Nothing says summer to me quite like the weekly, bi-weekly,
or even twice-weekly process of transforming fresh-picked produce into a Technicolor
glass menagerie. Each winter I make a
list of new recipes to try or gaps in the canning pantry I’m desperate to fill. By spring I’m chomping at the bit to line up
my Mason jars, wash up my canner, and break out new seals. When spring’s mad rush of outdoor duties gives
way to higher temperatures and a burgeoning garden, it’s the kitchen that once
again takes center stage. Lugging the
garden’s bounty inside is merely the intro.
Then I rumple my hair like every good conductor and begin orchestrating
the whoosh, plop, clang, sizzle, and hiss of utensils, pots, pans and jars. I maintain this rhythm throughout May, June,
July, and August in preparation for the coming year. While it can be a formidable task and I don’t always look forward to it on the morning
of a canning day, I know nothing will taste better on a cold February afternoon than a half-day’s work from last August.
