Canning

Canning is a method of preserving food in sealed containers, most commonly metal or glass. The food is heat sterilized as the container is processed in a hot water bath or pressure cooker, and then sealed. Properly canned food will remain edible for several years or even longer.

Typically, home canners use glass jars and commercial canners use metal cans. Commercially canned foods are also sold in other types of airtight packaging such as glass, plastic single-serving cups with foil lids, laminated pouches, and cardboard aseptic containers. Canned foods are a part of daily life almost everywhere in the world.

This entry explains the history of canning, issues of food safety and canning, trends in commercial canning, and the decline and revival of home canning.