Homesteading Rituals

With summer quickly approaching, canning season will be going strong here on the farm in no time. Soon I will be plucking all of the ripe tomatoes that I can find and stashing them away to make one big batch of sauce. It’s such a busy time of year. Our gardens (and weeds) are growing lightening fast, the cows are still calving, and our chore list seems to be never-ending.

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Florence on the right with her sister Lillian.

Nevertheless, there is something about canning that gives me such comfort. I have always liked to think about and plan for the future. Knowing that we will have delicious vegetables during the winter that we grew ourselves makes me feel secure. It also makes me feel closer to past generations. I like the thought of doing some of the same things that my paternal great-grandmother did. She passed away when I was 8 so I don't have strong memories of her besides she would always offer me cookies and she didn't like it when I ran down the stairs. However, according to my Father she was a left-handed diligent homemaker that expected a lot from her family but even more from herself. She quit smoking cigarettes in her 90s blaming price gouging. She was also college educated which was a rarity for a rural North Carolina woman during that time. I like to imagine her working in her garden in that sweltering summertime heat and even hotter little kitchen putting away food for her family of six. When I think of her it makes me realize that I am not alone. She knew the value of all the planning and hard work it takes to provide something that you are proud of for your family.

In honor of canning season and Florence Lackey Peeler, here is my recipe for Zesty Salsa:

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For more information on canning and recipes please visit NCSU Home Food Preservation Website.