Every month we will have a different preserving challenge. Maybe we'll can something or make liqueur or dry something out or make fruit leather or sauerkraut. Who knows? Ordinarily we will have one month to complete the challenge. During the summer months in New England, we will increase the frequency of challenges to EVERY TWO WEEKS as fruit comes into season quickly, and some fruit goes out of season almost as quickly.
Every challenge will have a posting date. On that date and that date only, you will post the results of your challenge. Take pictures, write comments. Did it work? Did you have to do it a few times? How did it taste? Show us in words, photos, videos - anything goes.
If you don't have a blog, you can post your results to the comment section at www.cakeandcommerce.com or send me your writeup plus a picture at cakeandcommerce ( at ) gmail .
You don't need to officially throw your hat in yet. After the first challenge, I will collect your blog address and add you to the blogroll here (imagine a blogroll here!)
As much as possible, we want you to use locally grown ingredients. We realize this isn't possible for everyone all the time. But if you can, please buy your fruits and other ingredients from local growers.
There are a lot of resources on the web to help you with canning. Here are some of our favorites:
- Canning Across America: www.canningacrossamerica.com
- UGA's National Center for Home Food Preservation http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_uga.html
- Ball's site with recipes and tips: www.freshpreserving.com - and check out their STEP-BY-STEP guide: http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/step_by_step_high_acid_foods/34.php
- USDA's guide to home canning: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html
- UNH's canning guide: http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000628_Rep650.pdf
- Weck's really cool canning jars, beloved by me, despised by the USDA: http://www.weckcanning.com/docs/product_line.htm
Here are a few references for liqueurs, which, from a process stand-point, are much simpler and less time-intensive (as well as less likely to kill you if something goes wrong):
- http://homedistiller.org/flavour.htm
- http://www.guntheranderson.com/liqueurs.htm
And, what reference page is complete without lots of references to books you can buy on Amazon?
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