Canning-tacular giveaway: Food in Jars book & Ball Canner Kit
Summer just snuck up on me, and I feel sort of unprepared. Spring lingered longer, rains fell. Blueberries came and went (already).
I live in Texas and it’s summer for about 9 months of the year, so summer isn’t usually a surprise, but that’s enough about my confounding climate zone. It’s nearly officially summer, which means the possibility of preserving wherever you are.
First off, I’d like to start this giveaway out with a small quiz:
This year’s July 14 is a special date because:
A. it’s Bastille day, vive le France!
B. it’s the 100-year anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s birth, vive le revolucion!
C. it’s National Can-It-Forward day, where canners across the country will seal some jars in solidarity, vive le Canvolution!
D. it’s my birthday, vive le cake!
E. all of the above
You got it right. The answer is E.
I’m so jazzed for this giveaway, a can-tastic (yes, I just went there) prize pack from Ball Canning paired with my good friend Marisa’s first (and very fine) book, Food in Jars: Preserving in small batches year-round. This is the perfect prize for newbies and old hats alike. And if you already have a canning set-up in place, then wouldn’t the Ball kit be a nice prize for an aspiring canner in your life?
You’ll get this 21-quart canner pot that includes the rack:
;)
And this utensil kit (half-filled jar of jam not included):;)
Aaaaand a copy of this great book:
The Food in Jars book is every bit as delicious as the blog by the same name, but tactile, with a sturdy hard cover and beautifully printed pages to turn. I had the pleasure of seeing the galleys for this book when Marisa visited in November of last year, and I must say, Running Press did a lovely job putting this book together. Moreover, Marisa’s recipes are simple and straightforward yet incredibly inventive with flavors. This book reads like afternoon tea with Marisa, like you’re sitting at her kitchen table and she’s pulling out jar after jar and telling you about each of them.
I’m especially excited to make her cranberry ketchup (must use last year’s fruit in the chest freezer!) and intrigued by the cantaloupe jam (hello exotic Creamsicle). I like the inclusion of other recipes, the non-canned goods and gifts you can put in jars, too. There’s a cinnamon vanilla sunflower butter that sounds delightful!
I just love how Marisa reminds us that canning is totally on our terms, that you don’t need tons of produce (and a car to drive it all home), a fancy kitchen or much equipment to make things you and your family like to eat. I hope with this giveaway you’ll find a way to make preserving your own, to wrap it into your life, whether it’s a small batch of dilly beans or a few jars of fig jam, or an entire closet tiled in the bounty of the seasons.
In order to get you your Canning-tacular prize pack in time for July 14, we’re running this giveaway through midnight CST, July 5, 2012. Enter by leaving a comment on this post, telling me What’s your favorite thing to put in a mason jar? Don’t forget to add your email address to the box on the comment form where I ask for it. No email address, no winner (because I can’t reach you).
Hey, while you’re at it, pop on over to Local Kitchen (through June 22) AND Punk Domestics (through June 20) for another couple chances to win Marisa’s book!
Canning, Cookbooks, Giveaways, Small-Batch Canning
Reader Comments (328)
I have several mason jars with beads and buttons in them. But, I love to can tomatoes. They always look so pretty when I get done. I haven't been canning very long and that is about the only thing I have done.
It's a toss up between rhubarb and tomatoes. I've fallen in love with rhubarb ketchup, but I don't think I could make it through a winter without a good supply of salsa and sauce.
Have enjoyed your blog for some time now - thanks!
Chocolate fudge sauce, yummy :)
I love my homemade yogurt in the fridge and homemade granola on the counter.
This is kind of embarrassing, but right now my favorite thing to put in a mason jar is iced tea. I bought the little lid that turns the jars into to-go cups, and I am obsessed. And caffeinated.
Pickles & Garlic!!!!!
Honestly a mason jar is the only thing I will drink ice water out of, its been a habit since I was a child and the class jar makes the water taste more crisp and cold to me. HOWEVER, this year I have started to learn more about using mason jars for more useful things like preserves of course so hopefully next year I will have a better answer!
I love making apple butter! And I'm excited to try different variations of strawberry jam this summer.
I have yet to attempt canning, but I may have caught the bug after being by someone's house last night and watching them make blueberry jam! Right now I use my mason jars for flowers and drinking water mostly. I'm happy to change that.
When the tomatoes are ripe, I love making bbq sauce and ketchup. Of course, raspberry or strawberry preserves are among the favorites too. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing rows of home canned goods lines up on the shelves at the start of the fall season.
Peach Lavender Jam. Strawberry Hisbiscus jam, or Strawberry Rhubarb jam. Love jam.
I love making jam, but I also can pickles and tomato sauce.
Oooh! What a terrific giveaway!
I love to pickle jalapeño peppers with cider vinegar and honey, allspice, peppercorns, and a bay leaf. I eat them with EVERYTHING! Eggs, hummus sandwiches, tacos, salads, you name it!
I just started canning recently - my mom and I used to do it all the time, but haven't for years. Thus far the rhubarb ketchup I made is my favorite, it came out so tasty!
Tomatoes!
Cranberry curd.
Far from the only thing (I'm doing a rhubarb simple syrup today for later use in lieu of lemonade), but definitely a favourite. :-)
Cheers,
Meliad
Still new to canning but so far, plain canned peaches have been the most heavenly mid-winter treat.
I like to store all kinds of stuff in canning jars.....spices, pasta, beans, sugar, coffee, tea - all kinds of ktichen stuff including actual canning foods. I like them for keeping buttons, sewing and crafting stuff. They work great as vases and also cups or mugs. I also use them to make ahead individual servings of oatmeal w fruit that I can reheat each morning.
I'm also collecting - slowly- blue canning jars - not sure what i'm doing to use these for....they look so cool - they will have to be on display somewhere...
Strawberry jam, it's soooooo much better homemade.
I like to store dry grains in canning jars
apple butter! and lots of other yummy things.
let the ice melt margaritas made with homemade triple sec!
My favorite thing to put in mason jars is heirloom beans. I think they're so pretty. I display them on my breakfast bar.
I use mason jars for all kinds of stuff. I store leftovers in them, store pantry food in them and even can in them. My favorite use would have to be jam though. Specifically strawberry jam. Yum!
Jam and jelly of any kind - I guess I'd have to say I'm partial to strawberry or strawberry rhubarb. I've got a strawberry picking adventure already planned, so I hope I win the kit so I can put up a lot of jars for the rest of the year!
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