Some people would say canning your own food has become a lost art, with food so readily available in grocery stores now-a-days. But, the Little Rock Cannery in Hernando County is keeping the tradition alive in the Bay Area.

"Across the county more canneries are opening, and it's that grass roots movement also that everybody is looking to eat healthier," Cannery Manager Kathi Comandi said.

  • Little Rock Cannery located on Citrus Way in Brooksville
  • It closed a few years ago but is back in business
  • The cannery is one of just a handful in Florida

It's certainly not a quiet task, but one more and more people in the area are undertaking. The cannery did close a few years ago, but now is back on its feet with about a hundred dedicated members.

"People of that younger generation are now going back to eating healthier. So that's perfect for the cannery because we're the end of the line. You go and pick it, and you come here and you can it, and you go home and you're saving the season in that jar,” Comandi said.

People at the cannery say one of the best parts about canning their own food are the recipes they can make. But, besides just the flavors of fresh food, many people choose to can for the health benefits.

That's why the Paltians came in, hoping that canning their food will help lower their glucose levels.

"We're looking to have more control over what goes into our food and what we eat rather than all kinds of sugar and chemicals," Deborah Paltian said.

They said after getting dozens of cans of peaches ready to take home, they're hooked, as are many of the other passionate canners that stop by each week.

The Little Rock Cannery is the only cannery currently in operation in the Bay Area and one of just a handful in the state.