CANNING, CANNING AND CANNING!!

I have been a wee bit busy here the last few days. I have been canning. Last year was the first year that I ever canned anything and I loved it. I have been canning alot this year too.

This week my parents gave me two five gallon buckets full of tomatoes. Wow. I'm not complaining though, I was thrilled. My tomatoes just aren't doing anything much. It may be because the sun can't get to them through the weeds. I promise my garden that I will do better next year.

So with the first bucket of tomatoes I made 10 quarts of tomato juice. Today I made 14 quarts of salsa and still have half a bucket of tomatoes left. I guess I will make the pizza sauce recipe from www.tammysrecipes.com as soon as I get some more jars.

I know some people think that canning is not worth it. Well it is a lot of work but I feel that it is worth it. It is actually kind of fun. Maybe I have just been raised with the importance of raising a garden and canning and freezing the food for use all year long. It makes me feel less dependant on the stores for things and feel kind of self sufficent.

I recently purchased a food mill from an antique store for $10. It was just like the kind that are for sale at stores for $35. The one that I got was in really good shape just needed a good cleaning. It was really neat using it. For one it worked perfectly. But it was also kind of neat thinking about the woman that used it before me. Was she a mother or grandmother putting food away for her family? Was canning a necessary way of life for providing food for her family or was it just a hobby that she liked? Maybe she did it for the health benefits. Or maybe that was how she was raised and knew no other way.

I know that with the time put into raising and caring for a garden and then having to harvest the produce and can or freeze it is a lot of work. I'm sure that I could buy the items at the grocery store for a lot less work and effort. But to me its so rewarding to know that I can go to my cabinets and pull out my own jar of salsa, or pickles, or jam or tomato juice. It also taste so much better than the stores.

So if you have never tried your hand at canning, I challenge you to try it. Either you will hate it or love it. As for me I love it.