Auntie Bev

I think I first fell in love with the idea of canning when I was about 7.  I remember standing in my Auntie Bev's kitchen one fall day and watching her use her amazing apple peeler/slicer/corer (yep, they had those back then).  I was fascinated.  She just wizzed those apples around in circles with long strings of peels coming off.  Then she somehow turned those same apples into applesauce and put them in jars to can them.

Maybe it's not a big deal to everyone but I clearly remember the experience of watching her in amazement as she made that amazing treat!  Ever since that day I was fascinated by the apple peeler/corer/slicer (I have one now that I store in my basement).  I don't remember ever seeing anyone else practice canning as I grew up.  Certainly there were people canning at some point when I was around - I don't remember it at all though.

My first experience with canning was about 2 years ago when Mr. Crum and I decided we were going to try making apple butter, and caramel syrup, and honey for Christmas presents.  I fell in love with canning all over again.  We're not great canners, we don't can enough for our family to make it through the winter - and I often forget to use the things we have.  But I love it.  I enjoy learning that I can make something different and store it for the winter.

I love that I control what goes into my family's food, and that I save money by buying FRESH foods while they're in season.  I love that canning allows me to support our local farming community, and challenges me to think about how my family will use food over the coming seasons.

Thank you Auntie Bev for letting me watch you can applesauce all those years ago.  You probably don't even remember it.  I was probably a pain in the rear while I watched.  I imagine that I had about a hundred questions. I still remember it and love that you helped plant a seed of green in me at a young age.  I hope that my children will also learn to love preparing food for their family as they grow!