A Canning Experience-A Behind The Scenes Look At Canned Foods

Thank you to Cans Get You Cooking for sponsoring this post. All opinions remain my own.  

Canned foods, those staple items you have in your pantry and the ones you grew up with seeing your grandparents use, we all know about them, but how often do we reach for them? I’m going to be honest, before I ventured on this journey of learning more about canned foods and how the whole canning process works, I had only a few varieties of cans in my pantry. I knew a bit about cooking with cans, but I’m not always the most creative in the kitchen. Sometimes I would stick to just opening them up and heating them (which of course there is nothing wrong with that). My green bean casserole is a staple around the holidays, we love canned soup, tuna is also a favorite, and black beans always make an appearance at taco night. What I didn’t realize is, there are so many great benefits to cooking with canned foods and there are so many creative recipes out there to try.

If you followed along in my insta stories you might have seen that I was in South Carolina last week visiting McCall Farms. I loved having a one on one experience with learning more about the canning process, how their crops are grown, and so many things I didn’t realize about canned foods. You know those experiences when you walk away with a greater appreciation for things? That was how I felt with my time at McCall Farms. I love how family oriented they were and their passion behind bringing quality foods to our tables. You guys, I was blown away at how quickly the vegetables are harvested and then canned. They really take them from field to sealed within a matter of hours. I also didn’t realize how much agriculture, dedication, and passion goes into bringing those cans into our pantries.

My day started off out in the sweet potato fields. I got to ride on the back of the equipment that harvests them and it was so cool to witness this first hand and to see how the whole process works. I might have went home and told Eric that I wanted to clear some land and ride around harvesting sweet potatoes. He told me I could go back to South Carolina whenever I wanted and ask them to drive around in their fields. I guess it looks like my sweet potato farming days might be limited, but at least I got to enjoy it while I was there and learn from the pros. The machine we road on digs the potatoes up from under the ground, sends them trough a conveyer that shoots them off the side into another truck driving right next to it. The amount of potatoes we were able to harvest was so many. I mean sweet potatoes for days. And the crazy part is, we only did a section of the field.

After the potatoes are harvested they are taken over to the factory where the canning process begins. They go through several rinsing and washing phases, along with blanching, and many different inspections before heading into the cans. Each vegetable is picked at the right time to provide optimal freshness and sealed to make sure those nutrients and flavor are locked in. What I also really enjoyed learning more about is how there are no preservatives added into the cans. I was glad to learn this because it was something I always thought was the case. I also didn’t realize how truly fresh canned food can be. I seriously ate some amazing food throughout this trip that was all inspired by canned foods. I might still be thinking about the sweet potato cornbread.

I also enjoyed knowing that canned foods have a sustainability component to them. Did you know they are the most recycled food and beverage containers in America? I can also appreciate how they cut down on prep time so I can spend more time with my family. If yours is anything like mine, there are always little cooks trying to get in the kitchen and wanting their food ready at that very moment. My boys can tend to get a little hangry at times, and when that happens, my oh my that food needs to come fast.

I always love getting new ideas and inspiration for cooking and adding things to our menus. Check out the recipe section of Cans Get You Cooking for some great recipe ideas. I’m curious to know, do you have a dish you like to cook that uses canned foods?