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Canning, Safety, & Ancestral Healing

 In 2024 I bought an electric pressure canner thinking it would be a nice way to preserve food. I was excited to learn something new, but it changed my life in ways I never imagined. I had canned (not properly) cranberry juice the year before and decided I was going to dive in head first. One of the first things I made was jelly. It did not turn out well, but I tried again. My 2nd attempt was peony jelly and it blew my mind. It was simple, beautiful, and tasted amazing. I got so excited I made several batches and gave them away to anyone that would take one! 

Recently while at work I mentioned that I had canned up some soup and I brought in some (properly) canned cranberry juice as a gift to my coworker. My boss commented "you can everything!" and she is right. 

I have loved to cook since I was a kid. I usually bake and it is one way I have found creativity, joy, and connection. To me food is meant to be shared and it's how I show love. Canning has been an extension of this joy! Something it provides that I wasn't anticipating is a feeling of safety. I'm not much of a dooms day person and I don't have a basement full of canned goods (though, if I had a basement, I might). I don't can out of fear that the world is imploding. The safety is knowing if the power goes out I can feed my family for a bit. If we are busy (and we are always busy) I have a full and healthy meal I can just warm up. When my kiddo is sick I have chicken or turkey soup ready to go and nourish his body. I can share the gifts of home grown or locally grown food with family and friends. If I want fruit in the dead of winter I can have it!  When I think about safety, I think about how things make my body feel. Canning has eased parts of my anxious nervous system in ways I didn't anticipate. 

The other thing I didn't anticipate was how grounded and connected to my ancestors I would feel. When I am canning there is a deep knowing that I am doing important work. I grow and preserve food from my own garden and I come from a line of farmers. I preserve food from the farm I live next to and support their local business. I use my veggie scraps and chicken/turkey bones to make broth and reduce waste. There is something about slowing down and doing "old" traditions and engaging in the old way of doing things that feels so right. Learning to grow and preserve food has felt like coming home. Taking weekends to make things from scratch creates feelings of peace and connection. In this busy world, I'm so happy to slow down. 

Sometimes as a spiritual business owner I forget that my hobbies and the things that light me up in life are part of this spiritual journey. There's a reason they have come into my reality. 




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