Food - Drink
Hot-Pack Canning Vs. Raw-Pack: What's The Difference?
By HANNAH MCQUEEN
Though the art of canning food was once performed for practical reasons, home-preserving fruits, veggies, and more has taken off as a massively popular trend. There are two primary approaches to choose from when canning, called hot-pack and raw-pack canning, and each method has its own benefits.
Hot-pack canning involves placing freshly-boiled food into sterilized jars sealed with a lid, then boiling the jars in a pot of hot water. The USDA recommends this method since it thoroughly removes air from the jars, allowing the food to last for a long time, and also reduces the volume of the food, meaning you can fit more into less jars.
Raw-pack canning is the process of packing raw food into sterilized jars with boiling water or syrup, then placing the jars in a pressure canner. The food inside the jars may look discolored and unappealing after a few months of storage, but raw-pack canning takes less time and helps whole fruits and veggies hold their shape.
Raw-pack canning may also decrease the nutrition of food over time, so food that is preserved quickly should be eaten quickly. Regardless of whether you choose to save time with raw-packing or make high-quality preservatives through hot-packing, you’ll save money and enjoy food with less additives by canning it yourself.