Saturday, August 9, 2014

It's Canning Season... Are You Ready?!


It's canning season... are you ready? This year I'm participating in the International Can-It-Forward Day and cannot be more excited. To help me get in canning mode, my friends at Ball graciously sent over some canning products to test out and get me in prepared for a day of canning! 
So what is the International Can-It-Forward Day? It's an event where you can learn the basics of canning to preserve the season's freshest produce among other things. This year it will be held via live webcast on Saturday, August 16th and our host will be the ever popular judge of Bravo's Top Chef show, Chef Hugh Acheson! You'll see live canning demonstrations using some of Ball's best canning products...
Can-It-Forward Day will contain a variety of exciting ways to join in the fun. New this year, Can-It-Forward Day will become International Can-It-Forward Day with special events taking place in Canada, Australia and South Africa!
  • Schedule of events:
    • 10:00am - Pepper Jelly demonstration by Chef Sara featuring the FreshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker
    • 10:45am - Tips on urban gardening & herb preservation
    • 11:00am - Peach Siracha Jam demonstration by Marisa McClellan of Food in Jars
    • 11:30am - Crafting in Ball jars with staff from Martha Stewart Living
    • 11:45am - Hugh Acheson Preserving and Mixology demonstrations
    • 1:15pm - Special Mixology demonstration with local mixologists
    • 1:30pm - Salsa Verde demonstration by Chef Sarah featuring the FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System
Be sure to watch and follow along with Ball Canning's social media links too .. and feel free to share your favorite Can-It-Forward Day moments with friends via social media with the hashtag #canitforward!
Facebook - www.facebook.com/BallCanning 
Twitter - www.twitter.com/BallCanning 
Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/BallCanning

Need some ideas on what canning supplies will help you out in the kitchen? Check out my reviews of the products below! I highly encourage you to get some canning products to play with and you can find them here at the Ball Fresh Preserving Store...
Ball Heritage Collection Quart Jars (set of 6)
These jars are just a beautiful green hue and are perfect for canning large amounts of products. Everything from pickles, sauces and even jams/jellies are great to store and can in these! I've got a few jars being used for tomatoes sauces to capture all of the season's tomatoes so I can enjoy them through the fall and winter months!

Ball Heritage Collection Pint Jars (set of 6)
Like the quart jars, these pint jars are just as versatile! The ones I received are going to be used for jams and jellies, making them perfect for gift giving this holiday. They are the perfect size for smaller amounts so I can enjoy a variety of the summer's bounty...

Ball Frozen Herb Starters
This summer I have quite an abundance of herbs I've been growing in my kitchen window sill. I found chopping them up, storing them in cubes and freezing them was a great way to savor their flavor in recipes. This item really helped in that and takes little space in your freezer too.

Ball 5 Blade Herb Scissors
With herbs growing like crazy in my kitchen, I end up pruning them often when I'm cooking or for family and friends to take herbs home. These scissors make it easy to cut up the herbs to use in recipes as well as prep to dry or freeze and use later. I love how one cut can easily chop and mince up herbs, saving me time and effort in the kitchen!
And while we're on the subject, all those minced herbs can be dried and stored in these great jars.  The wide mouth jars make it easy to fill with dried herbs and the tab allows you to use as much as you need for recipes. They stack perfect for storage and the clear containers make it nice to identify what you have in them.
And if you prefer not to cut up your herbs and keep them whole, this herb keeper is the perfect way to store those fresh herbs. My herbs have stayed fresher and for longer when I've kept them in the Ball herb keeper. The stems and roots are set in water when not being used so that they retain their freshness. And when I'm ready to use them, the flip top lid allows easy access to the herbs so I can pick what I need!

Lastly, to get some inspiration and recipes for things to can and preserving, this book is full of ideas! I love how nicely the book is laid out with colorful photos. Everything from pickling, jams, jellies, compotes, chutneys and even pie fillings are captured in this book. The recipes are simple and don't require a ton of ingredients to overwhelm you either!

 And to make it even easier for my readers, I'm hosting a giveaway of the same above products! On Aug. 15, a random What's Cookin, Chicago Facebook Fan will win this package of Ball® canning and preserving tools. To participate, LIKE us on our Facebook Page! And if you're already a fan, you're automatically entered! 

 So be sure to catch the live webcast of the International Can-It-Forward Day on August 16th from 10:00am - 2:00pm EST!