Why do you prefer home food preservation?

[fairygirl69]

I can because it is so rewarding. I know what is in it,
better yet what's not in it.
I can lots of veggies, meat, I also can dry beans.
Make pickles and a few jams and jellies.
Freeze corn, peas, okra make sauer kraut.
If you come to visit my house you would be well fed.

Josie

I'll be right over!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I can, cook, bake, because I then know what is in my food. I do it for me and my benefit, others are welcome to enjoy, too!

 

[Josie1945]

Come on down, I will even introduce
you to Wally our 10 foot gator.

Josie

 

[LPBeier]

I haven't canned for several years because it requires more stamina than I usually have. But I used to do it on a regular basis and it was for many reasons.
- the joy of making something with fresh produce
- having product we could enjoy
- having gifts ready any time we were invited to someone's house.

 

[Kayelle]

I bet I'm the only regular at DC who has never canned anything in my life.

I've been gifted with home canned foods at times, and to be honest I'm slightly afraid of it. I certainly appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gift but it bothers me some about the reliability of it being done properly in food safety terms. I'll stick to store bought canned goods myself.

 

[Kathleen]

Why? No particular reason beyond the fact it's something I enjoy doing.

When I canned it was more about preserving memories than preserving food.

I still get the urge to "put up" chili sauce, corn relish or bread and butter pickles.

I get a huge sense of satisfaction and I also love the memories canning triggers for me. It helps keep me tied to my roots.

I can, cook, bake, because I then know what is in my food. I do it for me and my benefit, others are welcome to enjoy, too!

The biggest reason I started canning was to know what is in my food.

I bet I'm the only regular at DC who has never canned anything in my life.

I've been gifted with home canned foods at times, and to be honest I'm slightly afraid of it. I certainly appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gift but it bothers me some about the reliability of it being done properly in food safety terms. I'll stick to store bought canned goods myself.

Kayelle, I started with the Ball Canning Book and small-batch canning. Little steps.

Yesterday, my 14-Day Pickles were ready for canning. I cannot wait to give them a proper try. Aunt Bea helped with a recipe!

 

[Josie1945]

Kathleen your pickles are beautiful.

Josie

 

[Kathleen]

Kathleen your pickles are beautiful.

Josie

Thank you, Josie. I'm channeling Momma. She made the most delicious pickles. When the last jar was opened, it was so unsettling that *someone* had to make more. Back to the comments from others about remembering and memories - I had to learn to make them.

 

[Josie1945]

Kathleen
I know what you mean. Momma
made the most awesome relish with ripe
tomatoes not green ones. I have probably
canned at least 200 pints of relish over the
last 30 years and still haven't got it right.
She was a genius.

Josie

 

[Addie]

For some strange reason, Momma always made it better and we as her children just can't seem to make it the same. Even if we are using her recipes. I will never emulate my mother's meatloaf and I have stopped trying. I have settled for the recipe that is as close to hers as I can get. When I am in heaven I will ask her. And then we are going to make it for everyone there. What a feast we will all have. We will save some for you late comers.

 

[CWS4322]

For some strange reason, Momma always made it better and we as her children just can't seem to make it the same. Even if we are using her recipes. I will never emulate my mother's meatloaf and I have stopped trying. I have settled for the recipe that is as close to hers as I can get. When I am in heaven I will ask her. And then we are going to make it for everyone there. What a feast we will all have. We will save some for you late comers.

My Mamma never made it better--she was a terrible cook, my father is no better. I say "was" because she no longer cooks because of her dementia. My grandma, however, always made it better and even though I have her recipes, they still don't taste the same...I think the missing ingredient is that extra dash of love she put in everything.You get my grandma in heaven's kitchen with you and your Momma, Addie, and you'll have people lining up at the Pearly Gates wanting in before their time.

 

[Addie]

My Mamma never made it better--she was a terrible cook, my father is no better. I say "was" because she no longer cooks because of her dementia. My grandma, however, always made it better and even though I have her recipes, they still don't taste the same...I think the missing ingredient is that extra dash of love she put in everything.
You get my grandma in the heaven's kitchen with you and your Momma, Addie, and you'll have people lining up at the Pearly Gates wanting in before their time.

That has to be what is missing. We all put in a dash of love, but it has to be that extra dash that contains our happy memories.

The more, the merrier in heavens perfect kitchen.

 

[CWS4322]

That has to be what is missing. We all put in a dash of love, but it has to be that extra dash that contains our happy memories.

