do you know the difference between wild blueberries and cultivated?
Did you know that blueberries are one of the only foods naturally blue in colour? Did you know that wild blueberries have been harvested by humans for more than 13,000 years? Did you know that cultivated blueberries were developed in the 20th century? Did you know that the silvery ‘bloom’ on blueberries is a protective coating and shouldn’t be washed off until you are ready to eat them? Did you know that the United States is the world’s largest producer of cultivated blueberries? Did you know that Canada is the world’s largest producer of wild blueberries? Did you know that WILD blueberries are smaller in size than cultivated blueberries? Did you know that wild blueberries have an intensity of flavour that cultivated blueberries simply don’t have? Did you know that wild blueberries vary in colour from different shades of red, purple and blue to almost black, and that they also vary in sweetness? Did you know that wild blueberries are more flavourful and nutrient dense than their cultivated and well mannered cousins? Did you know that wild blueberries are considered a Superfood? and that they have double the antioxidants that cultivated blueberries have?
Why does any of this matter?
Because wild blueberries have a higher rate of genetic diversity than their cultivated 2nd cousins twice removed.
Cultivated blueberries grow 6 to 12 feet tall, depending on the variety. Not surprisingly, they’re called HIGH bush.
and why does this matter? Because that is what makes wild blueberries better for you!
Why? Because they have a higher antioxidant content (double that of cultivated blueberries).
Why? Because their smaller size gives them a higher skin-to-pulp ratio, containing more fiber, iron and a higher concentration of bioactive compounds including anthocyanins (remember that word).
Unlike cultivated blueberries which are the result of generations of selective breeding and farming practices designed to make them easier to harvest, as well as bigger and juicier, wild blueberries grow 100% on their own (wild), not planted, or tampered with in any way. This means they have NO genetic engineering, they are exactly what nature originally created.
What does this mean for you? It means BLUEBERRIES are very good for you, but WILD BLUEBERRIES are even better!
Wild blueberries grow 1 to 2 feet in height and breadth – commonly referred to as Low bush blueberries.
Great right? Well-l-l, when was the last time you saw wild blueberries in the grocery store?
Problem #1: you cannot PLANT wild blueberries. That’s why they’re call wild. They grow where they want to, and only where they want to. They have very specific soil requirements that cannot be duplicated. Wild blueberries (lowbush) primarily grow in the acidic soils of Eastern North America, especially in Atlantic Canada (Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island), and in north Atlantic USA (Maine), thriving in cool climates on sandy, well-drained land, often in areas previously burned or cleared.
Wild blueberries grow naturally in fields and rocky hills called barrens. No one ‘plants’ them; they’ve grown naturally for thousands of years by spreading via underground runners. As such they are a pretty ‘low-maintenance crop’ for the most part. Field owners are hands-off throughout most of the growing season, although they prune fields with rotary mowers on alternate years, working with the natural two year crop cycle. Bees and other natural pollinators are critical to pollinate the bushes.
Key Growing Regions and Conditions:
While Dan and I drove the roads of rural Nova Scotia last fall (October 2025), we saw this gorgeous site of red fields mile after mile. We looked for clues as to what it was, but found none. Finally we pulled over and walked out into the ‘red’ to get a closer look, My phone app told me we were looking at fields of WILD Blueberries! Who knew? If you’re a native to Atlantic Canada you probably recognize the site, but neither Dan nor I had seen anything like it. And so began my deep dive into learning about wild blueberries.
Wild blueberries are native to Canada so you may find them growing in all sorts of wild areas that meet the climate and soil requirements. But those are generally small patches. I grew up in northern Alberta and well remember going out to pick blueberries on summer days with my mom and a few other moms. We’d spread out and find a place to sit. My mom (and her other mom friends) were good blueberry pickers because they were motivated by love – making blueberry pie and other delectable treats that could only come to our families one way. Their children however, were not very good blueberry pickers. I was there for the fun of running around with my friends and eating whatever blueberries I picked. I was not beyond eating from my mom’s bucket if she let me – she DIDN’T. I can’t claim to have contributed much to the cause, but I benefit from the good memories. Since growing up and leaving home however, I moved to the city and have never picked a wild blueberry again.
Other than the small patches that are picked privately dotting the country, it is the eastern Canadian provinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, where WILD BLUEBERRIES grow naturally – thousands of acres are set aside for them – protected. In the United States, Maine is the single largest producer of wild blueberries.
Ideal Conditions are: Cold climates with plenty of fresh water. Acidic, sandy, and well-drained soil. Habitat naturally occurs on open, treeless land, pine barrens, or areas recently cleared by fire, which stimulates growth.
Problem #2: it is very difficult to find wild blueberries in our world of shrinking wildlands. Wildland areas suitable to growing them are getting less continually. Naturalized fields are often managed through controlled burns or mowing to promote new growth and spread. Wild blueberry bogs are protected.
I already knew that next to freshly harvested, no method of preserving would be as nutritious as freeze drying, and since I am not likely to ever eat a “fresh” wild blueberry that I didn’t personally pick, my next best alternative to buying wild blueberries is to find them freeze dried.
Problem #3: even if you knew where some wild blueberries grew, most people will never be able to access them. Lucky you. I hope you thank the Lord continually for your privilege.
Problem #4: because wild blueberries grow low to the ground, they must be harvested by hand – or with a hand rake specifically designed for this purpose. This is labour intensive, making harvesting difficult and expensive.
While cultivated blueberry plants have been engineered to grow tall (called highbush), and are planted in rows, making harvesting easier, wild blueberry plants spread low and wide randomly through runners.
So how can we partake of WILD BLUEBERRIES in a sustainable and affordable way?
Wise Harvest Freeze Dried Foods1only buys wild blueberries from sustainable farms that are dedicated to preserving their wild habitat, and YES they’re still harvested by hand or with a hand rake specifically designed for this purpose.
Wild blueberries are flash frozen within 24 hours of harvest, then transferred to a facility where remaining moisture is removed without thawing – in the second stage of the two step freeze-drying process.
I found a source of freeze dried WILD Blueberries that I trust. Wise Harvest.
This means that wild blueberries are available to all, in non perishable freeze dried form – which preserves over 90% of the original natural nutrition, and is packaged to have a shelf life of up to 8 years.
Freeze drying wild blueberries makes them completely snackable – any time, any where. An easy go-to breakfast or midday snack – resealable so you can come back to it later.
start at 8:34 to see the wild blueberries
* Spoiler alert: Though it might be a year or two out, Wise Harvestis moving toward packaging in BPA free cans which will extend the shelf life to 25 years. Remember you heard that here first.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about Wild Blueberries, and your experiences. Were you lucky enough to have picked them in the wild when you were growing up? Or maybe you still do? Have you tried the freeze dried?
Beets quietly sit on the grocer’s shelf, a little shy, nothing really spectacular to look at. You may even walk right by without noticing them; admittedly they’re a little on the plain side, down to earth. You might have to look specifically for them as they’ll never jump out at you – they’re just not ‘that way’. In fact, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a big splashy display of beets at a grocery store. But if you did walk right by them, you’d be missing one of the nature’s most nutritious vegetables, one that deserves a special place on your plate.
A recent survey listed beets in the top two LEAST liked vegetables in North America, second only to turnips. That seems a little harsh to me. 26% of those surveyed said they disliked beets; even brussels sprouts scored higher.
Why do people dislike beets? Here are the top reasons given:
Lack of exposure or delayed introduction The first reason may simply be “lack of exposure”. Since beets are seldom on the menu at home, we’re not accustomed to them. Often times a lack of exposure to beets, especially in childhood, can lead to a long term suspicion of “different” and prevent some from trying them. Sometimes, a single negative experience can create a lasting aversion.
Many food preferences are established from continued exposure. In fact, statistics say that a ‘new’ food may have to be tried up to 30 times before one develops a taste for it.
Colour Admittedly, the colour of beets is highly unusual. Because it’s different, some may shy away from them, preferring the plain and usual colours of vegetables: green or orange. Truth is, we eat first with our eyes; to some, the vibrant colour is appealing, while to others it’s the opposite – too weird. An aversion to the colour may cause people to hesitate trying it.
The texture Some people dislike the texture of beets, especially when canned.
Taste Some people say that the taste of beets resembles ‘dirt’. I’ve thought of this as I eat them from time to time, and I suppose I can see their point – but I personally, like that earthy flavour.
