Shakin' the Family Tree

My parents (born in the early 1920s) used to reminisce about community canning kitchens when I was a kid, especially during family canning marathons. Some Granges still have them, at least in the Pacific Northwest, and they're used by Grange members to hold canning bees.

I need to get back into canning. We're preparing a room in the basement to use as a summer canning kitchen, since the house gets so darned hot when the outdoor temp cracks 80. We may not have it ready in time for this summer, but by next summer I'll be making jams and pickles and chutneys again.