Dry Canning vs Dry Pack Canning
I’m not new to canning but it has not been an ongoing thing I do every year either. I recently saw a video on dry-pack canning of potatoes. As I was researching this I became increasingly confused so I thought I’d do this article to answer the questions about what is dry canning and what is dry pack canning to clarify it for myself and hope it will be useful to you as well.
Dry canning, also known as oven canning, is a method of preserving dry food that involves sealing it in airtight jars and heating it in an oven. This process eliminates moisture and air, thus inhibiting the growth of bacteria. It offers a long-term storage solution for various dry foods like grains, legumes, and dehydrated fruits, among others.
Dry Pack Canning with a pressure canner is when you pressure can vegetables such as potatoes without adding liquid. This is not an approved method of pressure canning as there is concern without the liquid the food won’t heat evenly and the risk of botulism is higher. However, videos exist that show you how to dry pack can and the claim is the taste of the vegetable (it seems to be mostly potatoes) is much better. This is not approved by the National Center for Home Food Preservation so you would be doing this at your own risk.
There is also a method called dry pack canning that involves sealing dry goods like beans or rice in a jar and removing the air with a vacuum seal tool. To make it more confusing it is sometimes called dry packing when you store dry goods like beans and rice in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, which is my main method of long-term food storage.
Equipment Needed for Dry Canning
For successful dry canning, certain key equipment is requisite. This includes canning jars with two-piece lids, a canning funnel, a jar lifter, a canning rack, and a large pot or pressure canner. Additionally, a clean cloth for wiping jar rims, a bubble remover, and a food dehydrator or oven for certain methods are also necessary.
B. Step-by-Step Guide to Dry Canning
- Preparation: Firstly, preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C), and ensure the canning jars and lids are clean and dry.
- Filling the Jars: Using the canning funnel, fill the jars with the dry food product, leaving 1/4″ to 1/2″ headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth.
- Securing the Lids: Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until they are fingertip tight.
- Heating: Arrange the jars on the canning rack and place them in the preheated oven. Let them heat for about 60 minutes.
- Cooling and Sealing: After the heating process, remove the jars using the jar lifter and let them cool on a towel or cooling rack. As the jars cool, the lids will seal.
- Checking the Seal: After the jars have completely cooled, check the seal by pressing the center of the lid. If it does not pop up and down, the jar is sealed.
- Storage: Store the sealed jars in a cool, dry, dark place. They should remain fresh for several years.
Remember, this method should only be used for dry, low-fat foods. Moisture or fat in the jar could result in food spoilage.
Dry Pack Canning of Dry Goods or Dehydrated Foods
An example of Dry Pack Canning is the preservation of dried beans or rice(white rice as brown rice has oils and won’t store well). The dried beans or rice are packed tightly into canning jars, leaving minimal air space. Oxygen absorbers are added to the jars before sealing to remove any remaining air. This method allows the beans to be stored for long periods while maintaining their nutritional value and flavor. The estimated shelf stability is up to 10-30 years depending on the type of bean being canned.
Another method uses a vacuum tool to remove the Oxygen from the canning jar. I guess you could use O2 absorbers as well if you wanted. Again for this type of storage, I prefer mylar bags, five-gallon buckets and oxygen absorbers but I tend to put up large amounts at once so the jars might be better for smaller amounts.
Another method is to dehydrate the vegetables first, then pack them tightly into jars, with minimal air space. Oxygen absorbers are added to remove any remaining air, effectively preserving the vegetables without the need for heat. This method keeps the nutritional value intact and provides a safer, long-term storage solution for dried vegetables. This is considered safe.
Dry Pack Canning is especially useful for emergency food storage, as it allows for a longer shelf life without refrigeration. It also provides a convenient and cost-effective way to have dried foods readily available for cooking and meal preparation.
However, it is important to note that not all types of foods are suitable for dry-pack canning. High-fat or high-moisture foods such as meats, dairy products, and fruits won’t store well using this method. It is best to stick with low-fat, dry foods like beans, rice, and pasta.
If you choose to use this method of food preservation, be sure to follow proper safety guidelines and check the seals
Dry Pack Canning using a Pressure Canner for Vegetables
Dry Canning and Dry Pack Canning are both preservation methods suitable for dry foods, but they differ significantly when applied to canning vegetables such as potatoes.
Dry Pack Canning with a pressure canner, although not recommended by food safety experts, involves placing vegetables in jars and then putting them in your pressure canner and canning per the recipe with no liquid added. This process could lead to uneven heating, posing a potential health risk. You can find many recipes on this method of pressure canning which is said to improve the taste, particularly of potatoes when canned in the way. This is not recommended so you would be doing this at your own risk but there are folks out there who use the method and feel it’s perfectly safe as the temperature in the pressure canner exceeds what is needed to kill botulism. The controversy seems to be whether equal heating can occur without the liquid.
Common Confusions between Dry Pack Canning and Dry Canning
There is noticeable confusion between Dry Pack Canning and Dry Canning, primarily due to their similar names. Both names are used to refer to preserving dry foods, but the key distinction lies in the types of food they are best suited for. Dry Pack Canning can refer to foods like dried fruits, beans, and rice, where the absence of moisture is critical to preserve the food’s quality and nutritional value. Dry canning can also mean sealing foods already in a dehydrated or freeze-dried state, such as milk powder or freeze-dried vegetables and removing the oxygen with a vacuum tool and or oxygen absorbers. Understanding this distinction is essential in ensuring the effectiveness of the preservation method used. However, dry pack canning can also refer to dry packing foods like potatoes and then pressure canning.
Conclusion
To sum it all up dry canning generally refers to sealing already dried or dehydrated foods into jars and removing the oxygen with a vacuum or oxygen absorbers. It can also mean packing the dry food in jars and putting them in the oven to form a seal as outlined above.
Finally, dry packing canning can refer to processing vegetables(it can also be meats but they form their juices so this is not controversial) in a pressure canner without liquid. The main advantage of this seems to be the improved taste of the vegetable. Since I don’t like the taste or texture of canned potatoes I may give the dry pack method a try but I will understand it is not an approved method and I do so at my own risk.
For more on home canning click here.
For more on water bath canning click here.
For more on pressure canning click here.
Resource: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/potato_white.html