Preparation time Okay, I admit it – beets take a little more time, a little more fuss, and a little more mess than simply peeling carrots. You have to be ‘invested’ in the idea of wanting to eat beets if you’re going to go to that much trouble to prepare them.
So, why we should TRY to like them?
Beets are a root vegetable known for their vibrant colour and earthy-sweet flavour. They are versatile and nutrient-dense, both the root and the green, leafy tops are eaten. They are considered a SUPERFOOD due to their rich nutritional profile.
Beets are high in natural nitrates, which the body converts to nitric oxide. This compound helps relax and widen blood vessels, which can significantly lower blood pressure. These nitrates can also improve blood flow and oxygen delivery, potentially enhancing stamina and exercise performance.
Beets are an excellent source of fiber, supporting digestive health and contributing to a feeling of fullness, which can aid in weight management. They contain unique plant compounds called betalains, which are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that protect cells from damage. And they are an excellent source of potassium, manganese, iron, folate (vitamin B9), vitamins A, C, K and E, as well as vitamin B6. The deep red colour is indicative of the high amount of antioxidants.
These are very compelling facts for me; high nutrition is always the key factor in encouraging me to want to include any food in my family’s diet.
So how best to introduce beets to your family? and to yourself if necessary?
Start early
Early experiences with nutritious foods and flavours will maximize the likelihood that children will choose them as they grow. The key is variety: variety of healthy vegetables, but also a variety of ways to serve them. A healthier life long diet is more likely if children are continually exposed to different fruits and vegetables and different ways of eating them.
I grew up on pickled beets, but I never much cared for them. They were on the table at Christmas time, and I dutifully took one as the plate was passed around, but I was always disappointed. My first exposure to beets served as a vegetable was at my Aunt Jolayne’s table when I was 11 years old. “What is this?” I asked my cousins. I loved them.
Interestingly, my mother grew up eating beets, with two rows in the garden being dedicated to them. But she rarely if ever put them on the table in my younger years. Why? In those days we lived on a military base in northern Alberta with a small grocery store, carrying limited items – especially produce. Fresh beets were most often not available to us. I suppose canned beets may have been, but if so, we never had any. Though both my parents grew up in large families, with large gardens, we never had one. In my teen years, my mother served beets from time to time. I have to assume that availability improved in the grocery store. (?)
Association
When foods are associated with good memories they are more likely to be appealing as time goes on. Even if the taste or texture was initially unappealing, taste preferences mature, so continued exposure is important.
* case in point: I grew up with canned cranberry sauce on my plate twice a year: Thanksgiving and Christmas. I tried it every year, but never liked it. I did however, have good memories of those special dinners. Uncharacteristically, Dan came into our marriage liking cranberry sauce, so I endeavoured to include homemade cranberry sauce in our traditional meals for his sake. As time went by, I developed a taste for it, and all my kids were raised on homemade cranberry sauce – more than twice a year. Owing to repeated exposure and it being associated with good memories of favourite meals, they all enjoy it, as do their own kids.
Beets can be prepared in many ways.
Boiled: When my mom did cook them, she boiled them unpeeled and then slipped the skins off in the sink, before cutting and serving. That is how I prepared them for most of my adult life. They were messy as heck, but worth it.
Roasted: When I discovered that I could roast beets unpeeled in a dutch oven, and then slip the peel off the way I always had, it became my preferred way. Less mess. But then I discovered taking that to the next level: peel, cut into wedges and roast in the oven with a little olive oil drizzled over top, and salt and pepper. Roast in a 350F oven for almost an hour (depending how big your pieces are), till fork tender.
Pickled: Many of us grew up with pickled beets on the Sunday table, and many of my friends really enjoy them. For me they’ve always be ‘okay’, but not tempting enough to walk across the street for. I’m pretty sure I’ve pickled a few batches in my early years, but there was never a compelling enough reason to do it regularly. So sorry, I’ve got nothing to offer in this area.
roasted beet salad with feta and toasted walnuts, served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil
Salads: When cooking beets, cook extra so you can have leftovers in the fridge. They’re great to eat cold or add to salads. A nice green salad topped with beets, feta cheese and toasted walnuts. Shred raw or cooked beets into your favourite coleslaw. Or just beets by themselves, served cold or at room temperature. Drizzle a light vinaigrette over top with a sprinkling of parsley.
Freezing: Once cooked, beets can be frozen. SO HANDY! Put into a ziplock freezer bag – dated and labeled. So handy! Simply thaw and add to your meal or favourite beet recipes. I’ve heard that you can freeze them raw, but I’ve never tried it. It doesn’t make sense to me.
You can puree your beets in the blender and then freeze in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop them out of the trays and store in zip lock freezer bags, labeled and dated. Use them smoothies later, or in borscht.
Baking: Just like carrots, beets can be shredded and added to cakes, muffins, cookies – in fact use your carrot cake recipe with beets. I cook them first and then shred, as its much easier and less messy than shredding raw. Makes borscht available all year long.
Borscht: A whole subject of its own. Borscht is Beet Soup. That means its red. I’ve heard of green borscht but that is an abomination; it doesn’t deserved to be called “borscht”. It’s simply vegetable soup. The best borscht is probably made by your gramma, but if you’d like a recipe, try mine in this link1
Borscht is a necessary part of autumn in my house. It looks like, smells like and tastes like “autumn” to me. I look forward to it all year long.
Juicing: When you’re making carrot juice, add a couple of beets. Delicious! You can even freeze your beet juice.
Smoothies: If you don’t have a centrifugal juicer, throw a few beets into your blender with your morning smoothie.
Beet Greens: Don’t throw away the greens! They are rich in vitamins A, C, K and can be steamed like spinach or sauteed, or added to stir fried vegetables or soup, or used alone or in combination with other greens in Spanakopita.
Yellow Beets: I had never heard of yellow beets till my gardening friend Myrna introduced them to me. They are milder in flavour and easier to prepare without that red juice that gets everywhere and stains whatever it touches. I’ve roasted them without peeling, and they never disappoint.
Sometimes called Golden beets, they’re sweeter and have a less earthy flavour than their red cousins. That might make them more appealing to those who don’t care for red beets. They don’t stain, making them easier to prepare and use in dishes where you don’t want the colour transfer. Nutritionally, both types are very good for you. Red obviously contains more antioxidants, but yellow beets having more Vitamin A.
Yellow beets have a beautiful bright yellow colour when cooked. They can be eaten raw, roasted or boiled like the red ones.
Where do beets come from? The people of the ancient Mediterranean coastal areas began cultivating what was known as a sea beet for its leafy greens around 2000 BC. Around 200 AD the Romans began hybridizing them to focus on the large roots. These Roman-era beets came in both the red and white varieties, with the red ones being more popular. From there they were carried throughout Europe where they thrived in the cooler temperatures, gaining particular popularity in the northern Slavic countries and Scandinavia. To those countries they were a nutritional godsend, offering more vegetable variety to countries with short growing seasons. They made their way to North America with settlement of Europeans.
Growing Beets in central Alberta
Who? Anyone with a sunny patch of ground can grow beets. They are very forgiving.
What? There are many varieties of beets that do well in home gardens in our area, the most popular one being DETROIT DARK RED, an all-purpose heirloom variety with a sweet, deep red flesh. Matures in 50-80 days.
Where? Beets are considered a cool weather crop, and like carrots, they prefer a rich, loose and well drained soil. They want SUN, so give them space in a nice sunny spot. Just because a vegetable does well in cool weather does not mean it does well in a shady area. Not the same thing. Plant beet seeds about one inch apart and one inch deep in rows 10 inches apart near the end of April. If you are planting beets later than mid May, beet seeds can be soaked for 24 hours for faster germination.
When? Beets are a cool weather crop so they can be planted early in May or even late April if the spring is warm (in central Alberta).
Seeds germinate 5-15 days after seeding. The first half of the beet’s growing cycle consists of the leaves shooting up. The leaves help provide the necessary nutrients for the root to grow. In general, beets are a pretty low maintenance crop, but throughout the growing season weeding is important to ensure they get all the available nutrients.
They can be / and should be harvested almost the entire growing season, beginning with the young leaves. As they grow bigger, you can continue to harvest by thinning the row out, opening up space for the remaining beets to grow bigger. Beets are most tender when they are young, and can be harvested once they are 2.5 inches across. To check how large your beets are, gently remove the surface of the soil from around them. Beets can be left in the ground until late fall, handling frost and cold weather below 0 Celcius.
