So, some of this will be a repeat. I know that and can only conclude it is because that was a big deal to me. My mom canned when I was a child and she cans still today. I think she said she did an inventory and found she had something like four years worth of food put away. I assume some of it is dried goods - like wheat and beans, but I know for a fact that a lot of it is home-canned goods. There is nothing wrong with home-canned - that is what I am about to talk about me doing, after all, but I just think there needs to be reason.
My mom canned when I was a kid. I know that for some time, that got us through some tough periods - or at least greatly subsidized it so the limited budget could go to milk, eggs, etc. She canned anything she could get her hands on - often helping people harvest their trees since they wouldn't be able to do it all themselves. She canned peaches, pears, apricots, cherries. I really liked the pears and still to this day like canned pears a lot. The peaches that I remember were overcooked - which is totally easy to do, I get that. I really only recall her doing fruit when I was a kid. I recall at some point that she had canned potatoes and gave us some and we couldn't stomach them - but of course, we had other options.
Now she cans meats, vegetables and, I assume, fruit. She cans chicken and beef, I am pretty sure that she has talked to me about both. She has indicated that because Brent took early retirement and they can't touch his 401k yet, or IRA, or some retirement source of funds, that she thinks they may have to live on that food for awhile. I am not in close communication with her - our relationship remains less than great - but I get the impression that they are okay - maybe needing a budget but not really hurting because she buys whimsy stuff. But she will say what a good deal it was at the garage sale or whatever - but generally it isn't what I would call a necessity - which is fine because I, too, spend money on stupid stuff. Anyway, I am really digressing.
I can for two main reasons and one kind of secondary reason. First I can to use up what I have. Today, for example, I realized we were out of syrup and we were having pancakes. I knew we had some frozen strawberries so I pulled them out, put them in a pan with some sugar and water. I used the immersion blender once they got soft enough and spooned that on the girls' pancakes. I had some leftover. So, I boiled it down into a thicker consistency - going for syrup but it is more like jam.
I know Jason like apricot jam and syrup. So, today, I took some of Larry's canned apricots and made syrup. We get so many of these every year. Larry likes canning - I think maybe it made him think of Mickie originally, but maybe now he just enjoys it. We have, in the past, just mashed them up on our pancakes which is also good. I used three quarts and made 5 pints of syrup. I intend to give one back to Larry. I hope hen likes it. It is still warm, but I am hopeful that it isn't as thick.
On our way home from our camping trip with Tervalons, we stopped in Dixon at my Aunt Dori's. She said, "Do you want a few plums?" We said yes and she went to her yard and picked more than 20 yellow plums and pluots. Phyllis had a plum and Cress started with a pluot. After Cress tried a yellow plum, she didn't eat any more pluots. I ate one, but found a bit too tart. So, today I made syrup with the remaining 2.33 pounds of pluots. I was debating to make it into jam, but one taste told me that tartness belonged more in a syrup. And it is still tart, but very good. It made 2 pints of syrup. So, now I have no intention of buying syrup until all my homemade syrup is gone. And, likely, I will just make more apricot since we have so many still and it is time for Larry to can more apricots.
In the past I learned to can orange marmalade and concord grapes to use up produce we had.
(As a total side, my mom used t make fake maple syrup using sugar and water and sure enough, on the Internet today I ran across a recipe for fake maple syrup that was very similar to that.)
I also can to have the convenience of quick meals with the health and whole foods of home cooking. I have canned pinto beans in the past. They were quite tasty and it was almost as easy as opening a can of Rosarita refried beans, though more whole bean that Rosarita refried beans. I hope to can soups, too, but need a seal for my pressure canner. Jason ordered it today. It has probably been on his to-do for two years. He has been carrying around (or had in his phone) the specs all that time. Beaker soup? Split pea? Potato? I do not imagine any of them will have a long shelf like, but it is not my intention to leave them for storage anyway. Similarly, I also do applesauce because I like mine better - it is sweetened so one could argue it isn't healthier but I know everything that is in it.
Finally, I can because people are always shocked and impressed. Usually I can with Jason. I like his attention to detail but I did it today and it all went fine.
I did not make my kids help, although Dai did fetch me a jar and watch as I wiped the rims but then she left. My mom made it such an ordeal when I was a kid. I want my kids to think of it as doable, maybe even normal, but not have the hatred f being made to do it that I had until Mickie showed me the light. (I won't go into that since I am pretty sure I have recorded it elsewhere.) The girls like to do the applesauce (mostly the grinding.) We haven't the last two years because we made so much a couple years ago. But I know at least Dai is looking forward to doing it again this year. See, doable, but not an ordeal?
