When asked what is the most rewarding component of home canning, Brenda Cooper says, “Getting a new jar of salsa or jam out in the dead of winter when its 30 below!” Brenda, a lifelong St. Mathias resident, started canning when she was in her early 20s. Having just started a family, she worked in the kitchen with her mother and grandma. “My grandma would have 200 jars tucked under her bed because that was the only place she had to store them. I grow a garden so I have can have the items to put up. I like the taste of my garden in the winter. I also love to give away things that I’ve canned or frozen for gifts,” says Brenda. “When I am in the kitchen, I feel that my mom and grandma are there with me. I am carrying on a family tradition. They would be proud of me.” As a grower of bulk produce, I see that the art of canning is being revitalized. From tomatoes and pickles to beans and beets, the demand for locally grown bulk items is also an upward trend. It is clear that as we consciously take greater responsibility for our food systems and expand efforts to stretch our food dollars along with summer’s bounty into the winter, many more folks are canning items while they are at peak in our short Minnesota season. Additionally, there are just as many men who have revived the art of canning. Erik Sjoberg of rural Brainerd recounts that his first memories of collecting food for preservation was carrying five-gallon buckets of tart apples from his neighbor to his grandma’s house to make into jelly. “I started canning in my early 20s when my wife
was in medical/grad school with equipment I found at a garage sale.” For Erik, it was a way to seed activity using food, mainly canning salsas for student get-togethers. Today, Erik cans because of the pleasure of experimentation, introducing new and colorful recipes to his sons and developing new creations. “It’s always fun to try a new recipe in the middle of winter using the summer’s produce.” Upfront costs include canning jars, lids, large pots and pressure cookers, utensils and a great how-to guide. It is also not without many hours of toiling over boiling jams and jellies, salsas and sauces that the work comes to fruition. On many summer evenings, my kitchen is full of the flavors of berries and tomatoes while summer slowly slips away. My reward? A pantry full of culinary trophies from summer’s bounty! Greg Brown was onto something when he wrote about Grandma in “Canned Goods.” As the lyrics go…“and I really got to go see her (Grandma) pretty soon. Cause the canned goods that I buy at the store ain’t got the summer in ‘em anymore.” Erik says, “It’s nice to look at all the wonderful colors in the jars in the winter. It reminds me of the jars and jars of canned cherries my grandma used to make.” My grandma’s zucchini pickles are still sealed. I proudly display them.
Arlene Jones
Arlene Jones is a fifth-generation farmer who owns and operates The Farm on St. Mathias with her husband., Bob. When not farming, she spends time with her children and grandchildren, traveling, reading and genealogy.
Fall 2013 | her voice
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