From Farm to YOU – The Journey of Every Can

A lot of love goes into your Miami Canner’s favourites, no matter what product from our extensive range is your personal best. We’re proud to offer an all-South African taste experience with every can- but how does that canned tomato or pickle get from the farmer’s fresh product to your table? It’s a fascinating process, with many players all working together to bring you the best possible quality and freshness. Let’s take a look.

The Harvest Save

Your tasty treat begins, of course, in the soil of South Africa. Here farmers lovingly raise and tend their veggie and fruit crops, ensuring high-quality produce that delivers on taste. When the crops are ready for harvest, they’re carefully picked and stored. Some come to life on your supermarket shelves. Others are destined for greater things in the Miami family. 

From Farmer to Can

Of course, no matter how delectable the veggie is, you can’t just slap it in the can and call it done! After harvesting, the crops are transported to safe and sanitary processing facilities. Here, the machinery and technology will sort, clean, and prepare the crops for canning, ensuring only the best make the grade. Depending on the fruit or veggie, they may be blanched (briefly boiled) to help ensure their colour and crunchy texture are preserved right through to the moment you enjoy them. Fruits, of course, are often peeled, pitted, and sliced up ready for their final showdown. For products like our tangy Miami atchar, the cooking process will be started, bringing all the ingredients together in one tasty bundle.

Canning Them Up

When they’re ready for their new life, the fruit or veggie is then packed into their can (or jar, product dependent) and preserved with a sweet syrup or tangy brine. Did you know that the process of jar pickling is also called ‘canning’ in the industry? It doesn’t have to involve an aluminium can! The cans are then industrially sealed to ensure an airtight environment that prevents spoilage and maintains freshness. Some cans are vacuum-sealed to remove air, while others use airtight lids. Just for safety’s sake, they’re then processed with heat treatment to eliminate bacteria and enzymes that can cause spoilage or make you unwell.

Throughout the entire process, strict quality control measures are in place to ensure the safety and quality of the canned products. Samples are regularly tested for taste, texture, appearance, and safety standards, and any substandard cans are removed from the production line immediately. From there, it’s on to labelling and packaging. Only one more journey to go!

Consumer Enjoyment

The journey of every Miami can or jar ends in the hands of hungry consumers just like you, who purchase and enjoy our products in a dazzling variety of dishes and meals. Canned foods bring long shelf life, convenience, and year-round access to fresh-packed and healthy seasonal produce to the table in one easy package, so there’s little wonder they’re such staples in the South African pantry.

The journey of every Miami can is one of love and strict quality control at every step. From the farmer’s hands to yours, it’s a fascinating journey you can think about the next time you are snacking on a jar of our pickles, or stirring one of our tasty tomato mixes into your sauce.