Blog of Roger Hyttinen » Simple Living

Letting Go of the Past

Roger — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:55:11 +0000

Photo courtesy of Smoobs

Many of us are unwilling or unable to let go of the past. We carry this burden with us and instead of sending our energy to our work, our goals, or to spark our creativity, we end up sending it to resentments, grievances, past wrongs, and anger. I refer to this as “investing in a mausoleum” – because sending your energy to past events never pays off.

This reminds me of the story of two Zen monks, Tanzan and Ekido, who were traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain had just fallen. Near a village, they came across a lovely girl wearing a silk kimono and sash. She was trying to cross the road but the mud was so deep that it would have ruined her kimono. “Come on, girl”, Tansan said. He picked her up and carried her over the mud to the other side.

Both monks walked in silence until they reached the village five hours later. Finally, Ekido could no longer restrain himself. He said to Tanzan, “You know very well that monks are not allowed to go near females – especailly the young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that? Why did you carry her?”

“I put the girl down hours ago, ” Tanzan said. “Why are you still carrying her?”

Like Ekido, people who cannot let go of past situations and events carry huge burdens in their minds. Not only can such a burden become part of your sense of self, but can result in illness as well. Constant worry or dwelling on wrongs of the past can result in ulcers, digestive disorders and many other physical imbalances. Keeping past emotions and events alive in our minds also prevents us from focusing on the present, where our attention needs to be. Worry, resentment, bitterness and anger at past events do nobody any good; there are no benefits to it and it solves nothing. Again, it is investing in a mausoleum.

In the book, The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle observed that when two ducks get into a fight, which never lasts very long, they will then separate and float off in the the opposite direction. Each duck will flap its wings vigorously a few times, as if washing their hands of the fight. After doing so, they float on peacefully, as if nothing had ever happened.

Perhaps that what we need to learn how to do – to learn how to flap our wings and then put the past where it belongs – in the past. We’ll be better for for it.
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Getting a Life Outside of Work

Roger — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:30:07 +0000

Photo courtesy of mikebaird

“If we keep everything in balance, we are in harmony with ourselves and are at peace.”

Fools Crow, LAKOTA

In order to have a well-balanced life, we need to have an outside life other than our work. This may be especially true if you work for yourself as it is not at all difficult to put all of your free time into your work. I was guilty of this when I first went into business for myself. Once, a friend of mine asked me, “How do you find the discipline to work at home?” It wasn’t finding the discipline to work that was the issue – it was finding the discipline to STOP WORKING that was a challenge.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself, to see if your work life and social/home life are out of balance:

Do you have the opportunity to contribute to your community on a regular basis?
How long has it been since you hung out with friends and enjoyed their company?
How long as it been since you spent meaningful time with your family?
Do you regularly spend time out in nature?
Do you feel guilty that you are not spending enough time with your family and/or friends?
Do you spend ample time on the hobbies that you enjoy?
Are there new things or hobbies you want to learn but never seem to be able to find the time?
Do you get enough sleep?
Do you regularly take time out for exercise?
Do you take regularly take time to nourish yourself spiritually (by meditating, praying, etc)?
Do you consciously try to maintain a healthy diet?
Are there emotional issues that you know that you should deal with?
Do you regularly create opportunities to express your creativity?
When was the last time you spent a weekend doing something other than work?
When was the last time you had fun?

In order that our lives do not become lackluster, mundane or meaningless, we need to spend time away from our work and on things that add joy and meaning to our lives. I have seen the following quote time and time again and it always causes me to pause for a moment and evaluate my own habits:

How many people say on their deathbed, “I wish I would have spent more time at the office?”
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Are Clotheslines an Eyesore?

Roger — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:21:17 +0000

Image courtesy of kittenishkitten

Awhile back at a party, a friend of mine was involved in a conversation with another person, let’s call him Mr. Uppity. My friend happened to mention that he hung out his laundry and Mr. Uppity acted like he was shocked, appalled and mortified by the very idea. “You have to be kidding!” he exclaimed, a look of sheer horror on his face. “You really, truly hang out your wash? Good lord, do you have any idea what an eyesore that is?”

