Canning, looking beyond the obvious
With practices of thrift and economy surging, canning has taken on new life. Websites, blogs, magazines, advertisements are all sharing the benefits and romance of canning. Information and resources abound both online and in print. After reading through numerous articles, we have come to the conclusion that there really isn't anything more to say. So, why waste an entire day's post talking about something we have nothing more to say on? Good question.
Living Large on Less is about ways a life of abundance can be lived while using less financial resources. Canning is one of those ways. How-to instructions are available in many different places. The Ball Blue Book of Canning is an excellent resource. My copy is becoming quite worn. Local extension agencies will have information available as well. Our state's extension agency has quite a bit available online. Magazine articles abound with links and references to more information as do books. Those who don't know where to begin can google in the topic and go from there. Not wanting to get stuck in the mechanics of canning, I am going to mention a benefit other than the obvious ones of financial savings and superior nutritional value.
Home-canned foods of any kind make exceptional gifts. Just today I saw an idea of taking a couple jars of jelly, placing some scones with them, and tying them all up together in clear cellophane gift wrap for a pretty, little gift. The brilliance of the jellies' colors and the beauty of the scones lent a warmth to the gift that no store bought purchase ever could. Picture a beautiful yet sturdy basket lined with a gorgeous piece of cloth or napkin and filled with jars of home-canned vegetables. Could anything say "Home" more than that? Better still, place a jar of home-canned soup, a loaf of homemade artisan bread, and a favorite tea into a gift container of choice. Receiving a present with so many expressions of heartfelt concern cuddled up together would make anyone feel better. Teachers, mail carriers, hairdressers, loved ones, friends, and neighbors alike would bask in a gift of home-canned love. Know a family who has added a new little one recently? What a blessing a basket of canned soup and/or pasta sauce would be.
When images of canning enter your mind, embrace the obvious joys and benefits, but don't stop there. Allow yourself the luxury of imagining even greater possibilities such as gift-giving. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers before them engaged in this age old practice of food preservation, but was it all about the savings? I can't help but think our grandmothers knew something most of us have yet to learn. If we could visit the kitchens of our loved ones from long ago and ask them, we might be surprised to learn not of the work, sweat, and labor of canning alone. Tales of joy at being able to bless a new bride or help a sick neighbor could be the words they would share. Economy, Joy, and Love---and the greatest of these is Love. Living Large on Less in Love, Blessed Mama