HealthyCanning.com wants to point people towards information on canning that is safe and healthy in all aspects, both short-term and long-term.
See also: FAQ
Healthy Canning’s Goals
The site has a few specific goals.
GOAL ONE: Provide no original answers or advice
We do not give any original advice; we are constantly surveying the literature from reputable experts in the field to assemble their advice for you to make it easy for you to find and follow.
When the experts disagree on minor things (should lids be pre-warmed or not), we’ll present the viewpoints of both.
If you have additional deeper questions, all advice is always fully sourced so that you can contact the source of the advice for further elaboration.
If someone has done something that deviates from the canning recommendations and is seeking advice as to whether their canning can be safely salvaged, we will direct them to resources such as Master Food Preserver groups who are trained to give such advice.
It’s the job of the reputable experts to do the scientific research, develop the recommendations and recipes, and do the knowledge transfer on that. Our aim is just to further promote that knowledge transfer to help it compete more successfully against misinformation out there on the Internet.
GOAL TWO: Provide transparency and clarity
We aim to provide transparency and clarity for the canning recommendations that come from reputable sources.
We’ll do this by exploring the evolving history of recommendations, who made them, who changed them, why, what the current recommendations are from various reputable sources, and if the reputable sources disagree on some matters, how they disagree and what different advice they offer.
We’ll also dig into background context and rationale.
The hope is that this will help curious and open-minded home preservers of all ages from anywhere in the world be more willing to accept modern canning recommendations.
GOAL THREE: Tested recipes
We will only work with tested recipes from reputable sources.
In addition to that, we will provide background discussion information around those recipes, when appropriate.
While most reputable authorities have a policy to say a flat NO to any discussion of any variation, in truth, amongst themselves they often do vary. For instance, for applesauce Ball / Bernardin Complete requires bottled lemon juice to be added, Ball Blue Book says it is optional and you could use fresh if desired, and the USDA does not mention it at all.
We’ll point out when they contradict each other: though that won’t win us any popularity contests, we think informed canners want to know.
We’ll also point out safe options (e.g. bottled lime juice instead of vinegar? leave sugar out of water when canning grapes?) if and as provided by the experts.
We’ll also point out how the recipes evolved, when that knowledge is available.
GOAL FOUR: Science over gut-feeling or tradition
Always let current science based on current research, as provided by reputable experts in the home canning field, rule over opinion and habit.
Healthycanning.com’s principles
- Safe canning following science-based guidelines published by the United States Department of Agriculture, National Center for Home Food Preservation, and Jarden companies such as Ball and Bernardin;
- Present and promote science-based information;
- Understanding the whys of the above guidelines so that home canning can be done with confidence;
- Source all information so that readers can trace it back to the canning authorities where it originated;
- Be intellectually honest — if bad advice has a history, present that history and address why it’s considered bad now;
- Bring the informational tools needed for safe home canning to other countries beyond North America;
- Look for opportunities for safe canning with less added salt and sugar.
Gerd Altmann / Pixabay.com / 2014 / CC0 1.0
What’s unique about the HealthCanning.com site?
The HealthyCanning.com site has four unique aspects.
- The “curious canner” part. Today’s modern home canners want to know the why behind the various recommendations. So in sections of the site such as Home Canning Concepts, we explore what the experts say about the why;
- The site only works with tested home canning recipes from reputable sources;
- The site gives weight equivalents, something that today’s generation of home canners has long been asking for, as well as measurements in metric, US and UK, so that everyone everywhere from Australia to Germany to Ohio can work with the recipes in ways they are comfortable with;
- The site addresses home canners from all over the world;
- Working with tested recipes and guidance from reputable sources, we make suggestions on how to safely reduce or eliminate the extremely high levels of sugar and salt in many of those recipes, while still maintaining both safety, quality and deliciousness.
- The site gives full nutritional information on the home canning recipes.
Who sponsors this site?
HealthCanning.com is a sub-project of CooksInfo, the largest food encyclopaedia on the Internet. CooksInfo specializes in bringing people factual, documented, food information. The topic of home canning is so specialized that it merited a separate site.
