Canning Party Can-Do
The time-honored practice of canning is a wonderful way to preserve delicious, seasonal foods at their peak. Whether you're a seasoned canner or a newbie in training, a great way to inspire your friends and motivate yourself to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables to enjoy all year is to host a canning party. Rather than canning during the party, have guests bring something they have already canned. This helps to create a beautiful spread of a variety of seasonal foods any time of year. The key is to plan far enough in advance that everyone has time to prepare. Follow the tips and timeline below to throw a successful canning party to bring a little breath of summer any time of year.
1 Month or More in Advance
In order for your party to be successful, it is important to start planning ahead of time. Start by contacting anyone you think is interested in canning. An easy and convenient way to plan is by creating a GoogleDoc that your friends can add to and edit as needed. Include a sign-up form so guests can record what they would like to contribute to avoid doubles. Guests will need to make enough to send a jar home with other guests, so finalizing the guest list early is important. Here are some seasonal canning ideas to share if your guests need a little inspiration:
- Figs: perfect for jam
- Tomatoes: great for making homemade marinara sauce
- Zucchini: delicious pickled
- Blackberries: delicious as a preserve
- Pumpkin: make and can your own pie purée
Buy canvas bags for guests to use for transporting their jarred goodies home after the party (these are perfect). Buying them early will give you time to make or buy tags with guests' names on them. If you don't want to make your own, you can find really cute options on Etsy.com, as well as templates on MarthaStewart.com.
Now, get canning!
— Rachael White, Menuism
For more tips on how to host your own canning party, visit Menuism.