before, during and part way after

Before we started canning for the season and stocking up for the winter I had Bear and Milo mount some shelving for me.
This is the before canning look of the basement.

This is the look of it once we were finished canning. And then after this weekend, I had them mount even more shelves, since we totally ran out of room!

And now we know we needed the extra shelves because the empty jars on the right are the ones that we have already eaten the contents from. So as the next season approaches we will see just how much we need to can for the year. It'll be interesting to see how much we can really judge how much to eat. I already know I have way too much jam, but it'll keep. And the apple pie filling in the jar will be nice this winter, when there is no way you would make an apple pie from apples in the store.

A freezer full of our own meat, shelves full of veggies...all natural and untouched by chemicals and additives. Love it. I also love my grocery bill as it goes down and down. Not much beats the taste of them either. Mmmmmm.