Editing Canning (section)

{{Short description|Method of preserving food}}
{{about|a method of food preservation|other uses|Canning (disambiguation)}}
{{redirect|Cannery|the casino|Cannery Casino and Hotel}}
{{redirect|Thermal processing|the thermochemical decomposition of organic material|Pyrolysis}}
{{distinguish|Caning}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
[[File:FMIB 34482 Making Salmon Cans.jpeg|thumb|Industrial canning machines used for mass-producing [[canned salmon]] in 1917]]
'''Canning''' is a method of [[food preservation]] in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container ([[jar]]s like [[Mason jar]]s, and [[steel and tin cans]]). Canning provides a [[shelf life]] that typically ranges from one to five years,{{efn|According to the [[United States Department of Agriculture]] (USDA), "canned foods are safe indefinitely as long as they are not exposed to freezing temperatures, or temperatures above 90 °F (32.2&nbsp;°C)". If the cans look okay, they are safe to use. Discard cans that are dented, rusted, or swollen. High-acid canned foods (tomatoes, fruits) will keep their best quality for 12 to 18 months; low-acid canned foods (meats, vegetables) for 2 to 5 years.<ref name="USDA-FAQ">{{cite web|title=Food_Product_Dating|url=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating|access-date=2015-04-24}}</ref>}} although under specific circumstances, it can be much longer.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arctic Explorers Uncover (and Eat) 60-Year-Old Food Stash |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/arctic-explorers-uncover-60-year-old-food-stash-180956936/ |website=Smithsonian |access-date=7 November 2018}}</ref> A freeze-dried canned product, such as canned dried [[lentil]]s, could last as long as 30 years in an edible state.

In 1974, samples of canned food from the wreck of the ''[[Bertrand (steamboat)|Bertrand]]'', a steamboat that sank in the Missouri River in 1865, were tested by the [[National Food Processors Association]]. Although appearance, smell, and vitamin content had deteriorated, there was no trace of microbial growth and the 109-year-old food was determined to be still safe to eat.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-9009146 |title=The Canning Process; Old Preservation Technique Goes Modern |author=Blumenthal, Dale |journal=FDA Consumer |date=September 1990 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209185848/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-9009146/the-canning-process-old-preservation-technique-goes |archive-date=9 February 2019}}</ref>