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Canneries, Canning Centers, Community Kitchens, Commercial Kitchesn for Rent, Local Canning Resources and Food Business Incubators - Commercial Canning for Your Home Produce

Commercial canneries, county canning centers and community (or shared) kitchens are facilities where you can take your fruit or vegetables and use their equipment to quickly and easily process your foods.  Make 100 jars of applesauce, salsa, spaghetti sauce, pickles or jam in no time!  Now you can keep the mess out of your kitchen and you don't need to buy any canning equipment! Some are designed for beginners to can with some guidance, classes and assistance, others are aimed at those who want to try to sell their home canned products.

The list below should help you find a canning center near you. These listings are a draft, gathered from phone book listings and government agriculture websites, and still growing rapidly.  I've also heard that LDS (Mormon) canneries are all over the country and you don't have to be a member to use them.

If you know of any canneries to suggest or can help validate or correct any of this information, please write me!

Here is a description of a county canning center:

The canning kitchen is a self-help facility equipped for the preparation, preservation, and heat processing of seasonally available fruits and vegetables, pickles and relishes, sauces and syrups, and of course jams and jellies.  The foods are processed by using the "home-style" method of canning by using traditional water bath canners and dial gauge pressure canners on commercial gas ranges. A Community Canning Kitchen also provides a Health Department approved facility where microenterprises can prepare food products for retail sale to the public.

How Does a Typical Community Canning Kitchen Operate?

  1. The Canning Kitchen is supervised during all hours of operation by a knowledgeable, experienced assistant who will help and educate you each step of the way with the latest, safest methods and processing techniques.
  2. The kitchen is equipped with all of the necessary tools and appliances that you will need to preserve fruits and vegetables, sauces, relishes, jams, etc., pea shellers and juicers are also available for your use.
  3. You bring your own canning jars, produce, and recipe ingredients such as; spices, vinegars, etc. If you need help with ingredient amounts and requirements, please call ahead.
  4. After you wash and prepare your produce, you will fill your sanitized canning jars and apply the lids. The Food Preservation Kitchen Supervisor will then process the jars for you.
  5. See this page for FAQs (frequently asked questions) and answers about using a cannery.

Starting a Community Cannery

I'm gathering resources on this page, to help those who want to start a local cannery


Listings of Canning Centers (Commercial, Private, Church-run and Government-run) and Commercial Kitchens

Alabama

Alaska

Arkansas

Arizona

California

Trinity County

Colorado

Jefferson County

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Guam

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Ingham County

Kent County

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Texas

Tennessee

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming


LDS Canneries by State.

Most allow non-church members, but call to confirm.  Some may require a member to acconpany the non-member.


Canada

British Columbia


United kingdom