Something I've been thinking about lately is home canning. I have never canned before but I know people who have and I've watched people do it. I remember as a teenager thinking they were nuts spending what seemed like endless hours in a steamy kitchen making food (salsa, chutney, jam, pickles, etc) and submerging jars in boiling pots of water and possibly being completely unsuccessful and therefore wasting a perfectly good afternoon. I mean, they sell all that stuff at the store. Hello.
But alas, my new perspective is: if I can grow it or can it myself (and therefore know exactly what is going into my food) ... why not?? Why not save a lot of money and enjoy the fulfillment of having a hand in the process of feeding myself and my family, beyond picking items off a shelf?
I certainly don't pretend to be a holist or naturalist or addicted to Organic foods; I don't buy Organic, I eat refined sugar sometimes and I certainly don't have a complete garden in my backyard. Yes, I shop at WalMart. But I think anyone can start taking small steps toward healthier, smarter living and I'm going to try doing that by canning a few things for my pantry.
I don't have the ingredients gathered yet but I have forced myself to purchase all the equipment so I have it in the house to stare back at me and pressure me into canning. Sometimes I have to force myself into something, even if it's something I know I want to do. I really want to try new things and this is one of them. I'll keep you posted!
