In 1790 a Frenchman, Nicolas Appert pioneered the process of canning food. He applied heat to food in sealed glass bottles. In 1810 – Peter Durand -based on Appert’s methods, packaging of food in airtight – tin-plated wrought-iron cans were patented.
It wasn’t until 1901, the American Can Company was founded and produced canned goods in tin cans.
When researching, especially in western North America it is important to know when grocery stores were in the places your write about to even sell canned goods. It probably wouldn’t be earlier than the 1900’s. But our ancestors obviously did Appert’s method, long before they could purchase canned products in any store. So home-canned goods could have been produced in the west by the 1800’s.
Mary M. Forbes - Author 