Why? Beets are naturally sustainable. They don’t require a lot of water, grow quickly, are super nutritious, and can be harvested for many weeks. They are perfectly suited to our climate, and soil type.
and How? Seeds should be 1/2 an inch deep. They should be rotated annually, ideally coming after nitrogen fixing crops like beans or peas.
Once the leaves are set, they gather nutrients that focus on the taproot. That is when they need to be thinned out. Pulling the leaves to eat at the beginning of summer, allows more room for the root to grow in size during the second half of the growing season. As you continue to thin, your goal is to have at least a 3-finger-span between each plant. Eating the greens, and then the tiny beets is the best of both worlds – harvesting from the beginning of July through the end of September.
Beets should be dry and soil-free before storage. Remove their tops and only store the healthiest ones. They should be stored in the fridge in loose plastic bags (high humidity) to prevent drying, evaporation, and wilting. Beets will keep up to 6 months under these storage conditions.
If you have a patch of sunny ground, I hope you’ll grow beets next gardening season. Reach out to a gardening community near you. It’s fun learning from each other and sharing successes and recipes. I’d love to hear your experiences, some favourite varieties and favourite ways of putting them on the table.
– recipe made with Carrot Pulp from juicing carrots – This recipe makes 18 muffins, but plan to double it so you can share with neighbours.
in these muffins I added some dehydrated blueberries for ‘raisins’
Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside: 2 cups whole wheat flour OR half unbleached flour 1 cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt
beat3 eggs, add 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup oil (your choice) set aside * 1 cup raisins or chopped walnuts or combination (optional)
add to flour mixture: 2 cups grated carrots OR carrot pulp OR refreshed dehydrated carrots gently fold carrots into flour mixture till evenly coated If you’re adding raisins or nuts, right now would be a good time. Fold in. * I generally add at least another cup of carrot pulp. If I add two additional cups, I add another egg and another tablespoon of oil as well.
Pour wet ingredients into flour-carrot mixture and gently fold in to moisten completely. If the batter is too stiff and you feel the need to add a little more milk, go ahead. Don’t over stir.
Line muffin tins with paper liners – makes approximately 18 muffins. *tip: I lightly coat the muffin tin with oil and use the liners as well, as it makes it easier to peel off the liners later.
Bake 20-22 minutes at 350F. Test by gently touching the top of the muffin – when it bounces back to your finger, its done. I let the muffins sit on the top of the stove for about 5 minutes to cool slightly before removing them to place onto rack to finish cooling.
I love the poem below. I hope you’ll take the time to read it. It’s spoken from the perspective of a young parent. I’ve been in that place and as a former young mom, the message is a very tender for me. In that young mom’s shoes, I was smart enough to never allow myself to wish any of those moments away. I wanted very much to feel them all and remember them all – knowing that though I couldn’t see it, or imagine what it would look like, the day would come that they’d all be gone.
But I am looking at life from a much different perspective now, and I’ve had so many last times. My heart aches for some of them, not because I wasted them by wishing them away, simply because they are gone. It has been my observation that spending one’s life being unhappy in our circumstances, leads to more of the same – because being happy is not a matter of circumstance, it is a CHOICE.
In my younger years, I never wanted to waste my life wishing things were different. I was self aware enough that I could either make them different, work toward that goal, or accept them by making the best of them. Those were my options. I found it much more satisfying to focus on appreciating the sacredness of each day and what I could learn by living it. Even so, my heart aches for many of those ‘last times’. How much worse would it be if I regretted wasting them by not appreciating them in the moment?
wake up to a new way of doing things
If Covid taught us anything those many months, it should be how quickly life as we know it could be over. No one had the crystal ball to know how long our covid-affected circumstances would last. How long before we could go back to ‘normal’ – a week? a month? how many months? In actual truth, in many ways we never did return to normal. What would we have thought then, if we knew that in many ways we’d be inventing a new normal?
And why risk losing your present by pining away for all those potential last times? . . .
I don’t pretend to be a great philosopher, and I certainly don’t know what the “secret to life” is. But I believe that part of that secret is to be PRESENT, living in each moment. Enjoying each season while we’re in it. Finding ways to reach out and make someone’s world a little better for us having been in it. Never wishing any moment away, because life is so full of last times – not just with our babies but with everything and every one.
The last time we hugged our mom. The last time we said “goodnight, sleep tight” to her. The last time we had dinner with our cousin. The last time we went to the farmers market. The last time we planted a garden. The last batch of jam we made to give away. The last time we laughed with our niece, played go fish with our grandson, pack a lunch for our spouse, even the last time we vacuumed our own floor, or hung laundry on the line. The last time we help a neighbour, chat with that special friend, smile at a passerby, …. made someone’s day better. The last time we flew anywhere? The last time we drove ourself? That last book we read. Who knew it would be the last one? The last time that grandchild came for a sleepover. Who knew it would be the last one? The last time we held hands. Who knew?
Life changes on a dime – with no notice. Last times stack up, and they’re often in disguise. We never recognize them till they’re long gone. I’d love for all of my last times (whether pleasant ones or unpleasant ones), to be with me ‘experiencing them’, enjoying them, or learning from them, so that I could look back and think “I’m sure glad I did that when I did, who knew it would be my last time?” Life is by nature, bound to be full of regrets. I hope when my days get shorter, to have many more “glad-I-did-thats” than “wish-I-did-thats”.
The Last Time
“From the moment you hold your baby in your arms, you will never be the same. You might long for the person you were before, When you have freedom and time, And nothing in particular to worry about.
You will know tiredness like you never knew it before, And days will run into days that are exactly the same, Full of feedings and burping, Diaper changes and crying, Whining and fighting, Naps or a lack of naps, It might seem like a never-ending cycle.
But don’t forget … There is a last time for everything. There will come a time when you will feed your baby for the very last time. They will fall asleep on you after a long day And it will be the last time you ever hold your sleeping child.
One day you will carry them on your hip then set them down, And never pick them up that way again. You will scrub their hair in the bath one night And from that day on they will want to bathe alone. They will hold your hand to cross the road, Then never reach for it again. They will creep into your room at midnight for cuddles, And it will be the last night you ever wake to this.
One afternoon you will sing “the wheels on the bus” and do all the actions, Then never sing them that song again. They will kiss you goodbye at the school gate, The next day they will ask to walk to the gate alone. You will read a final bedtime story and wipe your last dirty face. They will run to you with arms raised for the very last time.
The thing is, you won’t even know it’s the last time Until there are no more times. And even then, it will take you a while to realize.
So while you are living in these times, remember there are only so many of them and when they are gone, you will yearn for just one more day of them. For one last time. author not confirmed, but possibly Taryn McLean
This seemingly trivial photo from years ago makes my heart happy. 14 year old Jonas washing the glass bricks for me. 2 year old Jack hanging around him, watching and chatting it up, Jonas patiently including him and listening. This speaks sermons to me.
A sermon about two cousins on either end of the age span (Jonas is the 4th oldest, Jack is the youngest of 19), and what they have to offer each other.
A sermon about the value of sharing even the insignificant moments of everyday life.
A sermon about the example of service. Jonas is doing a service for me and Jack is learning.
A sermon about Jonas’ patience in his little cousin wanting to hang around him.
A sermon about the ease of familial love, comfort and yea, even loyalty.
A sermon about devotion. Not just Jack’s devotion to this big boy hero in his life, but of Jonas’ devotion to him as his little cousin, who some might say has nothing in common with him.
It’s a sermon of what the world needs more of.
One day Jonas will be all grown up and away, living his adult life, and Jack will be a bigger little boy who remembers him, and looks forward to the times he comes home. Perhaps they’ll play board games together like Jonas does with his uncle who is just a little more than 12 years older than him (who incidentally is Jack’s father).
A sermon about Jack’s spot in the cousins lineup. #19. Our baby’s baby. The youngest cousin. How he is surrounded by people who love him, and adore him, and patiently include him in the little things they do.
From the kitchen where I was working, I observed these two and grabbed my camera. This snapshot is a mere blink of what was going on and what I would like to have captured. It was precious and I wish I had chosen to video it.
Sometimes a kid’s just gotta to run away from home. And sometimes their parents wish there was a safe place they could run to.
