Eating Locally Year-Round

So far this summer our challenge of eating locally has been going well enough. Between our Garden (yes, even though it's a mini-garden I am still proudly calling it "our Garden"), our CSA and the local farmers markets we've been enjoying beautiful berries, peas, lush greens such as lettuce and spinach, green onions, beets and now tomatoes, carrots, beans, zucchini and much more.


All of this has got us pretty spoiled and though I'd rather live in the present, I can't help but think of the coming Fall and Winter and how to make this bounty last. One thing is for sure, going back to supermarket produce won't be easy. And now that I'm reading The 100-Mile Diet (I'm really happy I managed to get my hands on a copy!) I'm already quite resistant to the idea. So I've decided to can as much of our favorite produce as possible. My canning experience is limited to watching my mom can tomatoes, pickles, jams and all kinds of other goodies years ago. Since I'm the type of person who learns "hands on", I've asked my mom to teach me and help me. I had big plans for four dozen jars of each: tomatoes, peaches, beans and carrots. Though I've just learned that we have to leave out the beans and carrots (unless we pickle them) because they require a pressure canner (needed for low-acid foods) and pressure canners can't be used on a ceramic stove top surface which both my mother and I have. So, until we move next year and replace our current stove with a brand new gas stove, we will have to settle for plan b which will see us canning (still four dozen jars of each I hope) tomatoes, peaches and salsa and maybe dill pickles (but not as many). My mom has graciously accepted to help - though I've yet to mention to her that I am aiming for four dozen jars of each kind. Think we'll make it?

I've already made three batches of strawberry and strawberry/banana jam which I am quite pleased with. And they were easier and quicker to make than I had anticipated. So really, I am quite gungho about what's to come. Go ahead, laugh if you want. (Kinda like when I was pregnant with the kids and ecopapa and I were telling everyone what a piece of cake it would be - all it took was a bit of organization. Yeah, funny, I know.)