Your canning experience reminds me of the canning stories of my Mother. Back during the Great Depression, canning meant the difference, for some, between eating during the winter or starving.
She and my Grandparents would pick a nice day and put the kerosene stoves outside to do the canning. It was an arduous task which she did not enjoy, until opening the jars in the winter and eat the canned food.
Good that your whole family got involved in the canning experience. Going forward into Peak Oil, it will be mandatory that all family members know the canning skills.
I wish that I was your neighbor; I love salsa. I should learn how to prepare it this year; I have a ton of peppers and tomatoes.
Thanks for sharing,
Eddie