Kolbi Trevort, 25, has been extra busy in her Payson backyard the past few weeks. She's canning like crazy on a camp stove: tomatoes, green beans and pickles.

"I've discovered that canning outside is the only way to go!" Kolbi says. She also freezes peppers, corn and strawberry jam. "I plan to bottle more tomatoes, peaches, pears, apple pie filling, soup or stew, raspberry jam and anything else that comes across my path."

Kolbi became hooked on canning last year when she did tomatoes and salsa. "I love to see my shelves fill up," she says. She stores her canned produce in the basement storage room, where it's dark and cool.

"My husband, Thomas, is a student and any little bit helps," she adds. "The food is so much better than anything you buy in the store. Canning is hard work but so rewarding in the end."

So far, Kolbi has bottled 24 quart jars of tomatoes and wants to process more. Why? "For soups, stews, spaghetti, lasagna, barbecue sauce. ... We enjoy it enough that we eat it up quite fast." She freezes enough corn to have one bag per week of the year to use. The other foods she adds into their daily meals.

She's found that preserving food for her family is not the "scary, impossible thing" she once thought it was. Kolbi consults family, friends and neighbors for ideas and information. "Talk to someone with experience," she says. "I've discovered there are many people who are happy and willing to share what they know. And there are many good books out there that teach you step-by-step what to do. Be informed and use caution." For example, make sure to use a recipe specifically approved for canning.

Kolbi says you can keep your canning expenses down by scouring yard sales for equipment or borrowing it from neighbors. "If you look, you can find the equipment needed for little or no cost," she says. "Also look for opportunities to find the produce for free. If you know someone with a big garden, they may be excited to have you come pick what they don't want."

Kolbi has an elementary education degree but stays home to care for her daughter, Avonly, age 16 months. She also enjoys crafts, interior design, traveling, humanitarian work, playing the piano, couponing and trying new things. If you'd like to give canning a try, check out the recipe below shared by Trish Cutler of the Utah State University Extension Service. The extension service can be reached at (801) 851-8479 for questions about canning. Just be sure to call before you start the canning process, not afterward.

Chile Salsa

Makes 6-8 pints

• 10 cups chopped tomatoes

• 1 cup vinegar, lemon or lime juice

• 6 cups seeded chile peppers

• 4 cups chopped onions

• 3 teaspoons salt, optional

• ½ teaspoon pepper, optional

spices and herbs of choice

Bring to boil and simmer 10 minutes. Put into hot jars leaving ½-inch head space. Put lids on jars. Process in boiling water for 25 minutes.