A Beginners Perspective on Canning

One of the best problems to have in gardening is what to do with all the delicious food you grow. You can gobble it up, share it with friends, or try to preserve it in some way. One of the most popular and traditional ways to preserve food is through canning. Now, there has been tons of stuff written on this subject by people far more experienced than me. I'll post some helpful links below. However, I wanted to share my observations with you folks who are considering getting into it before you take the dive.

First, it's not easy. Any experienced canner will tell you how easy it is to encourage you to give it a try. They mean well. They really do. But I'm going to give it to you strait - it's complicated, hot, and time consuming. If you mess it up, the cans won't seal properly, the food can get damaged, it can give you lethal botulism or you can even have jars explode. (They do use pressure cookers to make bombs). Be prepared for a steep learning curve. Do lots of research ahead of time.

Second, you will need lots of special equipment. I lucked out in this department because my mother - a long time canning expert - got wind that I was considering trying it for myself and I got all the stuff I need as a Christmas present. Thanks Mom! However, you will absolutely need a caner with rack insert and lid, lots of jars with no cracks or chips, a jar holder thingy to carry super hot jars (what is that called anyways?) a funnel and lids and rings. It's not cheap.

At this point, I want to say the best thing you can do is find someone who already does it and get some experience helping them. If you enjoy that, odds are you'll enjoy it on your own. It will also give you the best education possible.

Third, despite all the possible failures, so far (knock on wood) I've not had a single jar not set and the food has been good. My mother has been canning forever and no one has ever gotten sick from anything she's made nor has she experienced any explosions. So the odds on you experiencing those problems are slim if you follow instructions carefully.

So, why do I get into canning? It's kind of like getting a good work out. I don't necessarily enjoy it while it's going on but the sense of accomplishment afterwards is pretty awesome. Also, I enjoy history and tradition and canning food I grow makes me feel connected to my grandparents. Finally, I'm still stubborn enough that I feel the need to prove that I can do anything my mother can do.(Seriously, that's why I make pie crust from scratch, I'm just being stubborn. At least my family is getting some yummy food from it. Ha!)

Have you gotten into canning? Why or why not? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

Here are some helpful links:

https://www.freshpreserving.com/canning-guides

https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/canning/home-canning
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