"It was something my grandma used to do." or "No one does that anymore….." That's what I used to think when I considered doing my own canning. A few years ago though I caught the canning bug and I love doing it! I have also found that it is actually becoming popular again. I use canning at home as a way to save money on groceries and a great way to provide healthy options for my family. I like knowing what is in the food I feed my family. Although a bit time consuming, home canning is actually quite easy once you get the hang of it.
Here are some benefits of home canning to consider:
You can often find fruits and vegetables at great prices throughout the season. Get to know a local farmer or shop at your local Farmer's Market. By buying produce in bulk you will save money! Last week I purchased a bushel of tomatoes from a local farmer for $20. I know the farmer, I could see her farm, and the tomatoes were picked that day! The next day I turned those fresh tomatoes into 14 quarts of tomatoes. A bushel of tomatoes is about 40 lbs!
Talk to your neighbors. Maybe they have or know someone that has a peach tree and they are willing to share their fruit. Again last week, my son and I went and picked about a bushel of peaches from a neighbor's tree and then I came home, peeled and froze peaches in quart size freezer bags. I will be able to use them in cobblers, smoothies, pies, and as a side dish with breakfast.
I also found that another neighbor had pickling cucumbers she wasn't going to use. By combining those with cucumbers from my own garden I have canned about 20 pint jars of pickles. (yes we love pickles)
Salsa, Spaghetti Sauce, Chili Sauce, Jams and Relish are all things that I can at my house. I figure on average I am only spending about .30 per jar for my canned goods.
By canning your own food you are helping the environment. It reduces the waste of prepackaged foods. Of course the glass jars and the rings are re-useable.
You know what is in your food. In quarts of tomatoes there is tomatoes, lemon juice, and a bit of salt…. THAT'S IT…. no other additives or preservatives that are added to the majority of the food we buy in the stores.
Here are a couple of websites that you can find more information on home canning:
National Center for Home Food Preservation
Stay tuned for some of my favorite and simple canning recipes.
Rinda
I have been canning for nearly 40 years now. If you are thinking about canning, here is something to think about. Canned peaches. The peaches you get at the store are hard and green. We can tree ripened peaches. Not much sugar. They are sooo good! I haven't tried the peaches canned in bottles at the store, but they are spendy! I would be willing to bet home canned are better.
I also like to season our salsa, chili sauce, pickles etc the way we like them. I use a lot less sugar than what you will buy in the store. And no corn syrup.
I also like to know what is going into my food. We garden and our garden is mostly organic. I can pick the produce and have it the jar the same day. That doesn't happen much at the big canneries.
It is a great way to save money. You would be surprised how many people love a pint of homemade pickles, relish, salsa or jam for Christmas!
Happy Canning!