Timeless art of food supply

The link between 1809 and 2020 food supply. Nicolas Appert of France needed a way to supply and preserve food rations for the French navy and army militia. Through his research he found the use of sealed airtight jars using water and heat could preserve meals for the French soldiers. What was created so long ago; is making a come back in 2020 as our food supply has

been affected by the pandemic we are facing worldwide.

As a child we enjoyed eating grandmas cookies while snapping big bowls of beans, then helping her to prepare the beans and seasoning in the jars. Once the jars were filled us kids stood a distance away on the dinning chairs so we could watch in amazement our work go into the boiling water. The water would bubble and roll over the jars till my grandmother would pull them out and set them on towels to cool. I always thought the food inside the jars looked so pretty. We would wait in anticipation to hear the metal lids pop as the jars cooled and depleted the air pockets above the fluid. That dented in top usually meant that the jars were sealed and ready to be stored in the pantry until the day we needed them. We did not have to pay for vegetables at a grocery store. We had fresh homegrown vegetables and sauces all year long without being poisoned with preservatives or an aluminum can.

What I did not realize in this process was the science going on. When you heat the jar, you are killing the microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, molds) and the sealing of the jar keeps other microorganisms from entering the jar. Boiling in a temperature of around 240 degrees the jar is perfectly sterilized. During this process you may loose some vitamin and mineral content such as vitamin b; depending on the amount of heat and time. However, the good news is... you have not lost those nutrients completely. They are still trapped inside the jar. This makes for zero waste.. the food and the juice are all of value.

The life span to store your goods may range from a year to 5 years. Although, there are ways to improve lifespan. Drying items such as peas and other lentils before canning can lengthen the life span up to 30 years. We are able to even can meat if it is treated correctly.

During times of tribulation, you can very easily supplement your income by growing your own foods, and canning them. Heritage Haven offers classes to those looking to bring back the lost arts such as canning. Generations over centuries have survived this way, and in 2020 our world has thrived off of canned foods through quarantine after quarantine. Just the same as families did through major war times in our history. Our future generations need to have these simple skills to keep families across America feed and strong.