duplicate in our home kitchens.
For me, dairy products are going to stay in the refrigerator or freezer rather than in home-canned jars.
I’m perfectly happy to make homemade cream soups, sauces, and gravies when I need them.
I’m Also Learning What Not to Change in a Recipe
This might be one of the hardest things for someone who loves cooking from scratch!
I’m used to adjusting recipes.
A little more garlic here, a different vegetable there, maybe thickening a sauce until it’s just right.
That’s part of the fun of cooking.
But canning recipes aren’t quite the same.
Changing ingredients, proportions, acidity, or consistency can affect how safely a food can be processed.
Even jar size and altitude matter.
I’ve had to remind myself that a tested canning recipe isn’t just a suggestion for how to make something taste good. The processing instructions are part of what makes the finished product safe.
I can still get creative in my kitchen. I just need to save certain adjustments for when I open the jar and prepare the food.
There’s So Much We CAN Preserve
I don’t want this article to discourage anyone from learning to can.
Actually, the more I learn, the more excited I am about it.
There are tested recipes and methods for preserving so many useful foods, including fruits, jams, jellies, pickles, vegetables, meats, and broths.
And those are the things I want to focus on as I continue learning.
I’d rather have a pantry filled with simple ingredients I know how to use than feel like I have to figure out how to preserve every meal I make.
That’s really what heritage homemaking is about for me anyway.
Learning useful skills, making more of what we eat, and finding practical ways to care for our homes and families.
Old-Fashioned Skills and Modern Food Safety
I have a tremendous appreciation for the generations of women who came before us.
They preserved harvests, stretched ingredients, cooked from scratch, and made sure their families had food on the table.
There’s so much we can learn from them.
But I also think we can appreciate those traditions while recognizing that food preservation research has continued to develop.
Just because a method has been used for generations doesn’t automatically mean it’s the safest method available today.
And just because I choose to follow current guidelines doesn’t mean I’m criticizing someone who chooses differently.
We all make decisions about what we’re comfortable doing in our own kitchens.
For me, learning to can is about gaining confidence, not taking unnecessary risks.
I’ll be using resources like the National Center for Home Food Preservation, USDA guidelines, and university extension services as I continue learning.
I want to preserve the traditions worth keeping while also making use of the knowledge available to us today.
And if you’re learning right alongside me, I hope you’ll find encouragement here.
You don’t have to know everything to get started. You just need to be willing to learn, ask questions, and use reliable information.
From My Canning Cupboard
A few of my favorite tools and trusted resources for putting homemade goodness on the pantry shelves.
My Favorite Lids I Keep on Hand
