I Eat Local Because I Can Interview with Risa Bear

This week’s I Eat Local Because I Can interview is none other than the fabulous Risa Bear. She is tThe editor and publisher of Stony Run Press. She farms one acre in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. She retired in 2009 after twenty years at the University of Oregon and holds an M.A. in English and M.S. in Arts Management. She edited and compiled the pioneering e-text website, Renascence Editions. Her primary blogsite is Stony Run Farm, and her books may be found here.

1) How long have you been canning and how did you learn?

We began in 1977, reading the directions from several books. The one I can recall, and of which we have two copies, is Carla Emery’s compendium.

2) Tell us about your canning philosophy. What inspires and motivates you to practice this art?

“Self-sufficiency.” That’s a misnomer; everyone depends on others. But the more of it I do myself, the better I feel are our chances for financial independence, good health, and sound environmental practices.

3) What’s the best piece of advice you would give to new or novice canners? How about advice for the seasoned canner facing burnout?

Don’t go for trial and error as we did — the kids might grow up thinking home canned in inedible! Instead, take a good class like Kathie’s.

4) Care to share a favorite canning recipe?

I like Suzy’s tomato canning recipes at Chiot’s Run. They are simple, straightforward, and don’t depend on store-bought ingredients.

I don’t steam or scald skins off the tomatoes, though — we do a lot of solar dehydration, so we cut the outer bits off — nine or so slices per medium-sized tomato — and put those in the dryer. Then the “naked” inner part goes into the stockpot with onions and homegrown spices.