Learning how to preserve food can feel intimidating at first, but one now-viral home-canning social media post is showing what a successful canning year can look like.
Here's what to know
On Reddit, a post on the site's r/Canning subreddit showed shelves filled for another year with a huge mix of home-canned foods.
The jars included tuna, chicken stock, cherries, salsa verde, several kinds of pickles, and many other foods.
The original poster explained, "Really tried to focus on making the things that I know my family will eat this year. And it worked!"
Even with the cellar stocked, the work was not finished. The OP said, "Still have all my homegrown tomatoes and fruit for jam in the freezer, saving those projects for winter time."
Some readers really appreciated the OP's efforts.
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One commenter wrote, "Food security is such a beautiful feeling."
"I love seeing the proof of all of the labor that goes into preserving," another person said.
More background
For many people, the appeal of home food preservation is straightforward enough. It can extend harvests, reduce food waste, and turn bulk ingredients into ready-made meals for later. Jars of food preserved at their freshest can also make it easier to rely less on costly convenience foods.
At the same time, a cellar stocked for a full year is not a realistic goal for every household. Not everyone has the space, time, equipment, or budget to preserve food at that scale.
"I can't tell if this is jealous rage or sheer awe that I'm feeling. Maybe both," one person wrote. "Well done! That must feel great. It's gorgeous."
A practical tip from the thread for beginners was to rely on tested recipes.
When asked about "strawberry maple smooch," the OP said, "Strawberry maple smooch is from the Ball Complete book. First year making it and I will never skip it now. So delicious! We like it on waffles."
Where can I learn more?
There are a lot of ways to build resilience and prepare for emergencies at home.
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