An unexpected adventure, and a cherished memory to remember.

No matter what the government says, we’ve all been feeling it these past few years. You know what I’m talking about. Food prices. But that’s not just it, is it? It seems like the quality of food products across the board has been hit at the same time. Things really aren’t as good as they used to be.

Now, look. I don’t claim to be an economist, nor do I want this post getting into the territory of politics, so please spare me in the comments. The truth is, we’re all hurting, and it really doesn’t matter who you choose to vote for — either way, it’s going to be a long time before things improve. It’s also probably going to get worse before it gets better.

What can we do about it? And what does it have to do with canned tomatoes?

I’m glad you asked.

Canned tomatoes. Tara, my wife, noticed that the quality of the stuff from the store has really been slipping lately. To add insult to injury, the prices have been on a steady rise the last couple of years.

Tara started pricing out what it would cost us to pick and buy tomatoes from a local farm and then factored in the labor that would be involved in processing our haul. It came out to be about even in cost but, even at similar prices for the finished product, the quality would be much better.

With this in mind, we headed to the farm and picked ten gallons of tomatoes. I’m not sure what that equates to in bushels. Tara probably told me, but I don’t remember at the moment. Just imagine picking two five gallon buckets worth. Not all of them were perfectly ripe, though, but they were close enough to set on the counter for a few days to redden up a bit.

Now, let it be known and let it be very clear that I am not a canning expert. Far from it. I know what a canner looks like. I know that it has to stay at a certain pressure range for a certain time based on your ingredients, and I know that you need weights to help modulate the pressure based on the altitude where you live. It’s also smart to get your canner tested regularly, which Tara does at the local extension office when necessary.

Canning is something that Tara learned over the years that we’ve been married. She did it to help our family stretch the food budget, and I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to learn a bit more about the process. Especially considering the fact that she had to figure it out all on her own. She’s a remarkable woman, and I’ve been truly blessed to have her in my life.

One thing I can do, however, is hunt tomatoes.

I grew up in the small town of West Point, Utah. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I grew up on a farm, but we did have intermittent populations of ducks, geese, goats, sheep, chickens, a cow, horses, fruit trees, and a large garden. That was one benefit of living on four acres out in the boonies. And one of my favorite things as a kid was creeping out to the garden with my sister, Dannie, and my younger brother, Brock. We’d often sneak our Mom’s salt shaker out of the kitchen and commit highway tomato banditry. We’d pick the best tomatoes and sprinkle each stolen bite with a bit of salt. I remember it being so delicious, though I now think the shenanigans we were getting up to served to help sweetened the memory.

Those were some cherished moments for me, so I suppose it should come as no surprise that I really enjoy heading to the YouPick farm to hunt the best tomatoes with my wife. It brings me a huge sense of pride when I find an overly-plump gem hiding amongst the well-picked-through branches of the distinctly aromatic plants.

Another thing you should know is that my wife doesn’t normally enjoy having help in the kitchen. I guess you could say that when it comes to kitchen work, she’s all order while I’m a heavy dose of chaos. It’s a hard dynamic. The two styles of doing don’t always mesh well, and I suppose it’s hard on both of us in different ways. I can understand her frustration, though. I tend to get in the way but, even as imperfect as my assistance may be, I really do enjoy getting the opportunity to help her out.

So, imagine my surprise when last Friday, Tara did the unthinkable. There was no way I was going to say no when, out of the blue, she asked me if I would like to help her can the tomatoes. It was an act of conscious bonding, and my heart was warmed.

I eagerly set about the task of helping to cut out the core at the stem point, and remove any obvious blemishes before the tomatoes went under the broiler, then peeled skins, squished out seeds and juice, and then tossed the processed tomato flesh into a bowl to go into the glass jars. Tara did all of the above while also prepping and sanitizing the jars and lids, broiling the tomatoes, laying out the skins on a dehydrator tray to be dried and then turned into tomato powder for other cooking endeavors, filled the jars, and managed the whole canning process.

One tidbit she shared with me that I found super interesting was that the acidity in tomatoes has gone down over the years, so it’s best to add a bit of lemon juice to each jar to inhibit nasty bugs from growing and spoiling your food.

Botulism? No thanks!

Later, Tara popped open a jar and made the most amazing sauce that I can remember, along with a new meal the family loved. I couldn’t help but think about how much I enjoyed the process as we shared the delicious meal that she had prepared. I know I wasn’t a huge help, but I truly enjoyed spending those moments with her and helping out where I could.

The whole thing was such a success that we headed back out on Sunday and filled another two 5 gallon buckets.

It’s definitely a lot of work, but I’m so glad we’re doing it. Our food is made with plenty of love, great ingredients, and gobs of special care. We’re also helping to support our local farmers.

You really can’t ask for anything better than that.