My mom canned when I was a kid. I know that for some time, that got us through some tough periods - or at least greatly subsidized it so the limited budget could go to milk, eggs, etc. She canned anything she could get her hands on - often helping people harvest their trees since they wouldn't be able to do it all themselves. She canned peaches, pears, apricots, cherries. I really liked the pears and still to this day like canned pears a lot. The peaches that I remember were overcooked - which is totally easy to do, I get that. I really only recall her doing fruit when I was a kid. I recall at some point that she had canned potatoes and gave us some and we couldn't stomach them - but of course, we had other options.
Now she cans meats, vegetables and, I assume, fruit. She cans chicken and beef, I am pretty sure that she has talked to me about both. She has indicated that because Brent took early retirement and they can't touch his 401k yet, or IRA, or some retirement source of funds, that she thinks they may have to live on that food for awhile. I am not in close communication with her - our relationship remains less than great - but I get the impression that they are okay - maybe needing a budget but not really hurting because she buys whimsy stuff. But she will say what a good deal it was at the garage sale or whatever - but generally it isn't what I would call a necessity - which is fine because I, too, spend money on stupid stuff. Anyway, I am really digressing.
I can for two main reasons and one kind of secondary reason. First I can to use up what I have. Today, for example, I realized we were out of syrup and we were having pancakes. I knew we had some frozen strawberries so I pulled them out, put them in a pan with some sugar and water. I used the immersion blender once they got soft enough and spooned that on the girls' pancakes. I had some leftover. So, I boiled it down into a thicker consistency - going for syrup but it is more like jam.
I know Jason like apricot jam and syrup. So, today, I took some of Larry's canned apricots and made syrup. We get so many of these every year. Larry likes canning - I think maybe it made him think of Mickie originally, but maybe now he just enjoys it. We have, in the past, just mashed them up on our pancakes which is also good. I used three quarts and made 5 pints of syrup. I intend to give one back to Larry. I hope hen likes it. It is still warm, but I am hopeful that it isn't as thick.
On our way home from our camping trip with Tervalons, we stopped in Dixon at my Aunt Dori's. She said, "Do you want a few plums?" We said yes and she went to her yard and picked more than 20 yellow plums and pluots. Phyllis had a plum and Cress started with a pluot. After Cress tried a yellow plum, she didn't eat any more pluots. I ate one, but found a bit too tart. So, today I made syrup with the remaining 2.33 pounds of pluots. I was debating to make it into jam, but one taste told me that tartness belonged more in a syrup. And it is still tart, but very good. It made 2 pints of syrup. So, now I have no intention of buying syrup until all my homemade syrup is gone. And, likely, I will just make more apricot since we have so many still and it is time for Larry to can more apricots.
In the past I learned to can orange marmalade and concord grapes to use up produce we had.
(As a total side, my mom used t make fake maple syrup using sugar and water and sure enough, on the Internet today I ran across a recipe for fake maple syrup that was very similar to that.)
I also can to have the convenience of quick meals with the health and whole foods of home cooking. I have canned pinto beans in the past. They were quite tasty and it was almost as easy as opening a can of Rosarita refried beans, though more whole bean that Rosarita refried beans. I hope to can soups, too, but need a seal for my pressure canner. Jason ordered it today. It has probably been on his to-do for two years. He has been carrying around (or had in his phone) the specs all that time. Beaker soup? Split pea? Potato? I do not imagine any of them will have a long shelf like, but it is not my intention to leave them for storage anyway. Similarly, I also do applesauce because I like mine better - it is sweetened so one could argue it isn't healthier but I know everything that is in it.
Finally, I can because people are always shocked and impressed. Usually I can with Jason. I like his attention to detail but I did it today and it all went fine.
I did not make my kids help, although Dai did fetch me a jar and watch as I wiped the rims but then she left. My mom made it such an ordeal when I was a kid. I want my kids to think of it as doable, maybe even normal, but not have the hatred f being made to do it that I had until Mickie showed me the light. (I won't go into that since I am pretty sure I have recorded it elsewhere.) The girls like to do the applesauce (mostly the grinding.) We haven't the last two years because we made so much a couple years ago. But I know at least Dai is looking forward to doing it again this year. See, doable, but not an ordeal?
