# Oven Canning



## scooter (Mar 31, 2008)

Has anyone done oven canning? There's an article in the latest edition of Countryside about it. I'm not familiar with it. You can can all your dry ingredients like flour, oatmeal, cornmeal, rice and dehydrated vegetables. It said that you set the oven to 200 degrees and use canning jars of different sizes such as half gallon, quart and pint. You fill the jars and put them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven for an hour. Take one out at a time and wipe the rims with a damp cloth and immediately put the lid and ring on and set them on the counter to cool. The ones that don't seal could be used first, but the ones that seal they claim are good up to 10 to 20 years.


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

sounds like an excellent idea- I have no idea if it would work though- I don't know much about countryside magazine, are they reputable?


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I've never done it but I used to know someone who did her tomatoes in the oven as you describe.


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## scooter (Mar 31, 2008)

Becka03 said:


> sounds like an excellent idea- I have no idea if it would work though- I don't know much about countryside magazine, are they reputable?


If I'm not mistaken, this forum use to be Countryside. It's a wonderful magazine, and it's been around for a long time.


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## Peggy (Feb 14, 2010)

sound dangerous to me. I didnt think that was a proper method of canning.


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## whitewolf (Nov 9, 2003)

Kudzuvine was discussing this a few days aggo...she is canning some dry goods.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

scooter you are right this is forum is part of CSM

my subscription lasped a long time ago but I found this:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/oven-canning-method.htm


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## scooter (Mar 31, 2008)

mpillow said:


> scooter you are right this is forum is part of CSM
> 
> my subscription lasped a long time ago but I found this:
> http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/oven-canning-method.htm


It sounded like she canned just anything that way. In the article that I read in Countryside, it was just dry ingredients. I don't see why it would be dangerous just using dry ingredients. Right now I store beans, rice and some other things in glass jars and seal with my foodsaver, but, I don't know how long the food is good for.


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

i dont think it would be dangerous if you are using dry goods but i wonder why this would be necessary? if its closed up in a jar i dont know why you would have to do more.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

mare said:


> i dont think it would be dangerous if you are using dry goods but i wonder why this would be necessary? if its closed up in a jar i dont know why you would have to do more.


to kill bug eggs...


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## scooter (Mar 31, 2008)

You are right! It was mentioned in the article that it killed bug eggs.


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## Peggy (Feb 14, 2010)

according to the ball blue canning book, canning in the oven is danerous because jars may EXPLODE when the oven dooris open. Other than that, it is unsafe even for acid foods. the tempurature of the food does not become hot enough to destroy bacteria.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I would never, ever can wet food in the oven - it isn't safe. However, as a way of heating up dry goods, killing bug eggs and drying the dry foods further, I don't see why it wouldn't work just fine. And I doubt a canning jar is going to explode from opening the door on a 200Âº oven. Many folks keep their canning jars warm in the oven while canning, ready to put hot pack foods into them. Never heard of having a jar explode doing it.


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

manygoatsnmore said:


> I would never, ever can wet food in the oven - it isn't safe. However, as a way of heating up dry goods, killing bug eggs and drying the dry foods further, I don't see why it wouldn't work just fine. And I doubt a canning jar is going to explode from opening the door on a 200Âº oven. Many folks keep their canning jars warm in the oven while canning, ready to put hot pack foods into them. Never heard of having a jar explode doing it.


we do this- we keep them in the oven warm- like 170 to 200 degrees keeps them warm till we can fill them


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I just went and read the Hillbilly Housewife post and comments and it made me shudder to think of the chances these folks are taking with canning low acid foods in the oven. Something people seem to misunderstand is that it doesn't matter how long you leave them in the oven or how hot the oven is, the wet contents of the jars will NEVER get above 212Âº, because that is the temp at which water boils. It just doesn't get hotter after that, no matter how hot the oven is. You have to add pressure to get the temperature to go higher. The more pressure added, the higher the temp of the liquid will get. You cannot kill botulism spores at 212Âº, plain and simple. So, you need a pressure canner to safely can low acid foods. High acid foods are safe in a boiling water bath, as the acid inhibits the botulism spores. Low acid needs the higher temps generated by the pressure canner.

