Brainstorming Session that lead to Canning

So about a week or two ago my husband, brother, and I were sitting around discussing the things that we would need to either know or have in case of a natural disaster or a man made one (who knows these days with leaders of countries that should be placed in mental institutions...just saying). So we started a general list...

Nutrition:

• Water
• Meat
• Veges
• Grains and Legumes (dried)

Skills:

• Ability to sew
• Grow a garden
• Hunt
• Preserve our food without refrigeration
• A method to purify water

Supplies:

• Medical
• Hunting
• Canning
• Tools of various types
• Candles
• Storage of some fuel

Now as a kid, our family vacations were not the fancy kind...rough-it camping was about all mom and dad could afford, and unfortunately for my family...it always seemed to rain - but the memories...(like each kid taking a corner of the tent to keep the winds from the occasional tornado from pulling it up out of the ground - no joke).

Our camping trips always included fishing...so we can fish. My father and brothers hunt, and the hubby will if he has to. So between fishing and hunting...we're good for meat, right? My mother and I both have grown vegetable gardens...so veges aren't an issue, right? Wrong...what do you do with the meat and veges if there is no electricity, and all that hard work is taken by spoilage? This sent me on my quest (ok, my brother Ed went along with me on the quest, and it was nice to have company...lol) to find ways of storing meat without a frig and I already knew veges could be canned.

My mind started racing...meat, veges, meals in a jar! I can do this, no problem! So we ordered canning supplies and I set out to see what was on the internet...Holy Cow a plethora of information (and my favorite place to visit on a regular basis = Canning Granny not only does she have wonderful recipes, but her stories are awesome to read too, come to think of it...she's been an inspiration to my own blog -  so for that I thank her).

I had learned some canning in a food class I took in H.S., but things have really changed since then (we used wax to seal up our jelly jars...big no no these days....boiling water baths and pressure canning only now). Getting all excited about canning and all the wonderful recipes I found, I couldn't wait for my supplies to arrive by mail...so I made a quick race to a local store to get what I needed to start right away. In 3 days, I canned stew, tomato jam, applesauce and apple butter (those apples had sat in the basket a bit too long for my liking), and finally pickled cauliflower (which was today). Each time a lid made that "I'm now sealed" ping...it was like being a kid.

Funny, the ping of those lids brought me more of a feeling of accomplishment and pride then when I earned my college degrees.

So as my blog goes along...I will share my favorite canning recipes with you..hope you enjoy them as much as I do.