If only they all could just ‘run away’ down the street to their Aunt Cindy’s house where they knew they’d be welcome and where an old Gramma Great lives who would sit with them. …. If only…
One memorable day, my great-nephew Elias had simply had enough — exasperated with life in general, but especially with his current ‘family’. Fed up, he declared that he was going to find a new family. His mom later told me that his older brother even helped him pack his bag—apparently, the feelings were mutual.
With determination, Elias marched down the street and into a familiar crescent. As it happened, I was at the community garden for a couple of hours, but Gramma Great was home. Though she doesn’t always catch every word he says, she understood enough to get the gist. She made him a snack (some crackers with peanut butter), and they sat and visited for awhile, but she was quite concerned – worried that his parents were looking for him. He on the other hand, had no such concern LOL.
There was a time Gramma Great would read stories to them. At the time of this particular visit, she is not able to see well enough anymore to read stories, and sometimes she can’t remember well enough to tell them either, but . . . sometimes she can. This is one of those times.
When I returned, I texted his mom to get the full story. Turns out, they knew exactly where he was, and had even seen him walk in the front door. Elias had made up his mind to have a sleepover, and—fortunately for everyone—that worked out just fine. He spent the evening with some old folks who love him, got tucked into a warm bed, and woke up with a much sunnier view of the world.
On this day 7 year old Elias had come over unannounced. 88 year old Gramma Great worried his parents were looking for him because the explanation she got out of him was pretty disjointed. But crackers and peanut butter and the Three Billy Goats Gruff can make everything better.
The next morning, his dad came to pick him up, and Elias went home cheerful and content—offenses on both sides forgiven, and balance restored.
One of the things I appreciated most about my mother in law Miriam Thomas, was that my kids (especially my troubled teens) always knew they were loved by her unconditionally. The fact that she lived within walking distance, made it possible for them to swing by on their way home from time to time – to get their bucket filled. She was pretty good at filling buckets.
I was always grateful they had someone nearby who didn’t have to lay down the law or enforce any rules. They could just go there and be loved, a safe place to take a breather and maybe even have some hot chocolate. A place where no questions were asked, and their presence was always welcome.
If only all kids had a safe place to go … and if only all parents knew they did.
We have my 88 year old mom living with us. She’s been here several years and we love having her. It’s not without adjustments of course, on both sides, but over all its been a good fit. For the most part she’s quite healthy and active for her age. Occasionally we’ve have some medical problems we needed help with. A few times in the last few years, she’s been in the hospital for issues that are not so minor when you’re 88. She has the beginnings of dementia, and though she can function in her normal day-to-day, when she’s sick of course, or when other things throw her equilibrium out, she becomes even more easily confused.
Gramma Great playing a game of Racko with great grandson Deacon
sourdough muffins with freeze dried blueberries
During one of her hospital visits, when she was there for a week or so, she was very confused and I didn’t want her to be alone. I sat with her every day and into the evening until she fell asleep, and was back every morning before she woke up. She’s hard of hearing and its difficult for her to understand what is going on, even though she’ll look right at the doctor when he’s talking, smile and nod as if she understood everything he tells her. It’s confusing for everyone else when she does that, because all her signals are that she heard you. You actually have to stop, and ask her “Did you understand what I said?” No one ever does that of course. She’ll easily give the wrong message simply because she didn’t understand the question. In an environment like a hospital, its easy to get confused—and that can be scary. This is very time consuming for me, so ‘things’ I would normally do get set aside for awhile.
freshly baked loaf of sourdough bread
There certainly wasn’t time for things like grocery shopping, but people still need to eat right? Dan was still packing a lunch to work, and I was still preparing meals for those who lived here and those who came by to visit Mom. Let’s face it—eating is something we all do. Every Single Day, whether it’s convenient or not. And if we’re not making our own meals, we’re buying them – because going without is not really an option.
Sour dough crepes made with freeze dried eggs. Served with freeze dried peaches and black berries
Several times I wondered about going to the grocery store, but honestly, I never really had a need to. I had everything I needed right here in my pantry, including freeze-dried fruits, veggies, dairy, and meat that were all healthy and nutritious – “fresher-than-fresh”. And meal prep gave me a distraction while still being present. Nevertheless, I found myself being quite amazed that I didn’t feel any compulsion to go to the grocery store, but there simply wasn’t anything we needed.
Why amazed? Because a few weeks before all this happened, Mom had gone to stay with my sister for a bit while Dan and I went on a pre-planned vacation. The week before we left, I cleared out the fridge—used up or gave away every last perishable item in there. When we got home, I considered grocery shopping . . . but I didn’t need anything, so – I didn’t. And now it had been several weeks of not going to the store. No fresh milk, no fresh eggs, no sour cream or ‘fresh’ produce in the fridge. No bread.
Mujadara with freeze dried onions, served with freeze dried green beans. and homemade tzatziki with freeze dried cucumbers.
Shortly after picking Mom up from my sisters is when she went into the hospital, and we started that unexpected routine. By the time I decided to go to the grocery store and pick up some fresh asparagus and a few other traditional things for Easter dinner, it had been 10 WEEKS since I had been shopping. I picked up some of the niceties – perishable vegetables, fruit, and a few dairy items. That was all I felt I needed.
So—what’s my point?
Sometimes life just happens. It doesn’t have to be some big emergency or crisis. Sometimes it can be as simple as you’re just busy, or your priorities temporarily shift, and the “everyday” stuff—like grocery shopping—just doesn’t fit in.
Fajitas with freeze dried peppers, served with rice n beans with ground beef and cheddar.
But what if you didn’t have to worry about that detail?
What if your pantry was stocked with whole, simple, healthy, shelf-stable food you could count on when life gets hectic? No stress. No scramble. Just open the cupboard and make a meal. What if much of those food items were freeze dried? so you had confidence in the high quality and level of nutrition? What if that included FRUIT, MILK, EGGS, VEGETABLES and yes, even MEAT? What if it included things like SOUR CREAM and BUTTER? What if it included things like CHEESE and Complete MEALS? What if you didn’t have to wash, peel or chop any of that because it was already done? What if you didn’t have to brown the meat because it was already cooked.
Italian wedding soup made with freeze dried sausage crumbles, onions and spinach.
Whether you’re thrown a curveball and you spend several days in the hospital; or you find yourself caring for a loved one for long hours in each day; or perhaps you’re the one who’s sick and you are not well enough to tend to the normal errands like grocery shopping, or (heaven forbid), you find yourself stuck in the house isolating because of something unforeseen like say, . . . a pandemic; or the truckers go on strike and too many shelves at the grocery store are empty, or perhaps you find yourself without power for a few days; or you experience unemployment; or some unexpected expenses cut into your budget and you simply have nothing left at the end of the month; or any number of different scenarios – what if you didn’t have to worry about the detail of food?
Samosa pancakes made with freeze dried onions, peas, green beans, peppers, and potatoes; served with fresh applesauce.
Let’s face it—eating is something we all do. Every Single Day, whether it’s convenient or not. And if we’re not making our own meals, we’re buying them – because going without is not really an option.
What made the difference in my situation? Having a well stocked pantry was certainly one of the things that took the stress over meals out of the equation. But that on its own, is not enough. I adhere to the rule of “STORE WHAT YOU EAT, and EAT WHAT YOU STORE”. Simply put, this means I am familiar with what’s in my pantry, and I am comfortable preparing it. I know how to use it.
freeze dried shredded beef served with homemade stuffing, freeze dried mashed potatoes, freeze dried corn, fresh carrots and freeze dried green beans
Decades ago, when Dan and I were just starting our life together, and our kids were little, money was tight, with the only flexibility in our budget being ‘groceries’. If something had to give, it was always gonna be in the grocery department, as that was the only place there was flexibility. Perhaps you can relate. I considered possible scenarios and I worried how they might affect my children. I wanted to shield them from the hard things in life. I wanted them to be comfortable, and to have confidence that our family was doing okay. No matter what.
I didn’t want the worry of debt to hover over our heads. Life is full of worries as it is, I didn’t want preventable ones to crowd in. The solution to all of these things was ‘preparedness’. Dan and I saw eye to eye on this. Being prepared meant many things, but one of the simplest things was to STORE WHAT WE EAT, and to EAT WHAT WE STORE. I cannot begin to tell you of the peace of mind that comes from planning ahead and managing those PREVENTABLE worries.
