Upcoming Workshop - Homemade Apple Dessert!

Burnaby Food First is pleased to offer another FREE workshop!

Homemade Apple Dessert!
Thursday December 10th
6:30 pm to 8:15 pm

Brentwood Community Resource Centre
2055 Rosser Ave / Burnaby - map

Join Alice Macpherson to learn how to make a delicious and festive apple tart that will make the holidays just a bit sweeter!

Registration is required. Space is limited!

To register, please contact Meghan at (604) 209-2404 or by email.

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**Other FREE Burnaby Food First Workshops!**

Winter Vegetable Wonder!
Thursday, December 3rd
6:30 pm - 8:15 pm

Brentwood Community Resource Centre (2055 Rosser Ave / Burnaby - map)

Winter doesn't mean you can't eat your vegetables! Join Holistic Nutritionist Sondi Bruner and learn some simple, delicious and nutritious recipes using inexpensive seasonal vegetables. Yum yum - see you there!

Please register to attend. Space is limited! 

To register, please contact Meghan at (604) 209-2404 or by email.

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Soups On!
Tuesday, December 8
6:30 pm - 8:15 pm

Burnaby Neighbourhood House, South Location (4460 Beresford St. / Burnaby - map)

Join Sharon Kravitz to learn the basics of making delicious homemade soups for the whole family! This is a hands-on workshop, so bring your aprons. Yummy tastings included.

** REGISTRATION IS CLOSED - workshop is full. **

Please contact Meghan at (604) 209-2404 or by email to be added to the waitlist.

Note: Due to the presence of hot liquid, no small children please at the 'Soups On' workshop. Older kids, however, are welcome 

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Enjoy Burnaby Food First workshops? Want to get involved as a volunteer?

Check out all the great ways you can get involved. All are welcome, and we'd love to have you on board! For more information, send us an email.

Upcoming Workshops: Food Gardening and Canning

Burnaby Food First is pleased to present another FREE community workshop (funded by Vancity)!

Winter Container Food Gardening - Getting a Head Start

Monday, August 25
6:30 pm - 8:15 pm
Tommy Douglas Library (7311 Kingsway / Burnaby - map)

Join Athenaise Guertin to get a head start and learn how to grow food in winter! No gardening experience necessary.

**REGISTRATION CLOSED**

Introduction to Canning

Wednesday, September 3
6:30 pm - 8:15 pm
Burnaby Community Services Kitchen (2055 Rosser Avenue / 1 1/2 blocks from Brentwood Skytrain Station - map)

Join master canner Alice Macpherson to learn how to can your own fruit. This is a hands-on workshop, and you will get to take home a jar of what you have canned!

**REGISTRATION CLOSED**

Note: Parking is limited at this location. Please consider biking or taking transit.

Enjoy Burnaby Food First workshops? Want to get involved as a volunteer?

Check out all the great ways you can get involved. All are welcome, and we'd love to have you on board! For more information, send us an email.

Recipe: Blueberry Chutney

Chutneys go well with chicken, fish, and many vegetable dishes. They can also be made to suit personal tastes -- e.g. sweet and not spicy -- and are suited to all kinds of fruits.

This recipe is from our Canning for Life workshop, taught by chef Alice Macpherson. It makes a spicy version that is suitable for a variety of dishes and uses blueberry jam, as per the Homemade Jam recipe from the same workshop. The below measurements are for every 2 litres of jam.

Blueberry Chutney

To email, print, or text this recipe, click here.

Ingredients

2 L blueberry (or other fruit) jam
5 mL salt

Any of the below:

10 mL black pepper, ground
15 mL fennel seed, ground
15 mL coriander seed, ground
15 mL ginger, ground
125 mL Balsamic vinegar

Source: The Dog's Breakfast

Instructions

1. Heat up the jam. While the jam is heating, decide which seasonings you want to add.

2. Stir the seasonings (any of pepper, fennel, coriander, ginger, and/or Balsamic vinegar) into the heated jam.

3. Heat for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust as desired.

4. When ready, spoon the jam into clean canning jars.

5. Put on the lids and rings on and process in a hot water bath. Please see the Hot Water Canning guide for instructions. At full boil, let the jars cook for 10 minutes. This time is for kitchens at sea level (where we are), and for every 3,000 feet above 1,000 feet sea level, extend the boiling time by 5 minutes.  

Recipe: Homemade Jam

Fresh, homemade jam outplays store-bought jam, no contest, every time -- so if you've got a bit of time over the weekend and a stash of fruit in the fridge, why not whip up this simply, easy recipe?

