Preserving Your Pandemic Harvest? Start Small with Something You Love

As the pandemic forced people to stay closer to home, many Canadians turned to gardening and canning to preserve their bounty. For those new to pickling, experts advise starting small and experimenting with flavors you love.

Homemade jam made with love

“You don’t have to take the whole weekend,” says Johwanna Alleyne, a seasoned canner and owner of Mojo Jojo Pickles in Edmonton. “Start with single jars, like make one or two jars of something that you’re really proud of… You’ll catch on pretty quickly.”

This year saw an explosion of interest in gardening as people sought to grow their own fruits and veggies. With the shortage of mason jars, people are getting creative with their canning and pickling.

Johwanna Alleyne, owner of Mojo Jojo Pickles

Ana Stoica-Constantin, who moved from Toronto to Parry Sound, Ontario, started canning and pickling this summer. She grew up watching her grandparents pickle whole cabbages to make cabbage rolls around Christmas. Now, she’s experimenting with new flavors and ingredients.

Ana Stoica-Constantin, a pickling enthusiast

“I didn’t know that pickles were an essential service, but it seems like they are,” Alleyne laughs. Whether you’re into making jams or pickling veggies, Alleyne suggests starting small. ‘You’ll catch on pretty quickly,’ she says.

Canning Pitfalls to Avoid

With pickling, the amount of acid in the jar and how you fill it is important, as is the processing time. That’s because canning gone wrong can lead to spoilage or cause botulism.

Peaches in a jar, a delicious and healthy snack

If jars meant to preserve peaches or nectarines aren’t prepared properly, for example, you may notice air bubbles, which will cause the preserved fruit to slowly spoil.

“There was a year where we ran into a process-resistant bacteria in some pickled carrots,” Alleyne recalls. “They would be absolutely fine when I’d load them into my car, and when I’d take them to market, they would be cloudy. And when you opened it, orange foam would just copiously spill from every jar.”

Stoica-Constantin agrees that any newbies who are canning their harvest for the pandemic winter ahead should start small. “Start with flavors you like — flavors you know you love,” she says. “Get a little basket of peaches, a basket of cucumbers, something that you know you’ll like, something you know you’ll eat, and start there.”

Canning jars, a staple for any pickling enthusiast

Remember, canning and pickling are all about experimentation and having fun. So, don’t be afraid to try new flavors and ingredients. And most importantly, start small and be patient with yourself.

Homemade jam made with love