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Canning bamboo shoots #830675

Asked May 18, 2023, 9:14 AM EDT

Hi! I have the misfortune of bamboo growing into my back yard. It's an ongoing battle as you can imagine. We learned the one upside to this is the shoots are edible, and every spring, we harvest as many shoots as we can, boil them, and freeze them for use throughout the year. However, they take up a lot of freezer space. Obviously, because you can buy canned bamboo shoots at the store, there must be a method to can them--but I'm not having a lot of luck finding a recipe/method online. I'm guessing they need to be pressure canned (they taste like they're low acid content, like asparagus or other similar vegetables), but I've never done that before. Do you have any information on how to can bamboo shoots?

Baltimore County Maryland

Expert Response

Hi Cara,

 Currently, there isn't a recipe that is shown to be validated for safety and quality from the National Center for Home Food Preservation and canning bamboo at home.

However, I'm happy to chat more (<personal data hidden>; P:<personal data hidden>), but you could create a recipe and send the recipe and sample of your canned item to a process authority would could review and validate your bamboo recipe, specifically for your current home location. There would be a fee but you would have confidence that the recipe and method were a safe shelf-stable jar of bamboo shoots. 

You May want to reach out to Cornell for processing a low-acid food with Bamboos https://cals.cornell.edu/cornell-agritech/partners-institutes/cornell-food-venture-center/cfvc-services-fees 


Sincerely,

Shauna Henley, PhD

An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 18, 2023, 10:21 AM EDT

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