Canning Peaches

Why can peaches while living in an RV?  Why do any prepping while living in an RV?
Truthfully?  Most people don't.  RVs are designed for camping trips of a weekend or a couple of weeks at most.  The fridge is small, counter space almost non-existent and storage space is more for a few clothes and some sleeping bags. Some of the newer and very expensive ones are designed for rich retirees who want to travel and not be tied down to a home somewhere.  Wish we all could enjoy such a life but in today's economy that just isn't happening for most of us.  We live in an RV because that is what we can afford.  We want to take care of ourselves, and honestly, does anyone really think that housing prices were reasonable a few years ago?  When the average worker could not afford a house without taking on crippling debt, I knew that something was seriously wrong and it would come crashing.  We almost bought a couple of times but felt so uneasy that we didn't.  Hence, we do not worry constantly about losing our home.  And that, is peace of mind.  Is it hard to accept living this way?  You bet, at least for me for some years. I groaned and complained but now I'm grateful.  The most important lesson I've learned is "Be happy whatever your living conditions."  You only make others miserable if you aren't.  Learn to make the best of wherever you find yourself and if you really don't like it then work on changing it.  There are more and more people finding that living full time in an RV can be a blessing.  Most are forced to it via the economy or natural disasters.  However you've come to it, remember, it can turn out very  nice.

So, why am I spending so much time canning?  Most stock some canned beans, cereal and paper plates and then plan on going to the store every day or so.  Many give up all self-respect and turn into slobs, never or seldom even cleaning.  I cringe at the way some live but I figure they would probably live like that anywhere they crashed. We want to live a good life, a healthy life with our self-respect intact.  So we choose an RV with lots of windows for light and light bright colors so we don't get depressed in the winter when the days turn gloomy.  For the most part, we live as we would in a house.  And that includes canning.

 Now, how do you can in an RV.  Well, if you've never canned before, find someone to teach you in their home.  It is a little trickier in such a small space.  We have added a small, free standing, light weight, butcher block that adds enormously to our counter space.  Without it, I would soon have the screaming meemies.  But, even so, I have to carefully plan every step of canning.  I also only have so many pans and bowls, once more I have to carefully plan.  Because of this, I have to finish one step at a time, clean and then go on to the next step.

1. Wash the jars
2. Put the jars into my 20 quart stock pot
3. Place the stock pot onto a heat diffuser on the stove.  (This prevents the extended heat from warping the stove grate.)
4. Bring the water to a boil and leave the jars in until I'm ready to fill them.
5. Pick over the fruit while the jars are sterilizing.
6. Preparing a large bowl of water and lemon juice to prevent the sliced peaches from browning.
7. Peel and slice the peaches.  The peelings go into a wash basin or pie plate until I can throw them onto the compost pile in the garden.
8. When I have enough sliced peaches, I drain them on paper towels (I will use the lemon water again so I don't pour it away through a colander.)
9. Remove the jars, one at a time, placing them on a pie plate (in case of spills it is easier to clean) and then fill with peaches.  
10. Wipe the jar rims carefully (the rim must be clean or the jar will not seal)
11. Place the lid, that has been simmering in a pan of water on the back burner, on the jar.  Put on the ring and tighten.
12. Move the stock pot to a trivet on the table.
13. Place the canning pot on the diffuser on the stove.  
14. Add the jars and add water until the jars are covered by at least an inch or two.
15. Bring to a boil.
16. Process according to jar size and elevation.

Then I repeat the process for each batch.  I don't pour out the sterilizing water until I am done.  No sense in heating fresh water each time.  And I only pour out most of the water in the canner as well.  I have to cool it down with some fresh water so the jars won't break but I can leave in about a quarter of the water that I used to process the last batch.

Obviously, this is time consuming and not very cost effective if you only count money and time. We feel it is worth it.  While on our mission I could not can and had to purchase commercially canned products.  That was a terrible waste of resources, (i.e. money)  Hard little green peaches from China!  They were terrible.  They were so hard that the peach would fly out of the bowl when you tried to cut it with a spoon.  You were forced to use a knife and there is no way I will ever believe those peaches and pears had any nutritional value.  In canning my own, I know exactly what I've got.

And the most important reason?  Because the Lord has told me to care for myself and to be prepared.  I know that if I do my part, no matter how small that is right now, He will make up for my deficiencies and that folks, is real peace of mind.