Canning a lost art?

Vegetables

Hello again all. Hope your summer is going well. It is a bit latter in the day than I usually post these Frugal Friday tips as Yesterday was our 26th wedding anniversary! We went for a drive in the "Big Ole Truck". We stopped by the local fruit farms in Washington state to check on the availability of Nectarines but were a few weeks early. It was a nice drive up the moutain loop anyway. This got me to thinking that I might share some frugal tips on canning, something I have been enjoying canning for most of our married life. With the freshness of the summer produce and at times an abundance, it is always best to "put up" any of the excess for the winter months. I dont' know about you, but I got sticker shock shopping for fruits and vegetables last week! So here goes, and if you have any to share please leave a comment or send me a link.

1. Look in your fridge....right now! See anything that might go bad in the next few days? If so make time to freeze it or can it or serve up left overs tonight. Waste not, want not.



2. Check out your local fruit stands, or orchards, for fresh picked deals.



3. Decide whether you will freeze them, or can your deals, but make sure you have time to work with it all before it goes bad.



4. If you can't afford a whole box of fruit or a large amount of veggies go in halves with a neighbor or a friend and help each other with the canning and or freezing.



5. If you don't know how to can, learn! There are many wonderful sites online with helpful hints.



6. Scoure the second hand stores for Canning jars. Remember you will need to check for jars that have no chips or cracks. The large mouth jars are easier to work with.



7. Keep an eye out for a large canning pot, large ladle, wire canning pot insert that holds the jars, and a funnel to help with filling the small mouth jars.

The only stipulation in our home was that we saved all the home canned produce until the first snow fall. It is such a joy to see all the "fruit" of your hard work displayed above the kitchen cupboards for at least.... a little while.

One great help for lowering the amount of sugar in your canning is

Pomona's Universal Pectin.

I have also found a wonderful site that goes into much more detail than I can today at
Pick Your Own.org

Recipes at...Fresh Preserving

Enjoy the bounty and the beauty of your hard work.......can it!