Fine, we can eat the &$^#* harvest!

This title is inspired by my usual response to my partner when he asks if we can finally eat some of the canned goods that I preserved back in June, now that it is April. He is very cute & supportive. (pictured below)

repping EMU, 24/7.

Since I have gotten into canning, one of his small pet peeves is that we can't immediately nom up all of the delicious things I just canned. While I do allow small samples to take place :) part of the whole appeal of canning for me is the idea of saving the harvest for those cold winter months when the only fruit available is the bananas that took quite a long trip to join our breakfast table. We actually did a fairly good job this year of eating home-canned fruit rather than buying trucked-in produce: I only bought frozen fruit several times because I didn't freeze enough and I just needed some color in my diet! I think the only majorly far-away produce we bought this year were bananas (two-three bunches) and several pineapples (one of Sam's favorites).

It's hard to have to deprive your family of delicious fruit, especially when you want to just go nuts and drive to Kroger and buy 4 pints of raspberries in the dead of winter! But I tried very hard to stick to my guns. So now here we are in April, and Mike is so nice and supportive, and usually asks, when I make dinner, "can we eat some of the harvest?" :) Sweet, huh? So why am I intent on portioning out the goods I canned specifically for eating-purposes like a crazy preserving-nazi? I want that apple sauce to last until we have apples again! I want those peach slices to let us hold out until peach season! It's a valid feeling. It is!!

Maybe there's a balance between "preserving the harvest" and "holding the harvest hostage so no one can eat it except when I deem it to be so". I'm trying to find it, folks. Trying! Tonight I packed up a cloth bag for my love with all his faves: canned peaches, applesauce, baked apples... nom away, dear.