This recipe is a perfect way to preserve (a) blueberries, currants (black, red, or white), apricots, cherries, gooseberries, and plums* or (b) raspberries, peaches, and strawberries.**

Jams can also be thinned out and used as a fruit sauce for cakes or puddings.

This recipe is from our Canning for Life workshop, taught by chef Alice Macpherson, and is based on a 250 mL mason jar size.

Homemade Jam

To email, print, or text this recipe, click here.

Ingredients

Fruit of choice
Water
Honey or sugar, to taste
Low methoxyl pectin (e.g. Pomona brand)
Mono calcium phosphate, if using raspberries, peaches, or strawberries
Mason canning jars

Source: Bran Appetit

Instructions

1. Put the fruit into a heavy pot. Make sure the pot is not more than halfway full. If using frozen fruit, let it thaw in the pot first.

2. Add just enough water to prevent the fruit from sticking to the sides, and cook over low heat until soft.

3. If the fruit mixture is too sour, add a small amount of honey or sugar.

4. Test to see if the fruit has thickened and gelled by dropping some on a cold spoon or plate.

5. If the jam is not thick enough, add the following, accordingly:

* For (a) blueberries, currants, apricots, cherries, gooseberries, and plums: 10 grams of low methoxyl pectin for every 2 L of juice and water.

** For (b) raspberries, peaches, and strawberries: 15 grams of low methoxyl pectin for every 2 L of juice and water. With a bit of juice, mix in 2 grams of mono calcium phosphate for every 2 L, and then stir the mixture into the jam.

6. Test the jam again to see if it will jell on a cold spoon or plate.

7. When ready, spoon the jam into clean canning jars.

8. Put on the lids and rings on and process in a hot water bath. Please see the Hot Water Canning guide for instructions. At full boil, let the jars cook for 10 minutes. This time is for kitchens at sea level (where we are), and for every 3,000 feet above 1,000 feet sea level, extend the boiling time by 5 minutes.

Guide to Hot Water Canning

This guide is for the Hot Water method of canning, as used in a number of our recipes for jams, chutneys, and other preserves. The standard size of the mason jars used in our recipes is 250 mL, but the boiling times are the same regardless of jar size.

We recommend for optimal safety to use new lids, and even jar rings, each time when re-using sterilized mason jars from previous batches. Improperly cleaned canning jars can harbour bacteria and other nasties that can lead to food poisoning and other food-borne illnesses.

Fruits must be canned using the hot water method below because of the high levels of sugar and/or acid they contain. Vegetables, meat, and some other foods should never be canned using this method; they must be treated using a pressure cooker. Canned foods that have sealed will last for about a year or a little more -- if they aren't eaten before that!

The instructions below are provided kindly on the behalf of Alice Macpherson.

Hot Water Canning

Things You Need

Large pot, with sides higher than the mason jars
Glass mason canning jars, warmed or hot
Sterilized jar rings and lids
Canner rack

Instructions

1. Jars, rings, and lids must be very clean and washed in hot water or put through the dishwasher in a hot cycle and then dried thoroughly. Lids should be put in hot water before using so that the seal is soft and ready to use.

2. Fill the pot halfway with water and heat it until it just starts to boil.

3. The food being canned should be ready at this point, as indicated by the recipe. While the food is hot, put it into your clean, warm jars. Fill the jars to the 0.75 mL line, about 1/4-inch from the rim.

4. Rinse the lids and rings in hot water again before you put them on the jars. Ensure that the sealing material on the lids is soft. Put the lids on the jars and then tighten the rings around them. If the rings are too loose, liquid may leak out, but if they are too tight, trapped air inside the jars cannot get out.

5. Load the filled jars onto the canner rack and use the handles to lower the rack into the water. If you don't have a specialized canner rack, you can use a metal steamer tray or any other heat-proof rack that fits in the bottom of your pot and keeps the jars up off the bottom of the pot.

6. Add more boiling water, if needed, so that the water level in the pot is an inch above the tops of the jars, and then put the lid on.

7. Turn the heat to high and boil vigorously.

8. Let the jars boil for the time indicated in the recipe. As needed, add more boiling water to ensure the jars are always covered with water.

9. When done, lift the jars out and put them on a rack or a towel, with 1 inch between them to allow for cooling.

10. When the jars cool, you will hear the lid click. This means that the jar is properly sealed. Check again in 24 hours to make sure the lids and rings are still tight. If a jar does not seal, put it in the fridge and use the food right away, within 24 hours or less.

