Home Food Preservation AKA Canning

         With more people looking at there house hold budgets taking into consideration conserving both money, resources and making there habits more sustainable.

"Sustainability is about stabilizing the currently disruptive relationship between earth’s two most complex systems—human culture and the living world.” Paul Hawken, Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming  New York: Viking, 2007,P 172.) One of the older traditions that has made a recent come back for the American family is the art of food preservation through home canning.  For the last couple years this movement has gained serious ground. In the October 15, 2009 Food and Wine section of the Wall Street Journal the article Putting Up Produce: Yes, You Can By: Ana Campoy highlighted the new popularity of this home sustainable hobby.  “The worst recession in decades and a trend toward healthier eating are inspiring many Americans to grow their own food. Now the harvest season is turning many of these gardeners into canners looking to stretch the bounty of the garden into the winter.” 

         For those looking into this idea of home preservation there are many guides available: The National Center for Home Food Preservation , Canning Across America, and Food Safety .

         Here in the 6^th District of Maryland we have families canning as well as local farms, and business. Home canning businesses are gaining popularity every day. Our local orchards are making fresh  apple butter, jams, jellies, and soups. Restaurants across the 6^th District are going back to there roots by making available homemade goods in reusable jars. The jars stay out of the recycling and trash streams for much longer by being used again to store fresh foods at home. Some of the local establishment that are taking these steps are The DeBerry Farm in Oakland, MD , The Casselman Inn in Grantsville, MD,  and my favorite Baughers in Westminster, MD.