Here is another recycled post from my old business blog. It was originally posted on October 15, 2012 so please don’t get the impression that this happened recently! With having a baby and two kiddos with medical problems, last canning season was a little dismal. We did beets, banana peppers, green beans, sauerkraut, and frozen corn. Not too bad, considering, but not really up to my standards. We are hoping for a better year and our family is getting excited about the growing season! I hope to also post a practical skills/information post this month as we move toward our Of Course I Can! Blog Hop.
Canning. A topic that is near and dear to my heart. I am so very close to being done with this season’s round of canning: just 
400 pounds of tuna and a few more pints of tomatoes to go. I have been working on this for nearly two months now. I love canning, but I am so looking forward to sitting back and enjoying my home-canned bounty. Mmm. Mmm.
I believe home canning to be an essential part of my nutritional lifestyle. It keeps me connected to my homesteading background and connected to where my food comes from. I can food I grow, food my family grows, and food from local farmers and fisherman. There really is nothing more satisfying for me than to see my food go from the land to my table (especially when the whole process is by my own hand). My child is too young now (although he does point to the stove and say “cook”), but this is a skill that I fully intend to pass on to all my children because I believe that this is an essential skill and brings a smile to so many faces, particularly when sharing.
I get very excited when people ask me questions about canning. I think everyone should know how to do this. It is truly not all that complicated, and once you do it, is no longer intimidating. I know some people have a tremendous fear of pressure canning because of possible explosion (which is highly unlikely), but you can start off doing foods that require only boiling-water bath to cut back on the fear. I tend to do very large batches of whatever I am canning to get me through to the next season, but a person can do small batches just to have a little fun. Think pickled mixed veggies, mango salsa, and jams. You can really do small batches of anything, but those would be the most fun.
Home canning can also be fairly inexpensive. You can find supplies at the local 
Bi-Mart, on Craig’s List, and even re-sale shops. There is really no need to buy brand new jars because they last FOREVER. Just make sure you have no chips or cracks and you are good to go. *Note: NEVER re-use lids. There are a few reusable brands available, but most lids are single-use only.
Right now is a pretty good time to try your hand at some home canning as the growing season is ending and you may find produce at lower prices. I recommend getting your hands on Putting Food By. This is my canning Bible. I learned to can from my grandmother and mother, but I’m on my own now so I need a reference once in a while! This book is chock full of information and great recipes.
By trying out new recipes, you are opening yourself up to a wider range of nutritious foods that you might not otherwise eat. Having canned goods in the pantry inspires us to try new meals rather than stick with our regular weekly menu. Canning is a great activity for kids, too and you can very easily turn it into a lesson in nutrition without them even knowing!
Share your questions. I have many lessons that I have learned the hard way and would be happy to share. I love canning many different things, but have a very severe hatred of applesauce…8 hours of work for 7 pints of applesauce. I may or may not have flung applesauce across the room that day. Also, share your experiences. I still have a lot of learning to do as well.
I hope this post has inspired someone to venture out into the wide world of home canning! Here’s to summer’s goodness all winter long!
Related Articles:
- Food: Our Sacred Duty
- Thanks Be to Nature, Good Friends & Family
- I’ll give you six months, you give me food in jars…
Máthair Fiona 
I’ve started with the water bath canning because I do fear pressure cookers, but I’m working to get over it! I can’t wait to can more! Loved that you recycled the post because I haven’t read your older stuff!!
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I think my next post is going to be about pressure canning because I know so many people fear it. Both of my grandmother’s wear deathly afraid.
I has to recycle it because it’s on a different blog 🙂 I tried my hand at nutrition coaching, but didn’t get very far because I didn’t try that hard. Ha!
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And I learned today that you can’t can in the regular pressure cooker, that’s why mom and dad have the really big ones.
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That’s right! Pressure cooker vs. Pressure canner. I better remember to mention that in my next post. Thanks for the reminder.
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I think it’s great that you learned this skill from your mother and grandmother and plan to pass it on to your children. My husband and I are interested in learning more. Thanks for the book referral, and I will be checking your posts for more info! 🙂
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I hope I prove helpful :). I really need to get moving on my next post!
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your “have fun” ideas sound delicious: mango salsa, mixed veggies and jam. yum! will have to give these a try. And how do you can fish??
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Jam is soooo easy! Its a good place to start. Plus, you do it in a boiling-water bath canner so there is no need to worry about pressure canning.
Canning fish is also super easy. With tuna, you put a little salt and a little water in your jar to start, then you stuff hunks of the fish in the jar, seal it up, and pressure can it. Delicious! I’ve never done it, buy my father-in-law does salmon sometimes. I think it is a pretty similar process.
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