Canning -
Why Do I Put Myself Through All This?
by Faith Wright-Draper aka
"byfaithonly"
I certainly do think canning and preserving foods
is worth it but that is me – it may not be
the right choice for you.
If you have ever canned produce you have more
than likely asked yourself this question,
“Is this worth it?” Before answering
this question there are several things you should
first take into consideration. Basically you will
be weighing the pros and cons of canning food.
Will you be raising your own produce or
purchasing from another source? Do you have a
commitment of time and energy? Is providing food
for your family that you know exactly what has
been added to or done to it important to you?
To Raise Produce or Purchase
Raising your own produce can be therapeutic in
itself but can also be very time consuming. The
process of: digging in the dirt, planting a small
seed, tending the plant as it grows, and
harvesting your garden crop in the end can be
either relaxing or nerve wracking. Depending on
what you want to can this could mean several
months of labor and waiting.
Seeing that first seedling pop its head out of
the ground though can provide great joy.
Discovering your first bud or bloom is another
positive milestone. When that first tomato,
pepper or other fruit or vegetable ripens is the
‘great reward’. A pat on the back
saying job well done and you know you have
succeeded.
On the con side however you will need to consider
will you go all out and have a huge garden space
or simply a few potted plants? Keep in mind that
the larger the garden space the larger the work
and time involved to plant, maintain, and
harvest. There are things like too much rain or
not enough rain, bugs and diseases may attach,
one good hail or wind storm can wipe out months
of work.
If you have access to a farmer’s market this
may be a better choice for obtaining your
produce. Many farmers’ markets offer a wide
selection of produce at very reasonable prices
and the fruits and vegetables are normally grown
locally. Another possibility is contacting a
local farmer or gardener who may have extra
produce they would be willing to sell directly to
you.
'Faith's kitchen on Canning Day'
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Time, Energy, and Money Involved
Let’s start with time. When canning foods
there is a certain amount of time commitment
involved and there is no way at all to avoid some
of these. The process of most food means once you
start there is no stopping until it’s
finished and that can mean several hours to an
entire day. If you have the time to spend a day
in the kitchen and would enjoy doing that then
canning is certainly a good fit for you.
Next is energy. Canning does involve some
physical involvement in the project. Carrying
boxes of canning jars, lifting bushels of
produce, and moving a canning pot or pressure
cooker loaded with full canning jars and water
can take some muscle. There are some ways around
this such as enlisting the help of someone
stronger or moving things in smaller increments
such as moving a few jars at a time rather than
the whole box at once.
Lastly but certainly not the least is money. Some
people believe that it’s cheaper to can your
own produce rather than purchasing it in the
stores. This is not necessarily true. If growing
your own produce yes there is a decrease in the
cost of canning but if not you will need to
include the cost of produce. Canning jars, water
bath pots or pressure cookers, and the fuel used
for cooking processes are all other costs that
factor into the expense of canning produce.
Comfort in Knowing
Contamination warnings and recall notices are
common news these days and has caused a mass
movement towards people who do not normally can
their foods doing so. All it takes is one
disgruntled employee at a processing plant to
evoke major concern about what is in those cans
in your pantry. Even contamination of the fresh
produce itself has caused thousands of illnesses
around the world. During the canning process you
know every step of the way what is cleaned
properly and what isn’t, what is added to
the produce during the process, and where those
jars have been from the day it’s filled
until it’s served to your family.
My Response
Personally I do believe that canning or
preserving my own produce is very much worth the
effort. I love gardening from start to finish,
getting my hands dirty, checking my babies daily,
and showing off to friends and family what nature
and I grew. There are times that I am exhausted
and the canning process itself is a daunting task
but once I hear that first POP as the jars start
to seal I feel a reward. I am concerned about
what myself and my family is eating and know that
many processed foods contain not only extra
chemicals and preservatives that aren’t
needed but also the quality of produce put into
the jars or cans. I do however understand why
canning food is not for everyone.
| Faith Wright-Draper (aka
byfaithonly) has been writing for over 40
years as a journalist, ghostwriting, and
freelancing. She currently writes for
several blogs, freelances, and on her own
website www.byfaithonly.com
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