My friend’s face turned red and he then changed the subject. I myself was amazed at Mr. Uppity’s reaction as I too hang out my wash – and do so all year round (in the winter I hang the wash in the basement). At what point did air-drying your laundry outside become socially unacceptable? Growing up, my mother hung out our laundry on a clothesline behind our house, as did all the neighbors. I was probably well in my teens before I ever even laid my eyes on a clothes dryer. My parents never owned a dryer and the concept of it seemed foreign to me.

It has been only the past couple of years, however, that I have been hearing how hanging out one’s wash should be outlawed as it is offensive and an eyesore. I am aware of condominium associations banning the hanging out of wash, but recently I have been hearing about neighborhood attempting to ban this practice and residents are fighting for their right to hang out their clean wash on clotheslines. I was quite horrified that neighborhoods and homeowner associations are trying to ban the use of clotheslines. I have never considered a clotheslines an eyesore – in fact, I think there’s a quaintness in walking through a neighborhood and seeing sheets blowing in the breeze.

I have a few reasons why I believe that hanging out the wash is preferable to using a dryer:

According to the US Department of Energy, a clothes dryer is one of the home’s biggest energy hogs (some say as much as 10%) – it draws anywhere from 1,500 to 5,000 watts of power. Not running a dryer can save money on your electric bill, some say as much as $25 a month.
Dryers are really rough on your clothes, especially elastics. Hanging out your wash preserves the life of your clothes and they maintain their color much longer. I have read that clothes can last at least twice as long as dryer-dried clothes.
Saves energy – hanging out your wash is green.
Clothes and sheets smell better (I LOVE the smell of clothes that have been air-dried)
It’s an opportunity to get out in the fresh air and sunshine.
It’s good for the environment.
Provides moderate physical exercise.
Don’t have to worry about wrinkled clothes from them sitting in the dryer to long.
No chance of dryer fires.
Using the sun’s energy naturally helps us to connect with nature.

I don’t think that I would ever live in a neighborhood where I could not dry my clean laundry outside. I personally find the sound of a lawnmower or leafblower much more offensive and invasive (but that’s another post for another time).

What do you think? Should clotheslines be restricted or banned?
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50 Things To Do Instead of Watching Television

Roger — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:01:03 +0000

In yesterday’s post, I talked about living a “television-free” lifestyle. People often ask me: what do you do with your time if you don’t watch television? I get a chuckle out of this as I feel pressed for time as it is – I couldn’t imagine spending several hours every night watching television. I would never get anything done…

Below are 50 things you can do instead of watching television:

