What happens to fruits and vegetables during the canning process?
Most canning plants are situated near to vegetable and fruit production areas. The advantage to this is that little time passes between the harvesting of produce and the start of the canning process. As we discuss in our article about Making Baby Food With Frozen Vegetables and Fruits, the time between picking the produce and processing it is very relevant to its nutritional value. Fruits and veggies canned or frozen within hours of being picked will, nutritionally speaking, be at peak condition at the start of processing. Once the produce reaches the canning plant, it is peeled if necessary, then machine-packed into cans. The cans are then filled to a pre-determined level with the canning liquid (usually water, brine, syrup or juice) and preheated before they are sealed. Finally, the sealed cans are heated to various temperatures (depending on the type of produce) and for varying lengths of time. This destroys any pathogens that may lead to food poisoning or organisms that may cause t
