My family makes it a point to grow a large portion of our own vegetables and preserve them for use throughout the winter. We have a large garden which is roughly 50′ x 120′ where we grow the majority of our vegetables. We also plant 12 rows of sweet corn roughly 150 yards long. We make several different kinds of pickles, salsa, tomato juice, stewed tomatoes, and other pickled vegetables.
Two years ago I bought a large pressure canner and I have really enjoyed learning a new skill and being able to can other vegetables that we could only freeze up until that point. We have started canning green beans, sweet corn, apple sauce, apple pie filling, and deer meat, which has become one of my favorites. We try to get the kids involved in taking care of the garden and helping pick and prepare the vegetables for canning so they learn the ways to do things correctly, and they also will hopefully appreciate the feeling of providing their own food.
One thing to keep in mind if you decide to try your hand at canning your own food is safety. You need to make sure your jars get a good seal and you put the right amount of canning salt in to help preserve the food. If you use a pressure canner, which is required to kill botulism in low acid foods, you need to understand how they work and the dangers associated with too much pressure and the risk of explosion. Being able to provide and preserve your own food is not only a good way to be sure what goes into your body, it also gives you great satisfaction knowing that you are able to be at least partially self-sufficient.
