Surving and Thriving with Downward Mobility vol 1 iss 3

ok, so I have been lax in posting to this series. to make up for it, this time around we are having a big topic.

the topic is, home food preservation. In general there are five types of home food preservation, with variations of each:

1. dehydrating/drying
2. freezing
3. canning
4. fermentation
5. root cellering

My biggest experience is with canning so we'll start there. Canning is fun, pschologically rewarding, and makes wonderful economic sense. Its good for the environment too.

If you look at various articles on canning, they will tell you it is cost prohibitive. it is not. The only part that can't be reused is the lids. The rings, jars, canners, and assorted other equpment can be reused literally tens of thousands of times. The lids have to be used new each time, however they are fairly cheap. I get them for about $.08 apiece. the cost of electricity/gas to heat the canner is negligible and amortizes, using local rates, for a full canner to an additional 13 cents a jar.

Now, nearly anything can be canned assuming you have both a pressure canner and boiling water bath canner. I can hundreds of jars a year of various things. The biggest thing is sources. The following are sources I have used, or close friends have used:

1. your garden. All gardens produce surplus. canning this surplus can radically reduce your winter grocery bill.

2. foraging/wildcrafting. An enourmous amount of edible plants grow on public lands. Also, look for fruit trees growing at homes that are for sale.

3. gleaning. look for neighbors with fruit trees they aren't using.

4. produce auctions. these are generally for wholesalers, so you will have to buy in large quantities.

5. barter help with garden work for extra produce.

6. loss leader produce sales at the supermarket.

Now, sources for jars (if at all possible you should definitly avoid buying new jars):

1. flea markets
2. yard sales
3. auctions/estate sales
4. craig's list/free cycle
5. take out an add in your local pennysaver newspaper.

Finally its time to consider portioning. This is important as if you can in two small a container that you have to use two, you waste a lid. If it is on the other hand too big a jar you may end up with spoilage and food waste. Jars come in 5 sizes:

1. 4oz jars, most used for jellies
2. 1/2 pint jars, used mostly for relishes, jams, jellies, and chutney
3. Pint size (about the size of a standard can of veggies or fruit from the store)
4. quart, I use these mainly for tomatoes and dilly beans which we go through like nobody's businessf
5. half gallon. These are used mainly for juice.

Always be sure to calculate the relative savigns for the item you are canning. Also, don't can things you won't eat. What have y'all been canning this year?

joe