Canning makes a comeback

Canning may seem like an “old-fashioned” hobby, but it could be making a comeback thanks to new media platforms.

Bloggers are using the internet to share their latest preserving and pickling recipes, from Nectarine, Pear & Chile Jam to Pear Butter.

There are at least 25 prominent blogs leading the canning craze in North America. These blogs act as a forum for followers looking for troubleshooting tips or local classes.

Delilah Snell uses her cooking and canning blog, Project Small, to promote her weekly canning classes in Santa Ana. Snell teaches her latest recipes at her 100-year-old farm house.

Snell’s blog was first created solely to feature her eco-friendly store, The Road Less Traveled, but turned into a personal account of her canning endeavors.

“I decided to just start blogging about what I do instead and have that be attached to the store,” Snell said.

South pasadena resident Emily Fine said she used the internet to find Snell’s class after hearing about her at a craft fair.

“It’s something I had an interest in, so I looked her up online,” Fine said.

Snell said she has participated in the Master Food Preserver Program, witch is run by the University of California Cooperative Extension. This program certifies preservers to teach their skills to others.

Snell said those looking to the internet for canning recipes should proceed with caution. According to Snell, other bloggers may not be using tested recipes or explaining how to preserve foods properly.

“It’s better to be careful than throw caution to the wind,” Snell said. “I mean, you could kill somebody.”

Now that the current generation has caught on to canning, Snell said she could see the trend sticking around for the next 20 years.

“Everybody and their mother is preserving now,” Snell said.

One of Snell’s student, Long Beach resident Michelle Cooper, agrees that canning may not be so old-fashioned after all.

“I’m slowly seeing more and more of it,” Cooper said. “I’m excited to know that it’s not a dying art.”