Canning Season

Canning Season has commenced at my Grandma and Grandpa Elvrum’s house. They consider the canning of all things an extrodinarly big deal and we all reap the benefits of their hard, hard work.

I heard that Phil and Genevieve were coming down to G&G’s house for a training session, I decided to barge in and take pictures of the process. The smells coming from the kitchen were nothing short of delightful, which is normal if you’ve ever met my grandma.

My grandpa, dad, and older brother share the same first name, with the spelling alternating with every other one. My grandma yesterday ran into a roadblock when both the Phils were stirring the boiling tomato sauce. It went down like this:

Grandma: I didn’t know that you like basil, Phil.

Phil: Oh, I love basil.

Grandpa [with his back turned to us]: I don’t like basil, you know that.

Grandma: How long have you liked basil? I always thought you didn’t like it.

Phil: I think I’ve always liked it….[interrupted by Grandpa]

Grandpa: Pudge, [term of endarment for my grandma] you know I don’t like basil!

Grandma: I wasn’t talking to you, Phillip!

At this point both Phil and Grandpa looked at eachother and smirked while Grandma, Genevieve and I laughed together at the mix-up.

At one point the production line slowed down and we were able to sit around the kitchen table and share stories and eat fresh bread that Grandma had baked that morning. My thoughts turned to the coming days for my grandparents.

This was just the beginning of Canning Season for them, as tomorrow they will begin the task of preserving peaches and pears! The jars will get stacked in the garage waiting to be grabbed, opened and enjoyed.

We covet the jars of goods that come home with us throughout the year. After seeing the beginning of Canning Season, it makes me appreciate all the hard work that goes into those tasty goodies! It also makes me hungry.