Beans, Beans, Beans!

I haven't had much time for crafting lately. I've been neck high in canning beans! It's sort of a tradition at this time of year for our family. I'm the official bean snapper and my mom cans as much as possible. Canning food is becoming popular again as food prices have increased.

Canning is economical. The same equipment—including canning jars—can be used year after year. Only lids must be purchased new each canning season.

Canning lets you savor favorite foods all year, including out-of-season and homegrown, organic goodies.

It beats freezing: stored canned goods don’t spoil when the power goes off. Most frozen foods claim a one-year life expectancy. But with only slight decline in looks and flavor, canned items can last for two to three years or more.

If you want to give canning a try, check out the following websites:

http://foodsafety.psu.edu/canningguide.html

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

http://www.freshpreserving.com/ -- there are videos on this site too.