it's canning time again

i'm so excited that our garden is finally starting to fill in with abundance. so far this summer, we've had a nice filling of our favorites, but the excess just hasn't been coming in--until now.

so, that means it's canning time again. we've done some small batches of things, but now that the tomatoes are starting to ripen, we're going to can some of them and our favorite canning product--salsa. (last year we canned about 5 gallons of homemade, hand-chopped, just-like-we-like it salsa. we have 3 cups left.)

so, if you have ever considered trying your hand at canning, then let me encourage you to try it. for a fairly small investment, you can start down a journey of great reward. plus, it's easy!
here's what i like about home canning:

• fun to do (while it's true that we get an obscene amount of pleasure from time in the kitchen, and we realize that's not 'normal', we're convinced that you'll find a good time with home canning as well.)
• easy to do
• fabulous flavors - you can buy canned products in the grocery store, but the flavor cannot be matched by a corporate farm. (i'm not against corporate farms; they have every right to produce a product and have consumers consume. but, vine-ripened, picked-by-hand tomatoes are far and above better quality and flavor than a machine-picked, mostly-underripe tomato.)
• healthier - there are no chemical preservatives. we do use small amounts of salt in canning some vegetables, but God made salt and man makes chemical preservatives. i'll go with God's product. besides, it is such a small amount that even low-sodium users will not be affected by it.
• longevity of garden. the produce lasts longer than the season.
• sense of accomplishment
• money saver - tomato plants were approximately $1.50 a piece. a box of twelve 1-quart jars with lids and rings is approximately $9.00 (i think it's less, but i haven't priced them this year). from one tomato plant, you'll probably be able to can all 12 quarts of plain tomaotes that can consequently be used in soups, sauces or any other recipes that calls for canned tomatoes. you might need to purchase (or borrow) some canning equipment, but i won't figure that into it. total: $10.50 for 12 quarts of quality tomatoes. now to compare: 24 large cans of tomatoes (roughly the same amount of volume as the 12 quarts) are about $2.49 per can. with tax included, that comes very close to $65.00. i think you can see what i'm saying about this. now, let's take it a step further to next year. those same twelve jars and rings can be reused again. you'll need to buy new lids for about $2.00 and you'll need a new tomato plant (unless you saved some seeds). so now, over two summers, you've spent under $13.00 dollars for 24 quarts of home-canned tomatoes; or, you've spent around $130.00 for store-bought tomatoes. basically, it means you are spending 900% more for less flavor. um, does the word 'duh' mean anything to you?

i'm not a soapbox preacher, i'm just a champion for common sense.

one last thing that i must confess. pickles are also fun to make, but they cost more to can than tomatoes, but not much. we're big pickle eaters, so it still saves us money.