Every entry in the $20/$20 Challenge brings something different to the table. This week my jaw dropped to the ground when I saw Darlene’s canning stockpile. It. Is. Awesome. Check out Darlene’s story:
Mavis, We live in Coburg, Oregon, which is just outside of Eugene…go Ducks! We have some of the most fertile soil on earth and grow a garden big enough every year to sustain our family of 3.
I can most all of the produce from the garden. By the end of the season we have about 1200 jars of food put up. We keep it in an old office attached to the garage (along with seasonal decor,etc).
What we don’t can, we freeze. We have one freezer for fruits and veggies, and one for meat. 
The meat freezer is a little thin this year, only one deer, two salmon and some chicken. And lots of chanterelle mushrooms we found while hunting.
We keep the winter squash, garlic, and onions in the tool shed.
Staples are in our little pantry under the stairs. It’s not always a practical space, but my dad built it, and he’s gone now, so it makes me think of him 🙂
Fresh eggs come from our chickens.
I actually heard someone at the grocery store today say that they didn’t know how they were going to make it until the end of the month with what money they had left for groceries. It made me very thankful for our bounty and for my grandmother who taught me how to preserve it.
I hope future generations will get back to storing their own foods that they grew and processed themselves.
Darlene
Are you getting your pantries camera ready? You can participate in the $20/$20 Challenge by simply sending in pictures of your pantry. Find out more about the $20/$20 Challenge: Show Your Pantry – Fill a Pantry!
Linda says
Wow! I am inspired, Darlene! I used to can all the time, but as my work demands increased I couldn’t find time to do it. Now that I am retired I am getting back into canning. Last summer we canned green beans and salsa. This winter I have made Blood Orange Marmalade (thanks, Mavis!). Love this post!
Karin Carson says
OMG, Makes my canning look like peanuts, job well done, I hope to do twice as much this year, have stock piles over 300 jars and plan to fill them. Your a great inspiration. I remember canning with my grandma when I was a little girl and use her recipes and tricks of the trade, ” No Rings on jars that are processed and never stack your jars after they are full” . You have one very lucky family
becky says
I agree…No rings on the jars, and at the very least put cardboard between them if you HAVE TO stack.
Its is amazing though
lorraine says
Awesome… Bough 2 U
I want to do better…
My dream life would be 🙂 to be like you,
an awesome provider for your family !!
Darlene, many homesteaders would be at awe…..
Delores says
That is awesome! Oh my goodness…. I am overwhelmed with how incredible it is! 1200 cans for a family of 3! Makes me wonder how many I would need for my family of 8. She is truly an inspiration!
Leslie says
Whoa! Amazing. I’m curious how much time your garden and food preservation requires. Looks like you are a real pro, Darlene!
I am enjoying seeing other pantries. Definitely getting inspired for canning season (only a few months away!!)
Darlene says
Well, my husband is the one with the green thumb, most of the gardening is pretty easy though once it gets planted. The chores really just consist of watering and weeding after that. Canning does take some time, and the food is ready when it’s ready. I work full time, 12 hour shifts at a local hospital, but as my friend and I say, canning waits for no one! You have to be willing to drop literally everything and can when you have to! July into September is pretty hot and heavy. August is canning on a lot of days that I’m off of work.
Susan says
First off – I LOVE Coburg!!!!!! My son lives there! Just the cutest most peaceful, quaint place on earth. LOVE IT! 🙂 Such a small world.
You really are an inspiration! I canned about 300 jars last year and thought I was Mother Earth Extraordinaire 🙂 It was a GREAT year for gardening. Hope for a repeat this year.
Darlene says
We also love Coburg! We are fortunate enough to live just outside of the town itself, so there’s lots of farm land all around us 🙂
Julie says
Omg Darlene that is amazing (can I come spend a day with you so you can tell me all about your canning recipes?? lol). I grew up with a mom crazy about canning, I’m going that way too, but I’m impressed how much you canned. Would love to know more about what is in each cans and the recipe you used! It’s very inspirational and we all need that!
Darlene says
Of course you can! Lol. I included jar contents in the reply to Heidi P above. Most recipes are just standard canning fare. My friend Cheryl and I have gleaned a few extra recipes over the years, and some are from my grandma (like the apple pie filling).
christine says
Way to go Darlene!!! You are inspiring!
Patty says
Wow! That is beautiful! How wonderful to live that lifestyle. Someday!
Ali says
Wow!!! That is truly inspirational. Here in the UK we don’t have a big canning tradition although we do lots of preserves, pickles and chutneys. Nothing in that league. I tend to freeze my garden bounty but now you’ve inspired me to get thinking about other ways to preserve fruit and veggies 🙂
Heidi P says
Darlene~ I’m truly amazed. I live in Tualatin Oregon so we aren’t that far apart. I’d love to know what all you grow and and what you preserve. How do you know how much your family is going to need for a year?
Thanks for sharing your pantry:)
Darlene says
Well, there is a little planning involved. My friend and I sit down with our canning notebooks and look and see what we have left over just before canning season starts, and try to predict about what our families will use for the year. She cans for her family of 5! A lot of the labor intensive stuff we will do together, things that require heavy prep and such. As far as planning the garden, we just can what the Good Lord provides us each year. It’s usually enough to share with neighbors and friends. As for the list of what I can, it’s lengthy, I’ll include the numbers too:
Jam-100 hpt, cherry pie filling-12qt, pickled beets-43 pt, tuna-134hpt, peaches-70qt, whole tomatoes-24qt, stewed tomatoes-7qt, tomatoes w/basil and garlic-24qt, tomato soup-10qt, salsa-57 pt, dill pickles-53qt, relish-36 pt, green beans-77qt, bbq sauce-8pt, carrotts-91pt, sweet pickles-32pt, corn-63pt, dilly beans-28qt, applesauce-65qt, pears-44qt, jalapenos-8pt, hot pepper relish-17hpt, beans (kidney/black/pinto/garbanzo)-95pt, cranberry sauce-19hpt, pumpkin-26qt, apple pie filling-11qt, pizza sauce-11pt, spaghetti sauce-21qt, green tomato curry sauce-16pt, grape juice concentrate-18qt, pesto-28hpt, spicy plum sauce-24hpt.