That philosophy has made our life much more comfortable in every single way. Life is hard enough. It doesn’t make any sense to make it harder because of lack of planning.
yogurt bowl with freeze dried berries and freeze dried spinach. Don’t knock it till you try it. DElicoius and super nutritious. Complete protein, fresher-than-fresh produce.
In the situation that prompted me to reflect and write this post – before having my elderly mom live with us, I hadn’t had the experience of being at someone’s bedside day after day after day. There had been prior reasons that prevented regular grocery shopping, but this was a new one. I cannot express the comfort of not having to worry about it. The weightless peace of mind that attended us as we navigated those weeks. And yet, the comfort of outward things continuing on as ‘normal’.
Tabouli with freeze dried tomatoes, onions, peppers and cucumbers
Several years ago (2009 to be exact) I discovered a new line of freeze dried foods that became a game changer in the way I lived my life of preparedness. Yes, we had tried freeze dried food before, but we didn’t much like them. This was different. Yes, we had tried some of the longer shelf life food before, but they were horrible. Yes, food storage was important to us, but variety was an issue, and vegetable were pretty much non existent.
I was introduced to THRIVE LIFE freeze dried foods, and they became the game changer. Soon after, I decided I wanted to be the one to introduce others to the solutions I found here. I did that. And I’ve been doing it ever since.
Because life just happens, . . . . . but we still need to eat. Even if its inconvenient. You could say “Peace of mind” is my big WHY.
If you’d like to learn more about it – go ahead and check out my link.
I do not know what I ever did in the pre-earth life to deserve to be born in Canada. I suspect I didn’t ‘deserve’ it; nevertheless Heavenly Father saw fit to place me here and now. I am so grateful for that mercy and blessing.
There are so many things in our life to be grateful for …. sometimes we don’t even think about the blessing of ‘where we are’. Canada.
Thank you to all those immigrant grandparents and great grandparents who made it possible for this to be the land of my inheritance
I did not know this, but the last German POWs were not released from the Soviet Union until 1956!
While the western Allies released their final World War II prisoners in 1948, many German POWs in the U.S.S.R. were kept under lock and key for several more years. Most were used as slave labor in copper or coal mines, and anywhere between 400,000 and one million eventually died while in Russian custody. Some 20,000 former soldiers were still in Soviet hands at the time of Stalin’s death in 1953, and the last 10,000 didn’t get their freedom until 1955 and 1956—a full decade after the war had ended.
Among the delayed released POW’s (not likely in this picture) was one Gotthold Sulzle, Dan’s grandfather Jakob’s brother.
Gotthold appears to have been born in Cogealac, Romania. He went to Germany for work just prior to WWII and as a German was drafted into the German Army. He served on the Russian front and became a Russian POW. Gotthold was decorated with 2 iron crosses (a German military award awarded for bravery on the battlefront).
After WWII ended, Gotthold attempted to immigrate to Canada where other family members had immigrated, however he was unable to take his family with him at the time. Having already been separated from his family for too long, he decided instead to immigrate to Australia.
That is how a branch of Dan’s German family ended up in Australia.
– picture and information shared from Linda Sülzle-Michl.
*note: I am not making any statements about this nationality or that nationality. There were (and there are) terrible things that happened (and happen) to individuals and to families as a result of hate and wicked people – wherever they are. I do however have a tenderness for those who suffer, and an appreciation and admiration for those who overcome and show me a better way. I am attracted to real life examples of the strength and resilience of the indomitable human spirit. They strengthen me and encourage me.
I also feel so much love and appreciation for those first generation immigrants who in many cases sacrificed much so their children could have the better life that eluded them. Dan’s grandparents came from German occupied Poland shortly after the first world war. They had been people of means; educated, land owning farmers. For the rest of their lives while living in Canada, they were labourers and I personally never heard Dan’s grandmother speak very much English. But their children grew up on the prairies and all went on to have meaningful work as they raised their own families in a world of opportunity and comfort – free from fear for their safety. Their children’s children received good educations and also raised their children in a peaceful world of opportunity and comfort. All because Edmund and Olga sold all they had for ship passage, hoping for a better life on the other side of the ocean.
If you knew my dad, you’d agree that he looks just like him. Most of my paternal uncles also look like him. In fact, so do most of my paternal cousins. Even my kids do! Lol. I guess he had some pretty strong physical traits.
On September 13 this year (2024), he would have turned 127 years old, but he left this earth over 45 years ago. He’s my grandfather Leland Albert Harrison.
Grampa always seemed to be old. It shocks me now to realize that he was only a few years older than I am now for most of the time I knew him. He suffered from gout, and was in near constant pain which restricted his mobility. It didn’t help that he was quite heavy. Which came first, his weight or his gout is hard to say, but each condition aggravated the other. He always wore slippers, even when he was outside because his feet were constantly swollen and painful.
It is well known – especially among his grandkids (of which he had many), that he didn’t know how to deal with kids. He didn’t know how to chat with kids, interact with kids, how to even keep us all straight. So he resorted to teasing. It was his only way.
He’d sit in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, and try to catch us if we attempted to get by. We needed to get by because the kitchen was full of adults sitting around the table or standing, and the living room had red plastic building bricks (the only toy I ever saw in that house). He had an extended reach with his cane, and we learned not to underestimate his reflexes. Just because he couldn’t walk didn’t mean he couldn’t grab you. We’d watch him closely and when he seemed to be distracted we’d make a dash for it. It was really rather scary. He didn’t know what to do with us when we weren’t quick enough, so he’d give us a rough head rub or twist our ears (according to some cousins, but he never twisted mine).
An inconvenience for the older ones, but terrifying, maybe even traumatic for some of the younger ones. Now I look back on it and see an old man who did the best he knew how, but from the perspective of young grandchildren it was very tricky to navigate. I never knew him any other way. One day when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old, my grandmother had sent him out to put the sprinkler on the front lawn. I was outside running around with cousins when I came upon him kneeling on the ground beside the sprinkler, unable to stand up. I stood back and silently watched him as he struggled. It was almost a reverent moment for me. I’d never seen an adult in so much need. He asked me if I would bring him “that chair over there”. I brought it, silently. I stood back and watched as he used it as a prop (with much difficulty) to help him stand. When he was on his feet, I quietly walked away to rejoin my cousins. I liked him better after that, he wasn’t just the scary grampa who sat with a cane in the doorway. He was much more . . . . vulnerable.
He and gramma lived in a tiny house they built on his parents’ property in town. In that tiny house with one bedroom and a room reserved (so I’m told) as a place to store coal (later converted into Grampa’s bedroom), they raised 15 kids. Gramma bore 16 children: one died in infancy (Earl), and one died of typhoid fever just before her 15th birthday (Dorothy Ileen). Sadly my grandmother and his mother never got along ‘to put it mildly’. Living a stone’s throw from each other didn’t help, and it must have been very distressful for both of them. I’m sure it was a series of misunderstandings and misplaced pride on both sides that caused the rift, but those feelings perpetuated themselves as life continued and offenses piled up – the older boys tormenting their Gramma Harrison with childish pranks. I never knew my Great Grandmother Capitolia Harrison, she died when my dad was only 13. But I kinda suspect if she’d been alive when I was little, I still wouldn’t have known her. Sad that friction and even enmity in families can be such a thing. And sadder still that it can ooze into future generations long after the original offenses are forgotten. (hmmmm, a life lesson there for sure)
Many years later, while expecting my first child, I told my mother I was considering the name “Afton” as a good name for our new baby if it was a girl. This was my Grandfather’s sister’s name. My mother was mortified! and told me that Gramma Harrison would be unhappy with my choice as she very much disliked her sister in law. I didn’t want to bring any grief to my grandmother so I abandoned the idea, but I was curious about the harsh reaction. My mom had never even met her. I kinda regret never knowing that part of my dad’s family. They all lived in the same little town, and attended the same congregation on Sundays. Tragic when you think of it. I wonder how they reconciled those feelings after they all met each other again in the next world. I bet there are many regrets for how they let it go on for so long.
