Preservation Meditation

So I've been canning like a crazy person for the past few days, all with the help of my wonderful friend and canning partner Dayna. We've put by almost 100 jars and this is only just the beginning. This was my first time making chutney and I love both that we made, peach and plum. Not only do their colors look beautiful in the glass pint jars, they are delicious! They will be paired with many a meat and vegetarian dish on the kitchen menus come late Fall and Winter, their flavors only deepening over time. We also canned many jars of colorful heirloom tomatoes, red, orange and yellow so far, and later today I will can the remaining box of "Aunt Ruby's German Green's", adding another color to the ever growing rainbow of goodness filling my pantry. Preserving is a meditation for me, I truly enjoy the entire process and sharing the whole experience with a close friend makes it that much better. At the end of the day, when I see the stacks of colorful jars, the fruits and veggies of our labor, I can't help but feel good, deeply satisfied and find myself looking forward to the cold days of Winter when these jars of goodness will be opened, bringing back the memory of the harvest past and the love that went into preserving it.