Shakin & Bakin Foodie Blog

When it comes to canning and freezing, most people get into it because of the great benefits. If you are considering taking up this time-honored way of preserving food, you might be wondering if it's worth it. Why bother? Are there any benefits to canning and freezing food at home?

There actually are some very real benefits to canning and freezing. Here are four of them.

Saves Money

If you buy your food in-season from local farmers or take advantage of supermarket sales, you can produce large quantities of high-quality canned food for little money. Dried beans are a good example - a 2-lb bag of dried beans for $2, cooked and canned, produces 4 to 6 pints of canned beans. A pint is a bit more than a commercial can, making your efforts well worth it.

A Healthier Choice

When you can and freeze food yourself, you know exactly what went into the jar. If you prefer less sugar or salt, you can simply use a recipe with less. Glass mason jars are a very safe material for food preservation; no metals or plastics to leach into the food.

When you preserve your own foods at home, 9 chances out of 10 you are not adding any type of preservative to the food. These days, we have all seen the various health warnings regarding unhealthy preservatives in our store bought food supply.

Winter Nutrients

In the middle of winter, nothing beats opening a jar of fresh-tasting berries, frozen or canned at the peak of their flavor; and few pleasures equal fresh-tasting corn and tomatoes in January. During cold and flu season, you and your family can be enjoying nutrient-rich, healthy foods that may help ward off illness.

Saves Precious Time

When you spend time in the spring and summer canning and freezing your foods for use later on down the road, you are in essence saving yourself a lot of time! You can prepare soups, stews, jams, jellies, fruits, veggies and even baked goods "now" and then in a few weeks or months when your schedule is hectic, you can open them up (or thaw them out) for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Wow, just imagine all of the time you will save!

As you can see, there are many important reasons why you should be canning and freezing your family's food supply. It is an easy-to-do process and with some preparation and patience, you can learn how to do this quickly and easily.

You can find numerous free canning recipes and free freezing recipes right here on my Shakin N Bakin Foodie Blog to help you get started. Just look for them in my right side bar under the appropriately marked categories. Enjoy your harvest!