Canning Made Easy. Let’s Bring Back a LOST ART!
Our member, Floweringmama, wants to bring back a lost art, CANNING! To her, canning food is a forgotten art that she absolutely loves to do during summer. She shares with us her canning recipes and her favorite essential canning tools. Floweringmama has definitely convinced us that canning is EASY, everyone should try it at home!
Tell us a little about yourself
I live in Western Kentucky. I have 3 boys ages, 21, 10, and 8. I am currently a full time student in a small liberal arts school majoring in psychology. I love photography, gardening, canning and spending time with my family.
Why do you love canning?
Canning is a forgotten art from generations past that is slowly making a comeback. Generations ago, canning food was done out of necessity. Today it’s more about preserving both food and tradition. Canning provides the opportunity for me to share knowledge and values with my own children as well as recalling childhood memories of sitting under the dense shade of the giant Catalpa tree shelling purple hull peas until our fingers were stained.
What advice do you have for beginners?
Canning can be intimidating for a beginner. Chances are if you know folks who cans, they will be more than willing to share their knowledge and recipes with you. If you find someone who cans, ask them if you can watch. It’s likely you’ll get to bring home a quart of freshly canned green beans or fresh tomato salsa!
There are recipes that don’t require a canner such as freezer jam and dill pickles. These are great to start with. Not only are they almost foolproof, but they provide a great sense of accomplishment for a beginner.
What are the greatest joys of canning?
Organized by vegetable, fruit and color, the shelves bowing under the weight of salsa, spaghetti sauce, pickles and beans . . . there is nothing more satisfying for a country cook than to gaze upon a pantry of summer’s abundance!
Floweringmama’s Homemade Dill Pickles Recipe
Ingredients
Approximately 10 pounds of pickling cukes (small)
5 cups white vinegar
13 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup pickling salt…coarse
fresh garlic pieces
fresh dill
See Recipe here
Canning Tools Recommended by Floweringmama
Chinois Food Mill - Great for removing seeds and skins when canning fruits and veggies
Ball Utensil Set - This set helps you safely and easily handle hot jars and lids, fill jars and measure headspace and remove air bubbles
Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving - The ultimate guide to fresh preserving
Wow, Floweringmama sure made canning easy as 1-2-3! Thanks for sharing all these wonderful canning tips! If you have any questions for Floweringmama, login to Love With Food and post a question on her page https://loveswithfood.com/floweringmama
So proud of you and the work you do. Canning can actually be fun and such a great feeling to look at your cabinets and know that the canned food was actually processsed and done right by you for your family and the canned food at home is always so much better than purchased canned goods. I have had individuals say they were jealous of all the beautiful canned goods I had in the utility room, but they did not realize all the work involved from the gathering to the actual canned good. Yes, it is much easier to go to the grocery store and buy it and sometimes even seems cheaper, but you do not have the good feeling of having done it for your family.
I enjoyed the article of Lost Art and that is so true. I wish more young people would learn this Art. Brenda Owen
You’re so right! Canning is a lot of work. Each individual cucumber is touched when making pickles. Each green bean is snapped, each pea is shelled. Not only is it a lost art. It is a labor of love.