This week’s Canner Interview is with the ever lovely, talented, and inspiring Rachel Turiel of 6512 and Growing. Rachel keeps a great canning inventory that you can get out on her blog, if you’re looking for a better way to keep track of what you put up and how much you use of particular items.
How long have you been canning and how did you start?I started canning when I was 27 years old, after I had grown my first large garden. It was a rare bumper tomato year and I had dreams of salsa and stewed tomatoes. I called my grandmother for advice, but it turned out she was more involved in community peace marches than preserving food. So I bought a copy of the Ball Blue Canning Book from our local hardware store and dug in. 13 years later, I use it every summer.
What is your canning philosophy? What inspires you to practice this art?
I love the aesthetic of a pantry crammed with colorful jars. I am inspired by taste and frugality and the common sense of storing good things.
Have any advice for novices or for oldtimers facing burnout?
Advice for novices: read the directions thoroughly before starting a project, then read them again. Assemble
everything you need before you begin a project. Shelve any rebellious tendencies and follow directions completely.
everything you need before you begin a project. Shelve any rebellious tendencies and follow directions completely.Advice for oldtimers facing burnout: try something different. Last year I made a lot of fermented products that I had once canned: salsa, pickles, chutney. I liked not turning the stove on keeping foods fresh and raw.
Rachel’s favorite canning recipe is Tomato Salsa.
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