The summer home stretch is here and I’m inviting you to savor every moment by showing you how to host your very own canning party.
Summer is the perfect time to find a U-Pick farm near you where you can gather your own ingredients for your canning recipes.
Have you ever canned a jar of jam, pickles or sauce? People have been canning food for years as a way to preserve fruits and vegetables without the fridge. It may seem old-fashioned but I think there’s a modern sense of empowerment that comes from canning some of your own food.
Think about it: if you preserve something in summer, you can enjoy that food all winter long. Or you can gift it to a loved one and share a little bit of the season with them.
Canning food allows you to bottle up a particular moment in time and store it for later. And on a practical note it can save you money, allow you to eat seasonally in the long, dark days of winter and helps you either support local farms or use some of the fruits, vegetables and herbs you may be growing in your own backyard (or windowsill) garden.
Fresh ingredients are abundant in summer so make sure to savor them with friends.
Everyone has a job to do!
Why a Canning Party?
Throwing a party might seem like the last thing you want to do especially with such limited time in a short summer season. And you might be thinking, what kind of party is it if I’m expecting my guests to do some work.
But the truth is, people have been canning foods together as a community for a really long time. Growing up, our neighbors (of Italian heritage) always grew a large garden full of tomatoes and for a few days in the heyday of summer they would meet to harvest, process and preserve the tomatoes. And this was all in a suburban backyard on Long Island, not some distant rural farm somewhere! It was there time to take a moment and partake in something much bigger than a jar of sauce.
Hosting a canning party lets you slow down with friends and accomplish something beautiful in the process. Learning and doing these time honored traditions together as a group can really help build community and strengthen bonds. Not to mention, it’s a heck of a lot of fun and simply delicious!
The beautiful bounty of summer.
Not sure what to serve? My guide will help you plan!
Canning Week: What to Expect
Alright, you might be thinking to yourself…”hmmm, okay, I’m kind of liking this whole canning party idea but how the heck do I throw one myself?”
Well, don’t worry - I’m going to be sharing all of the details in my Canning Party Series coming next week! Here’s a little more about what we’ll cover:
All the Canning Basics: New to canning? Welcome! There’s never been a better time to learn about this traditional method that’s gaining modern momentum. I’ll be sharing all of the info you need to get started.
Canning Party Checklist: Don’t sweat the details! I’ve developed a handy checklist to make sure you have everything you need for a super successful (and most importantly FUN) canning party! We’ll make sure you have everything - from identifying the perfect place to host your party to making sure you have enough pots, pans and equipment.
What to Make & Serve: Of course, one of the most important things for your canning party is picking out the best recipes to make. From jams and salsas to dilly beans and relishes, I’ll be sharing my favorite, modern canning recipes from reputable sources. Plus I’ll be giving you some ideas on the best drinks and snacks to serve to keep your guests full of energy as they get to work canning!
Added Bonuses: Now, I’m a big believer that these get togethers don’t need to be anything over the top and really all you need are some good friends & good vibes. But if you’re looking for a few extras to throw in, I’ve got plenty of them so you don’t need to worry about it! Bonuses like downloadable labels to keep your jars straight, a summer jam (get it?) playlist and DIY ways to make your space party ready will be available throughout the series.
The ultimate goal of this series is to help show you how you are able to can your own foods no matter how much space you have and how doing this with friends can easily become one of the highlights of your summer!
Ready to savor summer with your own canning party? Sign up below to never miss an update all week long!
I really hope you’ll join me during this Canning Party Series and be sure to follow along on Instagram if you aren’t already! I’d love to see your own canning party snaps so always tag me @wellnessbykristen and use the hashtag #createbeautifulfood.
Happy Canning!
Favorite jars of jam. A Canning Party can help you stock up before the long, dark days of winter.
