Thursday, August 10, 2006

Zuchini pickles

After the jars arrived I thought I would practice canning something using the water canner and opted for ingredients that were to hand, small quantity ( in case it went wrong) and got everything ready. Actually, the kitchen looked like a laboratory, a food factory and I donned my apron and banished everyone to the outer boundaries of the house. Cries of ‘ mother is experimenting’ went on in the distance and small people occasionally gathered at the door to test my patience, check my mood, frustration and anything else they might wish to spot. What they saw was a carefully planned, executed canning operation with the resulting 4 small jars ready and waiting after the canning operation.
I still have a vision of rows of canned produce, hopefully in sterilised jars with no bacteria showing through because a mouldy cupboard would just about make me come out in tears and screams. I am hopeful, I followed the instructions, used a thermometer to check that it had reached sterilisation temperature and I have survived with 4 jars to show for it.
At this point I am tempted to say, well I could as easily go to the supermarket and buy the stuff but that is hardly the point. I wanted to make the transition of growing our own veg and fruit, creating a larder of canned convenience foods and be independent from the middle man, less trips to the stores, less fuel used etc etc. I am holding on to that vision.

The enthousiasm and success of 1 afternoon in my kitchen food factory have not killed my wish to continue. Awaiting ripening a little are 2 boxes of fresh peaches, my boys have a jobs scheduled to go and pick my neighbours apples and I am waiting for the plum harvest. Guess I will be busier than I want soon but then in the winter I will be able to hibernate, put my feet up and enjoy the fruits of my labour. In principle. At least my survival does as yet not depend on my canning activities, if I really mess up I still have the fail safe plan that I can, if needed go to the store............I sincerely hope I will not have to do that but its always nice to know that I can and yes, I can can now. Heavens have managed to add another skill to my portfolio......guess there is not much call for it yet. Just you wait, canning will be in again soon. I am running ahead of a new trend.

No comments: