What is Canning?

Canning is a method of preserving food by first sealing it in air-tight jars, cans or pouches, after the initial processes such as washing, shelling, mincing, boiling and frying and then heating it to a temperature that destroys contaminating microorganisms. All these processes and products produced by these processes, which make the food last long periods of time are called canning.


History of Canning

Nicolas Appert prepared the first conserved food jar in 1804. Appert closed the cap of a jar loosely with a cork. To get the air out of the jar, he kept it in boiling water for 30-60 minutes. After tightly closing the cork, he saw that the food was preserved for a long time. Those years, such kind of canned food was used in long sea voyages. In 1810, Peter Durand used iron bins instead of glass jars. This method of conserving was called "canning". In 1815, French Pierre Antonie Anbilbent produced cheaper conserve by improving the cans. These cans used to be closed with solder. Canning was both cheaper and easier to carry in comparison with glass jars. Yet, as the iron cans were soldered; lead, tin and iron ions used to be dissolved in the food. Due to the poisonous heavy metal ions, conserve food was unhealthy. The English William Under Word founded the first canning factory, in Boston, USA. After the conserve factory founded in 1821, English Thomas Kensett canned sea products such as jellyfish, oyster and shrimp in New York. Again, the same person was able get permission from the American government for canning.

From 1840 to 1860s, canning technology developed in terms of machine, management and can production in the USA. In 1847, Acen Tailor developed a two-piece-technic of plastered can production. In 1849, Steveson invented the soldering machine. In 1852, Shiyer invented autoclave.

Besides the rapid development of canning technology, some people immorally earned money by using the technology. They sold water or stones in cans. After this, The Association of National Canning began to supervise the production of canned food. During the World War I between the years of 1912-1918, quite large amounts of canned food was produced. In 1921, canned fruit juice and baby food was produced. Between the years of 1940 and 1945, 2/3 of the food used by English, American and French armies was canned.