1. Take a walk around your neighborhood

2. Read a novel

3. Bake cookies

4. Learn a musical instrument

5. Have a potluck dinner

6. Go out to a neighborhood coffee joint

7. Learn to knit, crochet or make a quilt

8. Write in your journal

9. Write a short story

10. Visit a friend

11. Spend the evening at your local library

12. Go for a bike ride

13. Go swimming

14. Go for a jog

15. Start a Memories Scrapbook

16. Write a letter to a far away friend or relative

17. Phone a friend or relative

18. Go browsing in a used bookstore

19. Rent a canoe or kayak and go for a paddle

20. Go on a picnic at a local park

21. Watch the sunset

22. Attend a free or low-cost local concert

23. Attend a play at your local high school theatre group

24. Go to a local high school or college sports event

25. Learn how to can jellies, jams and vegetables

26. Grow a vegetable garden

27. Go to a museum

28. Join a local book discussion club

29. Play a board game

30. Go to an old movie at a local inexpensive movie house.

31. Listen to your local National Public Radio Station

32. Watch the sunrise

33. Have a lively discussion with friends or family

34. Have a lengthy candlelight dinner

35. Go bird watching

36. Take a class at your local Community College

37. Join a local social/outdoors organization

38. Play cards

39. Bake homemade bread

40. Attend a lecture by a guest speaker

41. Learn a foreign language (or maybe more than one)

42. Learn a new computer software application

43. Learn how to program computers

44. Write a Novel

45. Practice meditation

46. Join a local Meetup group (check out Meetup.com for a group near you)

47. Learn how to bake pastries

48. Listen to a book on CD

49. Declutter your house, garage, etc.

50. Spend time camping

If you spend a lot of your time watching television and no longer enjoy it, “kicking the habit” will certainly simplify your life. I know it has mine. Think of all the time you’ll have for developing new hobbies, making new friends and spending time with your loved ones. Rather then living a passive existence in front of the set, you’ll engage in more face-to-face real contact with real people. You will find yourself participating more in your real world and community rather than the fictional ones that stem from the imaginations of Hollywood writers. You’ll suddenly find yourself with time to think, reflect, dream and create and you’ll become a much more interesting person to boot. In no time at all, you’ll be glad you gave up television as your life becomes simpler and richer. I know it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.
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A Life Without Television

Roger — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:55:48 +0000

I consider myself to have been a lucky child. I was raised in a household where our evenings didn’t revolve around the television set. I was rarely allowed to watch TV while growing up and whenever I begged, pleaded, screamed, whined, moaned, pouted or put up a major hissy fit because my request to watch the idiot tube was heartlessly rejected by my mother, she would inform me that I will all the time in the world to watch television when I’m an old man and too feeble to do anything else. She then would chase me outside.

She was right, of course. I was raised on a 180 acre mostly wooded farm located only a mile from Lake Superior. Instead of being constantly spoon-fed entertainment from the TV, I was forced to create my own amusement. Sure, I would be bored at first. Then, I got bored with being bored. In the process, I had to actually become creative and come up with something to do. So I would spend my time romping through the woods, fishing in nearby creeks, playing ball with the neighbors, playing with my two dogs, camping with friends, learning to cook, swimming in the lake, writing stories, inventing games with the neighbor kids, exploring abandoned buildings, selling nightcrawlers and worms to the locals, picking wild berries, digging tunnels in the hillside, growing my own garden, and listening to music or radio events – generally enjoying my childhood. Instead of lamely staring at the artificial glow of a piece of furniture and engrossing myself in the lives that someone else was living, I would get out of the house and create my own life.

Being without TV also turned me into an avid reader, which I still am to this day. The highlight of my week would be the trips our family would take every Saturday to the local public library about 10 miles away. I never failed to walk out with an armload of books and would then spend my days accompanying Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys on their latest chilling mystery, or floating down a lazy river on a raft with Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. I wonder how much of that I would have missed had I spent 7 hours a day (the average time the television is on in the typical American household) watching Gilligan’s Island or the Three Stooges? Rather than being able to recite every episode of Bewitched, I have cultivated lifelong interests stemming from the near absence of television during my childhood.

It’s possible that growing up with limited television viewing is the reason I don’t miss it so much now in my life. Although there was a period when I fell into the zombie-like trap of television viewing and my evenings were planned around which shows were scheduled on which nights. Not coincidentally, this was also the time when “spendthrift mentality” dominated my life. It’s not coincidental in that television is the avenue that delivers the majority of advertising to us. The advertisers convince us that if we buy their products, we can be more attractive, more popular and more accepted by others. But in fact what television ads create is an insatiable appetite for more and a general feeling of discontent with our lives. We’re presented with the latest plastic gizmo and we end up feeling that we absolutely must have this to be a better person, a more prestigious person, or a more popular person. I believe that television’s sole purpose is to sell us products and convince us that we actually need this junk. Television molds our minds and manipulates us in order to make us think the way the corporate advertisers want us to think.

