The Joy of Canning (Repost from Aug of 2006)
Arrg! I have to say I HATE CANNING! It is a long and laborious task. However, when you see all of your finished product lined up in a beautiful row. You tend to forget the hard time you had getting it done.
Friday and Saturday I had to can. I had bags of peas and green beans spilling out of the refrigerator. Beets and beet greens were getting old and needed attention. So I called my wonderful friends and got a crew together to help. If I have to do this I would rather do it with friends.
On Friday Momteacherfriend (Sarah) was coming. She called and asked if an old friend of ours could come as well. Hey, who am I to turn down someone willing to work. So I was blessed with two hard workers. We shelled peas, and cut beans, beets, and greens. We had a great time talking to each other. It was hard work but a great fun together. My DD and Sarah's DD played together. They jumped in our kiddy pool with their clothes on. So cute. They are finally getting to understand playing together. I love it.
Saturday a friend, also from my Bible study, Jessica, was coming. She called and asked if her mom could join us. Well, praise GOD two days in a row and I have two surprise helpers.
While I waited for them to come over I started getting things around. While reading the book of instructions I learned that I couldn't can veggi's with a water boiler. I had to have a pressure canner. I quickly called my mom and had her bring over the one I had loaned her. It had been a gift from my grandmother and I hadn't ever used it. G-ma had said she didn't think it worked, and I didn't know how to use one so it just was stored. My mother hadn't had a chance to use it yet either.
Jessica and her mom came and we waited for the cooker. As my mother is handing it to me she says, "Now you have to be careful with this or it will blow up."
Huh? My helpers and I had never used one before and we didn't even know if this one worked. Not the right thing to tell someone at that moment. We decided to push forward and get this stuff done. So we followed the directions in the book, made a few phone calls and did what we thought was right.
We waited and waited and nothing happened. People kept mentioning that the weight on the top of the cooker should jiggle and dance. It never happened. We were huddled in the living room just peeking into the kitchen for fear of being blown up. We decided that it had been a long time and we should just pull the little weight off and see if anything would happen. I bravely swept to the stove turned off the burner and removed the weight. The steam started shooting out. They were shouting, "Get out, get out." I was trying to move the canner to keep the steam from ruining my microwave. "Leave it just get out!"
It was like in slow-mo. We were in a war zone and I was going to blow up. It would be death by green beans for me.
They welcomed me back to the safety of the living room and we waited. The tension never died. We were so scared. Nervous laughter, but let me tell you I never made friends so quickly. We had just been put through a test of friendship and we came through it with flying colors.
I didn't die and nothing blew up. But I learned that GOD likes us to laugh at things like this. HE loves to find things that explain HIM and HIS kingdom. JESUS did it in HIS ministry, repeatedly.
What have I learned about HIM. We are being canned. HE is cultivating plants, harvesting produce, washing, cutting and stuffing into jars, cooking and then lining us all up in a row to show us how beautiful we are. It is hard work, but HE is faithful to complete it. HE doesn't quit or we will be spoiled. Like my poor peas. We worked so hard and weren't able to can them so they all spoiled.
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6 KJV
Let me tell you being a veggi isn't always comfortable. Being yanked off of the plant then cut to size and put through a fire. Doesn't sound like a life I would choose. But it is. Because if I were to stay on that plant I would just rot there. These things that may look bad are actually perfecting me for HIS will. HE is trimming me and burning off all of the imperfections.
Praise YOU LORD for all YOU are. Praise YOU LORD for YOUR awesome work in my life. Praise YOU for revealing to me who YOU are. I love YOU FATHER.
Friday and Saturday I had to can. I had bags of peas and green beans spilling out of the refrigerator. Beets and beet greens were getting old and needed attention. So I called my wonderful friends and got a crew together to help. If I have to do this I would rather do it with friends.
On Friday Momteacherfriend (Sarah) was coming. She called and asked if an old friend of ours could come as well. Hey, who am I to turn down someone willing to work. So I was blessed with two hard workers. We shelled peas, and cut beans, beets, and greens. We had a great time talking to each other. It was hard work but a great fun together. My DD and Sarah's DD played together. They jumped in our kiddy pool with their clothes on. So cute. They are finally getting to understand playing together. I love it.
Saturday a friend, also from my Bible study, Jessica, was coming. She called and asked if her mom could join us. Well, praise GOD two days in a row and I have two surprise helpers.
While I waited for them to come over I started getting things around. While reading the book of instructions I learned that I couldn't can veggi's with a water boiler. I had to have a pressure canner. I quickly called my mom and had her bring over the one I had loaned her. It had been a gift from my grandmother and I hadn't ever used it. G-ma had said she didn't think it worked, and I didn't know how to use one so it just was stored. My mother hadn't had a chance to use it yet either.
Jessica and her mom came and we waited for the cooker. As my mother is handing it to me she says, "Now you have to be careful with this or it will blow up."
Huh? My helpers and I had never used one before and we didn't even know if this one worked. Not the right thing to tell someone at that moment. We decided to push forward and get this stuff done. So we followed the directions in the book, made a few phone calls and did what we thought was right.
We waited and waited and nothing happened. People kept mentioning that the weight on the top of the cooker should jiggle and dance. It never happened. We were huddled in the living room just peeking into the kitchen for fear of being blown up. We decided that it had been a long time and we should just pull the little weight off and see if anything would happen. I bravely swept to the stove turned off the burner and removed the weight. The steam started shooting out. They were shouting, "Get out, get out." I was trying to move the canner to keep the steam from ruining my microwave. "Leave it just get out!"
It was like in slow-mo. We were in a war zone and I was going to blow up. It would be death by green beans for me.
They welcomed me back to the safety of the living room and we waited. The tension never died. We were so scared. Nervous laughter, but let me tell you I never made friends so quickly. We had just been put through a test of friendship and we came through it with flying colors.
I didn't die and nothing blew up. But I learned that GOD likes us to laugh at things like this. HE loves to find things that explain HIM and HIS kingdom. JESUS did it in HIS ministry, repeatedly.
What have I learned about HIM. We are being canned. HE is cultivating plants, harvesting produce, washing, cutting and stuffing into jars, cooking and then lining us all up in a row to show us how beautiful we are. It is hard work, but HE is faithful to complete it. HE doesn't quit or we will be spoiled. Like my poor peas. We worked so hard and weren't able to can them so they all spoiled.
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6 KJV
Let me tell you being a veggi isn't always comfortable. Being yanked off of the plant then cut to size and put through a fire. Doesn't sound like a life I would choose. But it is. Because if I were to stay on that plant I would just rot there. These things that may look bad are actually perfecting me for HIS will. HE is trimming me and burning off all of the imperfections.
Praise YOU LORD for all YOU are. Praise YOU LORD for YOUR awesome work in my life. Praise YOU for revealing to me who YOU are. I love YOU FATHER.
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