The New Popularity of the Old Canning Closet

Preserve Your Food in Style With the Best Custom Closet in Alpharetta!

Home canning, or preserving food in liquid, is a fun hobby and a great way to make your garden harvest last. It can also be a profitable side hustle, and canned food makes a great gift for friends and family. Canning requires proper storage so that the food stays safe and the weight of the cans doesn’t damage shelves. Quality Closet Connection makes the best custom closets in Alpharetta that will keep your canned food at the highest quality.

How Should I Can Food?

Canning food requires the right type of can. Mason jars with two-piece metal lids are recommended for beginner home canners. Experts can use metal cans, which requires special knowledge and equipment. Keep the following tips in mind when canning:

• Label the cans by date and contents (include each individual ingredient)
• Wash the cans after you finish the canning process
• Remove the bands to make sure the seal is on properly

Where Should I Keep Canned Food?

Storing canned food seems to have just as many rules as the actual canning process! Cans must be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Keep the cans at room temperature. Dampness can cause corrosion and might even break the seals, while sunlight can cause the cans to overheat. Closets and pantries are good solutions; unfinished basements, attics, or rooms with big windows are not. In the right storage conditions, food kept inside a sealed can will keep its best quality for about one year.

Not only do the cans need to be stored in a particular type of location, but the shelving matters as well. Mason jars full of preserved food tend to weigh more than other types of foods. Not just any shelves will do either. Many pantries have built-in wire shelving, but this shelving may bend, warp, or even collapse completely under the weight of the jars, leading to wall damage. If you plan on stacking jars to save space, it is even more important to have shelving that won’t buckle under the weight.

How Do I Organize the Cans?

Once you get the right shelves, you want to organize your cans on the shelves. Use the FIFO (first-in-first-out) method. This means you keep the cans organized by date, with older cans in the front so you can easily access them and eat the food before it expires.

Put the cans in boxes to further organize them. Milk crates and the boxes the mason jars came in make good options. These boxes are also good for storing the empty jars after you eat the food. You can also use these boxes to store your canning supplies, including the lids, bands, citric acid, pectin, jelly strainer, canning funnel, and bubble removal tool. If you want to stack cans, put cardboard between each layer for stability.

How Can I Design the Proper Shelving for my Cans?

Quality Closet Connection will help you design a canning closet with shelves that will withstand the weight of your cans and keep them organized. We make custom closets for each customer that work with the design of their home. If you already have a pantry with wire shelves, we can help you revamp it into a sturdy canning closet. We will help you maximize the storage space using intricately designed shelving to accommodate the small size of the cans. We can also help you convert any room or unused space (as long as it has the right climate for can storage).

Store Your Cans in the Best Custom Closets in Alpharetta Designed by QCC!

Here at QCC, we are dedicated to helping you create the best custom closet to store your cans. Whether you need to store just a few cans or you have a whole year’s supply, we have the storage solution you need. To get started, give us a call at (770) 710-6008 or send us a message on our website and get a free estimate. You can also connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.