Gathering in a harvest from our gardens and putting up food for the winter has been a century old process that keeps going from one generation to the next. However, for Jennie Taylor, of North Ogden, this process was something she started in her own family. Having not grown up learning about canning or farming, she was introduced to home canning in 2009 by a former LDS Bishop and another fellow ward member.
At that time Taylor says her family would buy a couple bushels of peaches and pears to can along with maybe a few dozen ears of corn to freeze. Regarding her husband, Taylor quips, “I have always said Brent would have been so happy to have been born 200 years sooner—though neither of us knew his specific love of farming until we bought our home in Country Boy Estates (North Ogden). We had less than 1/5 of an acre, and in time, he had planted three fruit trees, several tomato plants and enough raspberry plants to call them bushes!” So, it seemed a move to more land for this family was imminent.
In 2013, Taylor’s family relocated to a larger, older home with 1.5 acres to begin their “mini farming” right in the middle of North Ogden City. They started growing their own produce rather than buying from others. Along with her husband, Mayor Brent Taylor, and five kids in tow, the Taylors were ready to tackle the farming life. Now, two years later, they’ve added a 6th child and whole lot of experience under their green thumbs.
Involving kids in the process is definitely something the Taylor family tries to do. Everyone can help do something from planting the seeds, to pulling the weeds, to harvesting the fruits and veggies. Last year, their little two year old at the time, worked with her mother to learn how to make applesauce while all the big kids were in school for the day. Taylor says of her then 2 year old, “She loved smashing the apples—and then eating the applesauce.”
This year Taylor’s children have developed a love for salsa which has become something they’ve worked on together. “We have learned to be especially careful when working with the large variety of peppers we grow—since we always seem to have a hard time remembering which ones are sweet and which ones are spicy hot!”
Living in an older home with a larger garden does mean more work –and at times—very overwhelming! However, it also allows opportunities to appreciate the different seasons as they come. According to Taylor, “Spring is a time of clean up and preparation; the summer involves a lot of watering and weeding; fall brings the harvest and more clean up; and winter becomes a season of rest for our land.”
Learning as they go, the Taylor family is always trying to come up with ways to improve their efforts. And if you care to take a peek inside their food storage, you’ll likely count as many as 300 bottles when canning season is over. Now that’s a lot of work!
If you’re a beginner to home canning and want to learn you can head over to the USU Extension offices located at 1181 North Fairgrounds Dr. Ogden, UT. 84404 (801-399-8200). There, you will find a handful of brochures and flyers all about canning and preserving food such as “12 Steps to Successful Canning,”,“Canning Truths,” and “Canning Fruit,” among several others.
