Last weekend, eight food52ers from the Washington, D.C. area drove, on average, 120 miles to cheese1227's home in Carlisle, PA to spend the day canning. Under the tutelage of avid canner MrsWheelbarrow, they made sour cherry pie filling and apricot halves in vanilla syrup, taking a break for a potluck lunch built around monkeymom’s prize-winning Caramelized Pork Bánh Mì (along with a vegetarian version with marinated tofu).
The day's host cheese1227 (who reported on the event and shared the lovely photos below) had this to say: "Fifty years ago, we would have been mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and grandmothers spending countless hours in steamy kitchens across the country creating this level of intimacy over food -- organizing it, prepping it, talking about it, savoring it and putting it up for the winter.
It’s weird and wonderful that this particular group used an online connection as their catalyst for a day of communal canning."
Love it! I am starting my Bread & Butter pickles next week and will be thinking of all of you! Also, LOVE the copper kettle...
This is awesome. I am completely jealous!
it was such an amazing day, and so glad i could be a part of it. still dreaming of that watermelon-ade....
Love it, Christine! Looks like a blast and so glad Peters Orchards could be a part of your big canorama day! Glad you liked my fresh from the orchard photo, too!
Oopps. This previous message was actually from Ellen Peters. I was logged on her computer last Thursday checking the Editor's Picks while hanging out at her house and it looks like she logged in as me! But yes, this lovely picture of the fruit is her's not mine.
Peter's Orchard??? My daughter and I used to stop by there all the time to and from ballet (I drove from DC to take her to Ms.Marcia at CPYB). Mr.Peter's would give us free food...they have great apples in the fall...and awesome Strawberry Pies!
Ah, the Bunheads are in town now, many of them living right across the street from me in the Dickinson College dorms. There are several Mr. Peters. Uncle Earl mans the fruit market. He loves to talk with his customers! If you are in DC, send me and Cathy your email address and we'll include you in the next greater DC event!
Oh WOW! What a great idea and thanks so much for the photos. At the end of summer I wish a team could come here to Maine to help with all the canning! Congratulations and CHEERS!
Road trip!!!
Wow- looks like an incredible day!
Amazing! Doing such wonderful activity together looks like the perfect forum to connect over food. I love that idea!
This is fantastic! I would have LOVED to have been there.
What fun! Thrilled to see not just my sister, but my darling niece, too, having such a great time. I've heard from witnesses (attendees) that the food was exceptionally tasty. How I would have loved to have been there, for so many reasons! Thanks for taking/posting these photos. ;o)
I'm green with envy up here! Would still love to rally the Boston-area troops for a meet-up.
Me too! How about a picnic/potluck at a park? (Larz Anderson in Brookline might work well) Any Bostonians game?
I have a friend in Boston who woudl love to connect with other food people in Boston. I will let her know you guys have something cooking.
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoWhat fun! I love canning and preserving -- so wish we could have been there. And 28 quarts! We bow to you.
Kristen supplied me with your mailing address when she supplied me with the logo, so there is a jar of each on their way to you!
What a wonderful, productive time for everyone...love the canning labels!
So cool! Wish I could have joined in, but it's a long trek from northern California.
Lovely! So glad you guys had fun. Thanks for sharing photos. Mrs. W, I think I have kettle envy!
This was a great day! Many thanks to cheese 1227 and Mrs. Wheelbarrow. Cheese was an amazing host - imagine the mess we made! I'm looking forward to learning how to make a pie with my cherries.
Oh - and what is the Canvolution, Mrs. W?
I have to admit that even after three scrubdowns, I am still finding sticky bits about the place. But it was certainly well worth the elbo grease and am contemplating what we can do next year!
Here's a link to information about the 2010 Canvolution http://www.canningacrossamerica.com/2010/07/02/mark-your-calendars-can-a-rama-2010/
The canning day was great fun! Big thanks go out to Christine (cheese1227) for lending us her kitchen and making the incredible orchard connection. The quality of the produce made for beautiful canning. It was such a pleasure. A nationwide canning tour? I'm packing my suitcase and my copper kettle - available at Sur La Table, btw! (also, if you are in the DC area, I'll be hosting a Canvolution party on 7/25 - please get in touch if you want to join the fun.)
Just a plug for Cathy -- if you are in the DC area, she has planned a series of canning classes. You can get the list on her blog: http://mrswheelbarrow.blogspot.com. Maybe I'll see you at the tomato canning class in September!
Oh wow! That looks like so much fun. I'm envious - I wish I lived close by.
SO great
What fun! I'm envious of that copper kettle!
I love canning!! I have been an avid canner for many years. I guess there is a lot of pioneer spirit in all of us! (and ready for the big winter of '10!)
This looks SO fun and productive! When does Mrs. Wheelbarrow's nationwide canning tour begin?
How fun! What a great idea. Love Mrs.W's copper canning kettle btw.
MrsW is the bomb! What a great way to spend the day. Hats off to Cheese1227 for hosting. I just wish I could have been there.
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