What was the first vegetable to be canned?

This was achieved in 1804 by Nicolas Appert, a French confectioner, who was awarded a prize by Napoleon Bonaparte for his method of preserving food.

While Appert didn't fully understand the science behind canning, his process of sealing food in airtight containers and heating them involved a key principle: killing bacteria that caused spoilage.

It's worth noting that while Appert's method focused on preserving fruit, the principles he developed paved the way for canning other foods, including vegetables, which quickly followed.