For this project, I developed a series of introductory tutorial videos on home canning and food preservation techniques. This goal was to adapt a remotely-accessible version of an in-person workshop series I had successfully ran with a community group in my hometown.
My own experiences with home canning began during the fallout of the 2008 recession. My employment was insecure and usually insufficient, and I found that taking advantage of in-season produce, bulk pricing, and discounts on excess or aesthetically flawed items empowered me to retake a degree of control over my food supply. Preserving foods grown near me allowed me to take advantage of the better flavours and nutrient content of varieties that are too delicate to be shipped across continents year-round, and protected me from price spikes and lack of availability caused by sudden disruptions in supply chains over the winter. At the same time, sharing this interest with my peers became a creative outlet and a form of culture-building despite having minimal resources.
Because of the projected effects of COVID-19 on the global food system and on individual finances, I saw renewed interest in self-sufficiency with regards to food. Many people were starting vegetable gardens for the first time, and several friends had shown interest in learning about preserving. Because of my long background working in cooking and local food systems, I’ve always had an interest in sharing the skills I’ve learned with others to reclaim food preparation skills that have been outsourced to industry over generations in the name of “efficiency”.
For the most part, the series was a success. I've had positive feedback on the content and accessibility of the lessons. I did encounter challenges during the production, as the equipment library I had hoped to use for some higher-quality production supplies was closed, and I found that recording the cooking process in my apartment alone took MUCH longer than anticipated. I've been asked about continuing the series in the future, and I intend to do so with either a further simplified recording set-up or an assistant whenever lockdown conditions allow again.
