[Editor's note: This one in a series of essays by winners of our "Preserving Canning Wisdom" giveaway.]
Photo by Lelonopo
Now that my mom and grandmother are both gone, it’s more meaningful to me to “put by” (as my grandmother used to say). My oldest is old enough to handle a knife, so he gets more responsibility in the process. And, for now, my youngest’s main involvement is to eat the half-sour pickles that he loves so much. He has a pickle dance, that we make him do every day, to earn his pickle.
CAA Contributor Kathi Jenness lives in Renton, Washington. Read her blog at Rocky is a Sick Raccoon.
When I first discovered canning, I felt that a part of my childhood had lacked something very crucial–putting away our abundance for another time. My great-grandmother canned but my grandmother and mother did not. I was determined that my kids would know the importance of keeping our pantry stocked. Not only is it important that they know how to stock a pantry, but also that with a few ingredients and no preservatives, you can have delicious items made with your own hands.
