Canned Things

I recently looked through my collection of things in cans. Mostly this is now film. It is mostly professional roll film and some bulk film. I also have some cans of dry pigments and I keep some rare nibs and leads (real lead and some silver and gold) in small tins.
When I was a feral young one in the Appalachians, things in cans were everywhere. Canning was just part of every annual cycle. Every season had its harvest, preparation and storage. Every home had pantries and cupboards full of Ball and Mason jars.
My Mom, grandmothers, aunts and great aunts and neighbors - and all the grand neighborhood - county-wide - was involved. Vegetables, fruits and even meats were preserved. Some canning was done on a family basis and some was done by church, club or community.
During the less productive months or in times of crisis, people would draw on what they had preserved.
Everyone helped. However, I speak for myself here. I have not planted a damn green bean in 40 years and I have not snapped nor canned one either. Rarely do I eat one. The memory of a large lap full of green beans and the prospect of having to sort, clean and snap them makes the current green bean swell and sour in my mouth and hang in my throat.
But, back to the cellars and the marvel of canned things: preserves, jellies and myriad treats.
Rows of canned GREEN BEANS. Tons of tomatoes, corn, okrawful, beets, limas, spinach and a bit of everything that had been taken out of the gardens and from the tree throughout the year. My great aunts even canned cakes and they were the best treats of all. 
 There were also canned, pickled eggs, pickles (pickled cucumbers), and pickled things that didn’t need pickling. Pickling seemed natural for the folks. They had the ideal brandies for candies, rum for very flammable Christmas rum balls and some extra dangerous fruit cake that was not safe to have near a Yule Log.
It is not hard for me to imagine that some of that fruit cake is still around and is just dangerous as an unexploded civil war cannonball.
There were also canned meats that might have tasted good, but looked somewhat like things I had seen in the science lab at school - COOL.
There were also freezers - after freezers came along. 
We had dried things hanging - beans and fruit and jerky- and my folks smoked and salt and sugar-cured meats.
We once sent a sugar and pepper cured ham to a friend in Pittsburgh. Today that ham would easily cost about $100. We got a note back thanking us for the thoughtful gift, but they threw the ham away because it had some mold on it. Dumb Yankee, stupid, know-nothing ... Ack!
Jars, salt, vinegar, sugar, pepper, spices, herbs and sweat.
I do treasure my cans of film and frozen boxes of printing papers ... but I think I have talked myself into a trip to the State Farmer’s Market. However, the green beans can rest in peace.
I do love okra now that I know how to cook it myself ... to my taste.  © tim tim@timjohnsonphoto.com