I personally have found that when I watched a lot of TV, my spending increased along with the sentiment of being unsatisfied with what I already have. It’s amazing how this feeling of dissatisfaction with our present lives and this desire for “more” is slowly instilled into our minds without our realizing it. Television creates in us a consumer who is perpetually dissatisfied, anxious, bored and left with a feeling of wanting more. Television tells us that if we live in a fancy house, buy expensive clothes, have a flashy car and a cell phone, we will be better citizens. It tells us that in order to live rich, happy lives, we have to “consume.” When I nearly eliminated television from my life, I no longer had the urge to rush to the mall on the weekend and buy a bunch of stuff that I didn’t need. I no longer felt that I had to consume to feel that I was a valuable human being and have stopped comparing my lifestyle to the fictional characters represented on television. In limiting my exposure to advertising, I now have no idea what the latest gadget advertisers are trying to push on us and convince us that we can’t live without. So if I don’t know it’s out there, then I can’t possibly want it.

My goal in simplifying my life has been to only introduce those things which I feel are positive influences in my life. In doing so, I have decided that watching hours of violence, murder and rape is indeed not a positive influence in my life and absorbing myself in sitcoms every evening whose annoying laugh tracks tell me when I should laugh (as if I am unable to determine for myself what is amusing) does not add freedom to my life or make me a better person. Does having an advertiser literally scream at us every 10 minutes to buy their products really add an element of simplicity and inner peace to our lives?

I find that TV also makes us boring. Whenever I hear a bunch of people gathered around discussing the television shows that were on the previous night, I am almost always amazed. Rather than finding these people lively and interesting individuals, I find them and their topic of conversation to be dull and tedious. Is that the only thing we have to talk about these days – what happened on Friends or Dawson’s Creek? Are the lives of fictional characters really relevant to anything? Do we truly care what happens to these people who don’t even exist? Could you imagine if the shows we watched featured all of our favorite television characters sitting alone in their own separate rooms staring at the TV then gathering together later to discuss the plots of the sitcoms they just watched? We would probably find the whole concept idiotic and boring. But that’s what a lot of us are living. Rather than create our own interesting experiences, we live vicariously though imaginary television characters.

When I tell people that I don’t watch TV the first question I get is, “What on earth do you do in the evenings then?” Many people find it amazing that someone doesn’t pass their evenings in front of the tube, as if watching TV was a natural part of our existence. Think about it – our grandparents had full, satisfying lives without television and so can we. I came up with a few ideas for activities that do not include television.

Stay tuned tomorrow for some ideas. In the meantime, why not create your own personalized list?

Image courtesy of Aaron Escobar
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Don’t Call Me a Consumer

Roger — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:50:13 +0000

Consume: to use up (resource), to completely destroy, to eat, drink or ingest – Oxford American College Dictionary

A few days ago, David from the My Two Dollars blog wrote a post entitled “I am Not a Consumer; I am a Person“. In the post, he stated how much he hates when he is called a consumer.

I almost cheered out loud after reading his post (actually, I think I did). This has been one of my pet peeves for many years and annoys me to no end. I have asked myself more than once: At what point did we stop becoming citizens and instead become “consumers”, or as the dictionary defines it “one who eats, drinks, or ingests.” Personally, I have always found the term consumer to be insulting. What the term basically says, is that all I am to you is one who eats, drinks and ingests..and destroys. Well, I feel that I am much more than that!

As David states in his post “Shopping does not define who I am, nor do I enjoy being labeled as something other than what I actually am.” This hits it right on the head – calling us a consumer is saying that our main worth (or only worth?) is our ability to spend money on material goods. Maybe that’s why I find this term to be so stinging.

Our media attempts to teach us that the only respectable focus for one’s life energy is the accumulation of goods –and perhaps to even ingrain this sort of thinking even further within us, we have been given the label “consumer”, as if kindly point out to us that this is our purpose in life.

While it is true that we need to purchase items such as food, gasoline, and clothing, calling us a consumers because we do so is degrading and insulting. We make purchases to stay alive, to stay warm, to take care of our family but this act by no means defines who we are. David points out that buying necessities “does not make me a consumer but rather a human contributor to society”. When thinking about “what you are” or “who you are”, things like brother, friend, volunteer, lover, writer, parent, blogger, volunteer, etc. come to mind. Consumer never makes the list.

