Food Preservation Boot Camp, Saturday - one spot left

Food Preservation Boot Camp
with Heidi Hedecker and Catherine Lambrecht
in the garde manger kitchen classroom

Saturday, August 21, begin 10 am promptly until 3 pm approximately
Lunch provided by Kendall’s Garden Club
Jars and utensil kits provided by Jarden Home Brands,
makers of Ball® Fresh Preserving Products

Kendall College
900 N. North Branch Street
(Halsted Street and Chicago Avenue)
Chicago, IL

Cost: $22

This will be a full day of hands on food preservation experience. By the time you leave, you will have experience with:

- Pressure canning via tomatoes http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_03/tom ... iquid.html
- Waterbath canning via pickled beets http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_06/pickled_beets.html
- Pasteurization via zucchini bread and butter pickles http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_06/bre ... chini.html
- Waterbath canning of plum* jam (fruit could change depending on availability) http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/plum_jam.html
Please familiarize yourself with these recipes above and read through:
Water bath canners: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/u ... nners.html
Pressurre canners: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/u ... nners.html

We expect you will take home one jar of each product. Since they are being transported before completely cooled, the seal may not hold. The purpose of the class is to demonstrate recognized research-based practices of the USDA via the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing and an apron. Bring a kitchen towel, paring knife, vegetable peeler and a Chef’s knife. If you don’t like your hands in water, bring gloves. (I need a few more waterbath canners – let me know if you can bring one)

This class is offered at cost. If you cancel too late to recruit a new student, you may be responsible for your fees.

Questions? PM me.

Hi,

I have my full compliment. If this interests you, I can put you on a list for the future. If and when I do this again, I will contact you.

Regards,

I've never been to Kendall before. Cathy2 or anyone, can you give some directions on how to find the kitchen classroom? Is it room 330? Is the whole college in one building?

Hi,

First parking: park in the lot across the street, not in front of the building. The closest parking is intended for short term visitors.

There is a conciege when you enter who will direct you to the classroom. I haven't seen this one myself.

I don't claim to know the full extent of Kendall's facilities. My interests are limited to the culinary school.

Regards,

Cathy
Thanks for an informative and fun class. Between the hands-on experience and the links/resources you provided, I'm ready to take on pickles at home.

Heidi
Thanks for the use of the facilities, the food, and hospitality.

A really great day.

A second on that! This was exactly the class I was hoping for--I feel completely comfortable going forward from here and can't wait to get to it. I have mbh's copy of the Ball book next to me and as soon as I'm done posting, I'm off to tag recipes for tomorrow.

thanks Cathy for organizing and leading and Heidi for hosting--can't wait til the next one. And on that topic-how about a breadmaking class?

wendy wrote:Cathy
Thanks for an informative and fun class. Between the hands-on experience and the links/resources you provided, I'm ready to take on pickles at home.

Heidi
Thanks for the use of the facilities, the food, and hospitality.

A really great day.

Here, Here. Thanks again.

I don't know how I missed this, and the timing would not have worked for me, but I'm kicking myself and hoping it was successful enough that you will try it again in the future, Cathy2!

Suzy

sdritz wrote:I don't know how I missed this, and the timing would not have worked for me, but I'm kicking myself and hoping it was successful enough that you will try it again in the future, Cathy2!

Suzy

I tried to peg them down there for a future date it was an awful lot of work for the organizers and I hope they are willing to share the information again in the future.

Thanks again Cathy - great class! And what a bonus to work with such a thoughtful and interesting group. It could have been overwhelming to process those overflowing crates of fruit and veg - squirting and splattering everywhere - surrounded by huge hissing pressure canners. It was a long day but filled with teamwork and fascinating conversation. We got a glimpse of how they used to get through canning season. Thanks to all. Hope to see you again next time!

Cathy,

This was a very informative class. Working with the different teams was a lot of fun, and reinforced the idea of canning as a great community activity.

Thanks for all your hard work!

Jyoti

It was a whirlwind of a day. We learned both the science and how-to of putting up all of the bounty from our garden and/or the season( Cathy certainly convinced me that you don't need a garden to can).

We learned the difference between pressure canning and using a water bath canner. These specific techniques were used in order to put up a ton of magnificent food today.


Catherine Lambrecht with pressure canners and water bath canners (one is even big enough for a baby )




Fired Up and Ready to Go! Attentive Students hanging on the words of our Instructors

So what did we learn to put up today?


Can you believe we aren't going to eat these lovely tomatoes until winter?


Beets being prepped for canning

We put up quite a bit of food. It was exhausting and enjoyable.

Here's a quick bread-and-butter pickle made with... zucchini and quite a bit of turmeric along with traditional pickling spices?


Courgettes, onions, and pickling salt (yes it is different from regular salt)


Thanks to Heidi Hedecker and Catherine Lambrecht! Fantastic, tireless, and willing to share both knowledge and technique (pectin is a personal choice, but by gosh, that plum jam did gel without it!)




Now I'm think of Chow-Chow relish, more pickles, and ketchup being put up pretty soon.

I was unsuccessful in pinning down a date for Canning 2.0 <sigh>.

More pictures can be found here.

Great post and pics PFL--thanks!! Now wondering what RAB is going to do with all that video he shot...

Great class!

I had a great time and learned so much! My most sincere thank you to Cathy.

I will post more pictures tomorrow if I can get manage the time

Thanks again!

This looks wonderful!
Cathy please let me know if you ever run this class again!
E

Hi,

A big thanks to Heidi, because nothing would have happened without a culinary instructor on the premises. She not only arranged all the permissions needed. She helped strategize how to teach this class, because I am not too familiar on the mechanics of teaching.

Also thanks to everyone who participated. It really was a pretty happy group working together. The memory of how well everyone cooperated does help grease the wheels for a future program.

My thanks to Jarden Corporation for donating Ball jars and basic canning tool kits as a bonus. If you want to do small scale canning improvising with a stock pot or pressure canner able to hold 4 one-pint jars, then you need only the jars.

I went on to can the next day on a much smaller scale. I really missed those high power burners able to bring water to a boil or a pressure canner to vaccuum really fast.

It was good enough, I am sure there will be another basics class someday. Those who are interested, I will collect names just send me a PM.

Let my feet forget what I made them do two (three) days in a row ... actually more canning tonight, too. I have a some ideas for a second level.

Best regards,