My family's safety is important enough to me not to take shortcuts when I have a better method available.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Referring to dry goods only - Sometimes it's easier to make heat (oven) than cold (freezer to kill larva). 
Not to mention vacuum out the air. 


~~ pelenaka ~~
http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.com/


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## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

Interesting question. . . If you set the oven to the correct temperature (250) and leave the jars in for the required time what would be the difference in a pressure vessel and an oven?


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

I read the article too and am going to try it. It was concerning DRY foods only - like oatmeal, cereals, beans etc. that you want to last a little longer and be a little fresher and bug free on the shelf.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

I wouldn't use this method for any thing I wanted to use for sprouting either. As it will kill the seeds.
i have dry canned in side my canner. Contents in the jar were dry, some water in the canner. But that was smoked fish. That is the closest I would get to this process.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Watcher, go back and read my last post again. Water will ONLY reach 212Âº, no matter how hot your oven is. Once it reaches that temp, it just doesn't get any hotter unless you put it under pressure. It's a physics thing. Do a giggle search if you don't believe me.


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## kudzuvine (Aug 11, 2011)

I'm oven canning flour, cornmeal and coffee, when the price comes down. Don't have much freezer space and don't trust electricity. I also canned boxed cake mixes. Worked well, as far as I can tell.


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## Ode (Sep 20, 2006)

A far easier method, which won't degrade the quality of the dry goods, is to freeze any dry goods you want to store for a week first to kill any bugs. Pour into whatever size canning jars you prefer (I use half-gallons mainly, though sometimes I will use quart jars), add a small oxygen absorber packet and put on the lid and ring. The jars will seal as the oxygen absorber reduces the pressure inside. You can also use a foodsaver attachment to seal the lids down.

An alternative method that will also work is to put a small chunk of dry ice (please use caution when handling dry ice, it can cause severe injuries when mishandled) on the top of the filled jars, cover loosely with a lid and ring, and wait for the ice to sublimate. Because the resulting carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it will fill the jar with carbon dioxide gas which will kill anything that would happen to hatch, as well as prevent oxidation. Secure the lids and rings when the dry ice has sublimated completely.

I use the oxygen absorber method, and it has never failed. I love the half gallon size jars, because they will sit well in the pantry upstairs when opened, and are easier to carry than a big pail. The only things going in pails should be grains really, things you would use a lot of and use it up before it got old or buggy from being opened.


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

oh i forgot about the bugs--i think i will try this. nothing worse than opening up cornmeal that is full of bugs--i stopped buying it cuz of this.


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## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

manygoatsnmore said:


> Watcher, go back and read my last post again. Water will ONLY reach 212Âº, no matter how hot your oven is. Once it reaches that temp, it just doesn't get any hotter unless you put it under pressure. It's a physics thing. Do a giggle search if you don't believe me.


Well you can get it a little hotter by adding stuff but you are correct. My brain locks up some times.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I freeze my flour, cornmeal and oatmeal, then use the jar lid accessory on my Foodsaver to vacuum out the air in a canning jar, or use an O2 absorber, or use a Pump-N-Seal manual vacuum. I only use old/used canning lids with the Pump-N-Seal because you have to poke a pin-hole in the lid. But in 3 years of using it I've only had a couple of jars come un-sealed. I wonder if heating the lids to soften up the rubber would help with the seal?

I don't think I'd cook my jars in the oven since heat is the enemy of LTS foods.


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

Mom_of_Four said:


> I freeze my flour, cornmeal and oatmeal, then use the jar lid accessory on my Foodsaver to vacuum out the air in a canning jar, or use an O2 absorber, or use a Pump-N-Seal manual vacuum. I only use old/used canning lids with the Pump-N-Seal because you have to poke a pin-hole in the lid. But in 3 years of using it I've only had a couple of jars come un-sealed. I wonder if heating the lids to soften up the rubber would help with the seal?
> 
> I don't think I'd cook my jars in the oven since heat is the enemy of LTS foods.


i have a foodsaver attachment for jars--i always use the old lids with it and havent had any failures. do you think it would be enough to freeze and then seal to kill the bugs. does freezing create moisture in the flour ect?