I froze: strawberry/rhubarb pie filling, spinach, shredded zucchini, sliced zucchini, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, dried apples, peas, green beans w/cherry tomatoes, plums, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, mushrooms.
I’m tired just thinking about it 😉
joellen says
Darlene, thank you so much for sharing your planning and work so generously. I am also more comfortable with water bath canning, but intend to get into pressure canning this year, since I am in beginnings of divorce proceedings and will need to grow and preserve anything I can lay my hands on. It is such a gift to provide for your family’s wellbeing so generously. And I am encouraged that you also work full time at an outside job because then I know it will be possible for me.
Also, I appreciate the mention of your canning partner. I think that would help a lot, both with the work and with the isolation of doing all the work. It is always nice to have company!
Thanks again.
Lexie says
Holy Cow! This is so neat. I’d love to be this good at preserving. I’d love to hang out with Darlene for an afternoon and pick up all her tricks.
wendyinCA says
WOW! Thanks, Mavis, for sharing Darlene’s story with us. I’m going to sound like a broken record, but what an inspiration! I second the idea to spend a day with her, too, to learn how she does it. It would also be a great business opportunity for her. There are LOTS of us who would love to learn what her grandmother taught her. 🙂
Patti says
Awesome! I so enjoy seeing your reader’s pantries, gardens, chicken coops. It’s inspirational.
robin franks says
i want to learn how to can but dont have a clue i cant pay attention to reading alot of things so is there simple ways for meats fruits and veggies that you have and i am wanting to grow a garden i live in north texas grasshoppers eat it al up any suggestions i will have to have a small patio garden i live in an apartment but in future trying to move back home to minnesota dont know when yet ….any ideas what i can do thank you
robin franks
Debbi Atkinson says
OMG!!! Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Everything you are doing is truly inspirational. Thank you so much for sharing.
Rachel B says
Wow! I love this… I second what another reader said about wondering just how many jars I would need to fill my own family, though, which has more than 3 people… seems incredibly daunting. But I would so love to admire my handiwork every time I open up my pantry and see beautifully colored jars – instead of store-bought cans!
Kim says
Wow – that is awesome. I live in Oregon too. (In a trailer park), but we have space to grow a few things. I wish I had the space (and the energy) to grow enough to can 1200 jars of food!
Kathy says
Wow! Darlene, my Granny would be proud of you. She used to can everything she got her hands on. You are a canner among canners.
LaurieS says
Darlene has a wonderful pantry.
I also have a meat freezer and a fruit etc. freezer.
I don’t have shelves per say for all my canning so it’s kind of everywhere I can find room.
I live close to Sauvie Island where there are many farms that I get my produce from. We do grow our own tomatoes and sometimes I grow zucchini or acorn squash and I’m always sharing because it’s so prolific. I have made green tomato relish at the end of the tomato season, very good.
I love my canning!
janet says
Awesome! Thanks for your inspiration!
Jodi says
thats amazing! And I live outside of eugene too, so even more amazing 😉
Darlene- you should teach me to can! I water bath with my pressure canner but have been too chicken to PC, lol.
Darlene says
Hah! I was too at first. Just buy the Ball blue book and follow directions. You’ll be an old hand at pressure canning before you know it 🙂
Joy says
Looks great! I am curious tho…I thought the jars were never supposed to be stacked on top of one another.
Anyone?
Karin Carson says
You are correct, they should not be stacked on top of each other or stored with the rings still on them.
Darlene says
I’ve stacked my jars every since I’ve canned. Never had a problem with it. I suppose it’s something to do with them coming unsealed, but I’ve yet to have anything unseal. You can tell when you open the jar and the vaccum pops that it’s still sealed properly. My grandmother canned for 11 children for most of her life, and she stacked her jars as well. I don’t always take the rings off either, I always intend to , but sometimes I’m too busy, so there they sit with their rings, no problems with that either unless there’s moisture in there, then the rings will rust. I’ve got thousands of rings, so no biggie 🙂
Lisa Millar says
Brilliant!!
This inspires me to do oh so much more!! Love how everything is set out…. keeping your Dads Pantry is also lovely!
I really enjoyed seeing this and reading about it
Cheers
judy egan says
There are now eight wonders of the world, your pantry. I realize that was sooo much work. You should be so proud. What an inspiration to the rest of us. I guess it is time to step up my game. Kudos to you.
Karen says
That’s awesome! Living like that is one of my dreams. I want to be just like you, Darlene!
AshleyAshley says
Amazing!
Marcia says
This is totally awesome. I am amazed. I grew up canning but just don’t do it much at all anymore. No gardening either. Maybe someday.
Tracy L. says
AWESOME! Just. Awesome. Not only is it beautiful, but I can’t help but wonder how much better tasting and nutritious the food your feeding your family is. You know exactly how it was grown and preserved. I also would like to join the Darlene canning class!!
Lady Locust says
Hot digity! I love to see that real food still exists. Also in response to 1 or 2 of the above replies, I remove the rings (usually, heehee) and I do stack my filled jars (just 2 deep) & have never had a problem with broken seals.