A what?  Never heard of it?  Rather sounds like something full of fat and calories, doesn’t it?  In a way it is!  Had Peter Rabbit ever been read to you as a child or by you as a parent, this old Middle English word may be familiar.  Peter Rabbit had a larder, and so does this PFO.  The question is do you?

What is a larder?  It is a storeroom where food is kept.  Perhaps the word pantry has taken it’s place in our vocabulary.  But doesn’t the word larder sound much more fun and intriguing?  It rather seems that the grocery store is everyones’ ‘larder’ anymore.  After all, there is so much food there.  But think about that for a moment.  It does seem like an endless supply.  However, it has been said that local grocery stores supplies would last only three days in a crisis!  Think about how quickly milk, eggs, and bread empty with a forecast of inclement weather.  Everyone is at the grocery store shopping then.

 Home-grown, home-made  products for the larder.

It is true this PFO shops at the grocery store.  However, she also has her own larder filled with homegrown, home-canned goods that are not only pretty to look at but they are a comfort as well. Canning can be hard work.  No, canning is hard work!  But once the learning curve is conquered, the ‘bigness’ of it is manageable.   Also, canning some foods is downright simple and fun.  Good tools, as always, makes for a good job.  Some of our canning tools belonged to our grandparents.  Jars and collars are recyclable.

What a gift! A home-canned product!

Another big plus of canning is all the ingredients are in your control.  You know  what is in your food, and where it came from.  There are no unpronounceables  in those pretty little glass jars.  They are real food with real value.

Some canning is downright fun and easy.  

Should you ever be fortunate enough to receive a home-canned product, a couple things to bear in mind:  Home-canning is safe, however, because it is not laden with preservatives,  it will not stand in refrigeration weeks upon weeks.  One last timely tip—if you liked the yummy gift, clean the jar (and the collar), and return both back to giver.  You may just end up with another fresh goody next season!   Yum, yum!

We rounded these old tools up from our grandparents!