Leland and Pearl Harrison had a lovely cozy ‘little’ home. Emphasis on little again. And it was always clean; Gramma was fastidious about clean. She had iodine on a kitchen shelf and woe be to any kid who fell and scraped their knee. Iodine hurt worse than the wound. My dad inherited her fear of ‘germs’. He was only 6 years old when his sister died, but it seemed that the years following her death were ones of hyper anxiousness on the part of his mother; today we would called that PTSD. My whole young life was all about ‘not spreading germs’. From this vantage point, I empathise a lot more with my father’s preoccupation with washing hands and clean dishes. Typhoid fever is a terrible disease caused by a salmonella bacteria that is spread through contaminated food or water. It is most common in rural areas of developing countries where there isn’t modern sanitation. I guess small farming communities on the Canadian prairies in the 1930s qualify. And people continue to be contagious with typhoid fever long after they’ve recovered.
Grampa often asked us “whose kid are you?”
I would answer “I’m Wes’s daughter Grampa. I’m Cindy.” I was never certain whether he was teasing or if he really didn’t know. But now, I’m quite certain our sheer number and the fact that we only showed up for a few hours once a year in those days, didn’t help. There was never a hint of any question that Gramma knew us though. She would cup our faces in her hands and kiss them and tell us she loved us. She knew where we fit in and who we belonged to. Her!
He’d call my sister and I “Winder and Cinder” which would always make us giggle, and implied to us that he at least knew OUR names. Some days anyway. He was a tease in every way. It was the only way he knew how to deal with people. And he teased my gramma mercilessly. There may have been a time early in their marriage that she laughed at his teasing, but she wasn’t laughing when I knew them lol. He’d tease her and she’d lash out with some rebuke, then he’d respond with “Don’t be mean to me Mama. You know you love me.” It was very entertaining to us grandkids, but I felt a bit bad for Grampa because it seemed he was always the injured party. One day when I was a young teenager, I confessed to my mom that I thought Gramma was mean to Grampa, and that she hurt his feelings. Mom told me he’d often reach over and lift up her dress with his cane – which embarrassed her and prompted her rebukes. I had never observed that important little detail, which may have explained her sharpness when she’d lose her patience. “BUD!” No wonder she was mad at him.
He was also very accustomed to being waited on hand and foot. She took care of his every need. It probably never occurred to him to peel a potato or wash a dish or even push the toaster down. She fed him every meal he ever ate.
In those days 70 years old was a lot older than it is now, and though he never drank a drop of alcohol or smoked a cigarette in his life, he was not the picture of health. His sheer inactivity was probably his biggest problem. From my vantage point now, I think he deserves some credit for holding his own when literal hoards of adult children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren and other relatives would descend on their home on given day throughout the summer time. In that small house, there was only one place for him to be – sitting on his kitchen chair in the doorway.
I wish I had known the man inside him. I never did, but I treasure the few memories I share with my siblings and my cousins of him. As scary as they were while we lived them, they make us chuckle as we relive them. He died when he was 80 years old, one month before our first child – a son, was born. They overlapped for that short time in the spirit world. I hope they knew each other.
Happy birthday Grampa.
My guess is you’re celebrating with Lemon meringue pie. I’m quite certain they serve that in heaven. It was my dad’s favourite too; perhaps you’re sharing it together.
Warmly,
Cindy Suelzle
* Grampa died March 17 1978. Leland Albert Harrison * Gramma died 12 years later, at the age of 88, April 16 1990. Pearl Cora Reece Harrison
Home Canning (and by that we really mean home ‘bottle-ing‘) is the easiest, most reliable and economical way to preserve food at home. It can be done in your own kitchen, doesn’t require a whole lot of pricey equipment, and has a reasonably long shelf life – up to two years. Yes, I know you know someone who’s had their home canned food for eight years (we all do), and that supposedly “it’s still good”. To that I repeat: “the shelf life is UP to two years“. My suggestion is strongly not to push it too much past then.
Fact: Food is Food. You cannot prevent it from spoiling, you can only slow it down. Canning will preserve it, but not forever.
Don’t expect home canned food to be what it cannot be, and everything will work out fine. It’s reality is that the nutritional value of canned foods (commercially or home canned) is about 40% of what it was when it went into the canner. I admit I was super disappointed when I learned that fact, mostly because I raised my children on home canned food, especially fruit, and I thought I was doing the best thing I could for them. In reality, I really WAS doing the best I could for them, but when one gives it some thought, those peaches were in boiling water for 40+ minutes. What did we expect? Still, I reasoned: having 40% peaches in February is highly preferable to 0% peaches in February.
After the recommended shelf life of two years, we can expect that the food will lose more of its nutritional value, which is why I highly advocate not trying to keep it past that suggested time. Having said that, if something gets away from you and you’re into the third year, don’t sweat it – just use the food.
As with any type of food storage, the bottom line is to STORE WHAT YOU EAT, and EAT WHAT YOU STORE. If you do that, you’re gonna be okay, if you do not – you will end up wasting a lotta money. Canning isn’t magic. It cannot make something perishable last indefinitely.
So what’s the point? And why should I can?
Because it’s a good way of extending the valuable useable time of perishable food, preserving good and nutritious food today, to use tomorrow. Instead of preparing for immediate consumption, you are preparing food that you can store for months! Make no mistake, canning IS cooking, but it allows us to capture the best flavour at the peak of season—to enjoy all-year long! Garden Roasted Tomato Sauce, Homemade Garden Salsa, a bowl of peaches, rhubarb to go on your morning oatmeal, raspberry jam – all in the middle of winter! THESE are why we can!
Back when my kids were young we canned a LOT of fruit. When the price was good we’d buy a 100+ pounds of peaches (our favourite) and pears, maybe 50 pounds of cherries, apricots or plums. I’d can half of the plums and dehydrate the rest. Though I did the bulk of the work during the day it was a big job, so it had to be a family affair. Dan always pitched in when he was home and we required the kids to help out. And yes, I got backlash from time to time (especially from one of our boys who shall remain unnamed at this point), but I flat out insisted that everybody help. We all enjoyed the end result of having peaches with breakfast in February, so it only made sense that we all pitch in to make that a possibility. At some point, when this one un-named boy was a teenager, he put his foot down and refused to be involved in the project anymore. HE was not peeling peaches (or pears or whatever it was). HE disliked the work and HE’D had enough! It was too much work for HIM – bordering on child abuse. He was too big to argue with so I told him that was fine, but it was unfair for him to expect to benefit from the effort of everyone else. As with everything there are always consequences, and the consequence to this choice would be that he’d be giving up enjoying the “fruits of our labour”. He couldn’t expect to eat peaches that someone else did all the work to put on the table. I reminded him that he enjoyed eating peaches in the winter. I also reminded him that the likelihood of me forgetting in February that he didn’t help in the summer was next to zero. He may have thought about it for all of thirty seconds, and in the end he trusted me, put on an apron and grabbed a peeler. I’m not gonna pretend he was happy about the job after that, but we never had to have the same conversation again.
My daughter on the other hand, looked forward to “canning season“. It was just as much work for her, but there was something about her that made that work enjoyable in its own way. My other boys were fine to pitch in and participate, it was after all – the means to the end we all wanted: fruit in the winter. Many memories were made in a hot and sticky kitchen on those long summer days.
One summer I went away for a week with a friend. Sarah was 14 years old, and diligently went through the grocery store sales flyers in my absence, as she had seen me do many times. At one point she saw that peaches were a ‘good’ price and she believed they would likely not still be that price when I came home. With urgency, she told her dad that he must pick up several boxes of peaches on his way home from work the next day – which of course he did. While I drove home from New Brunswick with Peggy, Sarah and Dan canned those peaches from beginning to the end. I was amazed when I got home, and kinda still am as I look back on it. I was very proud of her, and I wish that I had expressed that better than I did. I was proud not only that she felt it her ‘motherly’ duty to can peaches in my absence, but also that she took it upon herself to judge when the price was right, make the decision to buy, judge when they were ripe enough to bottle, and then take charge of actually getting it done. Dan wisely let her do all that, and then in typical Dan-style, he put on an apron and began peeling peaches.
the method
The method is to use high temperatures to kill microorganisms and inactivating enzymes that would cause food to spoil. The heating process pushes air from the jars, creating a vacuum seal as they cool. Without oxygen the bacteria, yeasts, and mould will not grow and the food will last a lot longer.
