Last week, I got together with a handful of food-loving friends in a gorgeous kitchen (6 gas burners!) to preserve cherries and apricots.  We put up about 30 pounds of cherries and 35 pounds of apricots in six hours. Lots of work and lots of "steam facials", but a fun day all in all.

I have been canning for years.  I preserve for my clients when they can't keep up with the bounty from their gardens. Preserving can includes freezing or dehydrating foods, as well, not just canning. For two reasons, this year I decided to expand my canning circle and work with friends. Firstly, because Marcus asked me to.  Having just seen the movie Food, Inc . Marcus wants to commit to eating local all year long.  This makes winter a bit more difficult to get through, so he is turning to preservation to extend the season.  Smart guy!  He asked for my help and guidance, and of course I agreed. Secondly, this is a way more economical way to preserve food.  When you buy 40 pounds of something, the price is often cheaper than when you're purchasing in small quantities.  I purchase gobs of 'seconds' from farmers, too - they are less expensive and work just as well. 

I'm not sure if this is the most efficient way to can, but it was certainly more pleasant catching up with friends than doing it on my own.  I'm going to give it a few more gos before I decide.  But for now, we are calling ourselves the Seattle Stockpilers .  Look out winter.............here we come!