I’m with David on this one. I will answer to a lot of things. Consumer is not one of them.
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Supporting Your Local Establishments

Roger — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:32:18 +0000

The other day, I went to see a movie at the Fox Bay – a local, independently owned theater. I love going there because not only is it simply a movie theater, but it also features a full-service sit down menu – pizza, salads, sandwiches as well as full bar. Shortly before the movie starts, a server comes by to take your order and your food is delivered not long after the movie begins. It’s my idea of a dinner and a movie.

After my last visit there, I thought about how places like this are a dying breed – there are just a handful of them around anymore. Slowly the independents – the Ma and Pa establishments – get pushed out by the huge chains and then what do we end up with? A town that looks like every other town. Cardboard cutouts.

While traveling, you can get off at practically any exit and find that the town is practically identical to the one at the previous exit, complete with a McDonald’s, KFC, Wendy’s, Cousins, etc. More and more the small towns in America are starting to look identical to each other as the independents disappear and are replaced with the same old boring chains.

For this reason, I make it a point to frequent locally owned business whenever I can and will rarely dine at a fast-food joint or a restaurant chain. By supporting the independent businesses, we can help to ensure that the personality and charm of our towns doesn’t disappear. It is not the corporate chains but rather the local businesses that make our towns unique and interesting. I have been in plenty of towns where there is a noticeable absence of independently-owned business and they feel cold, sterile and generic. The sad thing is, is that these sorts of towns – those that consist almost exclusively of corporate chains – is quickly becoming the norm and not the exception.

Thus, it behooves us to try to support our local businesses – to help keep our towns interesting, vibrant and alive. I’m personally thankful that there is still a place or two where I can enjoy a cocktail, dinner and a movie – without having to leave my chair.
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Importance of Walking

Roger — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:27:26 +0000

Image courtesy of sk12

As I mentioned in a previous post, I drive very little by choice so I spend a lot of time walking. Today, the sun was shining and the temperature climbed above 32 degrees for the first time in a month so I bundled up and headed out for a seven mile walk.

I usually try to get out daily for a walk, weather permitting as I feel it is one of the most therapeutic forms of exercise you can do. Not only is it easy to do but there is no need for any expensive workout equipment or gym memberships – all that is required is a good pair of walking shoes.

Studies have indicated that walking helps reduce the risk of heart disease, helps ease arthritis pain and reduce levels of stress and anxiety. I find that it especially helps relive depression in the darker, winter months when many people are prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Walking can also help prevent osteoporosis – a common disease that causes bone loss, leading to skeletal fractures, height loss and pain. The key to preventing the disease is to get enough vitamin D and calcium – and the most natural way to get vitamin D is to expose your skin to sunlight several times a week (you will also need to make sure you receive the recommended level of calcium as well).

In addition to the physical benefits of walking, I have found that it can help your creativity. I get some of my best ideas and inspiration while I’m out taking a walk. Most of the time, our mind is so cluttered with what it next on our to-do list, that we don’t allow ourselves the opportunity to generate ideas and and to just simply contemplate. As we walk in sunlight and fresh air, the mind tends to clear and often inspiration is right around the corner. In fact, Julia Cameron, the author of The Artists Way, has incorporated a 20 minute walk, several times a day into her creativity program. You just might be surprised by what pops into your head while you’re out taking a stroll.

Below are just a few benefits of walking:

Reduced risk of heart attack
Reduced risk of stroke
Reduced risk high blood pressure
Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
Helps prevent obesity
Increased level of fitness
Reduced risk of osteoporosis
Reduced stress and anxiety
Increase levels of creativity and inspiration
Improved quality of life
Increased levels of clarity
More appreciation for our natural world
Increased feeling of connection to the natural world
Increased longevity
Better levels of sleep at night
Continued mobility as we age
Reduced traffic congestion

Walking just 30 minutes a day can improved your overall outlook and the quality of your life. And by keeping yourself in good health, you increase your chances of remaining independent and mobile as you age.
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Growing Up Simple

Roger — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:56:23 +0000

Photo Courtesy of Katie@!