There are two methods: hot water canning, and pressure canning. They are NOT interchangeable. This article deals with HOT WATER canning. How do you know which method is used for which type of food? It’s pretty straight forward: high acid foods require the hot water method – the easiest. What are high acid foods? Most types of fruit and berries. Some suggestions to consider: Apples: apple juice, apple jelly, apple butter, apple sauce, apple pieces, crab apples … Apricots, apricot jam, Berries whole, berry jam, berry syrup, Cherries whole, cherry jam, cherry syrup, cherry juice, Cranberries whole, cranberry sauce, cranberry jelly, cranberry juice, Grapes, grape juice, grape jelly, Grapefruit and Orange sections, Citrus marmalade, Mixed fruit combinations (cocktail), Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Rhubarb
adding acid in the form or lemon juice or vinegar
To most fruits I add a Tablespoon of lemon juice to a pint (500 ml), and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to a quart (or litre), just as an added precaution. I don’t bother with rhubarb because that is acidic enough.
Tomatoes (yes tomato is a fruit): cold pack whole or cut up, tomato sauce. Less ripe tomatoes are more acidic. Very ripe tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic. (Can them before they’re very ripe and soft.) I add 2-4 T vinegar to my quart jars of tomatoes, depending on how ripe they are. Sometimes I use flavoured vinegar like basil vinegar – just for an added flavour that we like. Your choice.
Low acid foods require the higher temperatures that only using a pressure canner can provide. They include ALL vegetables and proteins.
Hot water canning involves boiling your fruit in glass jars in a big pot of water. There are pots specifically designed for this- called water bath canners – that consist of a large DEEP pot, a rack insert, and a lid. When purchasing, ensure that you have room for a quart jar to have at least two inches of water covering and plenty of room for water to boil. For small batch canning, I often just use my pasta pot because it checks all the boxes and its in my kitchen cupboard already so its handy. It is good for all my smaller jars: my pints, half pints and smaller that I may be using for jams or syrups.
If I am canning quart jars I use a bigger stock pot that I keep up high on my pantry shelf, so not easy to retrieve but not terribly inconvenient either. I can process up to seven quarts in this pot so its perfect! The important thing to remember when repurposing non-canning-specific pots is to put something on the bottom to prevent your jars from being directly on the bottom of your pot. A rack that will fit your pot will help keep the bottles from ‘jumping’ around when the water is fast boiling, preventing unnecessary trauma and possible breakage. If you have a rack that fits then go ahead and use it (I picked up a few different sizes from a thrift store years ago). Otherwise, use a folded dish towel in the bottom of your pot. You’re mostly trying to protect the bottles from banging around during boiling.
Boiling water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit, sufficient for high acid foods like most fruits, pickles, tomatoes, sauerkraut, relishes, salsas, and all sorts of jams. It is the acidity of these foods helps preserve them safely without the need of higher temperatures and pressure.
Supplies
Canning jars: not to be confused with single use jars. These are jars intended to be used at extremely high temperatures. Use ONLY clean jars without cracks or nicks in them.
Lids and rings (screw bands): those that are made for the particular jars you’re using. Do NOT reuse the metal snap lids; they are single use only.
Water bath canner: for water-bath canning, it isn’t necessary to purchase a special canner as long as you have a pot that has a fitted lid and is large enough to fully immerse the jars in water by 2 inches—and that will allow the water to boil when covered. You’ll also need a rack that fits inside the pot or canner.
Jar lifter: very important, this tool is relatively inexpensive but indispensable. It is essentially large tongs to assist you in putting jars into HOT water, and in removing them again out of boiling water.
Wide mouth Funnel: sure makes it easier to fill your jars without spilling and making a mess. You can buy plastic or stainless steal. I have both, but I prefer my stainless steal one. I use it for much more than camping – almost daily, for lots of applications.
Utensils: large spoon or ladle to fill jars, and a simple table knife to remove air bubbles.
Clean dish cloth to wipe jar rims, and clean dish towels upon which to place you processed jars.
10 Tips to Review Before you Start
Always use the FRESHEST produce possible – in peak condition. Overripe fruits are lower in acid and are already in a state of decomposing. It is important to know that produce begins to deteriorate IN THE HOUR it’s harvested, so fresh means AS IMMEDIATE AFTER HARVEST as you can get it.
Gather all your ingredients and equipment beforehand, so that they’re at your finger tips. It is so frustrating to realize at the point of no return, that you don’t have that extra bag of sugar or additional lids you thought you had.
It is critical to pay attention to “CLEAN” throughout every part of the process. Freshly CLEAN your jars in HOT soapy water – rinsed with hot water and set aside with a clean cloth cover. Sterilizing jars is good, but current advice is that if the food is going to be processed in a boiling water bath for at least 10 minutes, sterilizing is not necessary. CLEAN however is not negotiable; pay attention to it. If you have a dishwasher – running your clean jars through a cycle should get the job done. In years gone by, I always had my CLEAN jars in a hot oven till I used them, but I hardly ever take the time to do that anymore.
Use REAL canning jars, screw bands, and lids – intended for canning. Jars: Many jars that we may recycle are intended only as ‘single-use’ jars. They were not made to go in high temperatures and are liable to break. They also do not fit regular canning lids which are critical. Those single-use jars may be suitable for dry storage, but they are NOT suitable for canning. Lids: Use only NEW lids, not previously used. New lids have a rubber inner ring intended to seal during the process. They do not need to be heated to activate the sealing compound before placing on the jar top, but I usually heat them anyway – by placing them either in a pan of water that I bring to a boil, or by dipping them into the boiling hot water bath with a lid holder that I have for that purpose. This is just one further way of ensuring they’re CLEAN.
5. “Head Space” is the air space from the top of the contents of the to the top of the jar; it is important to ensure the jar seals properly. Head space and can vary depending on the food (usually between 1/4 inch to 1 inch but on average – 1/2 inch). During the boiling process, contents of your jars expand, and if the head space is too little for the contents (bigger contents like peaches, pears or tomatoes for example) the contents may expand into headspace and jeopardize the clean seal of the lid. Insufficient head space may even cause the contents to boil over and escape the lid, causing a big mess in your canner and again, jeopardizing the seal. You could leave up to an inch to prevent those contents from expanding into the headspace. It is important to remember that even liquid expands when it boils.
So what about too much headspace? If too much headspace is left, the food on the top may discolour in time. That in itself isn’t a terrible thing, but in the case of too much air, processing time may be inadequate to push out all the oxygen within the jar, again preventing a good vacuum and therefore a proper seal. Having said that, I’ve had times when the syrup in my fruit boiled over (having not left sufficient head space) and yet the jar sealed. I’ve had times that everything seemed perfect and yet the stupid jar didn’t seal. I’ve had time that I left too much head space and the jar sealed and times that I had too much when it didn’t seal. The bottom line is that we’re looking for optimum protection from potential spoilage through aerobic bacteria (an organism that can survive and grow in an ‘oxygenated’ environment) so we want to do our best to follow proper canning procedures. In principle, following the procedures closely will leave us with no oxygen in the jar. We’ll know we accomplished this when the jar seals.
6. It is VERY important is to wipe the jar rim and threads clean before putting on the lid and screw band. Having any fruit or syrup residue along the top will prevent a good seal with the lid. When putting on the ring / screw band – don’t tighten more than finger tight. It’s job is not to seal the jar, it is to keep the lid in place while the jar is processed and during the cooling process when the vacuum is complete. After 24 hours the ring can be removed to reuse on other jars.
7. Using the jar lifter, place each jar on the rack in the boiling water. I always put the jars in at a slight diagonal to prevent a possible air bubble creating in the slight dome on the jar bottom. Make sure that the jars are covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Cover the pot with lid and bring the pot to the boil. Start counting processing time once the water has returning to a boil. I usually turn the heat down a bit to keep it at a steady rolling boil but not a furious boil. Allowing the water to hard boil at high heat the whole time, may cause some water loss. If that happens simply top it up with small amounts of new water making sure you don’t pour directly onto the jars.
8. When processing time is done, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid venting the steam away from yourself. Remove each jar with the jar lifter and place upright on a nice thick clean tea towel to cool. Keep a space between them of 1 to 2 inches. Let jars cool 12-24 hours. Do NOT make the mistake of tightening the rings as soon as you remove your jars from the canner. It’s typical that the rings may loosen a bit during processing – that’s okay. Adjusting them while the jars are hot may disturb the seal and interfere with successful sealing. Overcome that rookie temptation.
