Summary: Canning and food preservation is making a comeback as consumers find ways to save money and enjoy healthier eating options throughout the year as home gardening and local farmers’ markets continue to grow in popularity.
Americans are rediscovering the joys and home-grown goodness of canning fruits and vegetables, especially as farmer’s market and home garden produce ripens on the vine.
A surging interest in buying local produce and a desire for thrifty self-sufficiency is filling university extension canning classes and fueled sales for home canning companies such as Mrs. Wages, one of the leading manufacturers of home canning pickling spices and mixes including salsas, pasta sauces, and chili.
“We’re definitely experiencing a renewed interest in our products, even though Mrs. Wages has been on the market for 40 years,” explains Laura Strickland, Product Manager for the St. Louis based company. “Our customers tell us they are teaching their children to preserve pickles, tomatoes and green beans, just as they remember their grandmothers canning decades ago.”
University of Illinois Extension Nutrition and Wellness Educator and Master Food Preserver Instructor Shirley Camp, M.S., R.D., says she’s seeing a marked interest in canning classes across the state of Illinois. “I’ve taught food preservation and canning for more than 35 years, and all our educators throughout the state are seeing young mothers, college students, retirees and even dads signing up to learn how to can and preserve food. We used to offer a few classes a summer, but we honestly can’t keep up with the demand, and our classes are filling up faster than in recent memory.”
“Canning is making a comeback because people are finding how easy, wholesome and delicious it can be,” adds Ms. Strickland. “We’ve created unique spices and mixes so anyone can create their own special salsa or spaghetti sauce. New fruit pectin allows canners to preserve jams without cooking, and you can now pickle cucumbers in the refrigerator.”
- Salsa mixes from Mrs. Wages make for a quick, nutritious and creative compliment to other foods. Made too much? Not a problem. Salsa made with Mrs. Wages Salsa Mix can be canned or frozen for use later on.
- Summer wouldn’t be summer without the crisp flavor of Kosher Dill Refrigerator Pickles made with Mrs. Wages unique blend of natural spices and seasoning.
Photography and Images
Hi-resolution stock photography of a variety of vegetables, pickles and salsas are available from the Mrs. Wages Online Press Room. Hi-resolution .jpg files of the Mrs. Wages logo can be found in the Images Section of the Mrs. Wages Online Press Room as well.
Additional Digital Resources/Story Angles
We’ve found a number of additional information and resources to help you with any number of angles for your story about Canning and Home Food Preservation:
- Pickles are one of the few foods that are technically both a fruit and a vegetable (from foodreference.com)
- The history of pickles (from the American Food Museum)
- Canning food at its peak also preserves its nutritional value (from mealtime.org)
- The National Center for Home Food Preservation is a tremendous resource for additional information.
- Which came first – the sauce or the dance craze? The history of salsa explained.