Canning & Freezing Food: A Lost Art

It's that time of year! Canning time. It's the time that for just a few short months my childhood home was filled with aroma's sweet and bitter. Where my mother had us snapping beans, peeling apples, poking pickles and smashing strawberries. Our house was transformed into a finely tuned canning factory. We all had a job to do and nothing less then perfection was acceptable. Whenever my two sister's, myself or my brother would complain my mother would say, and I quote "Why do you think I had you kids? So you could be my slaves!" A part of me kind of believed her, even if she did smirk. She worked us hard, but with that work we learned. And as much as we hated it, we still managed to have fun. We ended up being grateful in the end.

Now every year my sister's and I all come together, cramming into one of our houses small kitchen's to can and preserve food for the upcoming year. Like our mother before us, everyone has a job. Whether to taste test, splash in cleaning water, or stuff food in jars. Even the little kids get to help, might as well while they still think it's fun!

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing how to preserve, store and use a variety of different foods. What I'll be posting are common foods that my family enjoys and eat often enough that we have to restock every year. These are foods that you can find at the store and that you usually buy canned or frozen! Some of these are so easy to do, you'll be amazed you didn't do it sooner.

Before we get started I want to discuss the benefits of canning and freezing you're own food. The title of this post is called "A Lost Art" for a reason. There are few people that still preserve their own food. We have been wrapped up in the convenience of the convenience store! Back in the day there was no one-stop shopping. You went to your cupboard for a can of tomatoes not a grocery shelf. Here are a few reasons to bring canning and freezing food back into your home.

1. The Price: It is simply outrageous what they charge for a can of corn these days, 97 cents! Really? I understand, you have to pay for the expensive machinery, pay the workers, pay shipping fees. Well all of that cuts into your pocket. Cut out the middle man and save some money. At it's peak season you can get an ear of corn for around 30 cents, depending on the region it goes higher or lower. A pint sized jar of corn will fit two ears of corn. That's roughly 60 cents per jar. A pint is 16 oz where a can of corn at the store is 15 oz. There are some initial fees for a beginner. A jar will cost about a dollar to buy, but here's the best thing. You can use it over and over again. I'm using jars that my mom has been using for years! They still work great!
2. Knowledge: What is in your food, really? When you can and freeze your own food you're in control of what you're eating. Companies use a lot of chemicals and preservatives to extend the shelf life of food. I don't know about you but I don't want to eat "mystery", just food. Just a bit healthier was never bad in my book.
3. Food Storage: Wait? The Hurricane's coming tomorrow! Better go stock up, oops... Natural disaster's or just a tight month, this will come in handy! I lived in Texas for ten plus years and let me tell you, the weather there certainly teaches you a lesson of preparedness. You don't want to be caught without food for a few days. Food storage might sound like an old fashioned idea, but in tough times it helps to know that you're set if disaster strikes. Canning is definitely a step towards becoming more secure in your own home.

Hope you enjoyed the first in a series of posts and my first post ever! Come back soon and happy blogging!