Date:  July 2, 2019  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |  

While canning seems like a thoroughly Southern tradition, the practice of preserving perishables is essentially as old as civilization itself; in fact, historians believe certain methods originated around 2000 B.C. But more recently, at the turn of the 20th century, Southerners became particularly prolific canners, picklers, and makers of jellies and jams. If you can get your hands on some extra produce—be it tomatoes from your own garden or a bounty of cucumbers from the farmers market—now is the perfect time of year to try your hand at this age-old process.