August 13 - National Can-It_Forward Day

Hey, did you know that August 13 is National Can-It_Forward Day?

See here: http://www.canningacrossamerica.com/...t-forward-day/

Peaches are in season - how about peach jam. Pickling extra zucchini? Let's get canning!

I wish I had the courage to can! Here I am with cukes and zucchini and all kinds of garden bounty. And I'm trying to freeze everything. I'm too chicken to even try canning.

DH and I were just talking last night about pickles and how good pickles would be from our own cukes. And I started looking for recipes to make pickles without having to do the water bath thing. I can't find anything really nice for pickles without having to can them.

(Plus, at this point, I'd have to buy all the canning equipment, too, and I'm not sure I'm up for all that.)

I can remember helping my grandma and my mother with their canning....all kinds of pickles, peaches, pears, tomatoes, jams and jellies. They canned everything. And we always had to help. But it was really nice in the winter time to go down to the basement and pick up a quart jar of canned tomatoes for spaghetti sauce for dinner that night. And fresh peach jam for Grandma's muffins. Yum!

Winchester, if you can boil water you are certainly able to water bath can.

There are tutorials / videos linked on the web site.

At Wal-Mart or similar store you can find the Ball Home Discovery canning kit for about $10. It includes a canning rack with lifter, 3 one pint jars with 2-piece lids, and a beginner's guide to canning and recipe book.

The box even has 3 recipes on it, for dill pickle sandwich slices, BBQ sauce, and zesty salsa.

You provide - fresh produce, a large stockpot at least 7 1/2 inches tall and 9 1/2 inches tall, and common kitchen stuff like measuring cups.

What I like about canning - pickles and sweet preserves are very safe to make and keep. When I can I know what's in the jar - no chemicals I cannot spell or pronounce, no high fructose corn syrup in my preserves - you get the idea.

Can-It-Forward on August 13 has web casts and demos and all sorts of things to help the beginner feel confident about canning.

Go for it! I'm sure you can do it, and positive you'll love the results.