The Art and Surprise of Preservation
A journey of exploration and authenticity.
A few months ago, I decided to take up gardening. In the excited rush of a new hyper fixation, I imagined a bountiful multi-month harvest. The plants would be weighed down with the abundance of the harvest. The kitchen counter would be overflowing like the influencers on Instagram feeding their family of 6 with just a few plants.
Planner and analyst that I am, I realized that I was going to need a way to store that bountiful dream harvest that didn’t involve a freezer. Even my best daydreams refuse to pretend that exists. Canning seemed like the perfect solution.
There was just one small problem. While my grandmother and mother both canned, I’d never learned. In fact, I think I was about 10 the last time I even observed it. I have a friend’s daughter who makes jelly and sells it for extra money, but she was in another state off at college. Was I willing to wait to learn this critical skill until she returned home for the summer? No, no I was not, even though the seeds had not yet been purchased. Anyone riding on the high of a new hobby will tell you that all things must happen immediately lest the dopamine wears off.
And then I saw it… either due to all the gardening queries or Siri listening in, I don’t know. There it was, a Facebook post about an upcoming canning class two weeks from now that had two spots left. I immediately signed up.
Aaaaand almost immediately rescheduled for June when I realized I had a conflict. Could I have just waited for my college friend at that point? No. It was non-refundable.
So early on Saturday a couple of weeks ago, I packed myself a coffee and headed north on the interstate about an hour to a more rural area. The woman offering the class is quasi-homesteading in that she has a garden and chickens, but her husband still works full time. They live in a neighborhood, not on 40 acres. She holds classes once a month or so to teach people how to preserve food safely for just regular working folks. Perfect. I don’t want a chicken coop and my garden is in 5 gallon buckets from Firehouse Subs.
(Not my garden. 1. My buckets are bright red. 2. My plants are not this big. But you get the idea)
Class began with the six of us sitting around her dining room table and talking about what we wanted to learn. One had already knew how to can but wanted a refresher. One made her own yogurt and wanted to expand. Another wanted to specifically learn how to make and can pickles.
Our instructor began by canning… chicken.
Yep.
Raw chicken.
Which, I might add, was cooked by the end of the canning process and shelf stable. But wait, there’s more!
Did you that people can fajitas… and cheesecake. There I was just coming to learn how to can veggies without killing anyone.
It was fascinating. I learned how to can meat, veggies and dessert. I also learned how to use 4 or 5 different canning methods and which foods do and do not use that method. I perused cookbooks. I found canning recipes for chili, fajitas, cheesecake and coffee creamer. I need to organize all the pictures on my phone of all the quick recipes I saved.
While waiting on the electric canner (the only one that does it pretty much without monitoring), we had lunch and prepared the cheesecake to be canned. Then, of course, we took 6 of those jars and ate them still warm rather than sealing them. It was a relaxing, informative few hours and my brain is now thinking of all the ways I can use this.
Individually proportioned breads and desserts — yes, please!
Farmers’ Market produce — part in the fridge, part in the jar, no mad rush to finish before it spoils.
Christmas leftovers — got extra ham or turkey? Can it. No one gets sick of eating it. Additional bonus: no more freezer burn.
I’ve realized just about anything can be canned if you don’t care about the appearance. Not all foods look appealing when canned. (I’m looking at you meatloaf.) Still, at a time when food waste is significant and the grocery bills are ever increasing, this is a great way to support local farmers without the risk of spoilage or just save your leftovers without out worrying about power outages.
I’m not sure how much produce I’ll actually have by the end of summer (more on my gardening exploits here), but I absolutely plan on going to the farmers’ market and preparing some nut breads or other desserts to have a quick treat on hand. Currently I’m looking for canners and trying to decide which kind I want.
Ultimately, even if I never become a canning guru, I’m really glad I took a Saturday to go discover all the amazing possibilities opened up by this long known preservation method.
What would you can first? If you’re an experienced canner, do you have a favorite recipe to share? I can’t wait to show you my results!
The vibe of the piece...
…otherwise known as the musical portion.
Each week I hope to include some music that either fits the post or fits the week or maybe even just my mood in the moment, depending.
Song Selection:
Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Good by “Marty McFly” Back to the Future
This week marks the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future, one of the classic movies of my childhood. Enjoy!
What music have you been listening to this week? Drop me a line and tell me your favorites! I’m always on the lookout for great music.
