Old Fashioned Lifestyle

I am so disconnected from the earth and my food sources it is difficult to fathom how to get the back-to-nature lifestyle I long for.  Learning to live off the land, when I am 3 generations removed from the practice is a monumental task.  Some of the answers I seek lie with my grandmother.  She remembers the food preservation arts that have been lost by a majority of my generation.  I remember going to my Grandma and Grandpa’s house and sitting down at the table for a snack as Grandma pulled out her canned apricots or pears.  Those were a treat I received at Grandma’s house alone.  I never saw canned goods anywhere else.  I also remember how much I loved her homemade strawberry and raspberry jams.  It doesn’t get any better then that. Naturally I turned to Grandma first when looking to get back to nature when it comes to the food in our household.  She used to can not only her fruits, but lake trout and elk.  The lesson commenced.  Out came the jars, sugar, and fruit (of course!).  It is actually a pretty easy process.  I don’t know why I was so intimidated by it before. 

1.  Cut fruit and make syrup.  (Sugar and water boiled)
2.  Boil lids to jar – to sterilize.
3. Stuff fruit into jar.
4. Pour syrup over fruit.
5. Use tongs to place lids on jar – and submerge in boiling water.  The jar must be TOTALLY SUBMERGED in the water bath.
6.   Boil for 20 minutes or so.
7. Remove jars and place in a draft free area for cooling. 
8. Enjoy the company of those you love, and listen for the little “pops” of the jar lids as they seal.

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