We began as a group of strangers. We preserved food together, picked apples, and shared meals. We each put our own stories, personal histories, and love for canning into the jars we brought to share each month. Over the years, strangers became friends and our friendships have deepened. We keep each other’s pantries stocked, but now we also attend each other’s art openings, birthday parties, baby showers, and weddings. Through our friendship, we strive to inspire others and keep the tradition of canning alive.
I get a thrill out of hosting the canning club. I hosted our first meeting, and continue to hold the first summer meeting of the year to celebrate our club’s anniversary. Every year, it is my task to plan a really great celebration that shows this community how much it means to me. I hope that these stories of our own canning community light the spark that leads to you creating your own group, based on the values of joy, love, and sharing.
Our group is open to the public so anyone can join and attend, but you can decide if you would rather have yours be made up of new friends or old, though I do highly suggest an open forum as a way to meet new people in your community. I am so thankful for the lifelong friendships I have made with people I may never have met otherwise. We use a social media site to post meeting information and communicate with each other, which works well for our members. The platform is a nice way to create an open discussion about what we have canned or post about other food-related events we want to attend in between our meetings. I suggest you keep your group small, intimate, and fun. We have about twenty active members. If your group gets too big, encourage people to start their own clubs.
Our club meets at a different location once a month, but you and your fellow canners can decide what makes the most sense for you. It is also fun to go to parks, shops, and restaurants. However, if you choose this route, make sure to let the establishment know you are coming so they are ready for you. Call ahead and make arrangements. Meetings usually run about two to three hours. Your group can also meet at U-Pick farms before canning club starts and pick fruit together. Work hard and reward yourselves with the club exchange and a planned picnic.
Another important step in the planning process is determining the number of jars each member should bring to a meeting.
We opted for five jars per person per meeting to keep it manageable. The host starts us off by selecting one jar they would like to keep, and we take turns from there, moving around the circle. There are other canning club formats with trading cards or exchange slips, but we find our method to be simple and effective, and I love that it takes very little organization before each meeting.
It is also a good idea to lay down some ground rules at the beginning so everyone is on the same page. As new members join, these rules can be reviewed. We have found that the following rules stand the test of time and reflect our values.
Use safe practices when canning. Follow guidelines and recipes that come from trusted sources. If you think something you made is unsafe, follow the old mantra: When in doubt, dump it out. Don’t risk your health and safety or the health and safety of others.
Items brought to trade must be canned. A canning club is different from a food swap. This rule does have some wiggle room, as sometimes things go in the refrigerator. If this is the case, the jars must be clearly marked.
Canning club is for sharing canned goods you are proud of. Bring items you want to show off, not items that didn’t work or that taste bad. You want everyone to leave happy about what they’re going home with.
Be respectful and supportive of one another. This includes bringing drinks and snacks to share with the group, helping to clean up when the meeting is over, and offering encouragement to new members.
Our meetings are always held during the week around dinnertime, and make sure no one leaves hungry. We want the food table to be bountiful, so we ask that all club members bring a dish or snack to share with the group, perhaps even something to go with the item they are trading, such as biscuits with the jam they made. Many of the recipes in this book, from the galette to the tart, were born out of the tradition of making something with the creation I canned and then brought to share with the group. This feast is created by everyone and is for everyone, and there is no pressure put on the host to spend an excessive amount of time or money. Instead, we all pitch in to create an impressive spread featuring our own canning creations.
If you are hosting, set up a food station where your guests can put out the food they have brought to share as they arrive. As a host, I like to build a beautiful cheese and pickle board with fresh cheeses, nuts, herbs, and fruit. I generally cover the table with a tablecloth and pick some flowers from the garden to enhance the environment. I use our ceramic dishes and cloth napkins for less waste (and my husband is really good at doing dishes). Designate somewhere close to the food table to place the dirty dishes and food scraps.
You will also want to include a beverage station. We ask club members to bring some drinks to share and they come with everything from jars of kombucha to jugs of wine to growlers of beer. Keeping with our theme, I put out half-pint canning jars for the glasses. It is important to have something for everyone, which means making sure to offer both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, clearly marked. Along with water, it is nice to serve a nonalcoholic party drink, such as Vanilla Bean Lemonade. I also like to put out “spa water” (sparkling water with cucumbers and basil). And I always love an excuse to break out my grandma’s glass punch bowl. Here is my favorite alcoholic party punch recipe: