Are you interested in canning foods at home? If so, you have two different methods to choose from: cold pack canning and hot pack canning.
With the help of Blain’s Farm & Fleet, you can learn about the cold pack and hot pack canning methods. Discover which one will work best with your home canner.
Cold pack canning is the practice of filling mason or canning jars with fresh, unheated food. It’s also known as raw pack food canning or cold packing meats.
With the cold pack canning method, the food must be raw. Water, juice, or syrup should still be brought to a boil before adding them to the jars.
After you’ve packed your fresh food inside the canning jars, allowing for proper canning headspace, pour in hot water or syrup. Then, seal your canning jars. And process your food in a pressure canner.
The air in the canning jars can cause food discoloration in about two or three months of being stored.
Unlike cold pack canning, you want to fill your jars with hot, cooked food when hot pack canning.
Hot pack canning is the process of boiling freshly prepared food, letting it simmer for a few minutes, promptly filling your canning jars with the hot food, and then processing in a water bath canner. You should also boil the juice, water, or syrup you add to the jars.
Hot pack canning helps remove the air from the food you’re about to can. Many foods can have 10% to 30% more air when fresh.
Hot packing foods removes air, shrinks the food, and keeps the food floating in the canning jars. This all improves shelf life and the amount of food you can pack into a single can.
Hot packing is used primarily with a water bath canner.
Home canning is a great way to preserve fruits and vegetables grown right in your backyard. At Blain’s Farm & Fleet, you’ll find everything you need to start canning. From mason jars to pickling salts, you’ll be ready to start home canning.
For more tips and how tos, visit our Canning Blog.
