Week 4

Canning. I have no clue how our ancestors figured this one out. Dump food in a jar, add a lid, boil and keep in a cool dry place for up to a year. It's a little more complicated than that but that's the jist of it. I canned tomatoes. Some with jalapenos, some without. Foods with high acidity are easier to can, less chance of bacteria surviving. Kind of neat when the jars pop at the end of the process. When it pops it's completely sealed. It's putsy, but not too hard. Time consuming though, especially when one of the jars is flawed and breaks during the canning process. When that happens you get to start all over with fresh water, and try not to cut yourself on the glass. Cost wise canning seems like a really good idea. The jars and rims are reusable, as are all the miscellaneous supplies that go along with canning. The lids are not reuseable, they don't seal as well the second round. After I learned how to can tomatoes I moved on to attempting to make grape jelly. I think it went well. I now have Christmas taken care of, no shopping for me. One more reason not to go to the mall. I can give people the gift of jelly. Tasty goodness. I have managed not to go shopping at all, except for canning supplies. It's amazing how many people ask "why you need that many canning jars" while riding the bus. When I replied "Ummm.. for canning", they seemed a little surprised. I guess most people don't can. You have to regret that so many of the little domestic things that used to be commonplace are becoming obsolete.