Canning for Winter

While my husband is out hiking in the woods for three days, my aunt came down to do some canning with me. We purchased some pears a month ago and they were delivered last week. They were pretty green when they arrived so Karen put them out in her living room in a patch of sunlight for the week before coming down here. She also got some green beans for me to can. We started with those first thing yesterday. They were fairly simple to do, just time consuming since they had to be pressure cooked. We were able to get 17 jars of green beans out of the 15 pound box we bought.
Today we planned to can our four boxes of pears weighing in at 28 pounds each (the boxes of pears not the pears themselves). Unfortunately, even after having them sitting outside in the sunlight all day yesterday, we were only able to find one box worth of pears that were ripe enough to can. We got 21 jars out of it, but that still left a box and a half left for each of us to do. We still have quite a few jars from last year, so I think I will just dehydrate the rest of the pears once they are more ripe. They are really good that way and the kids love to eat them. We like to feed them to the girls as an easy no-mess snack at church during sacrament.
We decided we still have quite a few peaches left from last year which works out well for us. I think canning peaches and pears every year is a little overwhelming and time consuming. It will be nice to alternate between the two each year from now on. We hope to get together soon to can some chicken and hamburger. I haven't done this yet, but Karen has and is happy to show me the ropes.
I can't wait to add home canned meats to our winter food supply. I love canning my own items because I know exactly what goes into them and that they are healthier for our family than the store bought items. Even if they cost more to can then to buy, I prefer it. I hope to one day can most of our food items that we purchase at the store now. Every year I learn a little more which will help me in achieving this goal.

All set up and ready to can the green beans.

The first jar of green beans to come out of the pressure cooker.

Two batches done with one left in the cooker.

Karen pealing pears.

K was home with us while we were canning.
She did a great job of playing by herself while we
were busy in the kitchen. We took breaks to play
with her so she wouldn't get too bored.

Pouring a light syrup into the pears.

The first jar of pears to come out of the pot.

Look at all those pears and green beans.
Doesn't it just make you want to go can some of your own?