Kids Canning

The county fair is around the corner and the kids have tons of canned and dehydrated goods to enter. Even my 10-year-old son is entering something. I never imagined.

I encourage you to get the kids involved in your kitchen. Sure, wee ones can make the whole process more difficult and time-consuming, but it will pay off in the long run. I have a tiny kitchen, yet somehow we make it work. My goal is to make the kitchen a warm and happy place for my children so that when they grow up and leave the nest they will enjoy cooking.

I am already seeing the benefits. My teen daughter was able to can beans, taco sauce, mangos, grape jelly, strawberry jam, blueberry butter, and pink grapefruit jelly all by herself. She also made dehydrated cinnamon apples and two batches of fruit leather. With the exception of driving her to the store to purchase her produce, she required zero help from me. Tween daughter only required having me close by in case she had a question. 10-year-old son needed me in the kitchen with him for direction in every move, but I know that in a few years he'll be as independent as his sisters in the kitchen. Teen son isn't interested in canning, so you can't win them all, but he still knows his way around the kitchen fairly well.

This is homeschooling at the core.