Can It Forward

One tenet of green living is eating in season, but who doesn’t love a good tomato sauce in the middle of winter? Or some strawberry jam on toast on a cold morning? Food preservation and canning offer the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of summer fruits and vegetables well into the season. National Can It Forward Day is a great time to learn the art of canning.

I own a vast collection of canning books, follow canning blogs, and love to ogle at canning Flickr pages. It should be quite clear: I love canning. That said, let’s be honest – canning is not easy work. It’s hot, it’s messy, and it’s time consuming, but the result is rewarding. I’ve found that the bigger the task and the more people involved, the more fun a long day of canning becomes.

It’s a Group Activity

As canning often involves lots of prep work, cooking, and then the actual preservation, most canning projects can easily be divided into tasks and shared with a group. My mom remembers long days spent with her mother canning and we’ve tried to re-create the same memories often inviting my sisters along as well. Planning is key. We start relatively early at the local farmer’s market, bring home our goodies, and begin the canning process. By the time dinner rolls around, we usually have cases of preserved bounty that can be stored for many months to come. A very enjoyable day overall. National Can It Forward Day is a great excuse to learn canning, or to start a new canning tradition in your house.

The Details

Canning Across America (CAA) has created a National Can It Forward Day to be held Saturday August 13th, 2011. If you’re in the Seattle area, CAA is holding an event at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. There is also a list of scheduled events in major cities on CAA’s site. If you have well-honed canning skills and are willing to teach others, the site has instructions for holding your very own canning party. Finally, there will be a series of canning demonstrations streaming online.

What is your favorite thing to can or preserve? Do you have a treasured canning memory?

Source: Canning Across America, Food in Jars

Image: Canning Across America

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Tags: can it forward, canning, food preservation

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