Pickling, home canning, or “putting up” is something I covertly delight in. Pickling of any kind, channels my inner Martha Stewart. As an old school technique born out of pre-refrigeration necessity, pickling conjures up happy thoughts about simplicity and home. There was an entire summer where I focused on learning the art of pickling and canning. I learned the basics, made many mistakes, but my takeaway was a revival of nostalgic interests.
I find it delightful that with pickling, I can literally bottle up summer and store it in a jar. I get to enjoy the pickings of summer throughout the year. Acting as a postcard from summertime, “putting up” offers the ability to make and share idiosyncratic, pretty things. It offers hope and optimism, during dark, grey wintery days. Something, I think we all kind of need.