Canneries, Canning Centers, Community Kitchens, 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 t 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

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

Alabama

• Shoals Commercial Culinary Center - food business incubator
  610 W. College Street, Florence, AL 35630. Phone: 256-764-0044. Contact: Sherry Campbell. Email: scampbell@shoalsec.com. If you are starting a company in the Shoals area, we offer a structured program to help your business succeed. We will help you develop your business plan and get your business started.

Alaska

Arkansas

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

• Agricultural Canning Center - Jacksonville
  2525 Commonwealth Avenue, Jacksonville, Fl, 32254. Phone: 904 387-8860 . The facility on Commonwealth Avenue was built in 1978. Air conditioned and recently updated, the Canning Center provides an institutional kitchen environment. All equipment necessary for canning is provided onsite. Users provide their own ingredients. Open: Year-round hours: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Thursday. All Duval County residents who are canning for themselves, their families, churches, or any non-profit organization (not for businesses) may use the facility. For safety reasons no children under 8 years of age are allowed. Walk in clients are not accepted. You must call and make an appointment two or three days in advance, if possible. In 2008, their website states that the cost was $7.50 per hour, per group, including processing time, plus .65 cents per quart can, .45 cents per pint can (all low acid foods, vegetables, meats, soups and stews) must go in cans. All high-acid foods (fruits, jellies, jams, and pickles) will go in jars. Clients must provide their own jars. There is a .15 cents per jar processing fee. To qualify for tax-exempt status, a nonprofit agency must have a valid Tax Exempt Certificate on file and pay for the canning with a check from the nonprofit agency or organization. Tested and tried recipes must be used at the canning center. The canning of fruits and vegetables are the most popular, but many other items can be canned: meat, soup, jelly, jam. Etc. The center has some recipes that have proven over the years to be just great. Also the Family and Consumer Sciences Program area next door at the Duval County Extension Service/Agriculture Department, has many more recipes. How Long Will It Take? That depends on you and the help you bring with you. Most people who are in by 8:30 a.m. will be out by 2 p.m., depending on recipe.
• Citrus County Canning Center -
  3405 W. Southern Street, Lecanto , FL 34448. Phone: (352) 746-4324.
  A visitor writes on December 15, 2008: "This is an AWESOME facility. Has EVERYTHING anyone would need. This is also where I first learned how to can. The people there are so pleasant and helpful also!" (Suggested by a visitor, ADDED: December 15, 2008)
• Little Rock Cannery -
  15487 Citrus Way, Brooksville, FL 34601. Phone: 352-540-4306.  A visitor writes on April 13, 2009: "Anything can be canned at this facility, meats to fruits and veggies. annual membership is nominal, price break for county residents, ran by parks and recreation for Hernando County. This is a community cannery. they no longer hold classes, but the attendant is very informative and helpful. They do sell jars, lids and rings. have restrooms, have a well appointed library for canning and food preservation. fully equipped with 4 16 qt pressure canners, a steamer for sterilization, a steamer for blanching, all small wares needed for processing foods, juicers, pea shellers, etc. Very nice facility. also has contacts for veggies. veggies can be ordered and dropped at the facility for you. You must make appointment for use of the facility." (Suggested by a visitor, ADDED: April 13, 2009)
• Washington County Community Canning Center -
  Highway 79, Vernon, FL 32462. Phone: (850) 535-2937.

Georgia

• Blue Ridge Cannery -
  811 Summit Street, Blue Ridge, GA 30513. Phone: (706) 632-0208. Directions: 67 miles from Atlanta.
• Lavonia Cannery -
  57 Hartwell Road, Lavonia, GA 30553. Phone: (706) 356-8115. Directions: 80 miles from Atlanta
• Dawson County Cannery
  205 Allen Street, Dawsonville, GA 30534. Phone: ??? Anyone know?
• Gilmer County Cannery
  408 Bobcat Trail, Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone: (706) 276-5095.
• Lowndes Food Processing Center or better know as "The Canning Plant" -
  Located at Lowndes High School, it is operated by the Lowndes County Agriculture teachers from late May through mid July and is open to the public to process and preserve food products such as peas, tomatoes and other vegetables.  Many of the patrons make soups and jelly as well in the facility. (ADDED: July 06, 2009)

Guam

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

• Duluth Community Garden Program Cannery -
  Damiano Center, 206 W 4th Street, Duluth MN 55802. Phone: (218) 722-4583. Email: duluthcommgarden@yahoo.com. The Cannery educates and assists its participants to preserve high quality, inexpensive and nutritious food. Using hot water bath and pressure techniques, participants learn using a hands-on approach. They preserve a variety of things, including tomatoes, salsa, a variety of vegetables, stews, fish, jams, jelly and a number of different apple products. There are two basic concepts of the Cannery:
  • Offers hands-on food preservation classes
  • Loans out food preservation equipment at no cost to income-eligible people and Community Garden members

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

• Schoharie Co-op Cannery -
  119 Main Street, Schoharie, NY 12157. Phone: 518-702-4061. In process of starting up (February 2009). You'll be able to can fruits, vegetables, nuts...anything non-meat.
  You can read an article about the cannery here.

North Carolina

•  Many NC State Extension centers offer canning workshops, and can check the gauge on pressure canners to determine if they are calibrated properly. An accurate gauge will assure a safe product if correct canning procedures are followed. A pressure canner is required for safely canning low-acid foods. The gauge should be checked each year prior to the canning season. To locate your NC county Extension center, click here or look in the government section of your phone book under “North Carolina Cooperative Extension.”

