Everything Everywhere Daily Canned Food
Jul 31, 2025
Discover the fascinating journey of canned food and its pivotal role in food preservation throughout history. Explore how this innovative method emerged during the Napoleonic Wars and evolved over time, changing the way humanity approached sustainability and survival. Learn about the remarkable safety and longevity of canned goods, with stories of military rations from the Boer War and their impact in extreme situations. Dive into the cultural significance that canned food has held across different eras.
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How Canning Preserves Food
- Canning preserves food by killing microbes with heat and sealing the container to prevent contamination.
- This extends food shelf life from one to five years, sometimes much longer.
Tin Cans Revolutionized Canning
- Peter Durand patented the use of tin-coated iron cans, which were cheaper, quicker, and more durable than glass jars.
- This innovation enabled the first commercial canning factory and expanded canning's accessibility.
Pasteur Explained Canning Success
- Louis Pasteur explained canning's effectiveness by identifying heat sterilization of microbes as key.
- Food is heated under pressure above boiling to kill microbes, then sealed to prevent contamination.