[CherryFemme]

I bought a cup of coffee (Papua New Guinea, light roast) and a two cookies (palmeras) to eat with the coffee while I researched this great question:

Originally Posted by InfiniteFemme

Why do they call it CANNING - when you are using JARS?

BRILLIANT QUESTION!

I had to check this question out---
(Thanks InfiniteFemme for creating a procrastination moment for me!)

What I have gathered is this: The concept and use of the term “canning” or “jar canning” came about before the creation of the 1810 “tin can”. I also gathered that the French were using the term “can” for “preserving food in bottles, like wine” for generations prior to 1810. People in the USA adopted the terms and concepts.

Thoughts of canning made me re-live my childhood for a moment.

As a child, I used to dread canning time... more than I used to dread dealing with the woodpile or extracting honey . The amount of work was intense. (I already have plans to avoid Medusa during canning season if we move to Ark. b/c canning scares me )


I would always get into trouble for doing something bad with the wax. I recall getting wax on the dog AND cat one year. Wow, did I catch hell for that. The dog was ok—she was a golden retriever like Gracie—but the cat freaked out. I was trying to make a wax caste of her paw. At the time, it made sense to do this. Well, the spitting cat ran off with the warm wax still on her paw and ended up on the carpet. I learned many valuable lessons during canning--- for example, WAX and CARPET is a BAD combination.

Another lesson I learned during canning season, WAX will NOT make you invisible if you cover your face, ears, neck, torso, arms, legs, and feet in it.
(I learned that valuable lesson at age 7)

On the other hand, the jams and jellies were very yummy in January--- minus the items that contained pineapple in them. One of my family members insisted in putting pineapple in everything because it was a rare fruit during the depression years. Trust me, blackberry jam and rhubarb jelly is gross when it contains huge chunks of pineapple. Then again, I may be biased because I am allergic to pineapple.
( Reasons not to avoid Medusa after canning is
finished...hmmm...YUM! can I help you eat that? )



….back to my coffee, cookies, and outdated textbook…
~CF