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

mpillow said:


> scooter you are right this is forum is part of CSM
> 
> my subscription lasped a long time ago but I found this:
> http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/oven-canning-method.htm


This forum site is NOT Countryside magazine.
They had a forum on lusenet, and Shrek had one,and Melissa had one and what this was was one, and Karen had one.
About 2002 they decided to get out and let Chuck be the person to take over the general idea, and the others came along to this site. 

So, while there is a background of Countryside magazine, it has not been so since 2002.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

mare said:


> i have a foodsaver attachment for jars--i always use the old lids with it and havent had any failures. do you think it would be enough to freeze and then seal to kill the bugs. does freezing create moisture in the flour ect?


I jar up the food then put the jars in the freezer, I am afraid the food pkg will get damp. Not sure but this seems backward from every one else on here.
Then If i want to use the food saver attachment still, I leave the jar on the counter for a couple of days and then seal the jar..


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## GardenNut (Sep 7, 2010)

The reason that you wouldn't can in an oven is that the heat distribution is uneven. In a b/w bath, it's 212 F all around the jar. In an oven, the bottom will be hotter than the top. Also, because water is denser than air, there is more heat transfer to the jars, so it would take less time to process, better keeping the quality and nutrients of your food.


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

SquashNut said:


> I jar up the food then put the jars in the freezer, I am afraid the food pkg will get damp. Not sure but this seems backward from every one else on here.
> Then If i want to use the food saver attachment still, I leave the jar on the counter for a couple of days and then seal the jar..


have you tried sealing it first? yeah it does sound like you do it different but doesnt mean its wrong.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

mare said:


> i dont think it would be dangerous if you are using dry goods but i wonder why this would be necessary? if its closed up in a jar i dont know why you would have to do more.


Flour goes rancid. This should create a vacuum, and get rid of most of the oxygen inside the jar. The sealed lid keeps it airtight and the heat would kill any bugs and larvae. I haven't tried this before, but I am going to.


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## Ohiogal (Mar 15, 2007)

I just did 4 quarts of cornmeal. Easy and worked like a charm. Jars were hot enough out of the oven to not melt the rubber seal on the lid, but vacuumed shut promptly. Now that I know this works, I'll be doing other dry foods like pasta. I'm not sure about flour, flour can be highly explosive due to its easily combustible nature in powder form.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

I just oven canned some flour. I had bought some half gallon jars a while back, and hadn't used them. I bought 2 five lb bags of flour. One 5 lb bag is the perfect size to fill two half gallon jars, if you tap and pat the jars to cause the flour to settle. So I did four jars all together. I don't know why, but my propane oven leaves a black residue on everything in the oven, so I covered the jars with foil so none of it would get into my flour. After an hour in the oven at 250 degrees, I removed the jars of flour from the oven, removed the foil and put my freshly boiled lids on. They all sealed beautifully.


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## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

Common Tator said:


> I just oven canned some flour. I had bought some half gallon jars a while back, and hadn't used them. I bought 2 five lb bags of flour. One 5 lb bag is the perfect size to fill two half gallon jars, if you tap and pat the jars to cause the flour to settle. So I did four jars all together. I don't know why, but my propane oven leaves a black residue on everything in the oven, so I covered the jars with foil so none of it would get into my flour. After an hour in the oven at 250 degrees, I removed the jars of flour from the oven, removed the foil and put my freshly boiled lids on. They all sealed beautifully.


I have done this with oats, rice, and pasta. I didn't do anything special with the lids, just set them on right out of the box, and they sealed nicely. It's nice to have an alternative to just setting in the same packaging that I purchased the materials in.


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## bourbonred (Feb 27, 2008)

I'm interested in this because it seems more self-sustaining, e.g. where will you buy o2 absorbers or dry ice in a power-down world? Has anyone tried this with tattlers?


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