I remember a particular day last summer where I had spent the entire day making bread and canning. My kitchen shelves were lined with raspberry jam, applesauce, bread and butter pickles and there were four loaves of bread cooling on the kitchen table. In the living room, the soft glow of an oil lamp provided a dim and comfortable light. A friend of mine stopped by in the evening for a visit and as we were in the kitchen pouring coffee, she said to me, “You’re like – a 19th century who is stuck out of his time. You don’t drive, you can all of this food, you bake everything under the sun from scratch no less, and you’re always out camping or doing something outdoorsy. And then there’s this whole simplicity things of yours….”

I got a chuckle out of that. I suppose it does strike some people as strange that a relatively young man would spend his Saturday making bread and jam. To many people, the concept of canning one’s own food or baking homemade bread is so foreign to them that they would never contemplate doing such things themselves. Maybe they just didn’t have the type of childhood that I did. Even though I spent many years as a young man caught up in the whirlwind of consumerism and working myself to death trying to make money, living a simple life was not anything new to me.

I was lucky enough to have grown up on a farm, a mile down a dirt road. I learned to can and bake from my mother. We always had a huge vegetable garden, as well as usually plush patches of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.

As blackberries grew wild on our farm, we would go out scouting for them, containers in hand, and hoping that we wouldn’t run into a bear who might be miffed that we were out there attempting to steal his favorite food. My mother spent a majority of her summer just trying to keep up with canning the abundant harvest from the farm. Her large canner filled with water was almost constantly boiling and the smell of fresh fruit and vegetables seasoned the kitchen.

Photo courtesy of JonF119

Additionally, there was either a freshly baked pie (apple or raspberry were my favorites) or an elaborately decorated cake on the counter – because you never knew when company might drop by.

We were allowed to watch only a minimal amount of television and things like Game Boy, Nintendo and Play Station didn’t exist yet (thank goodness!). So rather than waste our time on mindless pursuits such as those, we had to amuse ourselves in different ways. I got to help my mother put up jams and jellies and assist her with baking. We swam in the nearby lake, fished in the creeks that ran through our woods, biked to the neighbors, or camped along the lakeshore. During the winter in the evenings, our entire family would strap on snowshoes and venture out for a moonlight walk on our 180 acres.

I remember even as a kid the peaceful, serene feeling that would come over me as we walked together in the fresh air and moonlight, with the only sound one could hear for miles being our snowshoes as they crunched on top of the crusty snow. Upon arriving home, our faces would be rosy red from our chilly night excursion and we’d all sit around the kitchen table for a snack of freshly baked pie made with the previous summer’s frozen raspberries or blackberries and a glass of ice cold milk from our neighbor’s dairy farm.

But as I rapidly approached adolescence, I couldn’t wait to leave. I convinced myself that I hated living on the farm and was tired of being “backwards” and a “country hick.” I wanted to go to the city, lead an interesting life and make lots of money. I certainly didn’t want to spend my life canning vegetables and baking bread. So leave I did. Few of my friends knew that I was a farmboy and was embarrassed if anyone found out. After I left the farm, I took the typical American route and soon found myself to be overworked, overspent and downright exhausted. I guess the old adage is true – be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. It’s funny what we have to go through to realize that the grass, in fact, is not greener on the other side. It took me several years of living the American Nightmare to decide that it was time for me to simplify my life and get back to the basics. In other words, it was time for me to recapture those days of my youth.

I was lucky that I had such a rich, rewarding childhood. It was a way of life that was easy for me to go back to. But I worry about today’s kids. What kinds of memories will they have from their childhood? Will they remember mom and dad exhaustedly dragging themselves into the house at the end of the day, and throwing a bag of McDonald’s hamburgers down on the table? Or hastily tossing some box mix of processed food in a pot then piling it on their kid’s plates?

A former coworker of mine with a family once confessed to me that she NEVER cooks. “I just don’t have the time with working 40 plus hours a week, bringing the girls back and forth to volleyball practice, etc. Plus I’ve never really into the whole cooking thing.” I couldn’t help but wonder what on earth her kids eat if neither of their parents cook. Fast food every night? The mere thought of it makes me shudder.

