Can Jam & Canning Across America

I have mentioned Canning Across America before HERE. It is a group of cooks, gardeners and food lovers committed to the revival of the lost art of "putting up" food. They have a great website with great information.

Last month, on Canning Across America, Tigress in a Jam guest-posted about organizing a Can Jam Challenge for the 12 months of 2010. Each month, participants receive a designated food to "put up". They then blog about it on their websites, participate in discussions, share recipes, etc.

The purpose of the Can Jam is to raise awareness about the joys of canning and to share recipes, inspiration and preservation information. Well...being that I am a certified Master Food Preserver, I just HAD to sign up!

January 1st was the kick off day and all 137 participants were assigned citrus as our designated food to can this month. Watch for my post with recipe in the near future. 

Tigress makes a great point about the virtues of canning which ties in nicely with the same philosophies of this blog.

Tigress sums it up here by saying canning is:

Local – I think many of us became interested in canning as an outgrowth of the Locavore movement. Preserving fresh produce grown in your area is the logical progression. And when you grow your own, and a glut is on, it can become a necessity!

Organic – In an effort to control what we eat, be it produce, sweeteners, flavors, etc., when we make it ourselves we know what went into it, and we know how we like it. It’s having a real choice about what we consume.

In Season - Canning produce in season keeps it in season all year (in a certain way). Ergo a much tastier interpretation of eating seasonally than abstaining from certain foods except for once a year!

Humane – I heard tell that veggies get a kick out of being pickled, and fruit, well, who among us canners has not witnessed that barely audible exclamation of fruit about to be jammed, "Sweet!"

So true! The deadline has passed for signing up, but you can still participate by posting in the comments of my recipe posts or on any of the participant websites. You can see a full list of Can Jam participants HERE. But one participant I already know is Willi at Diggin Food. She is a fellow garden writer who has an excellent garden/food blog full of great information. Be sure to check in on her and tell her I said "Hi!"

And remember, we will be including canning and preserving information on Growing A Greener World as well. After you grow it all, you want to know what to do with it.

Photo by: Tigress

Comments

[Teresa]

We've definitely canned more this past year than ever before and hope to keep it up even though we're not participating in Can Jam. :)

[Theresa Loe/GardenFreshLiving]

Thanks for stopping by Teresa.

I did more canning this year too. But I was also surprised at how many people I have come across that want to learn but don't know where to go! I'm hoping I can help them out with that!

;~)

[the inadvertent farmer]

Yes I can a lot our faves are fruit sauces that we use on homemade granola, toast, and ice cream all winter. My favorite is my peach vanilla sauce...Kim

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Kim-

I love the idea of keeping homemade sauces at the ready for granola and ice cream. And the idea of making one that is peach vanilla is heavenly.

I simply must try that combo! Thanks!

~Theresa

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

We had a very lively discussion on Twitter this morning about canning/preserving. Someone said, (and I can't remember who - forgive me) that canning was a wonderful way to continue the story of our garden.

I think that is a beautiful way to think of preserving the harvest.

~Theresa

[Seasonal Wisdom]

I like that idea of canning being "a wonderful way to continue the story" of our gardens. Thanks for all the great tips, Theresa.

By the way, I tagged you on my blog, but no pressure PLEASE... ;) Participate only if you'd like. Teresa

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Ahh Teresa,

You got me tagged, eh? Ok my friend. I will have to get on that.

I love your blog and how you tie in all the historical seasonal information. Soooo interesting.

Thanks,
~Theresa (with the H)