Same here, Lotus. We can because it's how we preserve our food each year, as depending on a freezer is unwise in these parts. The power can go out for 2 wks at a time here and that's a whole year's food wasted and no one can afford the cost nor the labor being wasted. We don't garden and can as a hobby, but as a major portion of our dietary needs and we can enough for 1-2 years on each item we use the most, as one never knows when the garden is not going to do so well due to the weather, hail storms, etc.
It's just another way we like to stay independent and not have to rely so much on other people or sources of food and energy. That's why we heat with wood as well. Also why we keep water drawn up at all times, in case the power goes down at any given time and also why we keep an outhouse at our place.
Keeping chickens is another way we stay independent and we never have to eat store bought eggs or chicken at all and that's a good thing....all of that meat and the eggs are of such low quality and raised so inhumanely that it's a relief not to have to consume it.
Canning is freedom from dependence upon the electrical grid and outside sources of food and that's a wonderful thing, that freedom. When everyone else is scrambling about in a bad snow storm, bewailing the need for gas for generators to keep their electric on or for food from the grocery store(over here at the hint of a bad storm, all the folks run to the grocery and stock up on milk, bread and eggs....not exactly sure why those are so essential
), we are snugged into our home by the wood fire, good and healthy food in the jar, homemade bread baking, water on hand and able to use the facilities outside if there comes a need.
I guess it's just the pioneer spirit in this country that likes to maintain that independence and self reliant mode of living. For me it's a way of depending upon my Lord for my daily bread as opposed to depending upon and trusting in mankind. He provides the garden growth and bounty and also gives me the desire and materials necessary to preserve it for our use. I love that sort of dependence, but not so much the dependence on other people.