National Can-It-Forward Day + Giveaway

I remember visiting my grandma in Savannah and seeing her drink her super sweet tea out of a Ball Mason Jar. It always confused me – why would she not sure a normal glass? I realized later on as I became more observant that she had so many Mason jar's lying around because she canned jellies, jams, and pickles. I guess multi-purposing with a glass container is a smart move.

Ever since then, I've had interest in what it actually takes to can, but couldn't bring myself to do all the research to figure out how to do it. I didn't know what equipment it would take and what possibilities for canning there were. Tomorrow, Saturday August 17th, is National Can-It-Forward Day. There will be a live webcast with chef and Food Network star Ted Allen, who I most fondly appreciate from “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” I know he's a two-time Emmy and James Beard award-winning chef, but what can I say? I loved that show, and don't watch Chopped. I plan on watching in on the webcast to learn what the heck to do, because the last thing I want to do is make a mess or create something that doesn't come out right! Viewers can also participate via Twitter using the hashtag #canitforward and following @BallCanning, which you know I'm already doing because I'm a Twitterfreak.

About National Can-It-Forward Day:
National Can-It-Forward Day allows home cooks to connect via a national circuit of canning parties and social media activities. New and experienced canners can participate in a live webcast of canning demos where viewer questions will be answered in real-time.

I've got the essentials to get started, and look forward to learning how to can. (Keep reading for details on how to win some of these items for yourself)

Tune in beginning at 10am as they livecast from Union Square Greenmarket in New York City. It wraps up around 2pm. To see all the details and schedule, go to freshpreserving.com. You can watch the webcast there, or even here: it will be live below in this nice window:

Since I'm on Whole30 right now and still working on finding food sensitivities, I am excited about the possibility of making something tasty that can then be preserved and kept for a time when I don't want to run to the store. Right now, I'm thinking of making a fruit jam made with honey (not for consumption with Whole30, but since fruit is ripe, it's a good time. Or I can give as gifts if it works); garlic dill pickles; and some paleo tomato sauce. I saw a recipe for paleo Sriacha sauce on NomNomPaleo that I need to explore also.

Stay tuned for the results of my canning adventures. If all else fails, I'll just do what grandma did and use my Mason jars as a cup 🙂

Interested in canning? I'm giving away some goodies to help get you started. 

1 random winner will receive:

• The Ball Canning Discovery Kit: A kit is designed to demystify the home canning process and make fresh preserving accessible for even the most novice canner
• The Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving
• One coupon for a free case of Ball brand canning jars

This giveaway is open for US Residents only, and will close Wednesday, August 21 at 11:59pm EST. To enter, you must leave a comment below. You may also tweet as directed for an additional entry. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interested in canning? What foods do you want to can?

Disclosure: I was provided the canning items pictured at no charge from Ball Canning. Giveaway items supplied by them as well. I am not being compensated monetarily to write this post, and aim to present my commentary without bias.