Seacoast Permaculture: Water Bath Canning, August 26

Want to preserve some of this season’s bounty for the winter? High acid fruits and veggies are easy to can with a simple water bath method. Come learn how at this workshop on Water Bath Canning on Sunday, August 26th, from 2 to 5pm. Held at the Durham Community Church, this event is co-sponsored by NOFA-NH and the Greater Seacoast Permaculture Group:

Water Bath Canning
Seacoast Permaculture Group
Durham Community Church, 17 Main St., Durham, NH
Sunday, August 26, 2012
2:00 PM To 5:00 PM

Canning can be a little daunting to some of us especially in a time when everyone is talking about food safety. Come practice with us. Yes, there are some rules, BUT they become a part of the routine after you have done it a couple of times. Lots of people have tested and tried many canning recipes, both traditional and contemporary, to put your mind at ease. We’ll show you the tools, can a few recipes and point you to some more resources for you to explore on your own.

Taught by Alexis Simpson & Amy Antonucci (bios below).

Please bring 3 pint jars including bands. We’ll provide the produce, the jar lids, and will bring all the other equipment. You will be taking home 3 pints of canned, finished produce… the plan, which will be dependent on availability at the time, is to can peaches, a tomato salsa, and pickled beets!!

Cost: $25-$30 sliding scale*

*This is a class with a lot of up-front costs, plus we expect it to fill up. So, we need a deposit in order to keep your spot for you. It will be non-refundable, though it can be transferred to someone else if you can find another person to take your place. Info on where to send your $10 deposit will be sent to you after you sign up.

Alex Simpson always admired her grandmother who canned and froze enough produce to keep herself in vegetables all winter long. When Alex discovered that she and her sons were allergic to corn, she found herself in a pickle. Almost everything commercially canned contains some form of corn, so she began canning seasonal produce for her family. She and Amy are eager to encourage more people to preserve the bounty of New Hampshire’s relatively short growing season. When Alex is not preparing or preserving food for her family, she participates in Exeter’s farm-to-school program and serves on the board of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire.

Amy Antonucci started to learn canning from The Ball Jar Blue Book while working on a farm where she had access to lots of produce. This was about 15 years ago when it was actually hard to find canning supplies in stores! She’s kept it up, and is excited not to be so alone in this passion anymore!

Co-sponsored by NOFA-NH and the Greater Seacoast Permaculture Group.

For more information: www.meetup.com/GreaterSeacoastPermaculture/