Illustration by Rachael Kloster


lass jars of home-canned tomatoes fill the cupboard over my refrigerator, ’50s icons in a 21st century kitchen. If I could, I would pull one down, unscrew the gold metal band and pop off the lid underneath to release the fresh aroma of tomato. It would be a reminder of summer’s abundance, a buoy against the ice and snow covering the ground and the downward slide of the thermometer. But I have moved out of the house while my husband and I sort our belongings, and I saw no room in transient living for fragile, glass jars.


G


I almost skipped canning this year. The end of tomato season appeared unhurried on the horizon when tomatoes first arrived at the farmer’s market in July. And then I was lying in bed on an October Saturday, ticking off fall chores: change the storm windows, put the garden to bed, give the compost one final turn. I turned to Chris. “We won’t miss canned tomatoes, will we?” “It’ll be worth it in January,” he said. “I’ll work in the garden while you can the tomatoes. We’ll do the win-


dows tomorrow.” Winter/Spring 2012 greenwomanmagazine.com 9


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