An Author Spotlight with Colette Muhammad
Photo Credit: Colette Muhammad
I am so grateful to God for this grand opportunity to have Colette Muhammad back on our platform to discuss her new book. Can While You Can Before S.H.T.F. It is especially great, as this interview is during the season when many people are shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday. I am truly blessed to share her book with the subscribers of our blog to encourage us to support Black authors on Black Friday.
Nadine Muhammad: Please, would you tell our readers about yourself?
Colette Muhammad: My name is Colette Muhammad, but most people in my community know me as The Canning Queen and the founder of Canning with Colette. I teach people how to preserve their food using safe, modern canning methods through my book, online courses, live workshops, hands-on events, and the homemade jams and jellies I sell at local markets.
I live in a predominantly Black, urban, middle-class community in Rochester, NY, and my mission is to empower people, especially those in communities like mine, to reclaim food security, self-sufficiency, and wellness. Over the years, I’ve taught hundreds of people how to can confidently, and I’ve built a brand that combines education, empowerment, and preparedness.
At my core, I am a teacher, a community builder, and a woman who believes in making sure families know how to preserve what they have so they never feel unprepared or vulnerable again.
Photo Credit: Colette Muhammad
Nadine Muhammad: What is your motivation for writing Can While You Can: Before SHTF?
Colette Muhammad: This book was born out of urgency. Every day we see food prices rising, supply chains shaking, and families struggling to stretch their dollars. We’ve been told to “prepare” for years, but very few people have been taught how.
I wrote this book to fill that gap. I wanted to create a clear, empowering guide that shows everyday people--especially beginners--that canning is not complicated, it’s not outdated, and it’s not just for rural homesteaders. It’s a practical survival skill that our grandparents used, and it’s time for us to bring it back.
My motivation came from watching people panic during shortages, from hearing neighbors talk about struggling to feed their families, and from recognizing that we can’t depend on outside systems for everything.
“Can While You Can” is my response to all of that.
Nadine Muhammad: Would you tell us the details of what your book is about?
Photo Credit: Colette Muhammad
Colette Muhammad: Can While You Can: Before SHTF is a beginner-friendly, highly practical guide that walks readers step-by-step through the world of home canning—before crisis hits.
Inside, readers will find:
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A clear explanation of why canning is essential in today’s world
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The difference between water-bath and pressure canning
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A breakdown of the must-have tools, equipment, and supplies
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Real-life examples and simple instructions
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Common mistakes beginners make—and how to avoid them
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Food safety rules written in plain, non-technical language
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Quick-start guidance for canning fruits, vegetables, jams, salsas, soups, and more
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My signature teaching style: encouraging, direct, and empowering
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“20 Fun Facts About Canning” to make the process feel approachable and not intimidating
This book is not just educational—it’s motivational. I intentionally wrote it with urgency, inspiration, and cultural relevance. It combines modern food preparedness with traditional canning wisdom, giving readers a roadmap they can trust.
Nadine Muhammad: What are the benefits that readers will obtain from reading your book, and how will their lives be transformed?
Readers will walk away with:
Confidence
Even complete beginners will feel empowered to start canning safely without guessing, Googling, or fearing they’ll do it wrong.
Practical preparedness
Canning gives families the ability to stay fed during emergencies, shortages, storms, price spikes, or unexpected disruptions.
Money savings
Readers will learn how to stretch their budget, take advantage of sales and seasonal produce, and build a pantry that stays full year-round.
Better health
Homemade canned food eliminates preservatives, excessive sugar, and unnecessary ingredients while preserving nutrients.
A sense of control and security
In uncertain times, knowing that you can feed your family—regardless of what’s happening in stores—is life-changing.
Reconnection with tradition
Many readers rediscover the methods their grandparents used, creating a cultural bridge that reconnects us to self-sufficiency.
Transformation
By the end of the book, readers do not just “understand canning”—
they become canners.
They move from feeling unprepared to feeling empowered, from fear to confidence, from depending on the system to taking control of their own food supply.
they become canners.
They move from feeling unprepared to feeling empowered, from fear to confidence, from depending on the system to taking control of their own food supply.
Ultimately, readers gain skills, security, and peace of mind—and that is the greatest transformation of all.
Nadine Muhammad: Thank you Colette for taking time out of your busy schedule for this author spotlight interview to provide valuable information around the topic of canning. To our readers if you are interested in enrolling in one of Colette's canning courses or have a question about her new book, Can While You Can: Before SHTF, please do so below in the comment section.
Tip: Learn how to self-publish a book on Amazon in Nadine's blog with this link below:
Nadine Muhammad has a Master of Science in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship. She is the owner of an online bookstore, Nation's Products, and NLM Economic Development Services. For a consultation with business plan writing or developing an economic development strategic plan for your community, send an email to nlmeconomicdevelopmentservices@gmail.com
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