PERSONAL SECURITY

Sandi Honan of Altona, a canner for half a century, remembers food preserving as a way of life while she was growing up. She never lost her passion for the hobby.

"My mother canned, of course, all the while that I was growing up. We had a garden, and we lived off the land and the farm."

She said that she always planned to can between 700-900 quarts of food a year.

Honan said that she also cans for emergency purposes.

"Like, with the ice storm, other than not having any heat at that time, there was plenty of food in the house. It just goes back to being secure, being ready, having your cash set up for winter."

"I don't believe many people can anymore, it's getting to be a lost art," LaPorte said. After a pause, she added, "I think that it is satisfying to know that you made it, and it's so tasty."