There are no trained micro-biologists, scientists or Master Food Preservers on staff. Instead, as “food researchers” rigorously dedicated to research-based information about food, we rely on such people — from the USDA, from the Cooperative Extension Service, and from their reputable private sector partners — to provide such information.
This site has no affiliation with any of the above, remunerated or unremunerated.
We see it as our duty to make sure we report on their work as faithfully as possible, citing their own words and findings as often as possible, in order to help promote the applied knowledge tools they have created.
Your style is so unique compared to other people I’ve read stuff from.
I appreciate you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this site.
Can you verify, I have read your page but wanted to be sure I understand. You recipes here are based on “safe” canning recipes from professional sources like Ball, USDA etc. Is that correct? This isn’t some “rebel” or “home canning person” putting out a website right? I appreciate it, I’m pretty new to canning and nervous so I need to verify you are a safe source for my family.
Thank you, sure hope you are a safe site 😀
Carrie
We only work with recipes from reputable sources. Typically those sources are Ball, Bernardin, USDA, the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and University Extension Services. Other sources would include a pectin provider such as Pomona, or Linda Ziedrich, a former Master Food Preserver who has all her recipes reviewed by Extension agents and food scientists. There are literally thousands and thousands of safe, quality recipes from such reputable sources, so we see no reason to roll the dice with canning safety.
My relatives always say that I am killing my time here at
net, but I know I am getting knowledge all the time by
reading thes good articles.
Your website is amazing. I have been canning for years but learned a lot of things by reading your site! Well put together!
Love canning
I so appreciate your recipes and that they follow approved canning guidelines. I’m a new canner and I’m quite shocked about the number of rogue canning recipes on the internet and YouTube. Using your recipes makes me feel safe in what I’m doing.
Why can’t you put this in English understandable terms, head space hot pack this! You’re an idiot…
Hi Chaz (chazsnow57@gmail.com) , if you haven’t learned what those terms mean, you’re not ready to start canning yet. We’re going to post your comment, so the general public can decide who is the idiot here.
You have an excellent site. There’s so much knowledge to be gained and shared. Thank you so much for taking the time to compile and post this information. Stay safe during these turbulent times and God bless you.
This excellent website definitely has all of the info I needed about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Some really interesting info, well written and generally user friendly.
Great job! Do you outline all of your blog posts? I’ve read a few of them now and they are way higher quality than other blogs I’ve read.
Yes. Typically several weeks of reading and research goes into each article, as well as consultations in the backend with recognized canning authorities.
I made a batch of plum basil jam. I’ve been making this recipe for years, but this time it did not firm up. It’s syrupy and the fruit is floating. I made it about 3 weeks ago. The seals are all good, and I followed the directions exactly. Does this batch need to be destroyed or can it still be used as pancake syrup or something?
Check with the Master Food Preservers of El Dorado, see what they advise.
Healthy Canning is easily one of the best sites out there on canning. Thank you!
It is a lot of work to keep on top of all the developments but it is a very interesting topic!
I love your site. Thank you for all your help. I will return often.
Hi
I’m looking for a canning machine to be able to can nuts. I was wondering if you supply such an equipment.
Regards
Ray Mokhtare
Hi Ray, we don’t sell anything. Canning nuts is a commercial endeavour, so you’ll want to look for someone selling commercial equipment.
Hello from Ireland!
I am an American, living for the past 16 years in the Midlands of this tiny country, raising two young boys 8 & 13 with my Irish wife Mary. I am starting a business cal;led “South!” offering healthy, Southern-inspired foods. Saying “Healthy” and “American” in one sentence gets a lot of laughs over here in Europe, which annoys me to no end, but i understand the dis-belief as most people around the World think that all of our (American) food is Burger King and Pizza Hut and so many American tourists are grossly overweight!
I am very happy to have discovered your fact-based web site as I embark on my journey to learn all about canning and fermentation with the hope of including fermented and stored foods into my business. Gut health is an important aspect to healthy eating and safe storage is necessary to provide safe products.
i kook forward to learning all that you have so efficiently shared on this site! Thanks and Happy St. Paddy’s Day, Slantie!
Roger
Sláinte