Cooking Up A Story

 

Preserving Food And Friendship

It was once a common way to extend food beyond the immediate season. Two friends become involved in the ancient practice of preserving food, and in the process form a closer bond with nature and each other.

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Recipes from this Story:  Small Batch Fresh Strawberry Jam

Director’s Journal

When’s the last time you canned something? Or, bought a lot of berries, peaches or beans, got the pots out, prepped the food, rolled up your sleeves, and got to it? Awhile, I bet.

  • boxes of fresh strawberries
  • classroom with Preserve students
  • Close-up of a canning jar with fresh strawberry jam
  • scones with strawberry jam

I live in an area that has an abundance of fresh food growing, and when I have a chance I take one of my boys and we go U-Picking. Berries are our favorite, I come home with pounds of them. I make a pie, maybe a crumble, and then freeze the rest. But I’d like to put them up, can them. Share the goodness with family and friends. But it’s been years, I needed a refresher.


Enter Harriet and Marge from Preserve, two long time friends who got together to start teaching the lost art of preserving. It fits in with today’s path toward sustainable living: Buying local, growing your own, and preserving the abundance season by season.


Watch the ‘how2 make Small Batch Jam’ and give it a shot (the recipe is posted through the link above). It’s actually fun. I brought home some fresh picked strawberries, made my own small batch, kept one jar for us and gave the other to a neighbor. You can even invite some friends over and make it a happening! Let me know how yours turned out!


On another note, there is a Farm Bill Update posted on the Slow Food Seacoast website stating “On July 17,the House Agriculture Committee will meet to debate two Farm Bill drafts. If they make it out of committee on time, the week of July 26 is reserved for floor debate in the House on Farm Bill content. The Senate schedule has not yet been released. Now is the right time to make our voices heard. “ They go on to add a link to an e-letter for your representative, courtesy of the Farm and Food Policy Project.


It’s time to put healthy, affordable food on our tables.


—Rebecca


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4 Responses to “Preserving Food And Friendship”

  1. Christa Says:
    November 18th, 2007 at 7:43 am

    I love the video on making small batch jam. I always thought I didn’t have enough strawberries from my garden to make jam. I’m inspired now to try the small batch process. Thank you!!

  2. rebecca Says:
    November 18th, 2007 at 2:22 pm

    Thanks, Christa! I think Marge did a great job. I’m glad she and Harriet got together :)
    I was like you too…never thinking I had enough berries for jam. And it’s so easy too…another myth that was debunked!

  3. Can’t Avoid Being on the Web :: Offermann.us Says:
    May 2nd, 2008 at 9:46 pm

    [...] you can take a class on making strawberry jam. (I’m the only guy in the [...]

  4. Juicer Says:
    September 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm

    I cant wait to start making my own Jam. I’ll be giving it my first attempt this weekend.

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