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Wednesday, July 8, 2009 12:00 AM

Can it!

I leapt on the new craze for pickling and preserving. Is it a money saver in a busted economy -- or a luxury craft?

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  • Tuesday, July 7, 2009 07:56 PM

    It's more than money

    I can. I dehydrate. I freeze. Quite a bit. I agree that sometimes it's not economical when compared to commercially canned food, particularly when I factor in my own time. Some of it is a wash, particularly when I use produce I get cheaply or free from my yard. Got my jars at yard sales or from folks that give them away when they lose interest.

    However, my preserves are usually organic, have less salt and/or sugar than their commercial counterparts, and taste better. I don't worry that I'm exposing myself or my family to BPA or other chemicals that are used in can linings or commercial canning processes. I support local farmers' markets and my local CSA. And it sounds corny, but I enjoy participating in an activity (putting up food for my family) that links me to previous generations in a visceral, fundamental way.

    As a cost saving exercise, home canning doesn't have the scale to compete. But there are lots of reasons to do it anyway.

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