Oven Canning for Long Term Storage
Fill mason jars with dried goods for oven canning. Leave 1/2″ of head space.
Oven Canning Dried Goods for Long Term Storage
Dried goods make great emergency food if stored properly. But it’s no fun opening
a box of pancake mix to find meal worms making a meal of your precious food
(unless you like the extra protein). You can stock up on survival foods specially
prepared to last for years, but it can get pretty pricey. If you want to save some
dough and do it yourself, oven canning is the way to go. So let’s get started on this
simple and easy method of prepping your dried goods for long term storage.
Oven Canning
Oven canning works great for prepping dried goods to stay fresh for years. Baking
them in the oven kills any insects or eggs to prevent contamination. As the jars
cool, the lids will seal, preventing moisture or bugs from getting in and ruining your
food. I haven’t kept any of my oven canned goods long enough to test this, but
some sites report that oven canned dry goods will last for 20 to 30 years. Heck,
that’s a pretty good time frame for those prepping for TEOTWAWKI!
You’ll need just a few things to get started:

Canning jars

Canning lids and screw bands

Wide mouth funnel

Dried goods

Oven

Potholders and towels
Half gallon and quart jars are a great size for most foods, but you can use pint jars
if you’re preserving food for just one person. You can also use ½ pint or smaller
jars to oven can small amounts of spices, baking powder, etc. Foods that can be
preserved with this method include:

Rice, oats, and other grains

Beans and lentils

Flour

Baking mixes

Powdered milk (for shorter storage)

Spices, salt, baking soda, etc.
Before you oven can baking mixes, you’ll want to make sure that they don’t contain
shortening (will melt), oil, brown sugar, or any other ingredients that have moisture
in them, or they will go rancid quickly. Some of these foods may be stored in an
airtight container short term (6 weeks at room temp is typical) but will not make
good long term storage foods for your prepping pantry. It’s also fine to oven can
baking mixes that contain sugar, but plain sugar should not be oven canned.
Oven canning kills insects and seals jar to keep out moisture.
How To Oven Can Dry Goods

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit

Fill your clean canning jars with dried goods (leave 1/2″ head space)

Do not put lids on yet

Place in oven and set timer for 1 hour

Use pot holders or towel to remove jars from oven

Quickly wipe rim of jar with damp (not dripping wet) towel

Place metal canning lid on jar

Screw metal band on tightly

Return jars to oven and set timer for 30 minutes

Remove jars from oven and allow to cool

Check lids for tight seal
I have never used the Tattler reusable canning lids for sealing my oven canned jars,
so I can’t make a recommendation on their use in this application. This is one food
preservation technique were I will re-use my metal canning lids from previously
canned goods. Since you aren’t canning perishable foods, such as meats and
veggies, you may re-use the metal lids as long as they are in good condition, are
not bent, and all of the rubber is intact. Be sure to test for a tight seal after jars
cool. If the jars didn’t seal, you can either use that food up first or use a new lid
and reprocess.
*Oven canning is not a safe method of preserving anything other than
dried goods. Do not use this method for canning wet foods such as fruits,
vegetables, or meats unless they have been thoroughly dehydrated. For
more info on canning, check out Mason Jar Meals and Canning without
Electricity.
Be sure to label your jars with the contents and date canned.
Storing Oven Canned Foods
Once your jars of dried goods have cooled, and you’re sure they sealed, store them
in a cool, dark, and dry location. The seal will prevent moisture from getting into
the jars, but moist air will rust metal canning lids and bands. Be sure to label jars
with the contents and date that they were canned so you can use the oldest foods
first. Add a label with directions for using mixes. Powdered milk and baking mixes
that contain powdered milk should be used within a year for best results.
Tips and Tricks
Whole grains store better than grains that have been ground into meal or flour. For
foods that will last the longest in storage, oven can wheat berries, brown rice,
whole oats, barley, and rye. It’s great having a generous supply of these foods on
hand, but you’ll want a hand powered grain mill to grind them if you want to make
flour.
Make your own baking mixes with bulk foods that you can purchase through food
co-ops. Making your own will save a ton of money and allow you to stock up on
food preps that much faster. Mix up large batches, oven can, then label with the
baking instructions for easy use.
Make Ahead Mixes
Here are some baking mixes that I like to have on hand. You can multiply the
ingredients if you wish to make up even larger batches.
Instant Cinnamon and Sugar Oatmeal

5 cups quick oats

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup powdered milk

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container. To use: Add ½ to ¾ cup
boiling water to 1 cup mix. Stir and let stand until thick.
Pancake Mix

8 cups flour (I used half unbleached and half whole wheat or multigrain flour)

2 cups powdered milk

8 tsp baking powder

4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ cup sugar
Mix ingredients and store in an airtight container. To use: Stir together 1 ½ cups
mix, 1 cup water, and 1 egg. Pour batter by large spoonfuls on hot, oiled griddle.
Flip to cook both sides.
Biscuit Mix

10 cups unbleached flour

1/3 cup baking powder

¼ cup sugar
Mix ingredients and store in an airtight container. To use: Cut 1/4 cup shortening,
butter, or lard into 1 cup mix. Add 1/2 cup milk or water and stir. Drop by
spoonfuls on to cookie sheets and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10
minutes.
*Notes – Most biscuit mixes call for shortening to be added to the mix. To add
shortening to above mix, cut 2 cups shortening into dry ingredients and store in an
airtight container for up to 6 weeks at room temperature, or up to 6 months in
freezer. Do not add shortening to mix for long term storage as it may go rancid.
For long term storage of pancake mix and instant oatmeal mix, leave out powdered
milk and use milk or water when using.
So What Are You Waiting For?
Save money and take control of the ingredients in your baking mixes by making
your own. Make extra to seal in mason jars with the oven canning technique and
you’ll be on your way to a well stocked pantry in no time. Start ordering whole
grains in bulk to oven can for long term storage. Many of these foods will last for
years if properly sealed. It doesn’t take long to do and you’ll love the peace of mind
that comes with stocking up for the future!