The more, the merrier in heavens perfect kitchen.

Yup. My grandma's cookbook (a binder with her handwritten memories) still smells like her kitchen. Sometimes, I just hold it and inhale the smell...it has been 42 years since she passed away, but when I close my eyes, I'm in her kitchen learning how to make bread all over again. It is definitely the memories that are missing when I make the recipes she wrote down. The dash of love is added, but I can't add the memories.

 

[Addie]

Yup. My grandma's cookbook (a binder with her handwritten memories) still smells like her kitchen. Sometimes, I just hold it and inhale the smell...it has been 42 years since she passed away, but when I close my eyes, I'm in her kitchen learning how to make bread all over again. It is definitely the memories that are missing when I make the recipes she wrote down. The dash of love is added, but I can't add the memories.

So well expressed.

 

[FrankZ]

For some strange reason, Momma always made it better and we as her children just can't seem to make it the same.

My mom is a good cook. I generally do better.

But she does know 2001 ways to cook chicken.

 

[GotGarlic]

For some strange reason, Momma always made it better and we as her children just can't seem to make it the same. Even if we are using her recipes. I will never emulate my mother's meatloaf and I have stopped trying. I have settled for the recipe that is as close to hers as I can get. When I am in heaven I will ask her. And then we are going to make it for everyone there. What a feast we will all have. We will save some for you late comers.

Hmmm, not in my situation My mother was an okay cook and I have improved on any recipes of hers I still cook. I've learned a lot more about cooking than she knew when I was growing up - I'm teaching her things now.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I've been gifted with home canned foods at times, and to be honest I'm slightly afraid of it. I certainly appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gift but it bothers me some about the reliability of it being done properly in food safety terms. I'll stick to store bought canned goods myself.

While I fully believe in the importance of food safety, I often wonder if all those dire "do this incorrectly and you will die" type warnings about botulism do a disservice to home canning. In the US we average something like 24 cases of adult food-borne botulism in any given year, and death from it is extremely rare. That's 24 cases out of a population of 315 million. Furthermore, all the "major" outbreaks in the last 40 years have originated with commercially canned food or food served in restaurants.

I do understand being slightly afraid, but really - there are many, many, many other things that are more likely to do you harm. If people simply follow instructions when canning foods and use just a little common sense, it's very safe.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Hmmm, not in my situation My mother was an okay cook...

I'll go one step further. My mom was a terrible cook who only knew how to make a handful of things, and she was the first to admit it. She also worked a lot of evenings. My dad did much of the cooking, but his job took him on the road quite a bit. As a result I grew up eating a lot of restaurant food and frozen pizzas.

Fortunately, my grandmother also lived three houses away. And she was a fantastic cook. We considered it a real treat when she would invite us over.

 

[fairygirl69]

I'll go one step further. My mom was a terrible cook who only knew how to make a handful of things, and she was the first to admit it. She also worked a lot of evenings. My dad did much of the cooking, but his job took him on the road quite a bit. As a result I grew up eating a lot of restaurant food and frozen pizzas.

Fortunately, my grandmother also lived three houses away. And she was a fantastic cook. We considered it a real treat when she would invite us over.

Ahhh, my great grandma Phillips was that way. She was like an angel who cooked. She was a pastor's wife so she'd make Sunday dinner for a large amount of ppl. Really whom ever showed up. She went blind and almost def as she grew older and she could still cook an excellent fried chicken. She knew it was done by touching the chicken. Sometimes I feel like she's with me as I cook.

 

[Kayelle]

While I fully believe in the importance of food safety, I often wonder if all those dire "do this incorrectly and you will die" type warnings about botulism do a disservice to home canning. In the US we average something like 24 cases of adult food-borne botulism in any given year, and death from it is extremely rare. That's 24 cases out of a population of 315 million. Furthermore, all the "major" outbreaks in the last 40 years have originated with commercially canned food or food served in restaurants.

I do understand being slightly afraid, but really - there are many, many, many other things that are more likely to do you harm. If people simply follow instructions when canning foods and use just a little common sense, it's very safe.

I really get your point Steve, really I do. I'm not a "germaphobe" by any stretch of the imagination, although I am really aware of food safety in my own kitchen. It's not just someone's home canning I'm slightly afraid of, it's anything that comes out of any kitchen I haven't seen, including restaurants. I'm reminded of the neighbor "cat lady" who had cats all over her stove and counters, and made Christmas fruitcake for everyone.