Can Do America

Canning was revolutionary, in its heyday, soon after the process was perfected. Canned foods became an integral part of everyday American life. And still are: Canned soup, vegetables and beans, for instance — along with thousands of other items — still line the supermarket aisles, contributing to the quality of life in most American homes.

Home canning, on the other hand, became an even bigger deal early on, and during the Great Depression was the prime way many folks survived. At harvest time, housewives, grandmothers, and children — and even a few men — spent hours and hours canning enough fruits and meats and vegetables to carry the rest of the year.

But home canning went under a popularity eclipse with the rise of frozen foods and the improvements in mass production canning.

Now it’s back. Home canning is almost a craze, and has been since … the mortgage crisis implosion of 2008. It rocketed up 30 percent in the year immediately following. This is not exactly news. What’s news is that the trend continued, growing 10 percent the following year.

Hey, canning easy-​to-​prepare foods serves as insurance. Lose your income? Still have food. Lose the power grid in a possible future debacle? You still have food — and can heat something up with firewood or propane or … burning trash.

Or don’t heat it at all. Canned food is even good without re-​cooking. I’ve had some exquisite home-​canned foods, right out of the jar …

Tough times coming? We can meet them head on and survive. A “can” do attitude helps.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.