In this one-day workshop in Myrna’s kitchen you will learn how to preserve a variety of foods that you can use as non-refrigerated provisions for passage making. You will leave with samples of various canned products that you will create in a fun and very welcoming environment.
Why Process Food by Canning?
- Food Safety – You may be far from medical help and you don’t have time for the “24 hour flu” which is usually a form of mild food poisoning. You get to regulate the sanitary standards of your own food preparation.
- Food Quality – Nutritional value as well as food colour and flavour are retained.
- Long Term Storage – food is safe for an extended period of time regardless of temperature or humidity (keeping it dark will help).
- Availability of Certain Foods – Unless you really like canned corned beef or “stew”, you will find little canned meat in the tropics. If you do your own, you can have things you like and balanced nutrition . Personal taste or requirements – You can experiment with what you like. You can decide on salt or sugar levels you prefer.
- No Waste – Catch a large fish and you can preserve the whole thing. Food is preserved when it is in season or when you find a whole lot of cheap (or free) fruit.
- Space and Weight – store full or empty jars in old socks – in the canner.
- Cost – Buy in quantity when it is available. Lower quality cuts of meat are made into tender, tasty meals. Fatty meat will separate so you use only the lean meat. Even with an unlimited budget, eating out is not always an option.
- Fuel Consumption – A day of canning means little stove time for heating up your food.
- Convenience – One blow-out day of canning = lots of days of simple prep. Often you will not feel like cooking while the seas are rough. If you are in port you do not need to spend a lot of time in the galley when there are other things to do.
- Reliability – Freezers have been known to fail.