What’s in your pantry? Your family’s food stores probably include cans of food, such as beans, tomatoes, or even pineapple. These days, a growing number of folks aren’t just buying canned items at the grocery store. They are canning their own food. 

Why? Some canners are looking for a new hobby. “I preserve for the sheer joy of it,” says Laura Sampson. 

Canning can help people save money. Food is expensive. The average four-person American household shells out around $1,000 every month just on groceries!

“I come from a family that canned a lot of moose and salmon,” says Mrs. Sampson. Her family relied on that food in rural Alaska in the 1970s. “My mother canned and preserved as a way to stretch our food budget as far as possible.”

Other folks want to cut down on food waste. Every year, Americans throw out around 108 billion pounds of food. Almost half the food farmers grow gets tossed. Can’t eat those fruits and veggies right away? Canning prevents them from going to waste.

A hundred years ago, canning took a lot of effort. Most people canned in large batches to prepare for long winters.

Today, beginners and pros alike can buy equipment like pressure and water bath canners. The process doesn’t take as long. And the new technology can keep the batches from going bad. 

For many of today’s canners, there’s joy in making something from scratch. Canning is a hands-on activity. It can connect people with the seasons and traditions. Many families pass down canning recipes and techniques through generations.

“I think there is a strong return-to-our-roots trend in Gen Z kids, and I see it in my own Gen Z kids,” Mrs. Sampson says. “I’m thankful we spent much of their youth growing, drying, canning, preserving, and foraging.” Now her children carry on those skills.

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. — Ecclesiastes 2:24