This summer, my aunt and uncle were going through some things just to clean out or downsize, and decided to get rid of their pressure canner. Mom bought it as a spare, and I bought it from her. The handwriting on the yellowed booklet that came with it said: "purchased in 1977." Once I overcame my fear of the thing exploding on the gas cooktop, I happily started canning my own pole beans, corn, dry beans, venison, stock, and broth.
Oh boy. Pandora's box had been opened. I started canning so many things, and I still do. Just last night, I canned up 10 quarts of marinara spaghetti sauce and 4 pints of peaches. I have no shame.
Today, I added to my conserved "stash" of precious bacon grease that I keep in a covered Pyrex container in the fridge. Yes, I confess, I keep bacon grease. It's SO GOOD, people. If you haven't fried up some potatoes in a little bit of bacon grease in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, you haven't lived.
You. Haven't. Lived.
What do you conserve or preserve?
--SH