Where have all the canners gone?
The other day I went to the store to buy some jars in order to can and preserve some pears from a friend’s tree. As I self-riteously made my way down the aisle, congratulating myself on my unusually self-sufficient lifestyle, I noticed that the shelves where the canning items (jars, pickling salts, salsa mix, etc) are were almost bare.
ALOT of people seem to have picked up the same hobby. Intrigued, I looked up the jar manufacturer (Ball) when I got home and read a little about canning trends. According to an article that they posted on their web site from the USA Today, sales of canning products are up more than 30% from 2008. Of course, many people are probably picking up skills like canning and sewing because of economic fears, but whatever the reason for this change, nothing but good can come out of eating local, eating in season, eating fresher.
The website also has a lot of good info about how to get started canning.
