To Can Or Not To Can?

That is the question that truly had not ever crossed my mind prior to 2010. My mother canned, my grandmother canned and I am scarred from them canning. Scarred because all I really remember about either of them canning is:

1. Canning is hot, sweaty work.
2. Canning makes you crabby. (see #1)

It seemed like a ridiculous thing to do. Why would someone even bother to can in 2010 when we can just run to the store and get whatever we need?

I'll tell you why. Because you can control what you eat a little more when you control what goes in the can (or jar, in this instance).

It also tastes better.

Canning is something I do for my family and also for myself. I'll admit it, canning is also social. I have a great friend, G, who is a canning expert and she has helped me immensely on my canning crusade. She's an extra pair of hands, a reminder to wipe the rim of my  jar, and someone to joke with while waiting 40 minutes for jars to process. She almost makes me forget that

1. Canning is hot, sweaty work
2. Canning makes you crabby (see #1)

Canning is a link to the past and a reminder to me of exactly how good we've got it today. Hats off to those ladies before us who actually had to do this to survive!