The Alert Collector: From Farm to Pantry: Canning and Food Preservation Resources

Abstract

“Foodways” generally refers to the “study of what, how, and why we eat with emphasis on food events as much as the food itself,” according to Lexicon of Food.1 Canning is definitely a “food event.” I recall watching my mother spend hours in the kitchen, tending large enameled pots full of Mason jars containing beets, tomatoes, dill pickles, and more. With that, I am pleased to introduce “From Farm to Pantry: Canning and Food Preservation Resources” by Deborah Lee. She has gathered a great list of items for any selector seeking to support both the budding home canner and academic programs in food science and foodways. This is obviously a topic that Lee is passionate about and she has helpfully broken the resources down into comprehensive guides to canning, “small batch” canning, specialized guides, and web resources. As this is my first column as editor of the Alert Collector, I would be remiss in not explaining what I hope to accomplish. I daresay it is not that different from past editors: to select topics that are useful to libraries of all types and which are timed to align with current events. I also hope to offer a wide range of topics. My first call for columns, sent out to several different email lists and posted online, exceeded my expectations with more than twenty topic ideas. I am grateful that my library colleagues are willing to contribute to a popular column.—Editor