9. How do you know a jar has sealed? Another rookie temptation I’ve seen people give into is pushing the centre of the lid when the jar is still hot. Their intention is to “finish the seal”, but that is not what happens. The natural ‘ping’ of the jar sealing on its own is indication that it’s sealed. By interfering you don’t have that indication and you will not know if it has properly sealed. It is important to test each jar to ensure it’s sealed properly before putting it away. Wait until the jars have cooled at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours before you test the seals. You may notice that the level of the contents is lower. Relax. It’s okay and it is what it is.
A vacuum is created during the sealing process, by drawing the oxygen out of the jar – pulling the lid down, forming a shallow depression in the centre of it. So what you’re looking for is a concaved lid. * Gently press the centre of the lid with your finger. If it is properly sealed there will be no give, Great. If the lid springs down and up when you press and release your finger, there is no seal, Shucks! Don’t despair. It happens sometimes, especially in the beginning when you’re learning. Put that jar in the fridge and eat the contents in the next few days.
In general, your canned foods should last all year long, as long as they are stored in a cool, dry place. When you open your jar, you should have considerable resistance and need a spoon or table knife to loosen it. It should POP audibly when the seal is broken. If it opens too easily – like with your hand, the lid is NOT sealed and that’s a sure sign that air has gotten in. Not good. Do not keep it. Dispose of immediately.
What signs am I looking for down the road, that a seal has been jeopardized? *a broken seal (the lid is no longer concave) – this is likely because it wasn’t a good seal to begin with; *a bulging lid (in home canned or commercially canned food) is a sign of spoilage; *a lid (not the outside ring) that is corroded or rusty is a sign of spoilage; *when you open your jars or cans and see mould or bubbles or cloudiness, its a sign of spoilage. In all these cases – dispose of the contents immediately.
10. One sign that your jars have sealed properly is the gentle “popping” or “pinging” sound” you hear as the jars cool. The wonderful sound of jars ‘pinging’ is music to the ears of anyone who home cans. It tells you “Job Well Done!” Now all you have to do is wipe up the mess and wait for the next round. Jars that don’t seal can NOT be stored. Put them in the fridge and use within a few days.
It might sound at this point, that its all problems but in actual fact MOST jars seal, so relax – you’re doing the right thing. Home canning is still a good way to preserve food. Because you canned, you can enjoy the taste of summer fruits (and vegetables if you pressure can) in the middle of winter, and you can also customize recipes to suit your family’s taste preferences and dietary needs.
Botulism
The biggest concern of any canning is botulism poisoning. Botulism is an illness caused by the botulinum toxin, and make no mistake – it can be deadly. It wasn’t that long ago that botulism was a real thing and something most people knew enough to be fearful of, but not always how to avoid it. Even today I hear people say things like “My grandmother canned all her vegetables in a hot water canner and they never had a problem.” That makes my blood run chill. I am ashamed to say I was also one of those idiots who blatantly and foolishly disregarded my father’s warning about botulism and canning vegetables without a pressure canner. I didn’t take it seriously in those days and I’m sure I caused some him some unnecessary stress by my flippant attitude. It’s a dangerous game to play. People die from stupid attitudes like that. My father’s sister died of typhoid fever when she was just 15 years old. It was scary and people didn’t always know what caused it or how to avoid it. My grandmother knew it stemmed from contaminated water, and for the rest of her life she was vigilant about unseen contaminants. She boiled their water for years, and my memories of her were always that she was very concerned about germs. My dad was a ‘germaphobe’ decades before I ever heard the word, and though it was frustrating to live with it, I came to have more understanding for him when I realized that though he was only 6 years old when his sister died, and had few memories of her or the situation surrounding her death, he was raised by a mother who lost a daughter to typhoid. That’s pretty life defining. It shaped him, and he helped shape me. My whole life, he was vigilant about foodbourne or waterbourne illnesses. I’m glad I smartened up, but I do regret the worry I caused him.
In actual fact, the bacteria that causes botulism occurs naturally in soil and normally doesn’t cause a threat to people. However, they is a very hardy type of bacteria which thrives in LOW-ACID, low-oxygen environments, like those we create when we can foods – more accurately, when food is canned improperly. The bacteria grows and produces their deadly toxin botulin, making the food unfit for consumption of humans or animals alike.
65% of botulism outbreaks have been traced to home-processed foods. It is not common but it is NOT A THING OF THE PAST.
It is critical that the environment INSIDE the bottled or canned goods be inhospitable to the bacteria by canning only high ACID foods (most fruits) at normal water boiling temperatures of 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celcius (HOT WATER BATH CANNING). Low acid foods (all vegetables and proteins) must be processed at 240 degrees F which can only be accomplished under pressure (PRESSURE CANNING) . For this reason, even when canning high acid foods I habitually add additional acid in the form of a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to my tomatoes and a tablespoon of lemon juice to all my fruit as an additional acid precaution (in honour of my dad).
I no longer preserve in the same quantity I used to. For one, I don’t have five growing kids living in my house anymore. And I no longer buy fruit for the purpose of canning. I preserve the EXCESS of what I produce myself, and sometimes excess that is given to me – which is MORE than what we can enjoy FRESH. I believe in eating IN the SEASON as much as possible, and preserving excess while its at it’s best.
Another reason I don’t can in the same quantity anymore is that there seems to be no such thing as ‘a good price’ for the fruit I used to can so much of. This makes it necessary to be more creative in what and how I preserve, and more ready to take opportunities when they come our way. It makes it more important for me to have a home garden and to make friends with the fruits and vegetables that want to grow in my part of the world. It makes it all the more important for me to find good nutritious food in times of plenty and to learn to preserve the excess of it for times of less.
And yet another reason I don’t can in the same quantity that I used to, is that about 12 years ago I discovered freeze dried food which has an extended shelf life and higher nutritional value. Not everything is suitable to be freeze dried, just as not everything is suitable for canning, drying or freezing. I love that I have the flexibility to take advantage of all preserving options. Click HERE to see other methods of preserving, and the freeze dried food I prefer.
– to review – JARS: YES – Jars that are made for repeated high heat use (they will always have a brand name on them) YES – run finger over the rim before using to ensure no chips or cracks YES – wash well with hot soapy water, rinse with hot water before using NO – reuse single use jars like mayonnaise or pickle jars for canning NO – not necessary to sterilize jars that will be processed at least 10 minutes in hot water bath
LIDS and rings: YES – lids and rings made and intended for this express purpose on these particular jars NO – never ever ever re-use a lid except for dry storage NO – not necessary to heat lids, but I do it anyway
Hot water bath canning YES – high acid foods like most fruits, slightly unripe better than over ripe. Perfectly ripe is ideal. NO – to over ripe fruit which is no longer high acid, but rather high sugar NO – to any vegetable or protein – considered low acid foods. These must be pressure canned.
Processing YES – ensure water is two inches or more above the tallest jar YES – check a reliable and trusted source to confirm the recommended time YES – begin timing after water has returned to a rolling boil YES – reduce heat so that water isn’t violently boiling, but high enough to keep a steady boil NO – not enough water to top jars sufficiently NO – guessing at timing for pints or quarts NO – start timing too early
Removal and confirming seal YES – set hot jars on an insulated cloth to ensure the coolness of counter doesn’t come in contact with the bottom of the jar YES – set them with air space between, and lightly cover with cloth to avoid them cooling too fast YES – you’re listening for a gentle ‘ping’ sound telling you the jar has sealed NO – NEVER push or tap the lid. Let it seal on its own. NO – don’t put them away too early. Leave for 24 hours YES – you can remove the ring after 24 and confirming seal JAR IS SEALED WHEN THE LID IN CONCAVED (curved slightly inwards) IN THE CENTRE.
In many ways it was easier back then, when I could count on finding peaches for a good price every July or August. All told, thousands of man-hours were spent in my kitchen by those who would eat later as well as today. I am glad I took those opportunities to learn the skill. I am glad for all that practice. I believe it is an important skill to have.
So go ahead, can the apples, cherries or plums or other high acid fruits that you grow. Find some recipes for jams that sound good to you, or that friends share with you. I’ll share some of my favourite jam recipes in another post. Find some recipes for sauces and salsa – I’ll share my favourites in another post. One of the fruits I can the most is tomatoes (and yes – tomato is a fruit). I fresh-can them and I roast them in the oven to can for sauces later. I have also begun canning rhubarb – never thought I’d see the day, but we love it in the winter this way.
I hope you’ll tell me about your experiences, including your successes and failures. Failure is just another lesson learned about how not to do it again. I’ve had lots of those – you likely will too. Have fun!