Workshop Review: Modern Pantry Canning and Canning for Life Workshops

Thank you all for coming out to the Modern Pantry Canning (August 13) and Canning for Life (August 8) workshops the past two weeks!

Spoils of the evening: sweet Virginia pepper relish from Monday night.
Credit: Sofi Martinez

Both received great reviews and couldn't have been as successful without your interest and participation.

Chef Alice Macpherson in action at the Canning for Life workshop.
Credit: Sofi Martinez

Attendees at Canning for Life made and brought home blueberry jam and blueberry chutney, while those at the workshop on Monday got hands-on with plum sauce and sweet Virginia pepper relish.

Chef Karen Dar Woon caught in the middle of a demonstration.
Credit: Sofi Martinez

Looking for a way to ring in autumn? There are still four more workshops left in the Summer Workshop Series, so make sure to stop by.

If you missed either of the workshops in this post, there will be repeat runs on August 20 (Canning for Life) and on August 27 (Modern Pantry Canning). Spots go quickly, so register early to get in on the fun!

For more information on the remaining workshops, please visit the Summer Workshop Series listing for details and registration information.


For copies of the recipes used in this workshop, please visit our Recipe page:

Blueberry Chutney
Homemade Jam

Canning for Life: Spots Still Left!

Canning for Life
Learn the basics of jams and chutneys

August 20 / 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Cranberry Commons / 4272 Albert Street (map)

Join chef Alice Macpherson to learn about the benefits of canning your own food, including about what's going into your food and what you are feeding your family, as well as the cost savings of buying produce fresh and in season. 

Join us and make your own batch of blueberry jam and another of savoury blueberry chutney for yourself and your family. All materials are provided, and participants take home two 250 ml (8 oz.) jars of finished product. Please bring an apron and a bag to carry what you made home with you!

To register, send us an email or call (604) 570-3623.

**REGISTRATION CLOSED*

Canning for Life: Spots Still Left!

There are still a few spots available in our upcoming workshop:

Canning for Life
Learn the basics of jams and chutneys

August 8 / 5-7pm
Newcomers Centre / 7009 Kingsway (map)

Join chef Alice Macpherson to learn about the benefits of canning your own food, including about what's going into your food and what you are feeding your family, as well as the cost savings of buying produce fresh and in season. Join us and make your own batch of jam and another of chutney for yourself and your family. All materials are provided, and participants take home two 250 ml (8 oz.) jars of finished product.

To register, send us an email or call (604) 570-3623.

**REGISTRATION CLOSED**


Workshop Review:
Canning for Life

Summer Workshop Series

Burnaby Food First is pleased to announce our next workshop series! Each workshop has two dates to choose from. All workshops are FREE.

Canning for Life
Learn the basics of jams and chutneys

August 8 / 5-7pm
Newcomers Centre / 7009 Kingsway (map)

August 20 / 6-8pm
Cranberry Commons / 4272 Albert St. (map) 

Join chef Alice Macpherson to learn about the benefits of canning your own food, including about what's going into your food and what you are feeding your family, as well as the cost savings of buying produce fresh and in season. Join us and make your own batch of jam and another of chutney for yourself and your family. All materials are provided, and participants take home two 250 ml (8 oz.) jars of finished product.

Modern Pantry Canning
Learn how to make fresh, local relishes and salsas

August 13 / 5-7pm
Newcomers Centre / 7009 Kingsway (map)

August 27 / 1-3pm
Cranberry Commons / 4272 Albert St. (map) 

Eat local and save money by learning how to preserve fruit and vegetables in season with Chef Karen Dar Woon. Using produce from local farms, participants will make and take home Ginger Plum Sauce, Sweet Virginia Pickle Relish. This workshop requires very basic kitchen skills.

Canning for the Sweet Life
Learn how to can local fresh whole fruits

September 5 / 5-7pm
Byrne Creek Secondary / 7777 18th St. (map)
Topic: Spiced Pears

September 6 / 5-7pm
Cranberry Commons / 4272 Albert St. (map)
Topic: Apple Butter

As the kids head back to school, delicious local apples and pears from some of BC’s finest organic producers head to market. Come learn how to store the bounty, with Chef Antonietta Gesualdi of Foodwisdom, as she demonstrates how to make spiced pears and apple butter. Either of these will make for a great treat in the school lunch box in February.

Please help us spread the word to your friends!

Spaces are limited. Register now by emailing us or by calling (604) 570-3623. When registering, please tell us the name and date of the workshop you are interested in, the name(s) of who will be attending, and provide a contact phone number or email address.

**REGISTRATION CLOSED**

See you at the workshops!