This week, my church’s women’s organization hosted a “Canning Day” from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Our Church has a gym that is used for everything from basketball games to Christmas parties, but on Monday it was used to fill and seal over 300 cans for food storage. Long tables were set up and all necessary supplies were made available, including #10 cans, lids, and oxygen packets. At the end of each table was an electric can sealer, and a mylar bag sealer was also available. Women were invited to bring any bulk items they wished to can for long-term storage. I canned cornmeal, pinto beans and granulated sugar, but it was fun to see what everyone else brought to build their own storage. Some of the other items canned were a 16 bean soup mix, brown sugar, dehydrated carrots, cornstarch, baking powder, and even dried parsley.
The women loved having the convenience of being able to drop in at a time that worked in their schedule, and it was both fun and satisfying to socialize and complete food storage goals. The event was such a success, we’ll be doing it again in February. In the meantime we’re watching for case-lot sales and other bargains on bulk foods.
I heard of people canning a complete food 72-hour kit in those tin cans. Do you have a list of items that can be packed for that in a #10 can?
I’m dying to find some info on dry packing brown sugar!!! Can you let me know how the people at the storage center did it!? Thanks so much!
Watch out for the brown sugar! My sister-in-law canned some in the #10 can and the molasses separated from the sugar, ate a hole in the bottoms of the cans and leaked everywhere. She not only had to throw it all out, but she had that sticky mess to clean up.
I have never heard of this! Why would you can these dry item? Are they not readily available in the stores? For cheap? Do you do it to save money?