Doreen Jackman and her partner Jamie Bloomfield are bringing back an “old skill” back to life, and people think it’s a nice way to save a few pennies.
They’re flocking to workshops which teach how to preserve food.
Owners of the 5-acre Bloomfield’s Homestead, the couple moved to Jimboomba in 2016 with hopes of creating an off-grid self-sufficient lifestyle.
And they’ve done it in spades. Now they’re helping others edge towards the same goal.
Bloomfield’s Homestead is home to a food forest, free-range animals, honey hives and more.
A workshop, which was booked out as soon as it opened, was to teach ‘Food Preservation and Canning’.
Ms Jackman said the June workshop was so popular that they ended up organising a second event in August, for those who missed out.
“We actually went over our capped 15 people to 23, to fit everyone in,” she said.
“It was very well received, and the feedback was that canning is such a great way to save money, especially in this current climate with food prices getting out of hand.
“Canning is such an old vital skill that we should all re-learn and keep alive and pass on to our children.”
Ms Jackman grew up in East Germany.
“We had to be very self-reliant, it was very common for everyone to have a food garden,” she said.
“We had such a long winter, so in Autumn we would do a lot of preserving so we could eat our vegetables and fruits all winter long.
“It’s such a great way to not only save money but have fresh veggies and fruits available all year round.”
Ms Jackman said the workshop was inspired by friend and fellow canning expert Deborah Polkinghorne, who “has an incredible pantry of canned goods” and who co-hosted the workshop.
“A lot of people are scared to can and preserve, especially pressure canning as they think they are going to blow up the kitchen or they are unsure of how to preserve things safely or how long they can store it – if you do it right you can have food all year round,” Ms Jackman said.
Ms Jackman said canning is good for everyone.
“It’s great for young parents, because they can really be in charge of what their children are eating,” she said.
“With canning your own food you can avoid all the food additives, especially the stuff in baby purees today and you can do it in large batches and pack in all the nutrients you want.
“It’s also good for people who live in an apartment or people without a garden. You can buy in bulk from your fresh produce store and preserve it all – it’s much cheaper.”
The next Preserves and Canning Workshop will be held on Sunday August 21 from 9am to 4pm. To book visit Bloomfield’s Homestead Facebook page.
Do you know of a way your community is helping tackle the cost of living? Let us know via email [email protected]
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