 Yesterday I finally got some more canning done. Why is it that Fair, Family Camp, School starting and Canning season all have to happen in the same 3-4 weeks? It sure is a busy time of year to be trying to put up all those tomatoes but now I’m feeling better about our stash.
This year I got to use some old canning jars that were my Grandma’s. She died some years ago but they are finally cleaning out the house and my Aunt called and asked if I wanted canning jars. After qualifying that they were really CANNING jars I said of course I could use them.
You have to understand Grandma was from a different era where they kept and used everything so I remember many peanut butter jars and the like being used that by the standards today wouldn’t be acceptable.
My Aunt told me there were Blue jars which I’ve never had but by the time the box got to me they were gone. I would have probably displayed those in the kitchen with dry beans or something anyway.
Some of the jars were square which was kind of neat and a couple had the 1776 logo on them. I’d had a few of those before that a neighbor gave me. One broke while canning which is always disappointing (and messy!) That has happened before when I’ve used old jars. I’m not sure if it’s because they’re old or more likely that they’ve been out of use (same reason your supposed to rotate your crystal and use it all not just the glasses in the front of the cupboard!)
Well I did plain tomatoes and salsa yesterday. Last year I had four quarts of tomatoes left over and the year before I ran out in February so who knows how many we’ll need. It depends on what kind of cooking we do that year I guess, some years we must make more chili and goulash! I only spent $9 on tomatoes this year, the rest were from my garden. I think we’ve got 21 quarts of tomatoes put up (which I’m guessing isn’t enough!)
I definitely would have canned more but the garden only did “fair” this year. The weather was very cool and then really wet for two weeks straight (I think the wet is what got them!)
Only got a double batch of salsa done which made 6 pints plus what we ate at dinner which I know will not be enough. We still have some tomatoes in the garden so maybe I’ll get another batch done yet.
Using Grandma’s jars yesterday just reminded me of what those of us who Can do. We are preserving and keeping alive and afresh a time honored tradition of providing for our families. I have memories of both my Mom and Grandma canning and I’m glad that my kids will too! Hope you’ve got some canning done this year, if not there’s still time… | 