Photo courtesy of Per Ola Wiberg (Powi)

I couldn’t imagine not having the simple childhood that I did. Childhood is suppose to be a time for fun – a time of simplicity – a time that we should be able to look back upon with nostalgia in our adulthood. My childhood taught me the values of simple living and how much more rewarding it is than living a lifestyle based on consumerism and making money. I may seem to some like “a 19th century man living in the 21st” but why? Are the ways of natural living and simplicity so lost for people that making homemade food is now considered eccentric or out of the ordinary?

When today’s youth gets to the point where they want to slow down and scale back, I just hope they have a point of reference at which to start. From being raised by parents whose whole lives revolved around simple living, it was easier for me to escape the insanity of today’s hustle and bustle world and slow down, than it might be for someone who didn’t have the fortunate childhood that I had – and doesn’t possess the nostalgic childhood memories of a time more simple.
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Canning is Not as Difficult as You May Think

Roger — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:22:40 +0000

As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing like being able to go into my basement in the middle of January and retrieve a jar of raspberry or strawberry jam that I had made myself. Just because you live in a city, doesn’t mean you can’t can your own fruits and vegetables.

A few years back, I put in a few raspberry plants and they produce enough berries for about 32 jars of jam as well as numerous pies. I also drive out to a nearby farm (20-30 miles away) to pick strawberries when then become available. I then spend the rest of the day canning my harvest. If you have no berry or vegetable farms near you, Farmers Markets are also a good source for fresh fruit and vegetables.

When Christmas or birthdays arrive, rather than buy my loved ones the latest plastic trinket from a department store, they usually get a basket filled with homemade jams, jellies, chutneys, relishes, pickles and applesauce.

Many people are intimidated by the whole idea of canning but once you get a few basic concepts down, it’s not difficult at all. There are two basic types of foods – high acids and low acids. Most vegetables are low acids while your fruits (tomatoes included) are considered to be high acid foods. High acid foods are typically processed in a boiling water bath whereas it is essential that low acid foods be processed using the steam pressure canner method. I will only be talking about high acid canning in this post.

ITEMS YOU WILL NEED TO GET STARTED

1. Boiling water bath canner

This looks like a huge pot that contains a metal basket upon which you place your filled jars for processing. The basket is used to keep your jars off of the bottom of your kettle and away from each other so they don’t break during the boiling process. You can find boiling water bath canners at many hardware stores or places like Home Depot or Menard’s.

2. Canning Jars

You will need glass canning jars or Mason jars as some people refer to them. The two most popular brands are Kerr and Ball and most recipes call for either a half pint, pint or quart jar. They come in a variety of styles including rather fancy jars which are perfect for gift giving. One important note: YOU MUST NOT USE COMMERCIAL SINGLE-PURPOSE JARS. By these I mean jars in which comes mayonnaise, pickles, peanut butter or any other jar which is used to package commercial foods. Because of the variety of sizes of the width of the jars as well as possible invisible scratches on the rim which occur during packaging, it is very likely that your lids will not seal properly. Additionally, a commercials jar tend to break during boiling water processing. Thus, you should only use jars that are specifically intended for home canning. Before filling with hot fruit, jars should be sterilized in boiling water for 10 minutes.

3. Caps and Lids

Canning lids come in two pieces: The rings (or bands) and the vacuum lid. The vacuum lid is placed on the mouth of the jar so the rubber part (sealing compound) of the vacuum lid rests on the rim. The ring is then screwed on by hand on the jar so that it is snug. Be careful not to overtighten the ring. Tools such as a wrench or other device should not be used. Hand-tightening the lid just until you have no more give is the right amount. Before placing the vacuum lids on the jars, they must be simmered in hot water (180 degrees).

4. Kitchen Tongs

I use metal kitchen tongs to easily grasp my lids from my saucepan of hot water and place them on the jars. Extreme care should be taken to avoid scratching the lids while removing them from your saucepan.

