For hundreds of years, people have saved the excess food they grow through canning. Canning is a good way to preserve your garden’s bounty and have homegrown foods all year long. And now is a good time to do some canning and building up a stock of ready-made holiday gifts. Marmalades, chutneys, and preserves make wonderful gifts, especially if you want to do something besides cookies and quick bread. But that means learning about home canning.
This is not something most bachelors do, but if you have a garden or make a big Farmers’ Market run, this a great idea for having a fun weekend day.
The principles of canning are more involved than what I can cover here. So, I recommend getting together with your friends and family and making it a canning party.
I also recommend using the freshest fruits and vegetables you can find, making sure they are at their peak. You can make preserves and jams from fruit. Cucumbers and other vegetables can be pickled.
How To Throw A Canning Party
If you are the host, you need to do some preparation. You will need canning jars and lids, and at least one large canning pot. If you plan on doing canning every year, it’s worth the investment to buy one just for this purpose. A bottle/jar rack is also very helpful.
If you’re planning on making fruit preserves, you’ll need pectin. Many fruits already contain pectin, but more is usually needed to cut back the cooking time. There are plenty of recipes available.
If you are into gardening or into market fresh foods, you probably have some friends and family who would enjoy getting together for your party. Talk to them about your canning party and what they can bring to can. Then, at the end of the party, everyone can share in the variety and bounty of all the canned foods you’ve made.
It’s okay to ask your party guests to bring their own jars and lids, along with contributing to the spices being used. And don’t forget to ask them to bring a friend.
For a full canning party planning guide, The Homesteading Hippy has a terrific guide.
Shorten Your Holiday Shopping List
If money is a little tight this year and you want to give something more useful than socks, try making your own food gifts for this upcoming holiday season. Food gifts are almost always welcome. And if they’re homemade, your love and friendship are immediately evident. Cookies are still a great gift idea. But why not try something a little different. We’d love to add your ideas and recipes to The Bachelor’s Kitchen, so please pass them along by clicking on the comments link below this post or going to the Contact Us page.