 

North Dakota

Ohio

• ACE NET —
  Athens, Ohio 740-592-3854.
• Agricultural Incubator —
  Bowling Green, Ohio 419-897-7858.
• Jelly Lady —
  Lebanon, Ohio 513-932-6470.
• Ohio State University,  
  Columbus, Ohio. Jane Shall 614-292-7004 and/or Dr. Alvarez 614-688-4961.

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Texas

Tennessee

Utah

• Salt Lake City Welfare Square Cannery -
  See Joe Thompson.

Vermont

Virginia

• Callaway Community Cannery -
  Phone: (540) 483-5538. Open: Monday- Thursday. Contact: Mr. Steve Oakes- Director.
• Carroll County / Hillsville Cannery -
  497 Farmers Market Road, Hillsville, VA 24312. Phone:  (276) 728-7571. Approved Commercial Use/Community Use; VDACS Inspection Commercially (inspected by Virginia Department of Agriculture as open for production of commercial re-sale food items). Community Cannery for community to take home.
• Caroline County / Bowling Green Cannery -
  Cannery Road, Bowling Green, VA. Residents of Bowling Green and Caroline County have the opportunity to use the Caroline County Cannery for the canning of fresh vegetables and food to reduce the grocery bill and extend the availability of locally grown produce through the winter to the next growing season.  The Cannery is provided by the Caroline County Board of Supervisors and operated by the Caroline County Department of Public Works. The Caroline County Cannery is located south of Bowling Green and adjacent to the Caroline County Community Services Center.  Take Route 301 South, pass the Community Services Center, turn on Cannery Road, and enter the Cannery parking area.  The Cannery is open on Tuesdays and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. between July 1^st and December 30^th.  The Cannery staff will answer your questions, show you how to operate the equipment, and assist you through the entire canning process.  They are not available to do your canning or to clean the equipment and preparation area you use.  You must remain at the Cannery during the entire canning processing. See their website for more and current information. The Caroline Cannery uses only aluminum cans.  No glass jars are allowed.  The aluminum cans are available for purchase at the Cannery at a cost of $.35 cents each.You should bring clean produce, paring knives, aprons, dish cloths, towels, and any added ingredients you desire.  You may also want to bring boxes or baskets to transport your cans.
• Castlewood Cannery -
  PO Box 1208, Lebanon, VA 24266. Phone:  (276) 889- 8000. Fax- (276) 889- 8011. Email: jimgillespie@charterinternet.com. Contact: Mr. Jim Gillespie- Russell County Administrator.
• Glade Hill Community Cannery -
  8081 Old Frankline Turnpike, Glade Hill, VA 24092. Phone: (540) 483-5538. Open: Monday- Thursday. Contact: Mr. Steve Oaks- Director.
• Hanover Co. Cannery -
  Route 54, two miles east of Ashland, VA. Contact: Carol Van Goor. Phone: 804-365-6484. Open: July 1 to October 31 except on Wednesdays; 1 pm to 7 pm on Monday and Tuesday; and 8:30 am to 1 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; Open on Fridays in July and August only; September operations are by appointment only. Inspected by Virginia Department of Agriculture as open for production of commercial re-sale food items.
• Honaker Cannery -
  PO Box 1208, Lebanon, VA 24266. Phone:  (276) 889- 8000. Fax- (276) 889- 8011. Email: jimgillespie@charterinternet.com. Contact: Mr. Jim Gillespie- Russess County Administrator.
• Keezletown Community Cannery -
  Adjacent to the Kezzletown Elementary School, 1688 Indian Trail Road, Kezzletown, VA. Contact: Trudy Hammer at Phone:  (540) 298-1056; or contact: Shirley Miller; Phone: (540) 234-8232.
• Montgomery County Community Cannery -
  Riner,  VA. For a small fee, the Riner facility provides equipment and trained operators to help residents preserve the summer harvest of beans, tomatoes and other vegetables. Some nonprofit groups also use the cannery to produce apple butter and other food items they then sell to raise funds. The cannery survives on an $8,000 operating budget and mostly volunteer labor.
• New London Community Cannery -
  Bedford County Administration Office, 122 East Main Street, Bedford, VA 24523. Phone:  (434) 525-9706. Open: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 am until 1 pm, depending on workload.
• Prince Edward County Community Cannery -
  7916 Abilene Road, Farmville, VA 23901. Phone: (434) 223- 8664. Open: Monday and Thursday mornings. Contact: Lena Rose Huddleston at Phone: (434) 392- 8837.
• Riner Community Cannery - Montgomery County,
  4163 Riner Road, Riner, VA 24149. Contact: Ms. Carol Edmonds, Asst. County Administrator at Phone: (540) 382-6954. Email: RinerCannery@yahoo.com. Open: by Appointment 13 July- 15 November.
• Stuarts Draft Community Cannery -
  Next door to the Old Schoolhouse Restaurant, Greenbriar Lnand, Stuarts Draft, VA 24477. Contact: Hershel Bridge at Phone: (540) 337- 2698.
• Wythe County Community Cannery - Wythe County Vocational School,
  George Wythe High School, West Spiller Street, Wytheville, VA 24382.

Washington

• Kent, Wash - A Mormon (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) owned and operated cannery exists here, but I have only found this one online article about it. The manager's name is given is Bill Lawrenson. An example all-inclusive cost from the article is $19.80 for a case of 12 pint jars; or $1.65 a jar.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming
 

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Canada

British Columbia

• This website has a list of hundreds of community kitchens in British Columbia

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United kingdom