5. Jar Lifter

A jar lifter is used to remove your jars from the boiling bath canner. They should be rubber coated with heat resistant handles. The rubber coating helps prevent jars from slipping while removing them from the canner. You can find a jar lifter wherever canning supplies are sold. They look similar to tongs except that they open wide enough to accommodate a canning jar.

6. Large Stock Pot

You will need a big pot for preparing your fruit.

7. Basic kitchen supplies

You will need other basic kitchen supplies such as measuring cups, colander, ladle, knives, wooden spoons (for stirring), a chef’s thermometer (for testing the temperature of your water), and a rubber spatula (used for releasing air bubbles from the jar without the risk of scratching your jars).

RASPBERRY JAM STEP-BY-STEP

In this example, I will provide step-by-step instructions for making raspberry jam. With the exception of the ingredients for this particular recipe, the steps are basically the same for most jam, jelly and chutney recipes.

Ingredients:

2 quarts of raspberries, washed and drained.
1/3 cup water
1 tbl of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbl of fresh lemon peel
1 package of powdered pectin
6 cups of sugar

Makes about 6 pints

1. Visually examine each jar for nicks or scratches. If jar is defective, do not use it.

2. Wash jars, lids and rings in hot soapy water. Rinse.

3. Place jars in large pot filled with water. Jars must boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. Leave jars in hot water until ready for use.

4. Place lids in small saucepan filled with water. Simmer until temperature reaches 180 degrees. DO NOT BOIL LIDS.

5. Fill canner with enough water to cover jars by about 2 or 3 inches. Give water enough time to get near boiling point before cooking your fruit.

6. Combine raspberries, water, lemon juice, peel and pectin in a large sauce pot. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and stir frequently.

7. Stir in sugar. Bring again to rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute.

8. By this time, your lids should be 180 degrees and your canner water near boiling.

9. Using a ladle and funnel, pour fruit mixture into hot jars, leaving about ¼ inch head room.

10. Run your rubber spatula gently between fruit and jar to release any air bubbles, if necessary.

11. Wipe any spillage on the top and threads of jar with a damp cloth.

12. Remove lid from saucepan with tongs and place on rim of jar, lining up the rubber sealing compound with rim. Retrieve ring and screw on evenly and firmly.

13. As each jar is filled, stand it on the rack in the canner. Water in canner should be hot, but not yet boiling. If needed, add more water so that jars are covered by 2-3 inches.

14. Repeat process for rest of jars. When all your jars are filled, bring the water in your canner to a full boil and process for 10 minutes.

15. After 10 minutes, remove jars from canner and place on counter top.

After jars are removed and begin to cool, a vacuum inside the jar will pull the lid down in the center so that there will be a slight indentation and seal the lid onto the jar. As jars begin to seal, you will hear a slight pinging sound. This is a good thing – this means that your jars are now vacuum sealed and your food will keep for a long time in a dry place. Within 24 hours, all of your jars should be sealed. To test if your jars have sealed, press in the center of the lid. If it pings as you press and is not concave, your jar did not seal properly and the product should be used immediately.

A NOTE ABOUT PECTIN

Pectin is a natural substance and it is this material which causes jams and jellies to gel. I use a brand called Sure-Jell but there are other brands available as well. Many fruit jam and jelly recipes call for the addition of pectin. Some fruit contains more natural pectin than others and underripe fruit contains more pectin than ripe or overripe fruit. Strawberries, for example, contain a lot of natural pectin and most recipes for strawberry jam require that no additional pectin be added. To make sure that your strawberry jam has enough natural pectin so that it will properly gel, about ¼ of your strawberries should be slightly underripe. This will ensure your jam will gel as expected.

There are two types of pectin: liquid or powdered. Note that these are not interchangeable so whichever type is called for in the recipe should be used. I have found that most jams, jellies or chutneys using cranberries will invariably call for liquid pectin.

IN CONCLUSION

I hope this will help in getting you started. For a great book with easy instructions and excellent recipes, I recommend the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. It serves as a great starting point for the beginning canner and a fantastic reference and cookbook for the experienced one.

Happy Canning!
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