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Wants to can, dry or freeze food to keep it longer

Use when someone wants to safely can, dry or freeze garden food, chile, fruit, meat or extra pantry food, including high-altitude canning in Silver City.

In danger right now: call 911. Crisis or thoughts of suicide: call or text 988. Not sure where to start? Call the Silver City Gospel Mission: 575-388-5071. Police, fire or sheriff, not an emergency: 575-388-8840 (Central Dispatch). Print our list of phone numbers → · Food pantry calendar → · Free meals calendar → · Getting there: bus and rides →
These are the same steps our staff use when they help someone. "They" means the person who needs help: you, or someone you are helping. Go in order, and call ahead when you can.
In this guide
  1. Start with the easiest way
  2. Freeze it
  3. Dry it
  4. Can it safely (high altitude)
  5. Take a class or ask an expert

1Start with the easiest way

You can ask"What food do you want to keep? Do you have a freezer, a stove, or a pressure canner?"
You can say"Freezing is the easiest and safest. Canning works too, but it must be done the tested way."

2Freeze it

Freezing at 0 F keeps food safe. Quality is best within about 8 to 12 months.
Roasted green chile freezes well. Freeze it in the skin in small bags; the skin slips off when it thaws.
Vegetables keep better if you blanch them first: boil 1 to 3 minutes, cool in ice water, drain, bag.
Squeeze air out of bags. Write the name and date on each one.
Cooked beans and rice freeze well in meal-size bags.

3Dry it

Chile, apples, herbs and tomato slices dry well with a dehydrator, a low oven, or strung as a ristra in a dry, airy spot.
Store dried food in sealed jars once it is crisp or leathery.
For jerky, USDA says to heat meat to 160 F (poultry 165 F) before or after drying. Drying alone does not kill germs.

4Can it safely (high altitude)

Only use tested recipes: the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, the National Center for Home Food Preservation (nchfp.uga.edu), NMSU Extension, or a current Ball Blue Book.
Fruit, jam, pickles and tomatoes with added lemon juice can go in a boiling water canner.
Beans, vegetables, green chile, meat and soup are low-acid. They MUST go in a pressure canner. A water bath is not safe for these.
Silver City is about 6,000 feet. Use the altitude chart in the recipe.
Water bath: most recipes add about 10 minutes at 3,001 to 6,000 feet, and more above 6,000 feet (Pinos Altos, the mountains).
Pressure canner, dial gauge: 13 pounds at 4,001 to 6,000 feet; 14 pounds at 6,001 to 8,000 feet. Weighted gauge: use 15 pounds above 1,000 feet.
Never can in the oven, use paraffin wax, skip processing, or make up your own recipe. Home-canned low-acid food done wrong can cause botulism, which can kill.
Throw away any jar that is bulging, leaking, spurting, moldy or smells bad. Do not taste it.

5Take a class or ask an expert

NMSU Cooperative Extension Service - Grant County
Cooperative Extension (nutrition, gardening, 4-H)
575-388-1559
2610 N Silver St, Silver City · Weekday business hours
The Commons Center for Food Security & Sustainability
Community cooking and food preservation classes
575-388-2988
501 E 13th St, Silver City · Varies - see The Commons calendar
Website ↗
Growing food to put up? See the guide "Wants to grow vegetables to eat".
For recipes, see the guide "Recipes for garden vegetables: squash, chile, greens and tomatoes".

More help like this

Hungry today and needs food for the monthUse when someone is hungry now and also needs enough food for the rest of the month.Has special diet needs (diabetes, allergies, no teeth)Use when someone needs food that fits a health need: diabetes, food allergies, kidney or heart problems, soft food for missing teeth, or special baby formula.Someone is asking for money at your doorUse when a stranger knocks at your home or business asking for money, gas, food or a ride, and you want to stay safe, spot scams, and point them to real help.All food pantries in Grant County: places, days, times and what to bringUse when someone wants a list of every food pantry and free food distribution in Grant County, with where and when they are, who qualifies and what to bring.Wants to stock up on beans, rice, masa, flour, sugar, salt and oilUse when someone wants to buy basic staples (beans, rice, masa, flour, sugar, salt, oil) in bulk to save money and have food that lasts for months.Wants more fresh fruit and vegetables with SNAP (Double Up Food Bucks)Use when someone gets SNAP and wants more fresh fruit and vegetables. Double Up Food Bucks gives free extra money for New Mexico-grown produce at farmers markets.

See all guides in Food and basics →

This guide is general information only, not medical, legal or other professional advice. Places and rules change, so please call before you go. In an emergency, call 911; in a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Disclaimer

Know a better way? Is something out of date?

If a number or place here is wrong, you know a better resource, or you know a better way to help, tell us. We automatically check reliable sources and update supported routine details. Unclear changes and safety guidance go to our staff for review.

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Print these steps · Find more places to get help · Hours and numbers change; please call ahead. Something wrong? Tell us
Questions, or want someone to walk through this with you? The Silver City Gospel Mission, 111 S. Texas St., Silver City, 575-388-5071, weekdays 9:00am-1:45pm. Everyone is welcome.