But how do you find the time?
“How do you guys find the time?” At least one friend has asked us that. Now that I think about it, we sometimes ask ourselves the question. We don’t really have a good answer. We often mumble something like “Well we make time for it.”
But that doesn’t really seem like a good answer. So how do we find the time to preserve in the form of ferments, canned goods, and by freezing?
We find the time because we choose to not live on a dual income.
We find the time because we would like to eat as well in the winter as we do in the summer.
We find time because we prioritize food, health, and well-being over entertainment and convenience.
But really we find the time because we enjoy it.
In general, if you enjoy something it seems you can find the time to do it. Yes, harvest season is busy and stressful at times, but the end results are so beautiful and delicious, and they make our winter a time of celebration as we open each jar of tomatoes to make a pasta sauce or pull out some frozen peaches and berries to make a smoothie.
And really, once you make the commitment to eat locally and seasonally it provides a clarity to the question of what to eat. It’s no longer a set of rules about which foods are okay and which are not. It becomes a simple guideline based on what’s available. In the summer we eat it if farmers are growing it. In the winter we eat it if it’s in our pantry or freezer or if a farmer has been able to store it (you know, root crops, cabbages, apples, etc.). So no recipe today, just photos of what we’ve been up to.
September 5, 2014 @ 12:32 pm
Great article Jon. I totally agree with you…if it’s something we enjoy, we make time for it. In Michael Pollan’s book Cooked, he says we spend more time watching cooking shows than we spend in the kitchen.
September 6, 2014 @ 1:59 pm
Thanks, Laureen. I loved Cooked, and that quote seems totally true!
September 5, 2014 @ 1:26 pm
I have really enjoyed preserving foods this year – which is good because I need to do it whether I like it or not! I am getting a little more comfortable with my new pressure canner and don’t have to consult the manual for every single step anymore, so canning has become more of a hobby than a chore lately. Frankly, I have been quite proud of myself and it gives me a lot of comfort seeing all the food put up for the winter. I have been using my “outdoor cooker” just like yours this summer for my waterbath and pressure canning, and it has worked out great! Your pickles look amazing and your pictures are gorgeous! I must confess, however, that I have a lot of time – I’m retired! I know it’s a lot harder for those that have two incomes and kids at home, but having been there and done that, I know it can be done.
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September 6, 2014 @ 2:00 pm
Good point, Vickie, it really is a lot of time, and I know that in many ways our life would be easier if we didn’t do all these things. I look forward to the days when life is a bit less busy, although knowing me I will just add more things to do!
September 5, 2014 @ 1:28 pm
Love these photos! It bugs me when people insist they don’t have time to cook. We make time for the things that are important to us, whether that’s watching movies, going for a walk, reading, going on holiday, volunteering, working, spending time with kids, etc. I find when people say they don’t ‘have time’ to cook, it’s often code for ‘I hate cooking’ or ‘Cooking is not a priority’ or even ‘I want to cook, but I don’t know how’. And hey, cooking is not for everyone – but I do wish people wouldn’t hide behind ‘not having time’ to do it.
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September 6, 2014 @ 2:01 pm
Thank you, Sondi. I agree, it’s better to just be honest about our priorities than make excuses for not doing things.
September 5, 2014 @ 2:14 pm
Great article, as a kid growing up in Saskatchewan our freezer got filled with garden produce and the cupboards full of home canned jars of pickles and fruit!
September 6, 2014 @ 2:01 pm
Thanks, Laureen, and that sounds like a great way to grow up!
September 5, 2014 @ 3:02 pm
Those pickles look fantastic! I remember growing up, my parents, for the most part, made do with a single income until us kids were nearly done elementary school. We had a huge garden and my mom canned and froze everything. I don’t know that she loved it… i just remember her sweating over a sink topping and tailing beans and blanching peas on a hot stove. My brother and I never realized just how lucky were were until we were older. We loved veggies as kids when most of our friends didn’t. I’m sure it was because we grew up eating dirty carrots and vine ripened tomatoes we picked ourselves for a snack. It wasn’t until I tried my first bag of store bought frozen peas as an adult and nearly spit them out that I realized WHY other kids didn’t like vegetables! They didn’t even taste like peas!
And there is just something tremendously satisfying about looking in your pantry and seeing shelves of food you prepared yourself. Nothing like it!
September 6, 2014 @ 2:31 pm
Hey Melissa, thanks. That sounds like a great childhood, and obviously your parent’s hard work and sacrifices paid off! I know that I didn’t always appreciate all that my parents did as a child, but now I certainly do, and these sort of things are much easier as a lifestyle when it’s what we grew up with.
September 6, 2014 @ 12:36 am
Beautiful post and pictures, Jon. You guys are inspiring in your commitment to local & seasonal eating, and a good reminder to me that I need to be more intentional this time of year!
September 6, 2014 @ 2:38 pm
Thank you, Sarah. And that’s nice to hear, although I feel like you are already intentional about a lot!
September 6, 2014 @ 11:28 am
So very true. A good exercise is to track our time for a week and reassess if where we’re spending our time is what we truly want to do. It can be pretty revealing (and startling).
September 6, 2014 @ 2:40 pm
Good point, Melanie. I’m not sure I would want to know, although it would certainly be interesting and helpful.