Canning Costs and Electrical Efficiency

k15n1

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I've been reading about efficiency of canning vs freezing. Here's a review of what I've found so far:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WeOt4vE_dQKWg1Gz8kDCWiFNpgkR6WPeFtOo_dEvLKk/edit

The brief version is that, in terms of energy, canning and freezing are the same at 1 week. After that, freezing is a less energy-efficient method of preservation. Costs of a constantly rotating 1-year supply of food (525 lb) is also considered. Including capital equipment, energy, and yearly supplies, canning costs are about 115 $, and freezing is around 184 $. The yearly cost of canning is strongly influenced by the cost of lids. If you can buy them for less than 0.10 $ ea, you're even better than the numbers above indicate.

There are references at the bottom of the document, so see for yourself.

I'll be looking forward to the discussion.
 

Beekissed

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Maybe factor in that some canned goods last 2-5 years safely(though I'm sure many would disagree and I speak only from our experience)and that first year's numbers only apply to just that first year.

Also factor in the replacement costs if the freezer goes bad vs. the replacement costs of canning equipment which is usually a lifetime investment.
 

SSDreamin

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One extended power outage w/o the ability to generate power yourself, and canning wins in a landslide! :lol:

Tattler lids would also be a huge front end investment, but long term would make the lid expense void. JMHO

I love Jackie Clay. She has taught me to think about my choices. I still use a freezer for a lot of my stuff, but I also can/dehydrate/vacuum seal almost 1 to 1 the same things so, if I loose the freezer full of food, I am not wiped out.
 

me&thegals

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And if you use a steam canner, those electrical costs go down even further. We freeze a lot but just because we like the flavor so much better and the nutrition.
 

k15n1

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me&thegals said:
And if you use a steam canner, those electrical costs go down even further. We freeze a lot but just because we like the flavor so much better and the nutrition.
I understand the flavor argument.

However, the nutrition argument is mainly unsubstantiated. Everyone's an expert when it comes to food, but there aren't many citations of credible sources. (I'm not picking on anyone in particular.) The idea that cooking your food wrecks it is hard to believe because of the last several thousand years of history. Or maybe I'm totally wrong and you have a credible and convincing source to argue for your perspective....

I don't want to start a religious conflict over nutritional value of pressure-canned food. The point of this thread is that canning is much more energy efficient than freezing.
 

me&thegals

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k15n1 said:
me&thegals said:
And if you use a steam canner, those electrical costs go down even further. We freeze a lot but just because we like the flavor so much better and the nutrition.
I understand the flavor argument.

However, the nutrition argument is mainly unsubstantiated. Everyone's an expert when it comes to food, but there aren't many citations of credible sources. (I'm not picking on anyone in particular.) The idea that cooking your food wrecks it is hard to believe because of the last several thousand years of history. Or maybe I'm totally wrong and you have a credible and convincing source to argue for your perspective....

I don't want to start a religious conflict over nutritional value of pressure-canned food. The point of this thread is that canning is much more energy efficient than freezing.
I guess I don't have one source. It's just something I've read over and over through the years. But, there are so many conflicting reports on so many things. It's hard to imagine, though, that many foods were cooked throughout history. Like fruit or greens. Why would they be cooked when they are so edible raw?

We have our freezers full of berries, sweetcorn, pesto, frozen fruit jams, ground flour or wheat berries, bulk bread bought cheaply, and a LOT of meat that DH has raised or hunted. I can beans, tomatoes, soups, some fruit like pears and peaches, jam, lots of pickled things.

With 2 freezers and 3 fridges going nearly yearround (we have a 20-member CSA), our electric bill is at the very highest $100/month and occasionally as low as $40, so I feel okay with the amount of energy we're using. I am extremely conscious of energy consumption for everything else and we condense freezers and shut off the extras as soon as that becomes possible.
 

FarmerChick

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sure I would say canning/preserving is more cost effective in the long haul. but to me since I have options I do both. I love my freezer, sure wouldn't give it up to save $70 per year. But I wouldn't give up my pantry items either. they are more secure for total emergency situation vs a freezer unless it is dead of winter time and I can put my stuff in the cold and know I have a long time to use it.

plus freezer stuff is shorter term to eat for sure. I know I do not like items in the freezer too long...they get that bleck. when I open green beans or whatever we canned I can still truly taste the fresh after years vs freezer.

so to me, I use both. but I do see a savings and better emergency use from a pantry situation.
 

k15n1

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me&thegals said:
....It's hard to imagine, though, that many foods were cooked throughout history. Like fruit or greens. Why would they be cooked when they are so edible raw?

With 2 freezers and 3 fridges going nearly yearround (we have a 20-member CSA), our electric bill is at the very highest $100/month and occasionally as low as $40, so I feel okay with the amount of energy we're using. I am extremely conscious of energy consumption for everything else and we condense freezers and shut off the extras as soon as that becomes possible.
That's a good point. To preserving fruits, I think root cellars were used for apples. There's a Moroccan tradition of brining lemmons. The Germans stored very-ripe fruits in alcohol. And figs, grapes and currants and other fruits were dried. And don't forget fruit juices---that's how they preserved pears, apples, grapes. So, just off the top of my head, it seems like there were lots of non-cooking methods. However, I understand that Asian cultures often cook greens. It's probably an adaptation that accompanies the use of humanure.

I started out researching this issue of energy efficiency almost a year ago and had a hard time finding good sources. I don't mean to scare people off one method or the other. I just wanted to know, for myself, if canning used a wasteful amount of energy because that was my expectation. Turns out, it's not the case at all. But it's a little academic now because I canned a lot this summer and now I'm addicted. Still, even knowing that freezing is less efficient, I still intend to use it. Knowing makes me feel better though. I guess I just like to be informed.
 

moolie

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In former times when people ate with the seasons, people couldn't tell the difference between diarrhea caused by dysentery and other disease, from "the squirts" they got from filling up on fresh veg and fruit that was in season after months with none in their diet. So it was recommended, especially for children, that these foods be cooked--often well beyond good taste and texture. It was fear of the unknown.
 

me&thegals

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